A Case Study Of Vocabulary Teaching For English Majors From The Perspective Of Prototype Category Theory

In the mid-1950's, suspecting the rationality of classical categories, the great philosopher, Wittgenstein raised the principle of family resemblance in categorization. The famous American psychologist Eleanor Rosch discovered prototype effects of categories around a decade later. According to the research and findings of many cognitive linguists, from the viewpoint of the semantic categorization , Taylor(Taylor, 1989:56) has summarized the characteristics of the prototype theory as follows:(1)Entities are categorized according to their attributes. These attributes are not the binary construction of the classical theory. (2)Attributes are not abstract entities but the properties of real- world entities which speakers can master. (3)Not every attribute is clearly specified or indispensable when distinguishing a category. (4)The membership of a category is different in a speaker'mind. (Shi Yuzhi, 1995:62)This paper will discuss the role of prototype categories theory in English vocabulary teaching in a certain foreign language department of a private college----Humanity and Information College of Chang Chun University of Technology. Based on the literature review , the author describes the development of prototype categories theory. After six years of English vocabulary teaching practice and research,this paper holds the view that the basic level category terms should be taught prior to other terms,classification according to categories is most important for teaching and studying and it is very important to input metaphorical conception to the students.It took 36 weeks and the same instruction time to finish the experiment (two periods each time, six class hours per week). The same teacher takes charge of control class and the experimental class. Since the two classes have consistently similar proficiency according to the results in the final exam of the fist semester, they nearly have the same English level. So carrying out a pre-test was not necessary. We must design post-tests to check short-term effect.In the course of vocabulary teaching in the controlled class, the author used the method of traditional vocabulary teaching. During the same period, the teacher and students first selected the words they need to study together in the experimental class. Based on the selection of words, students were provided with some basic usages of the target words. Then the teacher would ask students to think about some similar words they knew. They were usually categorical related. They think about more superordinate terms, subordinate terms together with the terms that belong to the same category. After this period, the teacher provided more categorical ones that students don't know. The teacher explained many active words by presenting prototypical knowledge.Nowadays, the communications and exchanges in different fields among nations are becoming more and more frequent, in which English, as the most widely used language and the most efficient tool in the world, becomes certainly a fashion, and a large number of people take up English study. Many students want pass the college English test in order to gain more advantages in their job-hunting. Since the weight exams carry, many colleges focus their energy on English tests. Of course, they paid a lot of attention to the vocabulary teaching, because vocabulary is the basic factor of English study. Many books were among the severe competition. They made use of many methods to help students to memorize words. Then students can improve their vocabulary competence. In Chinese college English teaching, vocabulary is mostly taught in definition-plus-example pattern in most colleges and universities, the deeper and more abstract aspects of word meaning are seldom stressed, not mention of the productive use of words idiomatically.For English major students'vocabulary teaching in China, the new curriculum requirement for students makes some requirements especially about vocabulary amount and vocabulary competence. It is a top priority for us teachers in English vocabulary teaching to help students to master more words quickly and use words exactly. Although the great importance of traditional vocabulary teaching methods can not be denied in vocabulary teaching in the past, we can not neglect new linguistic theories that have instructive effects to update our teaching methods. This thesis is intended to make attempts in applying Prototype Category Theory to English major students'vocabulary teaching.The author explained a teaching experiment in Humanity and Information College of Chang Chun University of Technology. This college is one typical private college in Ji Lin province. The issue the author discussed is also representative among such colleges. So the research carries great significance if we can draw some positive conclusion. It will highlight the English teaching among those colleges.This thesis is divided into six chapters. Chapter one: Introduction, including background of the study, significance of the research, research objectives .Chapter Two: Literature Review. Chapter Three: The Feasibility of Vocabulary Teaching for English Majors from the Perspective of Prototype Category Theory. Chapter Four: English Polysemy in Prototype Theory. Chapter Five: the Experiment and the Analysis. Chapter Six: Conclusion.