Research Into English Vocabulary Teaching Methodology In Senior Middle School In Line With The New Curriculum Criteria

English vocabulary is a foundation of English study, and one of three major elements of language. The importance of vocabulary in English learning and teaching has already attracted both the domestic and international experts. Linguists at all times and in all countries have spared no effort to seek new approaches to foreign languages, their efforts brought about some teaching approaches : the Grammar Translation Method ;the Audiolingual Method ; the Situational Language Teaching ; the Communicative Approach etc . However, about English teaching in middle schools, the question of the time-consuming and poor efficiency exists. Students complain that the words remembered are easy to forget. Teachers think the study of words is students' own thing, and thus do not give enough attention to vocabulary teaching. This has much effect on students language learning. Studying vocabulary can improve students' learning efficiency, achieving double effects with half the work.The new English Curriculum Criteria set higher requirements for vocabulary teaching and learning. Based on this presupposition, how English teachers in senior middle school can effectively teach vocabulary becomes an important question that teachers should put great emphasis on. This thesis aims to solve the problems existing in vocabulary teaching and give answers to three questions(l)How can students 'interest in vocabulary learning be aroused?(2)How can we enable students to expend their vocabulary?(3)How can we improve students'ability of vocabulary use? and eventually improve our students' language communicative ability to meet the new English Curriculum Criteria's requirements.This thesis begins with an overview of the situation of English vocabulary teaching & learning (EVTL) in the senior middle schools based on a questionnaire. Students'poor vocabulary learning is ascribed to lack of knowledge of English lexicology; lack of cultural knowledge relevant to words and idioms; employment of impractical traditional approaches and so on. In reference to the requirements of the new English Curriculum Criteria, along with the practical situations in vocabulary teaching in senior schools, some general principles on vocabulary teaching and the main contents of English vocabulary are clarified in the paper.The author suggests eight efficient methods of vocabulary teaching ,such as teaching English words with games; teaching English words by making good use of morphology; teaching English words and expressions by associations; teaching English words by expounding cultural elements involved; teaching words by using classification; teaching words by using them in sentence patterns; teaching words and expressions by reviewing them in a systematic way; teaching words and expressions by analyzing the context; teaching English words and phrases by making effective use of available multi-media and by drawing upon pictures, slides, etc.Then, the author conducts teaching and learning experiments by flexibly employing some of the discussed methods or techniques. The writer describes the whole process, makes both qualitative & quantitative analyses.the results confirms the effectiveness and feasibility of the suggested methods or techniques in senior middle schools in Suizhou,Hubei.At the end of the thesis, the writer draws the following conclusion. Although middle school students are required to acquire a larger English vocabulary than before, so long as we optimize methods or techniques that are suitable for EVTL, bring the students' initiative into full play, and make efforts to create a good learning atmosphere, we are bound to gain twice the result with half the effort, andeventually enhance our students' language communicative ability.