An Empirical Study On English Vocabulary Teaching Of R.E. Majors From The Perspective Of The Dual Codintheor

Vocabulary learning is one of the most fundamental aspects of second languagelearning. Although most second language learners are aware of the significance ofvocabulary learning, it is still an annoying problem because it is difficult for them toremember so many new words.Dual Coding Theory (DCT) which belongs to cognitive linguistics proposed by Paivioin1970s. The theory assumes that the human brain has two representational systems: oneverbal and the other nonverbal. The verbal system processes verbal input and stores verbalinformation while the nonverbal system deals with visual images and primary cognitiveform of nonverbal representation. DCT has been applied to first language teaching andachieved some achievements. In EFL classrooms, some teaching researches have provedits positive effects on reading comprehension and listening, but the researches on theapplication of DCT in vocabulary learning are not enough. A further study on the theoryand the brain cognition structure of certain group of students are still in need. This thesiswhose subjects are P.E. Majors in Bohai University aims to testify the effect on theimprovement of English vocabulary teaching based on DCT. The research questions are asfollows:1. Whether P.E. Majors’ have more positive attitudes to vocabulary learning afterapplication of DCT-based teaching method?2. What is the effect of DCT-based teaching method on P.E. Majors’ vocabularymemorization in the given time?3. What is the effect of DCT-based teaching method on the retention of vocabulary?Both the control group and the experiment group received the vocabulary tests,questionnaires and an interview. The collected data and results were quantitativelyanalyzed by SPSS11.5. It can be concluded from the results that DCT-based teachingmethod can surely motivate P.E. Majors’ attitude to vocabulary learning; after theDCT-based vocabulary teaching training, students do a better job in vocabularymemorization within a given time and also there is a good effect on the retention ofvocabulary. Therefore, the application of DCT-based vocabulary teaching method to theP.E. Majors is rather available.