An Empirical Study On Applying The Length Approach To English Depth Of Vocabulary Learning In Senior High School

The Length Approach is a kind of foreign language learning method which is based on writing to learn.It is proposed by a famous scholar,professor Wang Chuming in 2000.By adjusting the length of writing and increasing writing tasks and writing requirements,the Length Approach offers students possibilities of using language so that it promotes foreign language learning.The basic idea of the Length Approach is that long writing can develop learners' emotions,facilitate their learning,and tap their learning potential.As a basic element of English writing,the improvement of vocabulary is definite.The Ordinary High School New Curriculum Standard not only requires the increase of vocabulary of senior high school students,but also attaches importance to guiding students to understand and apply learned vocabulary deeply.With further research of vocabulary,related scholars have put forward lexical theories.As two basic dimensions of vocabulary knowledge,the breadth and depth of vocabulary have been paid more attention to.Many researches at home and abroad study the breadth of vocabulary,while researches concerning significance of depth of vocabulary are neglected.Therefore,this study applies the depth of vocabulary knowledge framework of prominent vocabulary expert Nation as a theoretical foundation,and aims at investigating the influence of the Length Approach on senior high school students' vocabulary written,collocation,grammatical function and meaning.Three questions are put forward.(1)After experiment,what is the effect on the written and collocation in experimental class and control class ?(2)After experiment,what is the effect on the grammatical function and meaning in experimental class and control class ?(3)What is the subjects' general attitude towards the Length Approach?This study utilizes writing text and questionnaire survey to collect data.104 senior school juniors in class 1(1)and class 2(53)from Xiyang High School of Shanxi province are selected as subjects.The experiment lasts for 16 weeks to write a topic composition each week.The investigator employs Excel to analyze the number of errors of students' writing text in vocabulary written,collocation,grammatical function and meaning after checking and sorting.Questionnaire is carried out in the late term.Its aim is to know students' opinions of experimental class on the Length Approach and vocabulary learning in writing.This study finds that the errors rate of students from experimental class in vocabulary written and collocation goes down.The Length Approach does not a driving role in grammatical function and meaning.With the length of writing increasing,the error rate of grammatical function and meaning goes up.The Length Approach has no significant effect on promoting the selection of meaning.The subjects generally approve the Length Approach.Finally,based on the finding,the researcher puts forward the related suggestion about teaching and learning of the Length Approach on the depth of vocabulary for senior high school students.And some limitations and improvements are also pointed out.