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The aim of this paper was to investigate student and teacher attitudes towards English vocabulary learning and teaching. Secondary aims were to find out how a number of students learn new vocabulary and whether teachers prefer explicit or implicit teaching methods. The investigation was conducted by letting 75 students in two lower secondary schools and 24 teachers of English from different schools answer questionnaires about vocabulary learning and vocabulary teaching. The results show that both the students and the teachers generally had positive attitudes towards vocabulary learning. The teachers of English did not prefer explicit teaching methods to implicit teaching methods when teaching vocabulary, but they thought implicit vocabulary teaching to be most effective. The results also show that the students claim to learn new vocabulary in varied ways and watching English movies or TV-series and by playing computer- or video games were singled out as the most effective ways to acquire new vocabulary by the students. Hence, the results show that both the teachers and the students agreed on implicit vocabulary learning to be the most effective, however, previous research has shown that vocabulary is most effectively learnt explicitly.

Augmented Reality (AR) can be described as one of possible steps between real world and fully virtual reality. Into this mixed reality we can make an overlay with virtual objects onto the real world typically by capturing camera images in real-time to produce a new layer to the environment with which we can interact. Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) is a term used when equipment through which we achieve AR is small in size and typically easy to carry e.g. a smartphone or a tablet. The concept of using AR in facilitating learning and improving its quality seems to attract more attention in the academic world in recent years. One of the areas that receive much attention is AR language learning. In this thesis an experiment on a group of 20 people was conducted to answer the question: “Is MAR language learning system a viable solution for language learning?” For the purpose of the experiment an AR Language Learning Tool was designed for Android smartphones. This AR Language Learning Tool facilitated vocabulary learning by displaying 3D objects along with their spelling and providing audio of pronunciation. Participants were divided into an equal control group and test group. The control group learned new vocabulary through classic flashcards while the test group used the previously designed AR Language Learning Tool. The Vocabulary Knowledge Scale questionnaires were provided for both groups right after learning and one week later. By performing statistical analysis with Student’s t-test on gathered data it was discovered that there is a positive improvement in long term recall rate in the AR Language Learning Tool group when compared with the flashcards learning group. No difference was found in short term recall rate between both groups. Participants also provided feedback about their quality of experience and enthusiasm for new learning methods. Their answers were very positive and provided proof that mobile AR is a viable method of learning vocabulary.

This essay aims on the study of the strategies used by Chinese English major students in vocabulary learning, the differences between effective and less effective learners in using vocabulary learning strategies. The study is based on qualitative research, in which 35 college students were investigated. The participants were asked to take a vocabulary tests and complete a questionnaire. The data of the research indicates that there are significant differences between effective and less effective learner, and common points between effective learners. Effective learners use several learning methods and have a positive attitude. Meanwhile, there are six methods they use in common, they are, having interest in English, listening and reading, learning words in sentence, using bilingual dictionary, reading English books in spare time and studying the spelling. Acquisition of vocabulary has been acknowledged as primary important and being central for second language acquisition. Vocabulary is always a hindrance to Chinese students. However, there is little research has been done on the vocabulary learning strategies used by Chinese English majors.

This paper reports on the study of the strategy use of Chinese English majors in vocabulary learning; the individual differences between effective and less effective learners in employing vocabulary learning strategies and the relationship between their strategies and their outcome in English learning. In this research, 118 junior English majors inChineseUniversitywere investigated. The participants were asked to take a vocabulary test and complete a vocabulary-learning questionnaire.   The data collected was analyzed using the SPSS (the Statistical Package for Social Science) and the result indicates that there are significant differences between effective and less effective learners. Effective learners use strategies more frequently and flexibly, while less effective learners turn out to be rote learners. They employ repetition strategy more often and they rely more on their mother tongue, Chinese, in vocabulary learning. Thus the translation strategy was extensively used among them. The result also shows that seven strategies, namely applied, categorization, self-monitoring, cooperation, media, elaboration and dictionary strategy are positively correlated with the vocabulary test scores and the Test for English Majors (Grade 4) scores. The above findings have certain implication for both learners and teachers.

