A Research On The Application Of Cognitive Narratology In English Vocabulary Teaching At Senior High School

As one of the three major components that constitute the English language, vocabulary plays a substantial role in English language. It is not unusual to hear students complain that they spend much time on English vocabulary learning but their efforts yield little results. Such imbalance between students'efforts and learning efficiency has devastating effects on the students' initiative and confidence to learn the language. Meanwhile, less study of effective and practical methods or techniques that are appropriate for teaching and learning English vocabulary at middle schools in China are published at home and abroad.This study aims to seek to explore the vocabulary teaching method "story-telling" based on cognitive narratology theories and on a sustained analysis of the existing problems of vocabulary teaching strategies in senior middle schools in mainland China.In this study the author made a classroom vocabulary training experiment by employing storytelling of cognitive narratology. Stories used in class were designed by the writer according to the content of each module, personal experience, the current hot topic and so on. Story-telling approach used in vocabulary teaching can arouse students'learning interest, improve students'performance in English class, strengthen their memory of vocabulary and even develop their English learning habits. During the experiment, the author employed the instruments consisting of three carefully designed vocabulary tests and a questionnaire. After the data analysis of tests and the questionnaire, the writer drew the following conclusion:Story-telling approach creates a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere in class. It can effectively improve students'interest in studying English. The approach is student-centered. It changes the central role from the teacher to the students and changes the students from passive listeners into active participants of class activities.In a word, so long as we optimize methods or techniques that are suitable of English vocabulary teaching and learning, bring the students'initiative in to full play and make efforts to create a good learning atmosphere, we are bound to gain twice the result with half the efforts.