A Study Of The Application Of Concept-based Instruction To The Teaching Of English Modal Verbs In Senior High School

Modality is of great importance in language,which reflects the attitudes and views of speakers and is an essential information carrier for the expression of human beings.In modern language,modality is mainly expressed by modal verbs,which can express the potential view of speakers.They are linked to the emotional world and subjective activities,which are complicated.Therefore,the inappropriate use of modal verbs will result in embarrassment in human communication.Based on scholars’ classification of modality of English modal verbs,this thesis attempts to apply Concept-based Instruction（CBI）to the teaching of English modal verbs in senior high school where relevant theories in cognitive linguistics are used to explain the polysemy of English modal verbs and the connection between meanings.To be specific,the root modality of English modal verbs is explained via force dynamic schema and is extended to epistemic modality through conceptual extension,which makes up for traditional teaching method neglecting the semantic connection and students’ cognitive processing and active participation.This study aims to shed light on the teaching and learning of English modal verbs using Concept-based Instruction in the context of English as a Second Language in senior high school.Using Coates’ classification of English modal verbs,the study is done specifically from two aspects:root modality and epistemic modality and the research questions are as follows:（1）What is the effect of CBI on senior high school students’learning of the root modality of English modal verbs?（2）What is the effect of CBI on senior high school students’learning of the epistemic modality of English modal verbs?This study adopts a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods.The research subjects are selected from the first grade of a high school in Lianyungang.In quantitative study,Class 1 is the control class,whereas Class 2 is the experimental class,and both classes have 46 students.The control class uses the traditional grammar teaching while the experimental class uses CBI,and both classes are pretested and post-tested.All the data collected are processed by SPSS 22.0,including independent sample T-test.The qualitative research is conducted in the form of interview.Six student representatives from the experimental class are selected for the interview according to the high,middle and low levels and their interview is recorded and finally converted into English for research.The major findings of the research are enumerated as follows:（1）In the study of root modality of English modal verbs,statistical data shows that there is a significant difference between the experimental class and the control class（p<.05）and CBI has a positive effect on root modality of English modal verbs.The results of the interviews also confirm the above conclusion.Students in experimental class hold positive attitudes towards CBI.（2）In the study of epistemic modality of English modal verbs,the average score of the experimental class is obviously higher than that of the control class（p<.05）.There is a significant difference between the two classes.The results of the interviews also confirm the above conclusion.Students in experimental class can extend the root modality via conceptual extension and make connections between root modality and epistemic modality,which promotes students’metaphorical awareness and develops abstract thinking.Some pedagogical implications are presented as follows:（1）When teaching English modal verbs,teachers can try to represent root modality through force dynamic schema and use mapping mechanism of conceptual metaphors to extend it to epistemic modality,which sequentially forms the semantic category of English modal verbs.（2）CBI can be an effective supplement to instruction on English modal verbs,which can compensate for the drawbacks of traditional grammar teaching.（3）Teachers should attach importance to students’ subjective status in the teaching process.Moreover,teachers should improve their own metaphorical abilities and cultivate students’metaphorical awareness in classroom.Finally,this study also has certain limitations,such as limited sample size,limited learning and testing time and other uncontrollable factors,which need to be improved in subsequent studies.