The Effect of Vocabulary Learning Strategies on Vocabulary Learning Among Saudi EFL Female Students

Abstract

This study investigated the vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) used by Saudi female EFL undergraduate students and their relationship to vocabulary size. A quantitative correlational design was employed with 112 participants from Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. Data were collected using a 40-item VLS questionnaire (α = 0.78) and a 90-item Vocabulary Levels Test (α = 0.95). Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and Pearson correlations were used to examine strategy-use patterns, group differences, and associations with vocabulary size. Results showed overall VLS use at a medium level (M = 3.16, SD = 0.45), with determination strategies most frequent (M = 3.56) and social strategies least frequent (M = 2.52). Deep-processing memory strategies—mental imagery (r = .332, p < .001), personal association (r = .205, p = .030), and sentence generation (r = .339, p < .001)—correlated positively with vocabulary size, while bilingual dictionary use showed negative correlations (r = –.284 and –.252, p < .01). Memory strategies were significantly more common among high-vocabulary learners (M = 54.72) than low-vocabulary learners (M = 49.64, t = 2.22, p = .030). These findings support the Depth of Processing framework and highlight the pedagogical value of cognitively engaging strategies over surface-level, L1-dependent approaches. The study contributes new evidence from a larger Saudi sample than previous research, guiding curriculum development toward strategic, autonomous vocabulary instruction.