1、2011-2012 第二学年第二学期英语语言学学期论文Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition Strategies 二语词汇习得策略摘 要 词汇是构成语言的基本单位，词汇习得在语言学习中占有重要地位。英国著名语言学家 D.A. Wilkins (1972) 说过：“没有语法，人们不能表达很多东西；而没有词汇，人们则无法表达任何东西。 ”这就说明了词汇在学习中的重要性。本文旨在分析二语词汇习得策略并应用于不同水平的学习者。学习者根据自己的水平选择正确的习得方法和策略学习词汇，从而提高学习效率和习得效果。关键字： 二语词汇习得 词汇习得策略 元认知策略 认知策
2、略Abstract Vocabulary is the basic unit of a language. Language acquisition plays an important role in language learning. Famous linguistics D. A. Wilkins said, “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed (Lewis, 1993:16).” It speaks volumes for the impo
3、rtance of vocabulary in language learning. This paper aims to analysis the second language acquisition strategies and applies to different levels of learners. According to the different levels, the learners should choose the proper methods and strategies to promote learning efficiency and acquisitio
4、n effect.Key words: Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition； Vocabulary Acquisition Strategies； Metacognitive strategy； Cognitive strategyIntroduction With economic globalization and multi-polarization of the world, especially the population of the internet, English becomes more and more important, b
5、ecause it is considered as the tool for absorbing and communicating information. As we all known, vocabulary acquisition is one of the most noticed-question of the second language learners. “Vocabulary” appears in the area of linguists study. Nowadays, researchers still can not give a complete and r
6、easonable definition of vocabulary. Since 1970s, the second language vocabulary acquisition research has gradually become the hot point and important subject in the second language vocabulary acquisition research area. These researches aim to discuss the efficiency vocabulary memory strategies to pr
7、omote the memory skills and vocabulary levels. Then how to acquire vocabulary become popular among the researchers. Wenden Rubin (1987) and Oxford (1990) classify the memory strategy to the direct cognitive strategies. Especially, CohenAphek (1981), Porte (1988), OMalley (1990), Vann (90), Cohen (19
8、90), etc made a basic searching of vocabulary acquisition. In a word, there are various opinions in how to acquire vocabulary. Firstly, it talks about the importance of vocabulary. Secondly, what does it mean to “acquire” a word? This paper mainly aims to the detail analysis of the vocabulary acquis
9、ition from three aspects：Meta-cognitive Strategy; Cognitive Strategy and Social or Affective Strategy. Especially, it highlights the effect of the context and rending to vocabulary acquisition. This paper talks about the applications of the vocabulary acquisition strategies. And it puts forward some
10、 problems and difficulties of vocabulary acquisition. This paper also discusses the influencing factors to the acquisition. It includes the mother tongue, age, language contact, logical thinking ability, identity degree, and academic motivationThe purpose of this paper is to rise the awareness of En
11、glish learners that the importance of vocabulary in language learning and the vocabulary acquisition strategies can not be neglected, and each strategies is deeply rooted in its language. Through the analysis of the theory of study, the paper tries to draw the learners attention to the strategies of
12、 the second language vocabulary acquisition and using the vocabulary in communication. In order to improve the acquisition efficiency, some strategies put into practice are introduced.The first presents the importance of vocabulary, some basic concepts of vocabulary and vocabulary learning, the seco
13、nd part tells what does it mean to know a word, the third part deals with the theory of vocabulary acquisition and presents the factors and differences influencing the vocabulary acquisition. The fourth part is detailed discussion of vocabulary acquisition strategies in different levels of learners.
14、 The last part is conclusion.Literature review 1. The importance of vocabularyAs the first time, when we go to school and our English teacher will tell us that vocabulary is of great importance in learning English. After several years, we understand words gradually, especially when we study in high
15、school. If we know a little about vocabulary, we may have poor English. That is because the listening, speaking, reading and writing show the necessary of learning vocabulary.Many researchers agree that lexis is at least as important as structure, because it is using wrong words and not wrong gramma
16、r that usually breaks down communication. Mistakes in lexis much more often lead to misunderstanding and may be less generously tolerated outside classroom than mistakes in syntax. (Carter, 1987). As Stephen Krashen remarked, “When students travel, they dont carry grammar books, they carry dictionar
17、ies.A significant role of vocabulary in both teaching and learning processes was first stated by Stephen Krashen in The Natural Approach (1985):“Vocabulary is basic for communication. If acquirers do not recognize the meaning of the key words used by those who address them they will be unable to par
18、ticipate in the conversation.”Words are basic tools in human communication; therefore they determine the main part of peoples life-relationships between people and associations with the surrounding world that people live in. The larger ones vocabulary, the easier it is to express ones thoughts and f
19、eelings.In real communication, correctly and idiomatically used vocabulary can even decrease some structural inaccuracy and grammar errors. (Zhang Jiying, 2002). So learners should enrich and expand their knowledge of words as much as possible in order to communicate effectively in a foreign languag
20、e.2. What does it mean to “know” a word?Knowing a word is not a simple phenomenon. In fact, it is quite complex and goes far beyond the words meaning and pronunciation. (Zhang Jiying, 2002). Richards (1976) think knowing a word means also knowing the frequency of words and their likely collocates; b
21、eing aware of the functional and situation limitations that apply; knowledge of the “syntactic behavior”; derivational forms and word class; associative and connotative knowledge; semantic value-breaking down words into minimal units as with componential analysis (see Katz knowing the other (possibl
22、e) meaning associated. Nagy and Scott (2000) identify several dimensions that describe the complexity of what it means to know a word. First, word knowledge is incremental, which means that readers need to have many exposures to a word in different contexts before they “know” it. Second, word knowle
23、dge is multidimensional. This is because many words have multiple meanings and serve different functions in different function in different sentences, texts, and even conversations. Third, word knowledge is interrelated in that knowledge of one word connects knowledge of other words.What all of this
