Contents

Abstract

Key words

Ⅰ Introduction

Ⅱ Current situation of vocabulary learning in a middle school

Ⅲ Causes of students’ unsuccessful vocabulary leaning

3.1 Reasons about teachers

3.1.1 Lacking of proper guidance

3.1.2 The traditional teaching methods

3.2 Reasons about students

3.2.1 Being short of lasting confidence and interest

3.2.2 The failure of study International pronunciation Symbols

Ⅳ Strategies and suggestions for students in vocabulary learning

4.1 Strategies for students in vocabulary learning

4.1.1 Cultivatable confidence for vocabulary learning

4.1.2 Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning

4.1.3 Dictionary look-up

4.1.4 The most common word-formation

4.1.5 Constant review

4.2 Some advice for students’ vocabulary learning

4.2.1 Focusing on core vocabulary

4.2.2 The use of different kinds of study ways in vocabulary learning

Ⅴ Conclusion

Acknowledgment

Bibliography：

The Strategies for English Vocabulary

learning In a middle school

Abstract:

Vocabulary plays a vital role in English learning, but vocabulary learning not only makes many middle school students feel very difficult, but also it is the biggest obstacle for many students. So it is very important to help students solve these problems. The paper analyzed the current situation of English vocabulary learning in a middle school, and pointed out the reasons which led to this situation. And then, in order to let students master more vocabularies. This paper provided some effective strategy of vocabulary learning. In the end I offered students some advice to understand and apply these methods in vocabulary learning.

Key words:

strategies; English vocabulary; vocabulary learning

ⅠIntroduction

In recent years, many issues on vocabulary learning have been studied, such as the importance of some direct vocabulary learning techniques and effectiveness of different vocabulary learning strategies. A vocabulary is basic in English learning. Without a sufficient vocabulary, students will definitely have trouble in effective communication. So helping students increase their vocabulary effectively becomes an urgent issue. The purpose of the present research is to improve that students learn vocabulary abilities. The thesis introduced some practical strategies. The thesis focuses on the use of vocabulary learning strategies. This paper consists of four parts. In the first part I analyzed the current situation of vocabulary learning in a middle school. The second part I focused on causes of unsuccessful vocabulary learning. The third part I provided some practical strategies and advice. The last part is the conclusion of the thesis.

Ⅱ Current situation of vocabulary learning

English is very important to middle school students. A good English education can help students have a rapid development in English. Some students are good at English, but many students are puzzled and scared of English, especially English vocabulary learning. After four or five years of studying, they still fail to apply English effectively in listening, speaking, reading, writing or translation. Most students have serious problems in learning words. When listening to English, they can’t often understand its meaning; when speaking English, they don’t know how to use words they have learnt before; when writing English, they feel it hard to choose a right word.

Ⅲ Causes of students’ unsuccessful vocabulary learning

3.1 Reasons about teachers

3.1.1 Lacking of proper guidance

It is known that vocabularies play an important role in English teaching. But vocabulary teaching is unsuccessful. For example, some teachers just focus on grammar because they think grammar should be emphasized more than words. Some teachers teach words unsystematically, and they only give brief explanations or provide one or two examples. Some teachers ask students to remember words in the vocabulary list. In fact, teachers should teach students what way to use to remember words. This is very important to both students and teachers.

3.1.2 The traditional methods

The traditional teaching methods affected students deeply. At present, vocabulary teachin mostly follow the traditional pattern. Such as the duck-stuffing which affected teachers and students. Teachers are busy teaching students the pronunciation, meanings，and the use of vocabularies, while students are busy listening to their teachers and taking notes. This teaching model is very dull and boring. For middle school students, vocabulary learning becomes a mechanical and rigid process. Thus it easily leads students are disputed with vocabulary learning. Little by little students will lose interest and confidence in learning vocabulary.

3.2 Reasons about students

3.2.1 Being short of lasting confidence and interest

When students begin to learn English, they are very active. They try their best to learn English. They wouldn’t like to fall behind others. So their grades are very good. But about one year or even one term later, they start to lose interest and confidence, especially after they fail to have an exam or teachers criticize them severely in public. So teachers should think of how to train students’ lasting confidence and interest. That is very important for students to learn vocabulary well.

3.2.2 The failure of study International pronunciation Symbols

English International pronunciation Symbols are very important for students to learn English well. When teachers teach International pronunciation Symbols, students are curious to imitate teachers’ pronunciation. If teachers are not strict with them. Most of students can’t read them. When new words are many, because students can’t read International pronunciation Symbols. Naturally many students can’t read words. After one or two months, their English become worse and worse. So as an English teacher, our most important task is to make sure most of students can read and write all the International pronunciation Symbols. Even though when students leave school, they also can learn English new words.

