Challenges faced by 4th graders on vocabulary learning in EFL classes and the vocabulary learning strategies they use

This study aimed to identify the vocabulary learning strategies used by 150 fourth-grade English foreign language students in a primary school in İstanbul and to investigate the challenges they face in vocabulary learning. A descriptive mixed-methods research design was employed. Schmitt's (1997) Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire was utilized to explore the most and least preferred strategies quantitatively. Qualitative data was gathered from 25 participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the most frequently used strategies were "memory strategies" while "social strategies" were the least favored. Significant differences in the use of vocabulary learning strategies were found based on factors such as students' perceptions towards the English lesson, their enjoyment of the lessons, dictionary use, perceived difficulty level in learning English. However, no significant difference was found between vocabulary learning strategies and variables such as gender, number of siblings, educational background of parents and occupations, having a family member who could speak English and taking supportive lessons. Responses from the interviews indicated that participants encountered challenges related to vocabulary including word meaning, pronunciation, writing, spelling, and word length. They also expressed the challenges stemming from anxiety and a lack of autonomy.