A Study On Application Of Radial Category To L2 Vocabulary Teaching

Based on the radial category theory in cognitive linguistics,the L2 learners who are Chinese native speakers are taken as the subjects of research,and attention is turned to the language classroom,It explores that the radial category theory is applied to the actual vocabulary teaching,weather it can promote the L2 learners' vocabulary learning or not compared with the traditional vocabulary teaching method.In order to reduce variables in the teaching experiment and to ensure that the teaching experiment is more effective,the author herself serves as the teacher of vocabulary teaching,and conducts the vocabulary teaching experiment.The radial category vocabulary teaching method is used to teach the EC.The basic meaning of the word is in the center of the radial category,and abstract meanings of the word are in the edge of the radial category.When explaining words the teacher explains the basic meaning of words firstly,and then explaining abstract meanings according to the basic meaning to stimulate divergent thinking of L2 learners.The traditional vocabulary teaching method is used to teach the CC,and some examples are used to explain words.Vocabulary teaching of the EC and the CC each takes four courses,the explaining of each group of words takes one courses,and teaching time lasts for a month.After a month of teaching experiment,the author designs three testing papers to test students' vocabulary memory ability,vocabulary association ability,and vocabulary application ability respectively.After the completion of examinations,the first immediate post-test of vocabulary memory ability is conducted by SPSS to see whether there is significant difference or not in vocabulary memory ability of L2 learners between the EC and the CC.Then four retention post-tests of vocabulary memory ability for four groups of words respectively is conducted by SPSS to see whether there is significant difference or not in vocabulary memory ability for four groups of words respectively.The second immediate post-test of vocabulary association ability is conducted by SPSS to see whether there is significant difference or not in vocabulary association ability of L2 learners between the EC and the CC.The third immediate post-test of vocabulary application ability is conducted bySPSS to see whether there is significant difference or not in vocabulary application ability of L2 learners between the EC and the CC.Further,in order to indicate the effectiveness of radial category vocabulary teaching method and that L2 learners of the EC can use the radial category method to learn vocabulary well,after two weeks of the completion of the above tests the teacher designs three papers to test vocabulary memory ability,vocabulary association ability,and vocabulary application ability.After the completion of examinations,three delayed post-tests of vocabulary memory ability,vocabulary association ability,and vocabulary application ability between the EC and the CC are conducted by SPSS to see whether there is significant difference or not in vocabulary memory ability,vocabulary association ability,and vocabulary application ability of L2 learners between the EC and the CC.Finally,according to results of post-tests,it proves that application of radial category to L2 vocabulary teaching,L2 vocabulary learning of the L2 learners is promoted compared with the traditional vocabulary teaching method.Vocabulary memory ability,vocabulary association ability,and vocabulary application ability are all improved.The radial category vocabulary teaching method provides guidance for L2 teachers,and in future it is recommended that L2 teachers should use radial category vocabulary teaching method from center to edge to stimulate the divergent thinking of the L2 learners when they teach vocabulary meaning so as to improve efficiency of L2 vocabulary teaching and improve the current situation of L2 vocabulary teaching.It is a good teaching method that can be tried in the future teaching reform.