A Correlative Study Between The Dictionary Use And Students' English Vocabulary Learning In Junior High School

In terms of foreign language learning,vocabulary is generally considered the first and most vexing problem that learners encounter and vocabulary learning strategy has the greatest influence on learning performance among other controllable factors.Learning ability is one of the most important abilities of a person,and the correct and reasonable use of various learning tools is an important manifestation of strong learning ability.For foreign language learners,using a dictionary is an effective vocabulary learning strategy.In this study,100 students of Grade 8 were investigated in a middle school in Huanggang city by means of questionnaire survey,vocabulary proficiency test and interview,aiming to find the rules and problems,and to promote English vocabulary teaching effect in junior high school.According to the survey in this paper,the number of students who used a dictionary is rather small,and those who owned dictionaries hardly know how to use them correctly.There were some problems as follows: They couldn't choose the exact meaning of a word from multiple meanings of it according to the specific context.They couldn't fully understand the information contained in the dictionary(including the meaning of various forms of a certain word and their usage);Most students would look up the most frequently used words in the dictionary while doing exercises,and ignored other new words;Most students seldom took notes after looking up the meanings of new words.The author tested the students' vocabulary level by a self-made vocabulary test paper,and the survey data were statistically analyzed with SPSS,excel and other tools.The results showed that the students' active vocabulary(the vocabulary that “can be used” by learners)score was far lower than the passive vocabulary(the vocabulary that “can be understood” by learners)score.The author applied SPSS to analyze the main categories in the dictionary,including the type,quantity and purpose of students' dictionary use,the content of the dictionary query and the method of finding the meaning of the word.In the later stage of the study,the author interviewed some students and teachers.The results of this study show that there is a positive correlation between the frequency of using English-Chinese dictionaries and the improvement of students' vocabulary level.The use of dictionary in reading and listening activities is negatively correlated with vocabulary level,while the use of dictionary in speaking and writing activities is positively correlated with vocabulary level.While using a dictionary,looking up the Chinese meaning,the pronunciation,example sentences and spelling of the words are positively correlated with the vocabulary level;In the method of finding the meaning of a word,it is first speculated that the meaning of a word is positively correlated with the lexical level,and then looked up a new word is negatively correlated with the lexical level.At last,there are some enlightenment to English vocabulary teaching and learning,that is:(1)In the process of junior high school English teaching,teachers should guide students to predict the meaning of words firstly according to the context and then consult the dictionary for confirmation;(2)Students are advised not to use the dictionary during the process of reading and listening,but to mark the new words,and then look up the dictionary and take notes after the activity;In the process of speaking and writing,students can refer to a dictionary when in need,and make extracts after looking up;(3)Students should start using dictionaries as early as possible and form a habit of using them correctly.