Effects Of Context-based Vocabulary Teaching On Senior High School Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition

Context is of great significance in English vocabulary learning and multiple context theories provide a rich theoretical basis for the vocabulary teaching.Chinese high school English vocabulary teaching still adopts traditional teaching methods with little practice of applying context theory to vocabulary teaching.This study introduces context theory into English vocabulary teaching and advocates context vocabulary teaching methods.It explores the possibility of vocabulary teaching in context,so as to adapt to the new curriculum standards for English vocabulary.With the aim to test the feasibility and the efficiency of applying the context theory to English vocabulary teaching in senior high school,this thesis comes up with the following three questions: 1.Can context-based vocabulary teaching enhance senior high school students’ interest in vocabulary learning? 2.How can context-based vocabulary teaching influence senior high school students’ vocabulary memory? 3.How can context-based vocabulary teaching influence senior high school students’ vocabulary application ability?This study selected two classes of senior one in a four-star High School in Nanjing(randomly divided into experimental class and control class)for a three-month teaching experiment.The experimental class received the context-based vocabulary teaching,while the control class adopted traditional method of teaching vocabulary.Before the experiment,the author conducted a pretest in the two classes.Then in the experimental class the participants were asked to finish the questionnaire survey to obtain specific data on vocabulary acquisition.After conducting the teaching experiment,the author interviewed the students in the experimental class to analyze the changes in students’ attitudes and interests in vocabulary learning.The author then carried out a post-test in the two classes to observe the specific situation of vocabulary acquisition.The data were then analyzed,processed and integrated by SPSS.18 and the effective data were tested and analyzed by independent sample test.Through the questionnaires and interviews,it can be concluded that context-based vocabulary teaching did enhance experimental students’ interests in vocabulary learning.The two tests demonstrate that vocabulary retention and application ability of the experimental class have been enhanced greatly.Therefore,context-based vocabulary teaching has positive impacts on high school vocabulary teaching.Based on the above,the author puts forward corresponding suggestions to high school English teachers and students with regard to vocabulary teaching and learning.What the author hopes is that the implications can promote English vocabulary teaching in high school and inspire teachers and students to grasp the context-based vocabulary teaching approaches so as to meet the requirements of the new curriculum standard.