A Study Of Junior High School English Vocabulary Teaching Based On The Theory Of Embodied Cognition

Vocabulary,as the basic unit of language and the subject of language expression,is one of the focuses of language learning.Learners’ understanding and mastery of vocabulary is a decisive factor in the success of their English learning.Junior high school is in the initial stage of English learning and it is a golden period of students’ language development.The New Curriculum Standard requires that students in junior high school should master 1500~1600 words and 200~300 phrases,and be able to understand and comprehend the basic meaning of the vocabulary and its meaning in specific contexts.However,the reality is that although most students can remember the words,they cannot achieve the "understanding and comprehending" vocabulary required by the Curriculum Standards.The theory of Embodied Cognition emphasizes the interaction between body,cognition and environment,which has a great inspiration and promotion for the development of foreign language teaching.Based on the theory of Embodied Cognition,the formation of human vocabulary is the result of the categorization and conceptualization of word expression.Words are formed through the lexicalization of categories or concepts.In other words,the construction of vocabulary is embodied with body,the cognition of vocabulary is metaphorical,and the acquisition of vocabulary is unconscious.The three characteristics of vocabulary provide new ideas for the development of vocabulary teaching.In order to verify the role of Embodied Cognition in vocabulary teaching,the author applies the theory of Embodied Cognition to English vocabulary teaching in junior high school based on some relevant theories both domestically and abroad,and puts forward some vocabulary teaching strategies: introducing vocabulary through body experience,constructing vocabulary through situation,and reinforcing vocabulary by interactive practice.In the lead-in phase,the experiencing of the vocabulary is enhanced through pictures,physical objects,and short videos.During the vocabulary construction phase,students are trained to develop their metaphorical thinking,and vocabulary is constructed through lexical level networks and metaphorical transfer strategies.In the consolidation phase,teachers use in task-based activities and vocabulary exercises to guide students participate in and consolidate their vocabulary acquisition.After two months of teaching experiments,the author found that theapplication of Embodied Cognition theory in junior high school English vocabulary teaching is feasible.The experimental data and results show that the theory of Embodied Cognition can not only improve the students’ vocabulary level,but also arouse the students’ interest in vocabulary learning,and it is more effective than the traditional teaching methods.With the deepening of the student-centered teaching concept,the improvement of classroom teaching environment and the application of multimedia teaching technology,the future English classroom teaching will inevitably focus on the teaching implication of the body,and at the same time pay more attention to the transfer of students’ physical experiencing and the construction of teaching environment.