A Study Of The Effects Of Vocabulary Teaching Approaches On Vocabulary Learning Among Junior Middle School Students

Vocabulary is an essential part of language, and the effects of vocabulary teaching approaches on vocabulary learning have always been a focal point of second language acquisition. So, vocabulary learning has been a hot point in the field of vocabulary studies. Researchers have made a lot of efforts to study vocabulary learning under different conditions and in different ways for many years. There are some of the studies aiming to compare the effectiveness of different vocabulary teaching approaches and explore the underlying philosophy that affects it. Some studies are conducted to compare the effectiveness of output and input tasks in order to highlight the significance of output in second language acquisition.Based on the previous researches, the present study aims to examine how different vocabulary teaching approaches affect the initial learning and retention of the target words by L2 learners, especially high and low achievers. In order to achieve this goal, this present study adopted a quantitative approach by conducting an experiment, in which three groups of subjects were asked to finish tasks with three different approaches:repetition, incidental learning and task-based approach. To collect the data, the author administered three tests (one pretest and two posttests) to the participants. Furthermore, within each group, the subjects were divided into two subgroups, the high achievers and the low achievers. Then the author made comparisons between different subgroups to see whether different approaches have different influence on different subjects. The results of the experiment are analyzed from the perspective of output hypothesis. A questionnaire was also conducted to get detailed information about subjects’learning effects and process.The major findings of the study are as follows:Firstly, different vocabulary teaching approaches lead to different vocabulary learning effects among junior middle school students. Among the three approaches, task-based approach is most effective to vocabulary learning among junior middle school students. Repetition is the least effective, and incidental learning is in between. From the perspective of output hypothesis, repetition can be regarded as input-based, while task-based approach can be reckoned as involving output. Results tell us that output tasks are a lot more effective than input tasks.Secondly, students’ preference for the three types of vocabulary teaching approaches is ranged in the order of task-based approach, incidental learning and repetition. Different approaches have different effects on high achievers and low achievers. Within each group, the high achievers gain a lot more than the low achievers. But across groups, the low achievers are much less influenced than high achievers by different approaches. The high achievers can benefit a lot more from output tasks than low achievers.Though there are some limitations, the findings of the present study are of great pedagogical importance. The result of the study shows insufficiency of the comprehensible input as the sole medium of instruction. Tasks involving output could be used more, and the teachers should treat the high achievers and low achievers differently since they are not influenced in the same way.