初中英语词汇教学策略初探.doc

Study on English Vocabulary Teaching in Junior High School初中英语词汇教学策略初探Acknowledgements:I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, both for intellectual guidance and for constant encouragement during my study. I really appreciate him for giving me many great suggestions and teaching me how to do my thesis in a correct and scientific way. My thanks go to all people who support and guide me to complete this thesis paper.Abstract Vocabulary is the basic component of a language, English is no exception. Therefore, a good command of vocabulary in some way has determined a persons language proficiency. But learning of vocabulary cannot be realized in a short period of time, instead it is a long term process. English now is taught in almost every school of China. With regard to English vocabulary teaching, many theories and strategies are adopted. However, some theories and strategies implemented in junior high school may not be updated or even unsuitable for English vocabulary teaching in China. In this paper, it gives an overview of current situation of English vocabulary teaching in junior high school of China. By exploring the corresponding causes, this paper will also put forward some solutions to address the problems. Only by cultivating an English learning environment, improving professionalism of English teaching, adopting new teaching methods, increasing students interest and changing students attitude toward English vocabulary learning, can it be improved to a higher stage. Key words: English vocabulary, junior high school, teaching词语是语言的基本组成部分，英语也不例外。一个良好的词汇在某种程度上决定了一个人的语言能力。摘要 词汇是一种语言的基本组成部分，英语当然也不例外。因此，熟练掌握词汇，在一定程度上可以决定一个人的语言驾驭能力。但是学习词汇绝不是能够在短期内一蹴而就的，相反它是一个长期的过程。现如今，几乎中国的每个学校都有英语授课。就英语词汇教学而言，也采用了许多的理论和策略。然而，一些在高中实施的理论和策略过于陈旧，或者一些并不适合在中国的英语词汇教学采用。在本论文中，给出了中国高中英语词汇教学现状的总体概述。通过探讨相应的原因，本文也将提出几点意为解决这个问题的建议。只有通过创造一个良好的英语学习环境，提高英语教学的专业度，采用新的教学方法，增加学生兴趣，改变学生对英语词汇学习的态度，高中英语词汇教学才能提升到一个更高的水平。关键词：英语词汇、初中、教学Contents:1. Introduction52. Literature Review62.1 The Requirements for the Junior High School English Vocabulary Teaching and Learning72.2 Motivations for Junior Students English Vocabulary Learning73. Current Situation of English Vocabulary Teaching in Junior High School73.1 Improper Emphasis of English Teaching and Learning83.1.1 Exam-oriented rather than Student-oriented83.1.2 Score Focused rather than Quality Focused93.2 Poor Teaching Theories and Strategies93.2.1 Outdated Teaching Methodologies93.2.2 Lack of Classroom Interactions103.3 Lack of Professionalism in English Teaching103.3.1 Limited Acquisition of English Vocabulary103.3.2 Unable to Arose Students Interest in English Vocabulary Learning114. Solutions114.1 Cultivation of English Learning Environment114.2 Improve Professionalism of English Teaching124.3 Adopt New Teaching Methods125. Conclusion13References:131. IntroductionLanguage is a tool used for communication and vocabulary is the very foundation of learning a foreign language. The number of vocabulary one mastered will certainly affects his language level and its the corner stone of other language skills development. But the English vocabulary teaching situation in china is far from satisfaction. Vocabulary teaching is an indispensable part of English curriculum. But some traditional vocabulary-teaching methods seem to isolate the words from the context or break away from the scientific rules, that they cant help students to develop a language competence in the long run but cause them to lose interest in English. Jane Grey (2010) who is an English grammar and writing teacher argues that the key to teaching anything, especially something like vocabulary, is not to dish out unrelated facts for memorization and hope it sticks. Instead, teach the students how to learn for themselves by giving them the foundational principles behind what they want them to know, and then watch as their knowledge and ability to learn increases exponentially. The foundational knowledge a teacher give students will begin to branch out into new and more specific knowledge, connected and arranged hierarchically according to importance. This is the foundation behind the liberal arts system of education, and it is also the system that works best for teaching vocabulary. 2. Literature ReviewAs it is widely acknowledged that language learning involves three parts: pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Vocabulary, as one of the three components, is essential and important to peoples communication and language learning. Linguists Wilkins once said that: “without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed.” (Zhang Ping, 2006) English words are apparently quite different from Chinese words, since the former adopt a spelling system while the later adopt a stroke system. English words generally have the following characteristics: first, they are composed by 26 letters. Second, even if there is some disparity between English words pronunciation in different countries, the pronunciation of each word is related to its spelling. Third, English words often have many meanings. When they are combined with different words to form phrases, usually the phrases thus formed will have totally different meanings. Fourth, English words change their forms when in different grammatical contexts. Fifth, the word formation methods for English vocabulary and Chinese vocabulary are different. While English vocabulary may adopt prefix and suffix to form a new word, Chinese vocabulary is simply formed by strokes. Therefore, based on the differences between English and Chinese vocabulary, their relevant teaching methods shall not be the same. Besides, better understanding of characteristics of both English and Chinese vocabularies will assist the teachers in their classroom teaching. 2.1 The Requirements for the Junior High School English Vocabulary Teaching and LearningThe New English Curriculum Standard requires the students who are in junior high schools learn and command the following points of English: first, students shall understand English vocabularies, including words, phrases, idiom and set collocation and other forms. Second, understand and comprehend the basic meanings of words and the meanings in specific contexts. Third, be able to use the words to describe things, behaviors and characteristics and concepts. Fourth, be capable of using 1500-1600 words and 200-300 idioms or set collocation. (2002) As a whole, the new standard includes five aspects, namely pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, function and topics. The five parts are the organic components of language capacities and also the important basics for developing language skills. Judging from the vocabulary requirement in the new standard, the required quantity of vocabulary is much more than the original requirement. Meanwhile, in terms of vocabulary application, the new standard also has a higher requirement. Therefore, it actually puts forward a higher standard on English teaching, since the learning of vocabulary cannot be realized overnight, instead it is a long-term process. After commanding the required amount quantity of vocabularies, students are also required to grasp the essences of these words, which include the original meaning of