Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) are deliberate techniques and actions learners use to discover the meaning of new words and to consolidate vocabulary knowledge. Schmitt's (1997) taxonomy, the most widely used classification, organises strategies into two broad categories: discovery (finding out meaning) and consolidation (remembering it).
Strategies for determining the meaning of a new word when first encountered:
Determination strategies (individual):
Social strategies (involving others):
Strategies for retaining a word once its meaning has been discovered:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Social | Study and practise in groups; interact with native speakers |
| Memory | Keyword method; semantic mapping; associate with known words; create mental images; group words by topic |
| Cognitive | Use word cards; keep a vocabulary notebook; write words repeatedly; use spaced repetition |
| Metacognitive | Plan vocabulary study; test oneself; choose which words to focus on; monitor progress |
The learner associates the L2 word with an L1 word that sounds similar, then creates a mental image linking them. Effective for initial form-meaning mapping but less useful for deeper knowledge. Research shows strong short-term effects but mixed long-term results.
Deliberate study of form-meaning pairs. Most effective when:
Analysing Word Formation patterns, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots, to decode unfamiliar words. Particularly valuable for academic vocabulary, where Latinate and Greek morphology is productive (e.g., pre-, -tion, -ology). Connects directly to Morphology and Academic Word List study.
Using surrounding text to infer meaning. Requires approximately 95–98% text coverage to be effective (Nation, 2001), meaning learners need substantial vocabulary breadth before this strategy becomes reliable.
Creating visual diagrams showing relationships between words, such as synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms, and collocations. Activates deeper processing and builds the associative networks that characterise Vocabulary Depth.