The Application Of Goal Setting Theory In English Vocabulary Learning In Junior Middle School

Vocabulary plays a significant role in language learning.However,vocabulary learning is not an easy job.Many junior middle students only learn English vocabulary under the enforcement of their teachers and parents and they do not have learning autonomy.Goal setting theory holds that the goal itself can encourage people to actively fight for a certain direction.Goal setting can enhance motivation by specifying desired results.However,there are not so many studies related to the application of goal setting theory in the filed of English vocabulary learning.Therefore,this study attempts to discuss the validity of goal setting theory in English vocabulary learning.This study mainly focuses on the English vocabulary learning after class.The author gave students sufficient rights to control their learning and let students set their own vocabulary learning goals under her guidance.The experiment was carried out in No.Six Middle School in Hengshui and took the students in Class eight Grade eight as research subjects.The research subjects were divided into three groups.(The mean scores of the three groups are basically same in the pre-test,so that each group has the students with different English proficiency)They are control group without goals,experimental group 1 with daily goals and experimental group 2 with weekly goals.This study aims to answer the following research questions:(1)What is the current situation of English vocabulary learning of No.Six Middle School in Hengshui?(2)What are the influences of goal setting theory towards vocabulary size?(3)Which one is more beneficial for English vocabulary learning,long-term goal or short-term goal?(4)What are the influences of goal setting theory towards vocabulary autonomous learning ability?Questionnaire,tests,observation,educational conversation and sample study are used to answer the above research questions.Research results are listed below:(1)The current situation of English vocabulary learning of No.Six Middle School in Hengshui can be summed up as follows.In students’ mind,vocabulary is acomplicated,boring but basic knowledge system that they have to learn.Students are clear about what they should learn.However,their vocabulary learning is test-orientated and mechanical and mostly relies on the teacher.Students lack effective vocabulary learning strategies.Although many students express that they like to use the new words learned in class to communicate with others,their vocabulary learning is still isolated from the language context.In addition,most students do not make scientific plans to review the words regularly.(2)Applying goal setting theory to English vocabulary learning can increase students’ vocabulary size.It has a significant promoting effect towards the vocabulary learning of underachieving students.(3)Short-term goal is more beneficial for English vocabulary learning.It has been proved from two aspects of behavioral performance and final results.(4)Goal setting theory can enhance students’ vocabulary autonomous learning ability.It has been proved from two aspects of learning time and learning content.This thesis tells us that great management methods can improve teaching and learning efficiency.Teachers cannot always restrain and enforce the junior middle school students.Teachers should help them develop autonomous learning ability.It is also important for teachers to respect students,allow differences among students and teach in accordance with students’ aptitude.