初中生英语词汇学习现状及策略(论文).doc

Learning strategies of English vocabularyfor junior school studentAbstractVocabulary learning is a basic part of language learning and crucial to the second language proficiency. But vocabulary learning is the most difficult learning task for most students. The use of vocabulary learning strategies can improve the students vocabulary learning efficiency. So the writer made a study on the survey of English vocabulary learning strategies used by junior middle school students. In the thesis, it is viewed that learning English vocabulary makes great contribution to the improvement ofEnglish study; in order to improve students English level, qualified acquisition of the vocabulary is easily to wipe off the biggest obstacle in listening, speaking, reading and writing, which all depend on vocabulary largely. However, both learners and teachers have ignored vocabulary study for a long time, which results in slow progress in English learning. So the great importance of vocabulary in English study is pointed out, but vocabulary cant be learnt by rote. In order to solve the problem of “time-consuming and poorly-efficient” English vocabulary learning, the thesis offers some interesting and efficient strategies of vocabulary learning, called neat tricks, which will stimulate the students imagination and their interest in English learning, and finally enlarge their vocabulary.Key Wordsjunior middle school students； vocabulary; vocabulary-learning strategies;【摘 要】词汇是语言的基本单位,对外语学习至关重要。然而,词汇学习却是大多数学生感到最困难的学习任务。调查结果表明:当前初中生词汇学习策略运用水平偏低,不同年级的词汇策略运用水平有所不同,不同性别的学生在词汇学习策略运用水平上存在差异,学优生和学困生的词汇学习策略运用水平存在着显著性差异,学优生的策略运用水平明显高于学困生。词汇是语言的基本要求。没有词汇，语言将不存在，所以外语学习离不开词汇学习。本文认为搞好词汇学习，在英语学习中起着举足轻重的作用，尤其是开始接触并学习英语的中国学生；拥有一定的词汇量，就易于扫除英语学习中听说读写的最大障碍，进而提高英语水平。但是，词汇学习长期以来被教师和学生所忽视。这种做法导致英语学习进展缓慢现象。本文虽指出了英语词汇学习的重要性，但也强调了词汇学习绝不是简单地死记硬背。针对英语教学中初中学生在词汇学习上的“费时低效”问题，本文提出了有关词汇学习的一些策略，鼓励学生积极采用多种生动有趣的词汇学习方法，从而扩大词汇量。【关键词】初中生；词汇量；词汇学习策略；. Introduction Vocabulary learning is a complicated task that involves linguistic, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic aspects. Lexical competence requires various learning strategies training and far more than simply the ability to use a given number of words 1. Nevertheless, vocabulary teaching has been underemphasized in English language teaching in recent decades. Vocabulary is taught indirectly as part of a wider area of language teaching, such as reading and listening comprehension. Most students learning English as a foreign language feel frustrated by the sheer volume of English vocabulary 2. The burden of vocabulary learning for learners is that they are not given guidance in this pursuit 3. Recently, vocabulary acquisition has received more attention in second language teaching. Experienced teachers know the importance of vocabulary. They know that students must learn thousands of words to understand what native speakers speak and write 4. More and more researchers are investigating the process of vocabulary acquisition and how it relates to L2 learning. In China, teaching English as a foreign language has a long history of a century or so. During the past few decades, the researching emphasis of the second language acquisition (SLA) began to shift from teaching to learning. It has become increasingly clear that a more direct understanding of the language learning process is needed to improve learning methodsMoreover, the research on certain factors or variables and their interactions has focused on gaining insight into the individual differences in second language acquisition, notably the second language learning strategy. It has been widely acknowledged that language-processing strategies exist and influence SLA. 1But “during the practice directed by different kinds of approaches or methods, it is found that none of them can be very successful in English teaching without students development vocabulary. The root of the problems is that students have great weakness in vocabulary.”2Why? Because the teaching and learning of vocabulary has never arouse the same degree of interest within language teaching as that of grammatical competence, contrastive analysis, reading, or writing, which have received considerable attention from scholars and teachers. 3 So from here, we can see though English is learnt or taught widely in China in recent years, generally speaking, learners or teachers cast highlights on translation and grammar during the years before 1990s. Recently, more attention has been paid to communication in English learning. It seems that vocabulary is never stressed enough in English learning and teaching. In reality, emphasis on vocabulary is reasonable and feasible.Language is used as an instrument of communication in a society. And vocabulary is the most basic element involved in communication, because communication often breaks down when people do not use the right words. Also, the importance of vocabulary has been pointed out so such as Wilkins, a famous linguist: “Were it not for grammar, a lot of things cant be expressed; however, if there were no words, we couldnt express anything.”4 So an important aspect to improve the foreign language level for foreign language learners is to master the morphology of the language being studied. Therefore, vocabulary plays such an important role in language and language acquisition that it is possible to learn English with high efficiency if vocabulary is centered from the very beginning to the end.However, English is rich in vocabulary; there are about 1,000,000 words. The practical number of English vocabulary is about 9,000. To be communicatively competent, at least 5,000 words are required for a good foreign language learner because more than 2,000 words are essential for an average conversation, and its advised that neat tricks of vocabulary learning are necessary for English as a second language student to begin to make sense of what they are asked to read in school. Then how can the students master such large number of vocabulary easily? It seems that its a great burden for them to memorize a large number of words. It has been long viewed that reciting from vocabulary list is the only choice. Sometimes it works, but it consumes much time and becomes poorly efficient. “Vocabulary learning is a permanent, strategy-based task, and not just a rot-memorizing work. Mnemonic skills are very important and necessary in vocabulary learning.”5 But if students are well aware of some neat tricks, that is, highly effective learning strategies, they can make appropriate use of those neat tricks that the thesis offers. More importantly, they can discover, even invent some new methods of their own with the new tool. “Anxiety will be lowered, and self-esteem will be established. Vocabulary learning will be both effective and efficient.”6. Theoretical foundations2.1 Current research findings of language learning strategies (LLS)Its viewed that second language learning strategies can play a rather pervasive role in second language learning, and research has progressed beyond simply counting the number of strategies.2.1.1 Definions of second language learning strategiesResearch into the area of language strategies began in earnest in the 1970s. And second language learning-strategies have been defined in various ways. “Stern tries to distinguish between strategies and techniques in second language learning. According to him, strategy refers to general tendencies or overall characteristics of the approach employed by the language learner while learning technique refers to particular forms of observable learning behavior, more or less consciously employed by the learner.” 