On The Problems and Countermeasures in English Vocabulary Teaching in Junior Middle Schools
On The Problems and Countermeasures in English Vocabulary Teaching in Junior Middle Schools
ABSTRACT
Vocabulary is the footstone of a language, which plays a pivotal part in language learning. Without Grammar, people's
expression would be limited, but without vocabulary, nothing could be conveyed. Taking into account of G Middle
School in Shenzhen City, this thesis studies the problems, reasons and countermeasures of English vocabulary
teaching in junior middle schools in the presence of observation, questionnaires and interviews from the perspectives
of students and teachers. According to the existing problems and causes, this paper puts forward some suggestions on
effective English vocabulary teaching.
Keywords: Junior middle school English vocabulary teaching, Teaching problems, Teaching
countermeasures.
2.2. Research Results identical time, students blindly memorize words, which
lead to confusion in the use of words. For a case, the
2.2.1. The Aspect of Students teacher can lead the students to expand the verb in the
unit 6 of the English book, but students who add the
2.2.1.1. Negative Study Attitude suffix mend since the word has shifted from verbs to
nouns seem to be difficult. Let students back from the
In Elementary Schools, when children begin to learn original rote learning background and they can
words, their vocabulary is small and they can cope with remember the words flexibly as well as cultivating the
transcribing even when they are in a daze. In Junior competence of self-learning.
Middle Schools, the vocabulary gradually increased, the
In G middle school in Shenzhen, 55% of the
problem came accordingly. 75% of the students hold
students who want to memorize a large number of
negative study attitude, and questionnaires reflect that
words are eager for success, but they forget to review
68% of the students do not know how to accumulate
back to the end. This sense of urgency is understandable,
words, only to continue to copy.
and it has also produced a "bear arm" of the
Phonetics, grammar and translation are distributed consequences: only the pace, regardless of the quality of
into three elements of language, which includes English memory. If they do not review English vocabularies, it
vocabulary, and it is also the foundation of the four is useless to just remember faster and faster.
basic skills[1]. English lexicology which is guided by
modern linguistic theories is an English vocabulary 2.2.2. The Aspect of Teachers
learning course, embodying the elementary knowledge
of words, the significance of words, the building of 2.2.2.1. Inactive Teaching View
vocabularies, originating from the alter usage of dialect
direction. Although the study of vocabulary requires a great
deal of time and energy from the students themselves, in
In G middle school, when they have high interest, a sense, the reasonable teaching of the teachers has a
they memorize lists of words by Rote. When they lost direct influence on the students’ mastery of vocabulary.
their self-confidence, they will put English books on the With regard to vocabulary teaching, some teachers have
table or shelf since students are up against frustration, a negative teaching attitude, acknowledging that the
putting vocabulary behind of anything. It is hard to recognition vocabulary is constantly updated as the
remember the archetypal English vocabulary provided language develops, believing that expanding vocabulary
that a great deal students do not make clear learning is not a myth, and constantly trying various strategies to
schedules, goals and plans. teach vocabularies.
Approximately 60% students do not form reasonable From the interview, a part of teachers are lack of
vocabulary learning habits, so that G middle school enough comprehension of the characteristics and laws of
students cannot take vocabulary learning as a separate the education in the new era, and they may neglect their
learning content. Due to students’ inactive participation studies at ordinary times. For example, teachers in G
and high tensions of emulating in English classroom, Middle School have complain that students seem do not
they have little integrated into group collaborative respect them, and even want to select students and
inquiring activities. Those only know one, but do not classes to teach. They often blame others for the quality
know the other, students who learn English vocabulary of teaching, or they think that the school's teaching
merely stay in one word to translate one meaning or one management is not easy to fit them and the admission
word to learn multiple usages. policy may be inappropriate. They do not attract
students with higher basic qualities who are obedient as
2.2.1.2. The Simple Method of Memorizing English before, and they think that today's students are "unique",
Vocabulary egotistical and personalized.
