| The New National English Curriculum Standard for middle high school in China obviously advocates that English teaching should make learners use basic English knowledge and skills in their real life.Vocabulary acquisition is the foundation to acquire other language skills,and mastering vocabulary is also the fundamental step of learning a language.However,vocabulary learning instruction can not be carried out well by instructors in English class and learners have to acquire vocabulary items outside class.The emerge of CALL(Computer Assisted Language Learning)leads to the appearance of various vocabulary presentations.Vocabulary is not a daunting task for instructors and learners.Investigating learning effects of different vocabulary acquisition will provide some practical suggestions for further English instruction.In the present research,based on attention mechanism,generative processing theory,cognitive load theory and multimode learning theory,learning effects of the three vocabulary presentations,including context,example sentence and picture,on receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge acquisition are explored in immediate and delayed tests(vocabulary acquisition and retention).Moreover,the specific learning effects are investigated as well when learners English levels are considered.Ninety-nine first-year volunteers from three different classes in ××× high school join in this research.There are thirty-three participants in each class and each presentation will be arranged randomly to the three classes in order to accomplish the research which lasts one month.And fifty new vocabulary items will be contained in this study.Immediate tests including vocabulary tests and sentence-making tests will be conducted immediately after each vocabulary presentation in each class.After three weeks,delayed tests including a vocabulary test and a writing test will be finished.All the collected data will be analyzed by SPSS 19.0: Descriptive Statistical and One-Way ANOVA.And the major findings can be presented as follows: 1)Receptive vocabulary acquisition and retention: the learning effects of the three presentations are similar in vocabulary acquisition and retention.Picture presentation is the most effective one,and context presentation is the poorest one,and example sentence presentation is in between of them.2)Productive vocabulary acquisition and retention: example sentence presentation shows most strengthens vocabulary acquisition and retention.In immediate tests,the learning effects of picture presentation is better than those of context presentation;In delayed tests,there is no difference between picture presentation and context presentation.3)Receptive vocabulary acquisition and retention: the learning effects of the three presentations combined with subjects high,middle and low English levels can be ranked as picture presentation,example sentence and picture from high to low.4)Productive vocabulary acquisition and retention: example sentence presentation will cause the best performance for learners with high,middle and low English levels in vocabulary acquisition and retention.In immediate tests,context presentation and picture presentation show a similar learning results for learners with high and low English levels.Picture presentation will lead to a better learningconsequence than context presentation for middle English level’ learners.In delayed tests,there is no difference between context presentation and picture presentation for learners with high and middle English levels.Low English level’ subjects will perform worst in picture presentation,and context presentation and example sentence presentation show no difference for low English level’ learners in delayed productive tests.Although different presentations(context,picture and example sentence)will produce different performances in vocabulary acquisition and retention when they are combined with different English levels(high,middle and low English levels),the strengthens of picture presentation in vocabulary learning and example sentence presentation in vocabulary retention are proved to be sure.And this research results are in accord with the four research theories.Generative processing theory proposes that there exists an image system and an independent language system.A satisfied vocabulary leaning effects can be achieved only when the two systems are stimulated at the same time.Multimode learning theory suggests that our brain deals with verbal and non-verbal learning materials with two different processing channels or systems respectively.It points out that subjects can obtain more in language acquisition only when the two systems or channels work together.Both the two theories stress the significance and necessity of the combination of language input and image input.Therefore,picture presentation method leads to the best performance in receptive vocabulary knowledge acquisition because it integrates language input with image input.Attention mechanism and cognitive load put forward that task complexity will affect learners’ vocabulary acquisition.Complex tasks will produce selection attention and cognitive load.In the process of vocabulary acquisition,complex tasks will make subjects not focus on vocabulary learning.Example sentence presentation reduces the degree of task complexity which will have learners concentrate on vocabulary acquisition.Moreover,example sentence presentation method provides some rich situations and new items’ usages for subjects,which will help learners obtain more productive vocabulary knowledge acquisition.Context,however,causes too much cognitive load and selective attention because of its complexity and richer content.And subjects are prone to sacrifice the objects of vocabulary learning to context understanding.According to the research results,some instructional implications can be concluded as follows: 1)The combination of picture presentation and example sentence presentation in practical vocabulary instruction will help to produce a better performance.2)Context presentation will cause an unsatisfied vocabulary learning effects for learners of middle and low English levels.3)Application of single presentation can not benefit to obtain vocabulary receptive and productive knowledge acquisition simultaneously.Combination of several presentations is indispensable in vocabulary acquisition. |
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