| English learning are always composed of pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. In particular, vocabulary, viewed as the foundation of English learning, plays the most important role in learners’English learning. "In language communication, without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed." (Wilkins) Learners’ vocabulary performance directly affects their listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating skills and thinking ability. In China, English teachers and researchers have noticed the importance of English vocabulary teaching and learning and researched on English vocabulary teaching and learning methods and strategies. These researches have provided reference for English vocabulary teaching practice and also suggested the ineffectiveness of vocabulary memorization. Thus, how to improve the efficiency of the learners’ vocabulary in English teaching is still a valuable research issue. Meanwhile the studies about English vocabulary learning of English underachievers is hardly involved, however, this group of students account for a large proportion at all levels of education in China. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct the research on how to improve the English vocabulary teaching and learning of this group of students. On the basis of English teaching problems arising from the senior high school the author works for, in combination with the characteristics of learners, the action research on the vocabulary memorization of English underachievers was conducted, which was based on the Ebbinhaus Memory Curve and Association Memory, in order to provide feasible and effective reference for improve English underachievers’ English vocabulary learning and language learning ability.Ebbinhaus Forgetting/Memory Curve hypothesizes the decline of memory retention in time. This curve shows how information is lost over time when there is no attempt to retain it. The sharpest increase occurs after the first try and then gradually evens out, meaning that less and less new information is retained after each repetition. The theory has a directive on when to memorize words, how many to memorize and when to review.Association Memory refers to a memory method by association which helps store and retrieve new information by intentionally pairing it with something familiar. In general, association includes correlated association similar association, causal association and contrary association. The main mechanism of memory is founded on the association between reality and familiar objects or experience in order to reinforce memory effect. From the perspective of language memory, association memory are always categorized into two groups, surface association including sound association, form association and meaning association, and contextual association which refers to associate the vocabulary with familiar context.Therefore, the subjects of the research are 55 English underachievers of a class in grade two of senior high school. The research was conducted in the fourth semester of senior high school. A qualitative analysis was used as the major method while a quantitative analysis is used as a secondary method. The research data were mainly collected by means of questionnaires, interviews, classroom observations and tests. The question of the research lies in whether it is effective and feasible to conduct the English vocabulary memorization methods which are based on the theories of Ebbinhaus Forgetting Curve and Association Memory. The research was to demonstrate the following hypotheses 1) The English underachievers’learning interest in and attitude to English vocabulary retention learning can be cultivated.2) The English underachievers’vocabulary memorization ability and effectiveness can be improved.3) The English underachievers’autonomous vocabulary learning ability and English performance can be developed.The action research is composed three rounds. The first round mainly focuses on how to enhance the motivation and initiative of English underachievers in vocabulary learning, and how to modify their learning attitudes and interests, which aims at mainly testifying the first hypothesis in the research; the second round turns out to be the most important one, which is based on the reflection of the first round and focuses on how to improve their memorization efficiency, which aims at mainly testifying the second hypothesis in the research; on the basis of the results of the second round, the third round is to mainly verify the third hypothesis and reflect the findings for future vocabulary memory learning and teaching.Data analysis of the action research shows that the English underachievers’ interest, ability and efficiency of vocabulary learning have been remarkably improved, and their confidence and autonomous learning in vocabulary learning have also been enhanced after these three rounds of action research. In general, they have made great progress in English performance. Meanwhile, this research points out some implications on English vocabulary teaching:1) It is essential to cultivate learners’ interest in English language learning, especially for the English underachievers.2) It is important for the learners to grasp the English vocabulary memorization methods and strategies.3) English learners are required to persist in vocabulary learning and constantly adjust their learning habits.4) Teachers are required to involve in the action research for improvement in English vocabulary teaching and English underachievers shouldn’t be neglected or given up so as to achieve a goal of teaching students in accordance of their aptitude.There are definitely some limitations existing in this research, namely, the references are mostly related to relatively less dominated academic periodicals; the subjects selected are confined to 55 underachievers; the time for action research is not so adequate because it is carried out within 16 weeks; not enough teachers are directly involved in this research, and only 5 of whom teach the English underachievers; besides, the teacher may unconsciously use her own other ways together with the new mode which may give some influence on the research effects.In conclusion, this research aims to provide references for the English underachievers in vocabulary memorization and English learning and explore a new way for teachers in the application of action research. |
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