Vocabulary Learning Strategies of English for Specific Purposes Students at Agricultural University of Georgia

Abstract

The importance of teaching ESP to students not majoring in English is discussed. The role of vocabulary learning in
ESP is emphasized. The article attempts to add an insight to Georgian experience of teaching English to students
of Agriculture to the existing studies on the use of vocabulary learning strategies in ESP. The students should
become aware of the importance of language learning strategies and get trained to use them appropriately. The
purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of students towards vocabulary learning methods offered by
the textbook and the teacher, as well as the awareness of and the preferred vocabulary teaching /learning strategies
among Agriculture University students while they were taking an English for Specific Purpose (ESP) course.
Respondents comprised 107 students at Agriculture University of Georgia students. An ESP vocabulary learning
questionnaire was administered to the randomly selected students who enrolled in the English for Agriculture as a
requirement. It revealed that students are not sufficiently satisfied with the existing state of teaching ESP vocabulary.
A conclusion has been made that vocabulary learning strategies have to be purposefully taught, to improve the
existing situation.