7“In the process of identifying and categorizing language strategies, many students dealt indirectly with strategies specifically applicable to vocabulary learning.”8 In fact, a famous person once noted: “Training research on learning strategies with the second languages has been limited almost exclusively to cognitive applications with vocabulary tasks.”Also, “Cohen points out that language learning and language use strategies can be defined as those processes which are consciously selected by learners and which may result in action taken to enhance the learning or use of a second or foreign language, through the storage, retention, recall, and application of information about the language.”9Despite that there are so many language strategies, few neat tricks of individual vocabulary strategies have been researched, except for main strategies being guessed from content and certain mnemonics, such as associating mnemonic, repeating mnemonic and mechanical mnemonic. For example: “common way for students to deal with vocabulary is using the books to recite and spell the words again and again. They can remember the pronunciation, spelling and meaning quickly. But they cant get the relative knowledge, such as background and usage of the words. The words can be remembered quickly at a short time, but it can also be forgotten easily.”10 “Nevertheless, combining the results from general learning strategy research with those from more vocabulary-specific studies allows us to derive a number of tentative general conclusions about vocabulary learning strategies.”112.1.2 Why are vocabulary-learning strategies importantThe importance of vocabulary suggests that it is significant for learners to acquire vocabulary in large quantity and good quality. Present research into vocabulary study mostly focuses on memory work based on psychology and empirical experiments，like strategies of memorizing vocabulary. In fact，in addition to these，a great deal of research on vocabulary learning is worth.Vocabulary learning strategies are effective tools for developing communicative competence, which are taken by the students to enhance and improve their English study. Appropriate vocabulary learning strategies result in improving proficiency and gaining great self-confidence in vocabulary learning. They are used because there is a lot of vocabulary for the students to master. But the size of vocabulary is so large that it is beyond the students memorizing ability. So what can they do? Highly efficient vocabulary-learning strategies come to their minds. Those strategies are used to help the learners learn vocabulary in a quite relaxing atmosphere, so that more profitable learning can take place. Efficient and effective vocabulary learning strategies are essential for a successful English learning and many students need to be told how to make use of them in their vocabulary learning. “Stress should be laid on the importance of adopting both individual and social strategies for enhancing linguistic proficiency. The former might include watching or listening to English regularly, jotting down new vocabulary or comprehension problems，and reading for pleasure. The latter is concerned with maximizing opportunities to use English. ” 12 For example, students had better join in the English corner and try to communicate with others as often as possible.Also, the importance can be seen from a research on second language learners. Based on an investigation of vocabulary learning among 100 students in the branch of Zhangzhou NO.1 Middle School, it is found that vocabulary-learning strategies of those good English learners could make considerable contribution to enhancing the development of English skills. Among the learning strategies, they, more often than not, focus on vocabulary strategies. Its viewed that vocabulary is a permanent, strategy-based task, and not just a rot-memorizing work. But the others complain that though they have a conscious of the importance of the vocabulary, its still hard for them to memorize such large number of words.Strategies of English Vocabulary Learning3.1 Cognitive strategies Cognitive strategies refer to using the techniques of repetition and mechanical means to study vocabulary. Written and verbal repetition, repeatedly writing or saying a word over and over again is common strategies among students. In practice, word lists and flashcards are often used because they create logical grouping and are convenient to carry anywhere. Another kind of cognitive strategy is using study aids such as taking notes, accessing to Internet, or making a tape of recording of word lists for studying.3.2Metacognitive strategies Metacognitive strategies are used by students to control and evaluate their own learning by having an overview of the learning process in general. The pervasiveness of English-medium books, magazines, newspapers and movies offer an almost endless resource. Besides, the strategy of interacting with native speakers and self-testing also increase input. In practice, one can maximize the effectiveness of ones practice time if it is scheduled and organized rather than random. However, learners need to realize that they will never learn all the words and so they should concentrate their limited resources on learning the most useful ones and pass over some unknown words particularly when the main goal is to improve reading speed rather than vocabulary growth. ConclusionAbove all, students need to know how to learn vocabulary. In this sense, teachers should teach students various kinds of learning strategies in classroom instruction of vocabulary. However, teachers should also realize that students should be encouraged to seek the ways they find most helpful since their vocabulary possession is very personal and their abilities to exploit its elasticity a