the words, the contextual meanings of the words and the culture and knowledge these words stand for. 2.2 Motivations for Junior Students English Vocabulary LearningAs vocabulary is an integral part of a language, motivations for English vocabulary learning can function as its internal direction. According to the theory of motivation, intrinsic motivation plays a key role in urging students to continue doing something. Extrinsic motivation is considered a more superficial and shapeable motivation. It involves extern incentives. Thus the teachers shall attempt to promote students intrinsic motivation and, at the same time, stimulate students extrinsically with the help of proper incentives. Then as an incentive that students like, games and activities are certainly the best measures to motivate students to learn vocabulary. (Shuai Xihong, 2006) Since we can see the important part motivations played in English vocabulary learning, junior high school teachers shall better exploit their professionalism to promote the students motivations for study. However, we shall also notice that misguided motivations have their opposite effects. 3. Current Situation of English Vocabulary Teaching in Junior High SchoolIn teaching a foreign language, one of the most important aspects is to enlarge language learners vocabulary. A large, useful vocabulary is the basis of word power. Word to essay is brick to building. “It has been said that learning a second language means learning its vocabulary” (Gass, 1999). As Lewis (1993) stated, “language is grammaticalized lexis, not lexicalized grammar”. From the beginning level, vocabulary knowledge plays a key role in the whole process of Second Language Acquisition. With no good acquisition of vocabulary, there will be no way for listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation to develop well and appropriately. No matter how well the students learn grammar, no matter how successfully the sound of the second language is mastered, without words to express a wider range of meanings, communication in the second language just cannot happen in any meaningful way. Teaching English vocabulary in junior high school, the teachers are responsible to help the students to develop their ability to understand and to use a word automatically and appropriately for communicative purposes rather than just tell the students the equivalent Chinese meaning of the word. With a systematic research, I find that English vocabulary teaching in junior high schools of China has the following problems. 3.1 Improper Emphasis of English Teaching and LearningIt is commonly accepted that the goal of vocabulary teaching should not help the students internalize the meaning of the words only. The main goal of vocabulary teaching should encourage and help the students know well how the native speakers and other high proficient learners use the target language in order to enhance their sensibility of subtle differences in vocabulary. The aim of vocabulary teaching should be to provide the students with the ability of distinguishing the words and mastering usage, and to enhance the ability of using words instead of knowing the meaning only. (Liu Xiqin, 2008) However, with more and more pressure being placed on both the students and teachers, the focus of education is gradually shifted. Education becomes result-oriented. Teachers become more interested in the exam scores that students obtained. Those students who score higher are generally treated as good students while those who do not obtain a high score will get criticism from teachers and they are labeled as bad students. 3.1.1 Exam-oriented rather than Student-orientedThere is a saying in China that education can change your life. Nowadays, since English almost becomes the second language in China, more and more parents focus on their childrens study of English. Meanwhile, all kinds of English exams and tests emerge one after another. Those parents who wish their children can go abroad to continue their study in the future pay more attention to their childrens study than others. In the actual English teaching in China, vocabulary teaching is usually squeezed in other courses (such as reading, listening and writing, etc.) because there are no classes specializing in vocabulary teaching and learning. Even if those parents mean for the good intentions, in some way education is misguided. Now in almost all schools in China, teachers lay more attention on the exams, rather than the students themselves. Heavy school loads always force students to stay up very late to finish the assignments and they have little time for play. If this situation can not be changed, it will impair students physical health. 3.1.2 Score Focused rather than Quality FocusedIn junior high school, some English teachers only pay attention to the teaching of phonetics, grammar and syntax, asking students to do lots of exercises about them so as to get good marks in the exams. They would ask the students to recite the relevant vocabulary list and remember the Chinese meaning, and then they will do some dictations to check the students memory. In this way, students will remember the vocabularies and get a high score in exams. The original objective of education would be to develop the students overall quality. But it seems a little different now. Score focused education has misguided the students come to believe that education is about high scores. Besides, with the pressure of the National College Entrance Exam, some parents even want their children to get prepared from the beginning line. It is no doubt that high scores will ensure the students enter a better school. 3.2 Poor Teaching Theories and StrategiesWithout proper teaching theories and strategies, English vocabulary would be in vain. However, many teachers often teach the meaning of the words and ignore the context. In the vocabulary of the junior high school students, many words will have quite different meanings in different sentences and contexts. Because of the various meanings and usages of the English word, when instructed, it must be put into context so as to let the students know when to use it and how to use it in a proper way. In real English vocabulary teaching, however, for the sake of convenience, some teachers just teach vocabulary directly from the word-list and some even play the roles of dictionaries, copying the meanings of the words directly from the dictionary to the students and asking them to recite after class. Teaching vocabulary out of context like this makes the students bored and tired. It is difficult for the students to learn the vocabulary well if they are tired of the teachers teaching method. (Zhang Lihua, 2004) 3.2.1 Outdated Teaching MethodologiesThe development of a rich vocabulary is an important element in acquisition of second language. Indeed, as evidence from larger error corpora indicates, lexical errors are the most frequent in the second language learners. Both the second language learners and the native speakers view lexical errors as the most serious and disruptive obstacle to communication. In addition, as demonstrated in many studies, large lexical size could predict well a learners reading and writing ability. So it is v