Türk öğrencilerin İngilizce önek ve sonekleri kullanarak parçadan kelimenin anlamını tahmin etmeleri: Bir örnek olay incelemesi

This study investigated Turkish university preparatory school EFL learners?awareness and use of English affixes as a knowledge source in guessing themeanings of unknown words in written contexts. In addition, this study alsoexamined Turkish learners? use of prefixes and suffixes separately.The study was conducted with the participation of 10 pre-intermediatestudents at the English Language Preparatory School of Gaziosmanpasa University.The data was gathered through think aloud procedures. The participants were askedto read a reading passage and try to infer the meanings of 13 target words thatincluded prefixes, suffixes, or both. The participants were tape-recorded during thethink aloud procedures.The tape recordings were transcribed in order to provide the data. The dataanalysis involved reading and rereading of the tape scripts. Then, knowledge sourceswere identified and classified, and the participants? successful and unsuccessful usedof English morphology was examined.This study implies that English affixes are effective knowledge sources indetermining the meanings of unknown words. Thus, EFL teachers should teachstudents strategies about how to use English prefixes and suffixes in inferring themeanings of unknown words in context.Key Words: Vocabulary learning strategies, guessing strategies, knowledgesources, English affixes.