The Maximization Of Contextual Knowledge And Foreign Language Learning

This thesis probes the effectiveness of learning a foreign language through the maximization of its contextual knowledge, and aims to provide evidence for Liang Ruiqing's (2006, 2007) Holistic Hypothesis and Wang Chuming's (2003) Compensation Hypothesis.It is organized as follows:Chapter 1 gives an introduction to the whole thesis and distinguishes between two sets of terminologies:"second language"and"foreign language";"acquisition"and"learning". The author holds that"foreign language"is different from"second language"in many ways; yet there are no fundamental differences between"acquisition"and"learning", so these two terms can be used interchangeably. Then a comparison between first language acquisition and second/foreign language acquisition is conducted. It is pointed out that language setting plays a crucial role in children's first language acquisition. From birth, children are under the influence of linguistic structures and contextual knowledge of their mother tongue. When they acquire the linguistic structures, they also acquire the contextual knowledge compatible with them. From the process of children's mother tongue acquisition, we know that language use is context-dependent. This sheds some light on second language acquisition (including foreign language learning).Chapter 2 is the literature review of this thesis. The definition and classification of context are demonstrated first. Language use is context-dependent. The context helps in understanding the particular meaning of the word, phrase, or a sentence. There is linguistic context and non-linguistic context. In this thesis, by contextual knowledge, the author refers to non-linguistic contextual knowledge. Then, both the Holistic Hypothesis and the Compensation Hypothesis are introduced following a discussion on the role of context in first language acquisition and in children's early lexical acquisition. Based on his Holistic Hypothesis, Liang Ruiqing (2006, 2007) puts forward two implications for foreign language learning. First, like first language acquisition, foreign language learning is closely related to meaning-oriented comprehension and both learning and comprehension are dynamic. Second, comprehension is aimed at use, which in turn occurs in the social context. Therefore, Liang claims that the maximization of foreign language contextual knowledge in its learning is an important way to improve foreign language proficiency, especially the listening and speaking abilities. Wang Chuming's (2003) Compensation Hypothesis emphasizes the indispensable role of context in foreign language learning and attributes first language transfer more to the mediating effect of first language contextual knowledge than to a lack of foreign language forms. Wang (2006) illustrated how the Compensation Hypothesis sheds light on the processes of listening, reading, speaking and writing, and suggests ways to improve foreign language learning and teaching. He holds that foreign language learners must enrich contextual knowledge through extensive reading and multimedia measures so as to expand the accumulation of foreign linguistic knowledge and improve the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.Chapter 3 describes in detail the foreign language learning (mainly English learning) experiences of sixteen well-known Chinese scholars and experts in the field of foreign languages. Some of their reflections on foreign language learning are also presented. These examples are divided into two groups based on the time when they went to university, because of differences in the textbooks and language learning environment between the universities before the founding of New China and those after. The first group has 7 scholars, who went to university before the liberation of China. The second group has 9 scholars, who went to university after the liberation of China. A discussion on the data is conducted. Obviously, these people have their own characteristics in language learning. However, there is one characteristic that they share: reading lots of English novels in the original. Their foreign language learning experiences and their own reflections on them all support Liang Ruiqing's (2007) viewpoint that maximization of foreign language contextual knowledge is an important way to improve foreign language proficiency. They also provide strong evidence for Wang Chuming's argument: fluent and accurate use of language presupposes that linguistic and contextual knowledge is properly welded based on his Compensation Hypothesis.Chapter 4 discusses how to realize the maximization of contextual knowledge in foreign language learning. It should be noted that the ultimate aim of maximizing the foreign language contextual knowledge is to improve its proficiency; maximization of foreign language contextual knowledge is a means for foreign language learning. For most Chinese learners, classroom instruction is a main channel to learn a foreign language. The purpose of language study is language use which is context-dependent. Therefore, context plays an important role in classroom instruction. Specific ways of realizing the maximization of contextual knowledge compatible with the target language have been suggested, involving curriculum designers, textbook compilers, teachers and learners. The teachers'role and the students'role in achieving the maximization of foreign language contextual knowledge are presented in detail.The above leads to the conclusion that the maximization of contextual knowledge is an effective way to learn a foreign language. Foreign language learners should make greater efforts to compensate for the contextual knowledge compatible with target language as much as possible according to the Holistic Hypothesis and the Compensation Hypothesis. The significance of this research is that it can arouse foreign language teachers and learners to reevaluate and improve current foreign language teaching and learning. Meanwhile, it attaches importance to contextual knowledge in foreign language learning and provides some new specific evidence for Liang Ruiqing's Holistic Hypothesis and Wang Chuming's Compensation Hypothesis.