Vocabulary Learning Anxiety and Its Relationship with Vocabulary Learning Strategies among EFL Libyan Undergraduate Students at Misurata University

Abstract

Vocabulary learning and mastering remains one of the most remarkable challenges in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning context due to several factors. As a result, EFL learners tend to rely on applying several language learning strategies that would shape their language learning behaviors. Thus, this study investigates EFL undergraduate students’ vocabulary learning strategies and the role of vocabulary anxiety in their implemented strategies. Descriptive quantitative research design is used in this study. The data was collected using a structured online questionnaire. After the data cleaning and data screening, the total number of 97 valid simple random sample responses obtained to answer the research questions using SPSS analysis. The findings reveals students apply memory strategies with highest mean (M=2.3780) such as classifying words according to synonyms and antonyms, and reptations, followed by social strategies (M=2.3564) such as practice the language with their teachers peers, metacognitive (M=2.2430) such as learning the language via advertising, enrolling in additional curriculum programs, cognitive (M=2.1546) such as associating new words with physical objects and determination (M=2.1392)  such as guessing the meaning of a word by analysing the structure strategies accordingly. Additionally, while implementing these strategies, moderate vocabulary anxiety was reported (M=2.7951) particularly during listening and speaking. Thus, the result reported significant correlation between vocabulary anxiety and vocabulary strategies (r=.233*, p>0.05).  More closely, the strongest correlation was reported between vocabulary anxiety and determination strategies (r=.260*, p>0.05) followed by vocabulary anxiety and memory strategies (r=.224*, p>0.05). These results indicate that students tend to rely on memory strategies to manage their fears of making mistakes, uncertainty and to lower their anxiety. Thus, by identifying students’ strategies and shedding light on the role of anxiety in blocking and impeding students from their learning vocabulary success and the use of several strategies through their self-regulation. This study calls for explicit and intensive different language teaching methods and communicative competence techniques to reduce students’ anxiety and support students to learn and master the language effectively via listening and reading which will result in supporting the learners in using and dealing with the language in different cases, e.g. in their speaking and writing professionally.