Through the data of examination, the learning
method has been limited due to the students’ learning 2.2.2.2. Monotony on English Vocabulary Teaching
tasks of increasing subjects. Students have strong Methods
dependence on vocabulary learning, seldom contact Based on the survey, 67% of the students think the
with extra-curricular reading materials, and seldom use ways of teaching are monotonous, but 33% consider it
inquiry tools, which leads to their low ability of merely effective. Teachers usually explain the
vocabulary learning and application. superficial meaning of English vocabularies, but the
Students cannot use the traditional model of rote related civilization of these words’ connotation is very
memorization by learning English vocabulary in G little to be mentioned. Teachers treat every word equally
middle school. Such traditional memorization methods and have no emphasis on it, resulting in students not
cannot be mastered by students effectively. So at the knowing which words need to be memorized when
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looking back upon these situations of vocabularies and can run for only a few days, students cannot form long-
this adds to the burden of memorizing words. term memory. There is no denying that if they meet with
unfamiliar vocabularies in the course of translation, they
In order to provoke students’ avocation to make
will get a major discount translation of the phenomenon
good use of English vocabularies, students’ correct
with a failure.
attitude should be established by availing themselves of
idiographic and requisite intelligence to form an In the past, students could read without switching. It
intimate knowledge of glossary. takes twice as much effort to memorize English words
now. The pronunciation, shape and meaning of this
In the daily teaching, because of busy work and
lexicon are in one continuous line, so apprehending
other reasons, many teachers know the method, but
English phonetics; transliteration and interpretation go
ignore the teaching method. They just teach the
into a fresh challenge. Students learn words and phrases
preparation of the vocabulary teaching regardless of
from books in the classroom. What they are familiar
English vocabulary learning methods. In the course of
with is chatting with their classmates and elders, and
expounding new words, teachers often use a simple
they can get new information from the interesting
example to explicate them and renew sentences with
conversation even walking on the street.
similarity to deepen students’ understanding.
Nevertheless, it is very stressful to learn English Take in by heart, forget by heart. It is no wonder that
vocabulary when students memorize words by rote, students in G middle school used to fill in the blanks
facing so many English words. In essence, Rote and make sentences when they learn English words.
memorization of English vocabulary is the production of Now English pronunciation spelling words and meaning
exam-oriented education. Although it can play a role in is basically made a word dictation, only by setting a
the examination and achieve good results, students may great interest in English vocabulary learning, can
not be clear about the meaning of vocabulary, and they students master a great deal English words.
are easy to forget whose memory is not strong.
3.1.2. The Inappropriate Method of
3. THE CAUSATION OF ENGLISH
Memorization
VOCABULARY TEACHING IN JUNIOR
MIDDLE SCHOOLS First of all, the vocabulary is relatively large, so
student studies the way to be quite unitary. In the view
In terms of English vocabulary learning, learners can of vocabulary teaching in G middle school, it contains a
think carefully and consider how to memorize words lot of syntax knowledge with the aggrandizement of
better, which enhances the enthusiasm for learning quantity and difficulty, which impact students’ memory.
foreign languages. According to the aspect of students
and teachers, the causes of attitude between students and Secondly, memorizing English word is merely
teachers, studying and teaching methods, as well as simple. Through G Middle School, 80% of the students
teaching content are specific analyzed. regard vocabulary as a dispensable learning procedure,
lacking English vocabularies consciousness. It is easy to
3.1. The Aspect of Students forget to learn vocabulary alone. On the analysis of the
survey, 45% of the students master the spelling of
3.1.1. Little Interested in English Vocabulary vocabulary, but they cannot grasp its meaning, usage
and part of speech firmly. They have inability to use
In modern life, students seldom use English to vocabulary flexibly.
communicate with overseas. The survey reflects that 58%
Finally, word forgetting is common. Though the
of the students feel boring to learn English word, and
observation, two-thirds student learn a new English
just 46% of the students think it is interesting.
vocabulary, the speed of forgetting is very fast. In the
According to the measurement of investigating
actual vocabulary learning, students do not have a
questionnaires, a student's accumulation of English
flexible grasp of vocabulary usage, culture, application,
words in Grade 7 is approximately 3200, so teachers
resulting in poor vocabulary learning effect.
will encounter more trouble in irrigate new notion for
teenagers. Some right way to do timely review and
consolidation, that is, repeat. Remember the words they
On a survey of G middle school in Shenzhen, half of
learned in the morning, and repeat them at night before
students are punished by the teacher to copy English
they go to bed. And so on, over and over again, as
vocabulary 100 times, but they just remember the fact
needed.
that they copied the word 100 times, but do not
remember how to write the word. Because of the In a word, forming the open mind of foreign
mechanical transcription, they keep on writing language vocabulary acquisition, students in G middle
erroneous English vocabularies even if copying a school are able to translate foreign language. Thus, it
hundred times. The effects of mechanical transcription
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acquires a great deal of students to take part in English memorizing to urge students to learn, they are even
atmosphere. disgusted by it. In addition, using a way of examination
that is the group leader assessment, mutual examination
3.2. The Aspect of Teachers at the same table, is easy to cheat. In short, the
traditional assessment model is complicated to see the
According to the new curriculum standards and the availability of vocabulary [3].
