Moksliniai tyrimai

Learning strategies when assimilating English as a foreign language has been investigated in Lithuania as an independent problem in order to establish how students are familiarised with the learning strategies, if they apply them when learning foreign languages, and which learning strategies are preferred. Learning foreign languages requires from learners to use and improve the language constantly, the main attention is paid to the abilities to learn it self-dependently, and search for new ways to make the process of learning aa foreign language more effective. Learning and teaching vocabulary is one of the parts of this process, which is indicated by learners as problematic ones. The problem is that students of higher grades are often lacking in words for expression of their thoughts; therefore, it is important to investigate how application of the strategies of learning vocabulary of successful and unsuccessful learners of a foreign language differs, if the use of more strategies of learning vocabulary has any influence on tthe results of writing tests, what strategy of learning vocabulary is the most effective, and which of the learning strategies is used the most rarely and is the least effective. The search for methods of learning new words is the ssubject theme of this investigation, after analysis of which, a hypothesis of the research has been set as follows: the learners, who use different strategies of learning vocabulary, learn new words easier and gets higher results of vocabulary tests.

The aim is to examine the suitability of learning strategies when learning English words. For realising this aim, the following objectives have been solved:

Analyze the conception of learning strategies in educational theories.

Establishing the level of the vocabulary of learners.

Establishing what strategies of learning words are used by learners.

Estimating how learning strategies influence learning words.

Preparing recommendations for teachers of the English language how to introduce learners with the strategies of learning of the vocabulary of the English language. <

Preparing recommendations for a learner how to apply learning strategies effectively.

During the work, different investigation methods were used:

The method of analysis of pedagogical and psychological literature allowed analysing the theories of learning a foreign language, and the conception of learning strategies.

Documentation analysis gave an opportunity for knowing the requirements applied to learning and teaching the English language as a second foreign language in Lithuania.

Empirical investigation by survey (using a questionnaire) method has tried to establish how tthe strategies of learning vocabulary were used.

30 students of the tenth grade of Tauragė Professional Training Centre, who had been learning the English language since the forth grade, participated in the research. First of all, the level of vocabulary tests was examined, then it was established what strategies of learning vocabulary the learners of English words used. After analysing the data received, the most-frequently-used and most effective the strategy of learning vocabulary and the-most-rarely-used one were established. Besides, the influence of the use of the strategies on the results of writing tests was set, and recommendations provided for teaching strategies. The base of the research was the following conclusions: the strategic competence of learning a language is a complex part of communication competence, related to flexible learning of a foreign language; when training students for independent and autonomous learning and improving a language during the whole life, it is important to introduce them with the strategies of learning vocabulary and help them create a system of learning strategies; the class might be within the central level of achievements in accordance with the standards of the principal school education; the results of the research has showed that the strategies of sself review and word repeating loudly are used the most frequently of the provided strategies of learning vocabulary; it has been established that the strategies of creation of associations to new words and recording cards and use of records are used the most rarely; and it has been established that learning strategies have a direct influence on learning English words because students, who use more strategies, learn English words easier and the results of their writing tests are better.