Sociocultural Meaning And Vocabulary Teaching

AbstractIt is universally agreed that language is a part of culture and plays a very important role in it. Language is the keystone of culture. Without language, culture would not be possible. On the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture; it reflects culture. In broadest sense, language is the symbolic representation of a people, and it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds as well as their approaches to life and their ways of living and thinking. Vocabulary, as a cardinal element of language, is the fundamental pillar that supports the huge system of a language. From social use of language, cultural distinctions are most prominent and widespread at lexical levels. Words have sociocultural as well as denotative or conceptual meaning. Vocabulary teaching involves cultural knowledge introducing. Understanding sociocultural meaning in addition to denotative meaning of words in vocabulary teaching will strengthen students?linguistic competence and their communicative competence.The present thesis of mine first introduces the relationship between language and culture, and then discusses the influence of culture on lexical meanings, which endows words with sociocultural meaning. Thus social culture introducing is indispensable to vocabulary teaching. Finally, fact-based and task-based approaches are illustrated with concrete examples in vocabulary teaching in order to improve students?competence in using words to communicate successfully.