Inside the "black box" of academic vocabulary learning : a diary study of a self-directed ESL Learner

Abstract

This dissertation reports on a diary study that examined the author’s experience learning academic vocabulary as a self-directed ESL learner while undertaking a Master degree in Applied Linguistics in Hong Kong. Using diary study as the sole research instrument, this study aims at providing rich and thick data specifically in the realm of academic vocabulary learning strategies amidst profuse research on vocabulary learning in general. The study was conducted over the course of 60 days, during which the author focused on uncovering the vocabulary learning strategies she utilised while learning academic vocabulary and her perception of their respective usefulness. The results revealed that among the wide array of strategies deployed, the author showed a preference for creating personally meaningful mental linkages between new and existing knowledge to address the generally abstract meaning of academic vocabulary. In addition, the strategy “guessing from context” was always used in combination with dictionary strategies to avoid erroneous guesses. Furthermore, in a bid to move receptive word knowledge to productive knowledge, the author learnt frequently occurred academic vocabulary deliberately, personalised her learning through creating her own academic vocabulary list, carried out structured reviewing on a regular basis and practiced using newly learnt words in different contexts. These strategies altogether contributed to the positive learning outcomes of the author’s 60-day learning experience.