The aim of the thesis is to investigate vocabulary learning strategies that are used and perceived to be helpful by English learners while communicating online. The participants of the study are 20 young Lithuanian English learners (23-28 years old) who use online communication on a weekly basis. The method of the research is a combination of a questionnaire and a follow-up email interview. The questionnaire items are based on Schmitt’s taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies (1997), while the interview questions deal both with certain choices in the questionnaire and general attitudes towards online communication. The results of the study show that an overwhelming majority of the respondents are experienced users of a number of online communication types and mostly interact via emails and short messages about leisure and work issues. The most used vocabulary strategies are different from the ones perceived to be most helpful. Although the respondents tend to choose individual determination strategies to discover a new word’s meaning, they believe social strategies to be highly beneficial. A conclusion might be made that as long as language learners are provided with instructions, socializing on the Internet might be a tool of English vocabulary learning.

This essay accounts for research describing the relationship between music and learning and accounts for studies that prove the positive effects that music and aesthetical education has on various ages of students and various subjects. It suggests what implications the 2008 decision to remove aesthetical education as a mandatory subject in upper secondary school might cause and discusses the discrepancy between that decision and the rules, regulations and demands that the Department of Education calls for in the Curriculum for the Upper Secondary School (2013). The research in this essay aimed to prove that aesthetical education has a valid place as a subject in the Swedish upper secondary school and investigated what effect soft background music had on vocabulary attainment in two groups of 7th graders in a Swedish urban school. The research consisted of two vocabulary tests performed on two groups of 7th graders where the students studied and took one vocabulary test without background music and one with background music. The results proposed a correlation between improved ESL vocabulary attainment and soft background music. This suggestion was supported by using the teaching method of Suggestopedia and by drawing parallels to several studies presented in the essay.

There are numerous methods of teaching English as a second language to pupils in the lower grades of elementary school. Previous research indicates that some teaching methods are successful among children in pre-school and older pupils, but few studies have investigated their effects on 6-8-year-old pupils. The aim of this study is to compare two teaching methods, TPRS and Reading Aloud, to decide which one is more effective in second language vocabulary learning. Previous research in the field is presented and compared to the results of this study. This case study was conducted in an elementary school in Sweden, with 12 pupils in their first year of compulsory school and 13 pupils in their second year of compulsory school. The results suggest that TPRS as a teaching method is more effective than reading aloud when it comes to second language vocabulary learning. Further research suggestions are also presented in this essay.

Playing computer games in English affects one’s vocabulary size, and thus this project’s aim was to examine how the strategy and turn-based computer game Rebuild 2 can affect adult learners’ vocabulary acquisition according to their perceptions. This project also examined what effects note-taking has on vocabulary learning while playing the game. Two studies were conducted with university students with B1 to C2 level of English where one group took notes and the other group did not. The participants did a vocabulary test of 20 words from the game before playing and after playing the game. Then a retention-test was done one week later. They were tasked to explain and to use the words in sentences. The results indicated that the game helped the participants learn new words. On the other hand, it also caused confusion and words that were once explained correctly were incorrectly explained. Moreover, this project showed that there is a difference in vocabulary acquisition between taking notes and taking no notes. However, the questionnaires revealed that the difference is caused by how the participants perceive the game. Namely that the participants with a positive view on the game learnt more words than the participants with a negative view on the game.

Video and computer game users are frequently stated as possessing a higher proficiency in English. In this study, 3 Swedish upper secondary school students from different programs played The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker, a lovecraftian murder mystery game. The aim was to examine the possible effects on their English vocabulary acquisition through their ability of assuming words' meaning from the context presented by the game. The words used in the study were low-frequency words which were gathered from the game and then cross-referenced with the Corpus of Contemporary American English(COCA). The 80 least frequent words were selected. Participants were tasked with translating, explaining or using the words in sentences after completing a game chapter. The study found that the game had in general had a positive effect on the participants’ vocabulary store. However, the test scores varied greatly between participants; 1 participant acquired 1 word while another participant acquired 18. This, combined with the small sample size, meant it was difficult to say definitively how effective the game had been at expanding the participants' vocabulary store.