This thesis is based on O'Malley and Chamot's classification of L2 vocabulary learning strategies and other scholars' studies. Through a questionnaire, vocabulary tests, and interviews with business English learners, the author conducted an investigation into various kinds of vocabulary learning strategies employed by Business English majors in General English and Business English study. The subjects participating in this investigation are 95 third year Business English majors from our college. Detailed analyses of both the quantitative and qualitative data have yielded the findings: 1) The frequency of some General English learning strategies and Business English learning strategies employed by Business English majors coincides, but the difference between General English learning strategies and Business English learning strategies employed by the subjects is apparent. More English learning strategies are obviously used in General English learning than in Business English learning. 2) There is a certain correlation between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size of General English and Business English, and capable Business English learners tend to positively transfer English learning strategies employed in General English learning into Business English learning. Based on analyses and results, the thesis suggests that Business English learners should be specially trained for English learning strategies. Specialized courses offered should be designed to help students without any professional knowledge organize mental schema associated with specific vocabularies, and to help specialized vocabularies enlarge rapidly. Business English learners can positively transfer General English learning strategies into Business English learning, and thereby smoothly transform General English learning into Business English learning.
