Vocabulary Learning by Advanced L2 Learners: Challenges and Strategies

Abstract

At the advanced stage, when students have already developed strong grammar skills, the task of vocabulary learning comes to the fore. However, the task is complicated by a number of chal­lenges, including different levels of students’ lexical training, lack of motivation for further improvement, extreme information overload of students, and the fact that each of them has already formed their own cognitive learning style. To cope with these challenges, a teacher needs to help students organize their knowledge, develop an individual vocabulary learning strategy, and master the techniques of retaining vocabulary. These tech­niques include grouping words by topic, exploring the origin of idioms, using phraseological calques and unexpected meanings of familiar words. Such methods help to get students interested and make them active participants in the learning process, and also shape their approaches to further mastering the foreign lan­guage.