The Enlightenment Of Cognitive Load Theory To Elementary Chinese Vocabulary Teaching In Non-Objective Environment

With the development of cognitive linguistics, the key point of language teaching has shifted from language-oriented research to learner-oriented research. Cognitive load theory(CLT) focus on the optimization of instructional design according to the students' cognitive level. CLT theoretically based on the limitation of working memories and the infiniteness of long-term memories, argues that we should rationally allocate the limited cognitive resources to form schema automation. CLT has been applied in many subjects and played a significant role in theory-explaining. However, this theory has not been given general attention from personnel involved, including scholars and teachers of front line, in language teaching, especially in Chinese language teaching.Based on the Chinese teaching experience in Thailand, the paper will explain the related concepts,classification and principles of CLT, highlight the important status of lexical teaching in linguistic-elements teaching with a purpose to resolve problems that reflected by questionnaire in Chinese lexical teaching in Thailand middle school.The findings point out that such principles in CLT as schema theory, modularization theory can optimize the lexical instructional design and dispose of these problems. Many examples are cited in the paper, from the perspective of volunteers expatriated from China, with an aim to provide experience for Chinese teachers in lexical teaching.In the future teaching, teachers should adopt the lexical instructional design in accordance with CLT, and rationally allocate the students' cognitive load, in order to improve efficiency and make a better progress, thus help more Chinese learners step into a higher level from primary stage in a non-target language environment.