The Impact of Word Inferring Strategies on Achievement in English Vocabulary A case study of Babanousa Secondary School for Boys

Abstract

This study is about the influence of word inferring strategies on achievement in English vocabulary. It is an analytical experimental study specifically set out to probe whether the Sudanese Secondary school students can improve the English vocabulary by utilizing the inferring strategies . The study claims that providing the secondary school students with the various ways of how to infer the meaning of words will assist them to be able to discover the meaning of the unfamiliar words that they encounter in a written or a spoken text. To support the claim that the use of inferring strategies improves the English vocabulary achievement, the study provides answers for the following questions: 1- What effects do word-inferring strategies have on vocabulary achievement? 2- To what extent does knowledge of the surrounding context lead to understanding word meaning and text comprehension? 3- How well do the students improve their vocabulary through the inferring strategies? To find answers for the above-mentioned questions, the study suggests the following hypotheses:- 1- Word inferring strategies are useful and have significant influence on vocabulary achievement 2- Understanding the surrounding context facilitates guessing the meaning of the unknown word and the comprehension of the text. 3- Vocabulary improvement will have more chance of Success if the students master the word inferring strategies The methodology adopted in this study is parallel tests. In this respect, the students were given a pre-test to reveal that they were unaware of the inferring strategies. Then they were given a month training on how to use the inferring strategies. Following this, they were given a post –test to find out whether the students were able to utilize the context clues .The analysis approach adopted in this study is essentially the percentage supported by the T.test analysis method. The study has reached the following findings: • Word inferring strategies are applicable for English vocabulary achievement. • The Secondary School students could perform better if they are sufficiently trained in the use of the inferring strategies • The students’ low level of English limits their use of the inferring strategies The results of the study have shown that there is close relationship between the inferring strategies and vocabulary achievement .Accordingly, the research hypotheses were tested in practical terms and they were positively confirmed and accepted as an appropriate method for vocabulary achievement. Therefore, the conclusion is that the inferring strategies have significant effect on vocabulary achievement. Finally, the study raises a number of imperatives regarding the need for further studies to pave the way for better vocabulary achievement in the future.