Ⅳ Strategies and suggestions for students in vocabulary learning

4.1 Strategies for students in vocabulary learning

4.1.1 Cultivatable confidence for vocabulary learning

Confidence is very important in vocabulary learning. Teachers should try their best to make students confident in learning vocabularies. For example, a communication is the best way to train strong confidence. Students should try their best to communicate with their English teachers, classmates, or friends by using the new words just learnt as much as possible. At first, maybe some students will feel very hard and be lack of confidence. In fact, communication activities can help students build up their confidence step by step. Teachers can begin with easier tasks, like answering teachers’ questions in English, reading the text and use a new word to make sentences and so on. When they’re more confident, they’d like to do more difficult activities. So teachers should encourage students to do different kinds of communications with others in English.

4.1.2 Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning

Context may prove very valuable in guessing the meanings of new words. When a new word appears for the first time, the author usually gives hints which help readers to understand the idea. Context clues can be summed up as follows:

ⅰ) Definition We often find the author gives formal definition after the new words, e.g.

Lions are carnivores, any animal that eats meat.

According to “any animal that eats meat”, we know its Chinese meaning is 食肉動物.

ⅱ) Example Sometimes, the author may cite an example which can be used to express the term, e.g.

Many United Nations employees are polyglots. Mr. Li, for example, can speak six languages.

According to “can speak six languages”, we know its Chinese meaning is懂多種語言者.

ⅲ) Explanation If the concept is complicated, the author might explain the idea in simple words, e.g.

The former bought a bottle of pesticides(chemical substance used to kill insects that destroy crops) to kill pests.

According to “chemical substance used to kill insects that destroy crops”, we know its Chinese meaning is殺蟲劑.

ⅳ) Synonymy Synonyms are frequently used by authors to explain new words, e.g.

The old man lives in the old shack (a small building that hasn’t been built well).

According to “a small building that hasn’t been built well”, We know its Chinese meaning is 簡陋房屋.

ⅴ) Antonyms Contrasting words are also used to explain unknown words, e.g.

Production peaked in January, however, was the lowest in December.

According to “however, was the lowest in December”, we can guess its Chinese meaning is最高.

ⅵ) Hyponymy Superordinates and subordinates often explain each other, thus forming an important clue, e.g.

The small town has many usual amenities: a pub, a hospital, a bank, a school, post office and so on.

According to “a pub, a hospital, a bank, a school, post office and so on”, we can infer its Chinese meaning is方便的設備.

ⅶ) Relevant details In some contexts, the author provides details relating to the unknown word, such as the functions,

characteristic and so on. e.g.

Do get me a clop, he said, but his brother, with a scornful glance up at the branches, saw there were none ripe yet.

According to “with a scornful glance up at the branches, saw there were none ripe yet”. We know its Chinese meaning is可吃的果子.

ⅷ)Word structure The morphemic structure of words, specially compounds and derived words provides clues for guessing the meanings of unknown words, e.g.

Copernicus believes in a heliocentric universe, rather than in the geocentric theory.

If we know the form geo- as in geology as well as the fact it’s used in contrast to helio-, we can guess the meanings of heliocentric and geocentric with the help of our historical knowledge of his contribution. So its Chinese meaning is太陽中心.

4.1.3 Dictionary look-up

Dictionary strategy refers to the strategy that students consult the dictionary to get the meaning of a new word. When using a dictionary, students should follow these steps:

ⅰ)Think carefully about the entire sentence including the unfamiliar word. Ask yourself: How much can I understand? ⅱ)Use your head to think what parts of speech the unknown word is.

ⅲ)Connect the context and guess its Chinese meaning. At last, if you still don’t know its meaning, you can look it up in the dictionary.

For example: The clamorous workers urged to increase their money during their work.

Firstly, we know the underlined word is an adjective. Secondly, according to “ workers urged to increase their money during their work ” , we may guess its Chinese meaning is angry.

Last, in order to know its right meaning, we may look it up in the dictionary. We know its correct meaning is not angry, but 吵鬧的.

4.1.4 The most common word-formation

ⅰ)Affixation

Affixation is generally defined as the formation of words by adding word-forming. According to the position which affixes occupy in words, it falls into two subclasses:

○1Prefixation is the formation of new words by adding prefixes. Prefixes don’t generally change the word-class of the stem but only modify its meaning. Their chief function is to change meanings of the roots. For example:

“a-” expresses denials. She’s amoral because she stole the expensive watch. From the meaning of prefix “a-” ,we know the Chinese meaning of amoral is 不道德.

The most common Negative prefixes: a-, dis-, in-, im-, il-,

non-, un-. For example: dislike, impossible, illegal and so on.

