The Relationship Between Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Their Vocabulary Size

Vocabulary learning strategies are the strategies learners utilize to acquire new words, and vocabulary size refers to the number of word families one knows. The current study was designed to examine the probable relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning strategies and their vocabulary size. To this end, at first 80 advanced language learners were asked to answer a questionnaire identifying their vocabulary learning strategies. It consisted of 25 items on different vocabulary learning strategies including, social, cognitive, metacognitive, and memory strategies. The same learners were then presented with vocabulary size test which revealed their vocabulary size scores. Correlation and regression analysis on the obtained data revealed that there is a positive correlation between learners’ vocabulary learning strategies and their vocabulary size. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that vocabulary learning strategies are a good predictor of vocabulary size since 42 percent of learners’ vocabulary learning strategies could potentially predict learners’ vocabulary size. Moreover, identifying the most common vocabulary learning strategies adopted by Iranian EFL learners provides both learners and teachers with a better view on vocabulary acquisition.