An Examination of the Usage of Vocabulary Retention Techniques (VRTs) of Thai Undergraduate EFL Students

: This study aimed to 1) investigate the usage of vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs) of the second-year students at Bangkok University 2) compare the usage of vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs) between achievers and underachievers 3) compare the usage of vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs) of the second-year students who have different reading behavior outside of class. The instruments used for collecting data were a questionnaire and an in-depth interview. Proportional stratified random sampling was employed to formulate a sample of 364 students from nine faculties of Bangkok University. The data were statistically analyzed in terms of mean and standard deviation. t-Test analysis was used to find the difference between achievers and underachievers on the usage of vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs). In addition, One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Welch test were used to compare the usage of vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs) of students with different reading behavior outside of class. For the in-depth interview, six underachievers and six achievers were randomized through a simple random sampling technique to give their opinions on the questions provided, and the data were collected to assure the results of the study. The results of this study showed that the overall usage of vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs) of Bangkok University students was at a medium level, and significant differences existed in vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs) usage between the achievers and underachievers and of the students with different reading behavior outside of class. The findings of this research would help the teachers to improve the process and material for teaching and learning vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs) and raise awareness of vocabulary retention techniques(VRTs) among the students in order to enhance the students’ lexical competence which can develop their reading comprehension. Pedagogical implications into teaching vocabulary retention techniques (VRTs) were suggested. verbal intelligence-based teaching on vocabulary retention and written production. Visual intelligence-based teaching is based on pictures, drawings, graphic symbols, and imaginations whereas verbal intelligence-based teaching is based on storytelling, brainstorming, tape recording, journal writing, and paper completion in traditional classroom. The subjects were 71 male and female Iranian EFL students. The results showed that the students’ retention of words in visual experimental group was enhanced by visual intelligence-based teaching of vocabularies, while the students’ retention of words in verbal experimental group was not. Moreover, the results of writing test exhibited that visual intelligence-based teaching of vocabularies could change the passive vocabulary knowledge of the visual experimental group into an active one. In addition, researches have examined the usefulness of VRTs. examined the effect of teaching memory strategies consisting of grouping, making acronym, and using imagery in his study on experimental group in comparison to control group. The findings revealed that the students of experimental group outperformed both in short-term and long-term scores, portraying the superiority of memory strategies in short-term and long-term retention. Giving strategy awareness to the students can facilitate them to store and retrieve new vocabulary items as well. Another research which showed the benefit of vocabulary retention techniques was conducted by Baleghizadeh and Naeim (2011). They would like to explore the effect of etymology presentation of 30 low frequent words on short-term and long-term vocabulary retention of EFL learners. The participants were 30 students divided into experimental and control group. While both groups were asked to look up the meaning of the words in their dictionaries, the experimental group received a short instruction on the etymologies of the words. The results of both immediate and delayed posttests demonstrated the mnemonic efficacy of etymology presentation. single-subject study: a 45-year-old male learner learning at pre-intermediate level. results the learner’s ability their last