Strategies in Learning and Acquiring English Vocabulary among Level 2 Pupils in Saeh, Subis Primary Schools

Valerie Ionnie anak Robert Ayin, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Parilah M. Shah

Level 2 pupils, English vocabulary, learning strategy, acquiring strategy

English is one of the major subjects in all Malaysian primary schools. However, learning and acquiring the language have become one of the challenges among the Level 2 pupils especially in suburban primary schools due to lack of exposure with the language. In this study, the researcher focused on the pupils’ learning and acquiring strategies in enhancing their English vocabulary. This study was a quantitative research that employed survey. The samples of this research were 90 Level 2 pupils from three selected Saeh’s primary schools in Subis district of Sarawak. The data was gained through questionnaires that were distributed among the respondents. The collected data from the questionnaires were tabulated and calculated in frequencies and percentages using SPSS Statistics.  The findings indicated that the highest mean score of strategy used by pupils in learning English vocabulary was by reading the English passages as requested by the teacher. Meanwhile, reading English materials such as books, magazines, comics, newspapers and etc. were the highest mean score of strategies used by pupils to acquire the English vocabulary. In conclusion, teachers need to be aware of the pupils’ needs and preferences in order for them to master the English vocabulary.