| Vocabulary plays a critical role in language learning. We comprehend language through grasping vocabulary. To L2/FL learners, vocabulary knowledge is the most important variable. No matter how well the student learns grammar, no matter how successfully the sounds of an L2/ FL are mastered, without words to express a wide range of meanings, communication in an L2/FL just cannot happen in any meaningful way. Studies show that native English speaking undergraduates are considered to have a vocabulary level of around 17,000 - 20,000 words (Goulden et al., 1990). Direct vocabulary acquisition in the classroom accounts for only a small amount of L1 vocabulary acquisition. Considerable evidence from L1 acquisition studies shows that most of the vocabularies are picked up when students are doing some other activities such as reading, or listening to broadcasting or seeing movies. It is called incidental learning. When learners do such activities, they are focused on comprehending meaning rather than on learning new words (Brown, Sagers & LaPorte, 1999; Ellis & He, 1999;Wesche & Paribakht, 1999). Krashen (1989) states that a large amount of L2 vocabulary are not learned by word lists or dictionary but through silent reading. Extensive reading for meaning leads to vocabulary acquisition over time (Nagy, Herman & Anderson 1985, 1987, etc.). However, one thing needs to be pointed out is that, attention to the form of the language should not be neglected. Learners' attention to both form and meaning is the prerequisite for the learner to acquire this word (Nagy, Anderson & Hermann 1985, 1987; Nation & Coady 1988; Nation, 2001). The studies in the field of incidental vocabulary acquisition mainly focus on such aspects as: the relations between reading task and learner factors, the effect of dictionary or glossing support, context clues and word-solving strategies, and modified oral input. However, incidental vocabulary learning is still not fully understood. For instance, the text comprehension process appears to be totally neglected in most current studies. The factors which influence incidental vocabulary acquisition have not been given detailed exploration. Less study ever touched upon the issue of how learners activate the conceptual meaning of unknown words based on text meaning. Based on the overview and evaluation of the studies of incidental vocabulary learning, this dissertation put forward a cognitive model of incidental vocabulary learning. The empirical study suggests that learners have limited learning strategies. They can hardly make full use of context clues to infer unknown words. Besides, they can not transfer their background knowledge and reading experience to reading comprehension. Students do not take reading as a means to enrich vocabulary knowledge. They tend to ignore unknown words when they encounter unknown words.This dissertation consists of six chapters. The general arrangement and the assignment of each chapter are as follows:Chapter 1 begins with the discussion of the position of vocabulary learning research in the context of FL learning, the problems in the studies of incidental vocabulary learning and the issues which the dissertation is going to deal with. Finally the layout of this dissertation is presented together with some necessary explanation of key terms used in the dissertation. Chapter 2 begins with the relation between meaning and concept. The importance of vocabulary growth from the aspects of vocabulary breath and depth is discussed. Then, different views on the vocabulary framework are introduced. Finally the author points out that vocabulary knowledge is a continuum and it usually accumulates naturally over time. Learners need to expose the word in different contexts, starting with an only vague familiarity with the word, and gradually grasp the meaning of the word. Chapter 3 discusses further the theoretical background of incidental learning. Firstly, conscious and subconscious are distinguished. In this part, two terms of acquisition and learning and t...
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