Semantic Field-based Empirical Study Of English Vocabulary Teaching In Junior High School

Vocabulary is the cornerstone of language learning.Just as the famous linguist D.A.Wilkins(1972:48)said “Without grammar,very little can be conveyed;without vocabulary,nothing can be conveyed.” The majority of middle school teachers have been aware of the importance of vocabulary acquisition and they have laid emphasis on vocabulary teaching during daily teaching,but they still adopt the traditional method to teach new words in an isolated way.As a result,it is difficult for students to acquire new words quickly,accurately and systematically.Proposed by Germany linguist,J.Trier in the 1930 s,Semantic field theory is an important theory in semantics.Semantic field is a group of the lexeme which belong to a particular activity or area of specialist knowledge;it emphasizes the connection among words and the interdependence between word meanings in a semantic filed.Mind mapping is the embodiment of the radical thought and an instrument of expressing thinking.The combination of the two theories can facilitate vocabulary teaching.Under the guidance of these theories,new words should be taught around the core word,that is,a vocabulary network should be built to help students memorize new words.Meanwhile,students are encouraged to think in a radiant way,and their vocabulary will of course be enlarged accordingly.Based on the above consideration,an experimental research has been conducted in Pingdingshan No.15 Junior High School.Class Two,Grade Eight is chosen as the experimental class and Class Three,Grade Eight is the control class.The experiment adopts such research methods as questionnaires,tests,interview and both quantitative and qualitative analyses to guarantee both the validity and reliability of the thesis.Based on the semantic field theory,the author carefully designed an appropriate and operable teaching model by means of mind mapping and fulfilled the experiment.After two semesters' teaching reform,the author tries to answer the following three questions:(1)How to apply semantic field theory to English vocabulary teaching approach in Junior High School?(2)How can semantic field-based English vocabulary teaching arouse students' interests in memorizing English new words?(3)Is semantic field theory feasible in English vocabulary teaching approach of Junior High School? If so,what kinds of students benefit the most from the innovative teaching method? Finally,a safe conclusion has been drawn that this research is of great instructional meaning for English vocabulary teaching in Junior High School,and can improve Junior High School English teachers' overall theoretical level.Such an semantic field-based vocabulary teaching approach can stimulate students' learning interest,improve teaching efficiency in class and enlarge students' vocabulary as well.Although the research still has its limitations,it is,to some extent,of practical value in terms of English vocabulary teaching and learning in Junior High School.