requirements for vocabulary in the new entrance
examination, teachers should analyze the issues and Teachers’ teaching methods in the G middle school
causes existing in G middle school in Shenzhen city, are not reasonable enough. They do not grasp the new-
from the aspects of vocabulary phonetics, background, fashioned teaching innovation, which cause them not
mastery and application of techniques, etc., combining carry out teaching activities in accordance with the
with the G middle school textbooks. This thesis attests actual conditions of students’ receptive ability and
the strategies of vocabulary teaching to exchange their learning needs [4]. In class time, teachers should follow
brain storming so as to heighten students’ overall the proper course from theory to theory and books. If
English learning capability. they lay too much stress on theoretical knowledge and
give a cold shoulder to students’ training of technical
The disadvantages of "time-consuming and ability, students will neither confide logical spin in mind,
inefficient" still exist in studying English lexicon, and nor learn occupational skills. Compared with other class,
here are some the main reasons. the teaching trait of teachers is relatively ordinary, thus
causing students’ discontent. Taking a simple teaching
3.2.1. Negative Teaching Attitude example, the grammatical feature of the word apple is
that the word is countable and plural, and the first
Some teachers in G middle school are deeply syllable is a vowel, so the correct expression of an apple
influenced by traditional educational concepts, so their is an apple, because it involves the rules of usage of the
ideology and knowledge with outdated concepts cannot indefinite article.
keep up with the development and requirements of the
times. Undisciplined students are not equal, so teachers Teaching words in isolation from the form, sound
have to hold the teaching activity passively in the sound and meaning of words. Research shows that teachers in
of lamentation or complaint, to arouse students’ G middle school merely teach them to read the words on
antipathy, tense relationship between teachers and the blackboard repeatedly. Sometimes students try to get
students accordingly. rid of the implication of the bad memory, but Chinese
characters were adopted to mark the sounds. For
Influenced by traditional educational concepts, example, one student used the Chinese pronunciation
English teachers in G middle schools spend less than 10 after the word "student", or another student used the
minutes on vocabulary teaching and lay little stress on word "tomorrow" after the word "special cat meat". It is
their own in one class, so G middle school students do because of the students’ poor recognition of English
not enlarge their English vocabulary. It is well-suited to appearance or the teachers’ applicable implement which
cultivate a nice custom in the long run, but it will not only affects students’ vocabulary memory, but
straightly impact students’ learning productivity. In enable students to lay a solid foundation for lifelong
vocabulary teaching, some English teachers do not have learning.
clear focus and goals, and they do not carry out English
teaching according to the syllabus. There are also some 4. THE COUNTERMEASURES OF
English teachers who don't have any guidance for ENGLISH VOCABULARY TEACHING IN
students. They usually explain the meaning of the JUNIOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS
English words which are read by students, eventually,
students will have trouble remembering words to Due to the particularity of English words, teachers
reverse psychology, making it more challenge to master should use flexible and tactful teaching adequacy to
vocabulary well [2]. fabricate well-designed and equitable setups in English
vocabulary teaching. This chapter mainly analyses the
3.2.2. Isolating the Application of English different aspects of students and teachers, including the
Vocabulary methods of memory, enlargement of vocabulary, and
word review. Apart from it, spelling rules of vocabulary,
From the teaching practice, a part of students apt to combining teaching content and showing multilevel
play tricks, ask the foreman for the words tested, and meaning are also important countermeasures by teachers.
then concentrate on learning and memorizing the words
tested. At the same time, teachers make students write
words by heart on the blackboard. Most students think it
will be very embarrassed if they write the words
incorrectly, so they are not interested in the way of
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4.1. The Aspect of students and suffix is one way to enlarge vocabulary rapidly. It is
not the only one to ameliorate English reading velocity
4.1.1. Remember by Phonological Regularity and intellect, but fast promote the advance of cognition.
English word-formation is a basic skill for G middle
Language learning is a step-by-step regularity, but it school students. Most importantly, it is beneficial for
requires numerous pupils to follow. To be honest, them to amplify their strong suit and create it succeed in
English and Chinese have identical disciplinarian in the future.
