On The Effect Of Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition Of Chinese English Majors In Extensive Reading

Vocabulary study is a very important task for L2 learners, which concerns to the success or failure of second language study of learners. With enlarging students'vocabulary size as one of its goals, English extensive reading is a compulsory course in colleges for English majors. However, in the light of the survey of the author, the real effect of extensive reading for English majors to enlarge their vocabulary is very low.The study selected 2 classes with 30 sophomores majored in English in each class who were divided into two groups. Two experiments were held. The first experiment adopted a reading passage with new words occupying 2% of the total number. The control group took the pattern of free reading, while the experimental group firstly received vocabulary teaching (1/3 of the unknown words), and then read the passage freely. After that, the two groups were tested about their vocabulary acquisition. One week later, the delayed tests were held to check the two groups'vocabulary retention results. The second experiment adopted a different passage with unknown words occupying 5% of the total number, following the same procedure as Experiment 1. The author analyzed the collected data through descriptive statistics and T-tests.After the data analysis, the author concluded: 1) Students can acquire vocabulary incidentally through reading; 2) The immediate acquisition result of the experimental group is better than that of the control group. And the difference is very obvious and significant when students read the second passage with more new words; 3) The retention of acquired vocabulary incidentally is better than that of acquired vocabulary by teaching. The study has theoretical and guiding meaning to extensive reading class teaching. It is not enough to just depend on students'self-directed study to enlarge their vocabulary in the limited time of extensive reading class. The teacher should also do some well planned teaching, design some word-centered reading tasks, and make an optimal teaching plan.