24、 means is that “knowing” a word is a matter of degree rather than an all-or-nothing proposition (Beck Nagy the strategy of creative learning vocabulary; the self-motivation strategy; the strategy of psychological connection; memory strategy; the strategy of audio/visual assisted learning; with the m
25、ovement to the body of learning vocabulary strategy; the strategy of overcoming anxiety; the strategy of using to organize units.Schmitt (1997) composite the related language acquisition strategies upon classification, and put forward two categories of vocabulary acquisition strategy, namely discove
26、ry strategy and consolidation strategy. In china, acquisition strategies researcher, Wen Qiufang(1996) thought：English learning strategy includes concept and method. What is concept? It means the acquaint learners to how to learn English well. And the method refers to the actions that learners take
27、to learn English well. The method can be classifying two categories: manage method and learning method. Wuxia, Wangqiang(1998) draw lessons of classification of learning strategies from OMalley Oxford andCrookall1989) founder the learners who were particularly taught metacognitive knowledge to help
28、them assess the needs, evaluate process and give directions to their learning.After summarizing the theories of the vocabulary acquisition strategies, I express my opinions about vocabulary acquisition strategies. These theories or opinions have their merits and demerits. I am in favor of OMalley th
29、e word “soldiers” and “enemy” help you understand this. You can immediately eliminate the choice “red-hot flames”, since it is a noun answer that refers to blame. Although the choice “to let someone go from a job” is a verb answer, it refers to business and should be eliminated. The choice “to shoot
30、” is a verb answer that talks about fighting; it is the correct answer.4.3 Memory strategy of vocabulary acquisition The so-called memory strategy refers to various memorizing methods or skills for students, its principles are: tide up, organize and relate to the content. In China, memory method is
31、a traditional strategy to learn vocabulary. In order to deal with the examinations, the students adopt the memory strategy. The common memory strategies are: keyword strategy, word list, context strategy.4.4 Keyword strategy The key word strategy can benefit a wide variety of students with language
32、needs in the areas of vocabulary, comprehension of academic language, sentence structure, organizing and explaining information, and transferring information across settings. When the strategy is routinely used, students can master its basic mechanics and key word review during direct language inter
33、vention sessions can be a foundation for increasingly complex and challenging practice and review of a variety of curriculum based language skills. Keyword strategy is put forward by Atkinson (1975). The method includes two steps: first, the learners find out the similar sounding word between the mo
34、ther langue and the second language. Second, build up a metal image. Paivio (1991), Pressley (1982) think that keyword strategy is important. However, it has its limitation, which is difficulty to find the same pronunciation of each word. In China, Wangwenyu (1998) found that Chinese students seldom
35、 use the keyword strategy because of its complexity.4.5 Word listNation (1982) makes a conclusion: word list is an efficient way to accumulate large number of vocabularies in a short time. O Malley &Chamot (1985) think that mechanical memorizing is the efficient way to memory vocabulary. Decontextua
36、lized word list have been used extensively to teach vocabulary. Presenting vocabulary in list form is an efficient study method in which students can learn large numbers of words in a short time (Meara P.1995:8-10). Such list, however, having been stripped of context, are difficult to deal with. A m
37、ajority of language learners prefer decontextualize word lists just because the application of such list seems to be more practical and much easier to deal with, saving more time.In addition to facilitating memorization and learning, word list serve another purpose in the reading class: motivation.
38、Upon adopting a corpus-based list of the 3,000 most frequently used words. List is much more effective to help students focus on less-frequently encountered words that require more intensive study and organized review.4.6 Context strategyThe second language vocabulary acquisition can not be separate
39、 from context. Context is a main factor of vocabulary acquisition. It is an efficient method to acquire vocabulary in the context. From the semantics point of view, James Inhofe announced the regularity of acquiring vocabulary in From Paragraph to Essay. The basic principle of acquiring vocabulary f
40、ocus on the context, so that we can know the relation between the form and meaning. By Krashens Monitor Hypothesis Theory, many researchers tend to acquire vocabulary in the context.5. Other strategiesResearchers study the other strategies to acquire vocabulary. Contact method, Semantic coding metho
41、d, assimilation strategy, self-text strategy.When I was in the third year in the college, I have a lexical class. From the class, we know many strategies to acquire vocabulary:Repetition, suited for kids and primary school students. Spelling and pronunciation, suited for middle school students. Cont
42、ext, learning the new words in phrases, sentences, never learn it alone. Semantic: grouping words according to the meaning, sound, semantic field and so on. It is for all levels. Association: free association of antonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and homonyms. Emotion: learning words with strong emotions
43、, or emotional sentences. Different physical surroundings: learning in one place is low efficiency than more places. Over learning: word cards or flashes: use key words cards.In a word, vocabulary acquisition plays an important role in English language learning. It is necessary for learners to comma
44、nd of vocabulary acquisition strategies. Because it can help us acquire vocabulary more efficient and communicate with people in life.Conclusion This paper has attempted to provide some theories of second language vocabulary acquisition and some strategies. Such as metacognitive strategy, cognitive
45、strategy, and social strategy. However, this paper also put forward some microcosmic strategy. As a matter of fact, vocabulary acquisition should combine the context. In addition, this paper hasnt mentioned that culture is also an important factor in vocabulary acquisition. In the study of second la
46、nguage vocabulary acquisition, we should pay attention to the process and the acquiring results. This paper focuses on the study of the second language vocabulary acquisition strategies. Bibliography 1 A.U. Chamot. The Learning Strategies of ESL Students. In A. L. Wenden & J. Rubin, (eds), Learner S
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