Developing Competence Of Lexical Application In College English Vocabulary Teaching And Learning For The First-Year Non-English Major Freshmen Students

After reviewing the current study of the college English vocabulary teaching and learning of non-English major students and the present situation of college English vocabulary teaching and learning of non-English major freshmen in China, one important problem is: after non-English major freshmen memorize a great number of words, they do not seem to develop their competence of lexical application correspondingly.This thesis mainly focuses on the following four questions:(1) As non-English major freshmen memorize a great number of words, do they develop their competence of lexical application at the same level?(2) Once the systematic knowledge of words has been taught, could the words be skillfully and appropriately used by them?(3) What kinds of questions are there in their college English vocabulary teaching and learning?(4) How should these problems be resolved? What's more, what should be done to develop learners' competence of lexical application?This research includes two experiments. The first one is a test-paper analysis, and the second one includes a t-test analysis and a follow-up study. The first experiment is a test-paper test, which is made up of two parts, vocabulary test and making-sentence test. The result of the experiment shows subjects do not correspondingly develop their competence of lexical application as they enlarge their vocabulary size. After three and half months' application of these methods on the experimental group, the results of the t-test analysis and the follow-up study testify to their effectiveness to improve subjects' competence of lexical application. These methods include situational college English vocabulary teaching and learning, reading materials, making conversations, telling stories, and solving problems. And this dissertation also offers some other methods, e.g., debating, watching original English films and videos, holding English corners, and delivering lectures about British and American cultures and customs, especially the differences between Chinese and English.Moreover, this paper suggests that pragmatic and cultural knowledge of words probably should be put into the college English vocabulary teaching and learning of non-English major freshmen and college English words be taught within the contexts.