The training of learners to use a vocabulary notebook strategy with a dictionary : a case study of 4 mainland migrant and local Hong Kong secondary school students

by Lai, Po-to

(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract of thesis entitled The training of learners to use a vocabulary notebook strategy with a dictionary: a case study of 4 mainland migrant and local Hong Kong secondary school students submitted by Lai Po To for the degree of Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics) at the University of Hong Kong September, 2000 The present study reports on the training of four local and mainland migrant Hong Kong secondary school students to use a vocabulary notebook-dictionary strategy (abbreviated as VNDS). This investigation looks into: firstly, the effects of VNDS training on the use of the strategy and vocabulary learning; and secondly, the differences in the effects of VNDS training between the local and migrant participants. A case study was conducted among two local and two migrant Form One students in a Hong Kong Chinese-medium instruction secondary school. The level/condition of strategy use was measured by four strategy indicators: motivation, knowledge of the strategy, actual deployment of the strategy and perceived utility of the strategy. Qualitative data of this case study was collected by interviews, observation and documents (i.e., two strategy knowledge tests and a vocabulary quiz) and analyzed by the "Constant Comparative Method" and the "Analysis during data collection" method. The findings reveal that: firstly, VNDS training facilitated the four participants' motivation to use the strategy, their knowledge of the strategy and perceived utility of the strategy, but produced uncertain effects on their actual deployment of the strategy. Secondly, compared with the migrant participants, the local participants reached a much higher level of motivation, knowledge and perceived utility regarding the strategy use. In regard to the implications for vocabulary teaching, this study suggests the need of teaching vocabulary learning strategies to junior form learners, using or training of combined vocabulary learning strategies, and using bilingual dictionaries for foreign language learning. This dissertation ends with suggestions for future research in vocabulary learning.