On The Effectiveness Of The Application Of The Dual Coding Theory In English Vocabulary Teaching And Learning In High School

Vocabulary is one of the essential components underlying any given language. It serves as the core of any specific linguistic system and is of critical importance to language learners. In fact, vocabulary learning is an indispensable part of learning a second language. Lack of vocabulary more or less hinders the development of language skills and limits adequate communication. Both language teachers and learners have come to recognize that a solid vocabulary is central to any language acquisition process. Wilkins (1972:111) once claimed,"Without grammar, very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed". McCarthy (1990) claimed,"No matter how well the student learns grammar, no matter how successfully the sounds of the L2 are mastered, without words to express a wider range of meanings, communication in a L2 just cannot happen in any meaningful way". Now the most problematic issue in high school English teaching and learning in China is that students cannot memorize and consolidate the prescribed English vocabulary. The oblivion often walks hand in hand with memorization. Vocabulary learning is a long-time accumulative process and proves to be effective only if proper measures have been employed.Allan Paivio (1971) introduced the Dual Coding Theory (DCT) in his book Imagery and Verbal Processes. In terms of the DCT, cognition includes activities of two separate mental subsystems, one specialized for the representation and processing of information concerning nonverbal objects and events and the other specialized for dealing with language. The nonverbal system is referred to as the imagery system because its functions contain the analysis of scenes and the generation of mental images (visual as well as in other modalities such as auditory, haptic and affective). The language-specialized subsystem is referred to as the verbal system. These systems are separate but interconnected, so that they can function independently, in parallel, or in an integrated manner. Through the combined working of the verbal- and nonverbal-subsystems, language learners will be much more interested in the language processed in their mind. The deeper the impression, the better comprehension and memorization will be achieved.This thesis mainly makes an exploration of the Dual Coding Theory and its application in vocabulary learning in high school English learning in China, i.e., whether the vocabulary learning process can be enhanced by emphasizing the non-verbal factors such as images and affective responses. In addition, the question of whether the Dual Coding Theory is more effective in enhancing the recall of concrete words than that of abstract words has also been investigated. Two tests based on the Dual Coding Theory were conducted in a high school for a whole month. Two classes from Grade 2, junior high school and Grade 2, senior high school served as the subjects in these tests. The same methods, steps and rationales were employed in both of the tests. The only difference exists in the target words. Two timed tests have ensured the one-time occasionality in data-collection. During the testing process, the controlled classes were taught in normal ways while a modified method based on the Dual Coding Theory was adopted in the experimental classes. All the subjects finished the pre-tests, the immediate tests and the delayed tests and the results were processed by the statistic processing software SPSS. Two hypotheses have been proposed: First, the Dual Coding Theory is an effective way in improving students'English vocabulary memory at both short-term memory and long-term memory; Second, the Dual Coding Theory is more efficient and effective in enhancing the recall of concrete words than that of abstract words. The results have shown that the learning strategy based on the Dual Coding Theory can significantly improve the short-term memory and long-term memory of both junior and senior high school students. Besides, the strategy works much more effectively on concrete vocabulary.The thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter One is a brief introduction to the purpose and significance of the present study. Chapter Two is the literature review. It is concerned with a historical survey of main vocabulary learning strategies and some significant studies on the application of the Dual Coding Theory at present. Chapter Three introduces the theoretical base: the Dual Coding Theory. It includes the basic assumptions, the basic units and the general operational model of the Dual Coding Theory. Chapter Four is the experimental design of the thesis. It introduces the subjects, materials and procedure used in the experiment. It also illustrates the methods used in two experimental classes to reinforce the students'ability of vocabulary learning. Chapter Five contains the process of data collection and analysis. All the data collected during the present study are processed by the popular statistical software: SPSS. Further data mining and exploration are made in this chapter as well. Chapter Six is the conclusion. Major findings, pedagogical and practical implications, limitations of the present study and suggestions for further research are all shown in this chapter.