○2Suffixation is the formation of new words by adding suffixes to stems. Suffixes have only a small semantic role, their primary function being to change the grammatical function of stems. i.e. they mainly change the word class. For example:

“-er” is treated as a noun suffix because all the derived forms from it are nouns, like employer, driver and so on.

The most common Noun suffixes: -eer, -er, -ess, -or and so on.

The most common Adverb suffixes: -ly, -ward, -wise.

The most common Adjective suffixes: -ed, -ful, -ish, -less, -like.

ⅱ)Compounding

Compounding also called composition is the formation of new words by joining two separate words. Words formed in this way is called compounds. For example:

When it snows, children like to make snowman very much.

The word “snowman” which is made up of two words “snow” and

“man”, according to the rule of compounding, we know its Chinese meaning is雪人.

The most common Noun compounds: end product, deadline, brainwashing, going-over, up-bringing etc.

The most common Adjective compounds: record-breaking, easy-going, one-eyed, ten-storey and so on.

ⅲ) Conversation is the formation of new words by converting words of one class to another class. Since the words don’t change in morphological structure but in function, this process is also known as functional shift. Please look at the following sentences.

○1Everyone has a clever head.

○2The centre forward headed the ball into goal.

In the first sentence, “head” is a noun, but in the second sentence, “head” is a verb and it’s Chinese meaning is用頭頂.

4.1.5 Constant review

Most middle school students complain about their “bad” memory. In fact, it’s not their memory that should be blamed, but they don’t review timely. To some degree, the language learning process is the process of memory. Last century, Ebbinghaus, a famous psychologist, made remarkable contribution in revealing the mysterious veil of how memory works. He reported the rate of forgetting meaningless syllables. The statistics illustrates the need for strategies

to improve the memory of information.

Table4.1.5.1Rates of Forgetting Meaningless Syllables

(Ebbingghaus,1913:28)

Time From First

Learning Percentage of

remembering Percentage of

forgetting

After 20 minutes 47% 53%

After 2 days 31% 69%

After15 days 25% 75%

After 31 days 22% 78%

Table4.1.5.2.RatesofForgettingVocabulary Items (Pimsleur,1967:50

Time From First

Learning Percentage of

remembering Percentage of

forgetting

After 1 day 54% 46%

After 7 days 35% 65%

After 14 days 21% 79%

After 21 days 18% 82%

After 28 days 19% 81%

After 63 days 17% 83%

From these two tables, we know: without constant review, most of information will be lost from memory. So in order to remember more words, we must help students make plans so that they can go over vocabulary that they have learnt in time.

4.2 Some advice for students’ vocabulary learning

4.2.1 Focusing on core vocabulary

Not all of the words in English are equally useful. Core vocabulary is the most basic and frequently used in English. They’re very active and existent in the history of language. Though the number of core vocabulary is very small, they’re very important in the acquisition of English vocabulary. Rubin (1990:282) said core vocabulary is basic in English. It’s true that about 2000 basic words are enough for people to express their ideas and feelings in life. Therefore, once students begin to learn English, they’d master the core words as soon as possible. It’s a must for them to spend more time in and out of class on them and make sure that students acquire all of the words productively.

4.2.2 The use of different kinds of study ways in vocabulary learning

Vocabularies are the base of further studying English. At the same time, it’s also very vital for students to learn English well. So students should adopt different study ways in the following.

ⅰ) By associating the similar things

For example, after studying “book”, students can connect “pen, pencil, dictionary and sharpener” and so on.

ⅱ) By proverbs

Sayings are very funny, and they can enlarge students’ vocabulary. For instance: Waste not, need not. Each family has its own trouble, and so on.

ⅲ) By riddles

Riddles are very funny for children. So teachers may make up some riddles in order to let students memorize more words.

For example: what has an eye but can’t see things? [Needle]

What has many keys but can’t unlock a single door? [Piano]

ⅳ) By listening over and over

Teachers may compile a passage according to words that students learnt. At the same time, teachers can record own voice in the tape and play it again and again.

ⅴ) By playing games

All the students like playing games. If teachers let them remember words by games, students must be very happy and active. Sometimes, teachers may award the best student and this kind of students who makes much progress.

ⅵ)By making flashcards

When students are in Grade Seven, teachers may write all the words according to units in order. When having English classes, teachers may use cards to teach students these words. At first, teachers teach students to read words slowly, when they are very familiar with words, teachers may move cards fast while students reading words. In this way, students can quickly improve their abilities in learning vocabulary.

ⅶ)By combining inside and outside reading

After memorizing many words, teachers should let students do lots of reading comprehension. Only by doing like this, students can strengthen these words that they have learnt. First, every week teachers should make students do once or twice reading after cl