Research Journal of Education ISSN(e): 2413-0540, ISSN(p): 2413-8886 Vol. 2, No. 11, pp: 177-201, 2016 URL: http://arpgweb.com/?ic=journal&journal=15&info=aims *Corresponding Author 177 Academic Research Publishing Group Investigating Teaching/Learning Vocabulary Techniques and Strategies Omer Elsheikh Hago Emahdi * Associate Professor Open University of the Sudan, Khartoum AbuObieda Gadalla Abd Al-Rahim EL-Emdad Institute for Learning English Language, Jeddah - KSA 1. Background Teaching vocabulary is a significant factor in language teaching, since words play an important role in expressing our feelings, emotions, and ideas to others during the act of communication. Vocabulary difficulties could lead to reading comprehension problems. In many EFL (English as a foreign language) classes, even where teachers have devoted much time to vocabulary teaching, the results have been disappointing. For years, vocabulary building skills were mostly taught by using a vocabulary book in which students memorized words and their meanings. In Saudi Arabia, students come from a cultural background whose educational system emphasizes rote memorization. They have highly developed memory strategies, but less developed comprehension strategies for problem- solving. The characteristics of the Saudi teaching and learning styles are memorizing and modeling. The traditional classroom vocabulary teaching techniques often leave students struggling with concepts and unable to make progress. Many students feel frustrated with their English vocabulary learning. Therefore, vocabulary teaching is an indispensable part of the English curriculum However, students as well as EFL language learners do not take in new information in the same way. Just as we are different in the way we look, act and feel, we are also different in the way we learn. Each of us has a learning style. Many EFL teachers experience student resistance when they introduce an instructional activity in the classroom. Some students want more opportunities to participate in free conversation, expressing their wishes towards a more communicatively oriented approach. On the other hand, there are those who would prefer more emphasis on grammar teaching. It is thought that the teacher, in making decisions regarding the type of activities to conduct in a language classroom, should take into account such learner diversities. Learning style is a consistent way of functioning that reflects the underlying causes of learning behavior. Learning styles are internally based characteristics of individuals for the intake or understanding of new information. All attributes relating to their learning processes. Some students may rely heavily on visual presentation; others may prefer spoken language; still others may respond better to movement activities. It is evident that students learn differently and at different paces because of their biological and psychological differences. Therefore, EFL teachers need to recognize the conflict and difference between teaching and learning to enhance the learning process. An English teaching that explicitly combines different learning styles and strategic vocabulary teaching activities with everyday classroom language instruction can help a teacher to ease the burden. Thus the classroom teacher can perform a key role in this effort as learner trainer. Students can learn English effectively and efficiently. Vocabulary learning has traditionally been neglected in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and (EFL) researches and by most curricula. Abstract: This study investigates teaching/learning vocabulary. Mainly, studying the techniques used by EFL teachers in teaching vocabulary and also learners‟ strategies to learn vocabulary. The particular research parameter that will be used in this study is the questionnaire for gathering data; the researchers are going to describe the phenomena under investigation. Students‟ questionnaire was supposed to examine the strategies that are adopted by learners for learning vocabulary in English. In addition to that there was teachers‟ questionnaire that is supposed to examine the techniques, which are used by teachers in teaching new vocabulary. The study reveals how secondary school learners use a variety of vocabulary learning strategies. Students as teachers preferred many of these strategies and techniques that help a lot in pushing the process of learning and teaching vocabulary forward. Overall students and teachers know high frequency vocabulary and how to use it. Keywords: Teaching vocabulary; Learning vocabulary; Teaching strategies; Learning strategies/styles; Techniques.