Abstract:

This study aimed at exploring the use of vocabulary learning strategies by United Arab Emirates high schools who study English as a Foreign Language (10 -12 grades). The use of vocabulary strategies was measured by quantitative and qualitative means. To achieve this aim, different dimensions of students’ vocabulary strategies use in reading English was measured and analyzed. The data was collected from 821 students from different grade levels (10-12 grades). The second phase of this study featured an in-depth investigation. From the initial pool of the first phase, a subset sample of 10 students interviewed for further analysis. In general, there is a variation in the use of vocabulary strategies by UAE high school students. The average for the four categories revealed a high level of vocabulary strategy usage. The participants of this study reported that they most often used categories are Social strategies, Cognitive Strategies, Memory Strategies and Determining Strategies respectively. Moreover, the difference between the use of vocabulary strategies according to the participants’ gender type was statistically significant for the categories: Determining Strategies, Memory Strategies, and Cognitive Strategies. The in-depth investigation collaborated the existence of the variations in the vocabulary strategies use.

Keywords:

language learning, learning strategies, Vocabulary strategies, UAEU, EFL, High school.