Vocabulary Learning in the Content-oriented Second-language Classroom: Student Perceptions and Proficiency

Abstract

This study is concerned with the strategies that adolescent learners use to discover the meaning of new words in a second language and to consolidate their knowledge of such words. A questionnaire is used to probe the perceptions of students in two content-oriented French second language classrooms at the secondary school level. The questions focus on what actions the learners take to determine the meaning of unfamiliar French words, how helpful they find various activities for remembering new words, and what use they make of dictionaries. The relationship between students’ perceptions and their proficiency in French is analysed from two perspectives: (a) the differing amount of experience in French that the two classes have had; and (b) within each class, the level of French vocabulary knowledge that students demonstrate on two vocabulary tests.