A Tentative Study On The Application Of Incidental Vocabulary Learning Through Extensive Reading For College Students

Vocabulary is the building block of language skills and it plays a crucial role in learning a foreign language. For Chinese college students, though much time and energy are invested in vocabulary learning, the learning effect is far from satisfying. The following problems are common in students'vocabulary learning such as limited vocabulary, inappropriate word use, and lack of interest and efficient method, which reflect the deficiencies of traditional vocabulary teaching and learning. Vocabulary learning pedagogy consists of incidental vs. intentional vocabulary learning. Traditional vocabulary learning can be mainly categorized as intentional, in which the incidental learning approach is neglected. To make up for the deficiencies of traditional vocabulary learning and promote students'vocabulary learning efficiency, this thesis makes a tentative exploration into the feasibility and efficiency of incidental vocabulary acquisition through extensive reading.Based on the college English learning and teaching conditions in China and related research findings in incidental vocabulary learning through reading, the design of this extensive reading course consists of five essential elements. They are material selection, teaching methodology, strategy training, task assignments and monitoring. In this course, in order to achieve effective vocabulary learning effects, students are not required to be engaged in any activity aimed at committing lexical information to memory, but they are exposed to sufficient comprehensible and enjoyable reading materials and read on their own speed under the teacher's guide.A one-year experiment was conducted to check the feasibility and efficiency of incidental vocabulary learning through extensive reading. Sixty sophomores of non-English majors were chosen and equally divided into two classes, in which different vocabulary learning approaches were adopted: with traditional intentional vocabulary learning in the control class and the incidental vocabulary learning through extensive reading in the experimental class. At the end of the experiment, a questionnaire and a posttest were used to check the learning effects and changes of their learning attitudes.After careful analysis of the data collected from the questionnaire and the posttest, it is found that incidental vocabulary learning through extensive reading proves a successful and effective approach in vocabulary acquisition. It is effective in improving both learners'vocabulary size and depth of vocabulary knowledge. It also helps to develop productive word knowledge. Other aspects of language leaning such as reading proficiency and learning interest have improved in this approach as well. The pedagogical implications are discussed and suggestions for further study are provided at the end of the thesis.