Original scientific paper
DO EFL COURSEBOOKS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS PROMOTE THE USE OF VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES?
Marija Andraka
orcid.org/0000-0002-7349-7252
; Faculty of Teacher Education, Zagreb, Croatia
Ankica Jurković
; Primary school ”Braća Seljan”, Karlovac, Croatia
Abstract
Previous research on vocabulary learning strategies dealt primarily with the organisation of learners' mental lexicon, issues such as why some words are learnt more easily than others, and with vocabulary learning strategies learners use when learning a foreign language. The aim of the research presented here is to explore whether foreign language coursebooks used in Croatian primary schools contain activities which encourage learners to use vocabulary learning strategies, and whether there is a difference in the quantity and variety of strategies employed between first- and fourth-grade coursebooks. The results indicate that contemporary coursebooks for early EFL learning contain a certain amount of activities of this kind. The results also indicate that coursebook authors rely on the teacher as the most valuable mediator of strategies based on the coursebook activities. Besides, the learners' individual learning styles will influence the choice of vocabulary learning strategies. Thus, the results obtained can be indicative of the necessity to involve coursebooks, teachers and pupils in order to achieve success in vocabulary learning.
Keywords
early EFL learning; EFL course book; vocabulary learning strategies; English language teacher
Hrčak ID:
164854
URI
Publication date:
26.7.2016.
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