A STUDY OF CHINESE VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES AMONG STUDENTS MAJORING IN CHINESE, FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, THAKSIN UNIVERSITY

Abstract

            The objectives of this research are 1) to study Chinese vocabulary learning strategies for undergraduate students in years 1-4 of the Chinese major at Thaksin University, 2) to study and compare the level of Chinese vocabulary learning strategies for Chinese major students at Thaksin university, categorized by academic year, gender, and prior knowledge of Chinese before entering higher education, and 3) to provide suggestions for designing an appropriate Chinese language instruction model for future learners. The target group of this research selected through purposive sampling, comprised 249 Chinese major students from all academic years at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Thaksin University, in the academic year 2023. The research instrument was a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Differences in usage levels among groups were tested at the .05 level of statistical significance.
            The results of the research revealed that the overall level of vocabulary learning strategies was at a frequent usage level. The most commonly used strategy was on affective strategies. When comparing the level of use for Chinese vocabulary learning strategies, it was found that first-year, second-year, and fourth-year students used affective strategies the most, while third-year students used compensation strategies the most. Male and female students, both with and without prior knowledge of Chinese before entering higher education, were found to use affective strategies the most.