Action Research Into Application Of Story-based Approach To English Vocabulary Teaching At Junior High School

This thesis explores how to apply story-based approach to teach English vocabulary at junior high school through action research. To be specific, it explores how to apply story-based approach to teach new words in Unit 4, Book 7A, Fun with English. This study was theoretically based on Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, Swain’s Output Hypothesis and Constructivism Learning Theory. Its significance includes three aspects. First, story-based approach is beneficial to stimulating students’interest in vocabulary learning, which may lay a solid foundation for their sustainable learning. Second, story-based approach is beneficial to improving the effect of vocabulary teaching and enhancing the quality of English teaching. Third, this study is beneficial to drawing teachers’attention to action research, namely action in research, action on research and action for research, as well as improving their research ability and teaching ability.This action research had two research questions:1. To what extent does story-based approach stimulate students’interest in English vocabulary learning?2. To what extent does story-based approach improve the effect of English vocabulary teaching?This study consisted of two cycles of action research. The first cycle included problem identification, plan making, plan implementation, assessments and reflections. The second cycle was made up of problem re-identification, plan revision, plan re-implementation, re-assessments and re-reflections. The participants of this study were students from Class 23 and 24, Grade 7 at a junior high school in Yixing. The instruments of this study were classroom observation, interviews and teaching journals. The data collected before, in and after class were analyzed in two steps:classification and comparison.This study had two major findings:First, story-based approach was beneficial to stimulating students’interest in vocabulary learning. The author integrated the new words into a story—"Two Brothers" to make students attracted by the characters and plots of the story. She also made the lesson interesting and solved the problem of students’short attention span by arranging activities such as crossword puzzle game, story-telling contest and Three Character Primer. In addition, compared to traditional story-based approach, the Sandwich Story Methodology was better at stimulating students’ interest in learning. It enhanced the comprehensibility of the story by replacing unfamiliar words that might hinder students’comprehension with Chinese.Second, story-based approach was an effective method to teach English vocabulary. The author overcame the scattered property of words by connecting them in a story. The situation constructed in the story offered students a better understanding of the meanings of the new words. What’s more, the Sandwich Story Methodology was better at improving the effect of vocabulary teaching. Quantitatively, the average score of Class 24 was 0.33 points higher than that of Class 23 concerning the immediate vocabulary test. The reason was that the Sandwich Story Methodology made it possible for repetitive stimulation, which was realized by natural repetition within the story and intended repetition beyond the story.This study’s pedagogical implications were as follows:First, it is of great significance to enhance the comprehensibility of input in class. Teachers should not seek for attractiveness at the cost of the comprehensibility of the story when applying story-based approach. Second, student-centeredness should be the principle of every lesson. On the one hand, teachers should take students’individuality and underachievers’needs into full account and help them make effective study plans. On the other hand, teachers should guarantee students’leading role in class and encourage students to construct knowledge by themselves. Third, teachers should be more flexible in practical teaching. Considering the dynamic nature of lessons, teachers should leave some space for adjustment according to students’needs and the actual situation on the basis of adhering to the basic teaching aims, teaching content and teaching procedures of the teaching plan.This study had two limitations:First, this study was tentative in nature. Whether the use of story-based approach would be determined by the theme of a unit and whether it could be universally employed to teach other words require a systematic study in the future. In future studies, action research could last for a longer period to make it more objective and scientific. Second, although the author tried to recall students’in-class response as precisely as she could, it was inevitable for her to forget some of the details after class.