THE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR VOCABULARY ACQUISITION AMONG EFL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Annotasiya

The process of acquiring vocabulary is widely recognized as a complex and incremental journey that forms the essential foundation of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). This study provides an in-depth investigation into the various Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) used by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students across different international academic environments, such as Malaysia, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. By using a systematic review of research published between 2011 and 2020, this paper analyzes the difference between implicit and explicit learning methods. The main goal is to identify how strategic competence relates to language proficiency and academic success. The results show a clear "strategy gap" between high and low achievers: successful learners use a wide range of both direct and indirect strategies, while struggling students often rely only on simple memorization. The study concludes with practical recommendations for teachers, focusing on the need for explicit strategy training to help students reach the "lexical threshold" required for university-level English.