The vocabulary strategies used by right-/left-and bilateral-brain learners in four major universities of Taiwan

• Main Author: Chang, Yu-Tzu
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2002
• Subjects: Vocabulary tests; Language and languages > Word frequency; Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/2929
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study investigates the vocabulary strategies, brain dominance, and scores in a vocabulary test of university students in Taiwan. Respondents involved 140 students selected from four universities located in different cities in Taiwan (Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Nanya Institute of Technology, National Chung-San University, and Tamkang University). They were requested to answer a survey questionnaire on vocabulary strategies, brain dominance inventory, and vocabulary test. Frequency count was used to analyze the survey of vocabulary strategies, scoring instrument was used to identify the type of brain dominance, and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to investigate the relationship among the vocabulary strategies, brain dominance, and scores in a vocabulary test. Findings show that students often used determination (DET) strategy such as using bilingual dictionary/electronic dictionary and a memory (MEM) strategy studying the spelling of a word , but they seldom used a metacognitive (MET) strategy such as spaced word practice . They never used the social (SOC) strategy like interacting with native speakers. In addition, they fall slightly toward the right-brain dominance. It was revealed further that there was a significant relationship (0.545 & 0.555) between students' use of vocabulary strategies and their scores in a vocabulary test however, no significant relationship (0.234 & 0.278) existed between brain dominance and vocabulary strategies and neither between brain dominance and scores in a vocabulary test (0.131).