Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Tenth-Grade Vocational High School Students in an Indonesian EFL Classroom

Abstract

Vocabulary learning strategies are essential for developing vocabulary knowledge, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context where opportunities to use English outside the classroom are limited. However, limited research has explored how vocational high school students employ these strategies in Indonesian EFL classrooms. This study aimed to identify the vocabulary learning strategies used by tenth-grade vocational high school students in Karawang based on Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy. A qualitative case study was conducted involving 35 students in classroom observation and six purposively selected students in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed inductively using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis and then categorized according to Schmitt’s taxonomy. The findings revealed that students employed all five categories of vocabulary learning strategies. Determination strategies, particularly using dictionaries, Google Translate, and contextual guessing, were the most frequently employed, followed by social, memory, cognitive, and metacognitive strategies. Higher-performing students combined a wider range of strategies more purposefully, whereas moderate and lower-performing students relied more on direct translation and peer assistance. These findings highlight the need to explicitly teach diverse vocabulary learning strategies, especially metacognitive strategies, support students in becoming more independent vocabulary learners in vocational EFL classrooms.