Context Theories And English Vocabulary Teaching

Context is a popular research subject in modern linguistics. In 1923, Malinowski first mentioned the concept "context of situation". In his opinion, words are closely related to situations and language environment is essential to the understanding of a language.As the basic part in English teaching practice, vocabulary teaching has long held the attentions of teachers. The meaning of the word is restricted by context. A word cannot have a definite meaning without the help of a context.The author finds in her research that the major problems with vocabulary learning in English are as follows: first, the vocational school students cannot memorize some words correctly; second, they cannot use English words freely and properly to express themselves. In their writing or speeches, there often appear Chinglish sentences, which do not fit with English grammar or the way English-speaking people use English; third, they do not know that the same word expresses different meaning in different contexts.The author suggests that vocabulary teaching in the vocational school should be integrated with the context. It not only reflects the creativity of English teaching but also embodies English teachers' ability to apply context theories to teach English vocabulary. As the same time, it will arouse students' interests in study and let students fully comprehend the word meaning.