A Study Of The Application Of Cognition And Memory Theory To English Phrases Teaching

Cognition is inseparable from the memory and they work together to influence the learning. However, in the specific field of phrases teaching and learning, how should the theories on cognition and memory be applied to enhance the acquisition? This is the focus of the thesis attempting to discuss the effective phrases instruction way from the perspective of learning facilitation as well as the memory theory.Cognitive structure theory believes that the learners' cognitive structure is a main factor responsible for the learning facilitation and puts forward two concepts to enhance the learning facilitation: the concept of expository organizer and the concept of comparative organizer.The theory concerning memory proposes the following ways to facilitate memorization:Chunking and retrieval cue respectively facilitating the short and long-term memory argues for the outstanding role played by the key word.The study on the sensory memory suggests the significance and novelty of the inputting information could enhance the learning effect.Contextual facilitation, multiple encoding, and unconscious memorization, which facilitate the long-term memorization, show the significance of the association and the context; in addition, the active processing enhancing long-term memorization also supports the active involving of the learners in the classes.Serial-position effect, sensory memory as well as memory trace theory prove the importance of reviewing and effective ways concerning reviewing. And motivation factor proposed by the forgetting theory shows the necessity to attract the learners' attention.On the basis of these theories, four strategies are put forward concerning the phrases teaching:a) The meaning of some phrases could be figured out by association based on the literal meaning of the constituents of the phrases.b) When introducing the phrases, the teacher is supposed to present the similar related phrases with the same key word, the synonym or the antonym phrases as well and point out the difference among these related phrases.c) Vivid examples or the related cultural background could be given and the learners could be asked to actively involve in learning, for example, the learners could be asked to make up examples and do the associations by themselves.d) Relation among the different phrases could also be established by subjective organization.In order to prove the effectiveness of the hypothetical strategies, the author designed an experiment in which the traditional phrases teaching way without emphasizing the four strategies was implemented in the controlled class, the new instruction way emphasizing the four strategies was employed in the experimental class. Then a test was given to compare the two classes' achievements, whose results showed that the new instruction way facilitates the acquisition of the phrases, based on which the author put forward the phrases teaching implications of applying the four strategies during teaching phrases, the implications for the phrases books as well as the implications for EFL learners.This thesis is composed of six chapters. First of all, a general introduction to the study is given, presenting definition, difficulties and significance of the phrases, the status quo of phrases teaching and learning, objectives and outline of the thesis are also described. Chapter two firstly provides a relevant literature review concerning phrases and the research gap is discussed; then an introduction of cognitive structure theory and the memory theory which are the theoretical basis of this study is given, based on which, a hypothetical instruction way is proposed. Chapter three gives the methodology of the study. The subjects, treatment, instrument, data collection, data analysis, research approach as well as reliability and validity tests are presented respectively. Chapter four gives the results and discussion. Chapter five presents the pedagogical implications. Finally comes the conclusion part summarizing the major findings of the present research, pointing out the limitations and making suggestions for further studies.