The challenges and strategies in acquiring english vocabulary among university students

In this modern era, the English language is widely used in most sectors such as Engineering, Medicine, Tourism, Entertainment, Business, and Education. Numerous studies, especially in the Malaysian context, have reported that ESL learners specifically at the tertiary education level, have yet to achieve the standard university-level vocabulary. In exploring learners’ challenges in acquiring English vocabulary and vocabulary learning strategies, quantitative methods were employed, involving a survey using a set of questionnaires that consisted of closed-ended questions. Forty Graphic Design and Digital Media students participated in this study. Findings from the study indicate that the most prominent challenges are allocating enough study or learning time, learning technical terms, and learning homophones. The most used discovery strategies are learning new words when working with others in the class, asking classmates for meaning, and analysing pictures and gestures accompanying the new words. As for consolidation strategies, pictorial representations of meanings, connecting them with personal experiences, and using English social media are the top three most used strategies. Hence, educators could use the data as a reference in exploring and implementing the highlighted vocabulary learning strategies to improve their pedagogical practices in language classrooms.