Applying Semantic Association In English Vocabulary Learning At Vocational High Schools

Vocabulary plays a very important part in language learning, and vocabulary acquisition hasbeen regarded as a core part in middle school English learning throughout the whole teachingprocess. However, when it comes to vocabulary learning, many students complain that it is aheadache, particularly to the students at vocational high schools. Compared with students inordinary high schools, they are poor in English with more difficulties, lacking good learninghabits and effective learning strategies. Therefore, in order to improve their English learning, it isnecessary to supervise students with some useful vocabulary learning strategies.Based on the semantic field theory, the present study mainly explores the possibleapplication of semantic association strategies in vocabulary teaching and learning. Semanticassociation mainly refers to the establishment of various meaning relationships between wordsthrough different kinds of semantic association, which contributes to memory. Semanticassociation can be divided into synonym, antonym, polysemy, hyponymy and collocation. Thesestrategies are in good agreement with the deep level processing, which is believed to make aclearer and longer memory than the surface level processing such as reading aloud and recitingwords. As such, in vocabulary teaching, all different kinds of semantic association strategiesshould be brought into full play to improve the efficiency of vocabulary learning. Therefore, thisstudy aims to answer the following questions:1) In teaching practice, can semantic association strategies facilitate students’ memory ofwords in terms of immediate memory and delayed memory？2) If the semantic association strategies can help students enlarge their vocabulary, to whatextent or in what aspects does it work?3） What kind of semantic association strategies do students prefer to use and help them toimprove their interests and confidence in English vocabulary learning?The participants of present study are from the first-year students from two parallel classes atDengzhuang Vocational High School. The training materials include three units from unit7tounit9of New College English Book. All the subjects in both classes received the same learningmaterials. The control class received traditional vocabulary teaching, while the experimentalclass received a six-week training of semantic association. Both quantitative and qualitativemethods were used. The data was processed by SPSS17.0.Data analysis indicated that the vocabulary teaching method in the framework of semanticfield theory is helpful. And students’ interests and confidence in vocabulary learning have beenimproved. Specifically, the major findings are as follows:1) As for students of Senior Grade One at Vocational High Schools, semantic association turns out to be effective, it contributes to theeffects of students’ word memory in terms of immediate memory and delayed memory.2)Semantic association makes students develop their consciousness of strategy use and they areable to apply some associational ways to memorize words in their own initiative, among which,the synonym, antonym and polysemy works significantly in enlarging their vocabulary.3)Students are more willing to get involved in the activities, because the learning has become morestimulating through students’ participation and discussion of the words’ association. And also thesemantic-association based vocabulary teaching has to some extent eliminated the sense ofhelplessness and cultivated students’ independence and creativity in learning vocabulary.