teaching. Recalling when students were in the first grade
Roots and affixes are a pair of brothers who support
of Primary School, the language teacher attached great
and influence each other. In a derived word, the root is
importance to our rhyme study. As for English, they
the main word, and the affix is the auxiliary word. The
should also pay attention to the teaching of English
significance of a paraphrase also has a lot to do with its
phonetic symbols. If the students learn the phonetic
origin, which is customarily meaningful news. Manual
symbols, they can spell the words in the light of their
means "hand”; script means "write". Manuscript is
regular pattern [5]. After learning some words, this
written by hand. It adds up to "manuscript.” Many
requires students to strengthen the study of
words can be used in this way, but the actual situation is
pronunciation rules.
much more complicated. The origin of a word has a
Although teachers help students to form good habit, long history, so they need to construct new language
it is this book about teacher compilation of "the golden surroundings to study. After many years of various
key to solving problems" that lets many students fall in political, historical, geographical and other factors, the
love with English completely. From this book, students direct use of root meaning plus affix meaning of the
understand the concept of syllable for the first time, and sum of the derivation of words may have a greater
distinguish the difference of open syllable and closed change.
syllable or even other important basic concepts in
Therefore, some learners will respond that the root
English. Why are they important? For instance, if they
affix that cannot explain the meaning of a lot of words.
master the basic concepts of closed syllable and open
Root affixes are used to help people better understand
syllable, it will be of great help to them in spelling and
and remember words, thinking over the actual situation.
reciting words correctly. After mastering the two
But to measure the reliability of a method, they need to
concepts mentioned above, students learned English
think highly of its consequence, its heart ingenuity as
phonetics systematically. Once again, when students
well, efficiency, feasibility and so on. The biggest
just read Primary School Chinese textbooks, the teacher
problem with memorizing words to improve your
is to teach them the Chinese initial consonant, vowel
vocabulary is that it's a very inefficient way to do it.
and other basic knowledge. If students grasp these
regulations, they will be capable to remember English Vocabulary is on basis of experience accumulation
words probably as a result of Pinyin. For English, after in English learning, and words examination test is to
teachers teach our students English alphabet songs, they indicate students’ deficiency how to make good use of
should also teach them the correct spelling and writing English vocabularies. The focus of the lexical part is on
of the 48 phonetic symbols. If students understand the the collocation of words and fixed phrases. The
pronunciation rules and phonetic symbols, they will no principle morpheme sense can consist of four pattern
longer mark Chinese characters. namely, lexicology, semantics, lexicography and
etymologist. The outline requires students to recognize
Hegel once said that music is a fluid building. The
and examinee the words, be aware of the usage of the
effective memory of music depends on the learners
grammars as well as sentence. It requires students to
'cognition about this architecture. On the basis of
paragraph sentences accurately and differentiates the
understanding the mode of music memory is more
Synonyms and Antonyms, which applied in a real world.
instructive to the design of sociologist teaching system,
music practice-music thinking-self-organization is
proposed as the development mode of Melody Memory. 4.2. The Aspect of Teachers
Through the insight into the General Law of music
memory, so students should remember by phonological 4.2.1. Improve Vocabulary Teaching Ways in
regularity. Class by Spelling Rules
Through the observation, teachers in G middle
4.1.2. Expand Vocabulary by Word Formation school are weak in teaching practice. Although they
The type of English word is one of the most have got the corresponding teachers’ aim requirement,
momentous designations to gauge one's English horizon. they do not come into being context reality. For
If students want to study vocabulary well, they can example, the lack of relevant knowledge about the
dispense it without a certain vocabulary. To know curriculum, poor language skills and weak teaching
English word-formation, to master English root, prefix organization, they cannot validly undertake the task of
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teaching the curriculum. In the process of teaching lay more stress on the aim of materials, especially the
students, these teachers often feel inadequate and breadth and depth of momentous vocabularies, which
ineffective, so arouse students’ dissatisfaction. Dealing will have a greater impact on students’ cognitive
with the above problems, schools need to transform a preservation. The wisdom of English vocabulary
new objective and project, comply with the orderliness teaching is required to think highly of the logical
of teachers’ professional proposal. Regardless of similarities full of emotion, and the comparison of
educators’ supervision and educates’ self-administration, words, so do theirs endeavor to enlarge it appropriately.
teachers become aware of the direction of rectification Teachers should be absorbed in students’ progressive
to reform as soon as possible. development and movement.
According to English vocabulary teaching, the
combi-national rules of letters should be obeyed, so
4.2.3. Show the multilevel meanings of words in
students can feel familiar with the words by perceiving context
the articulation of vocabularies by imitation. This kind
Without context, any word would be meaningless.
of natural spelling method has its inevitable significance
As Language words are let into in context to be alive,
and special use, highly influenced by English teachers.
easy to recall, and easy to apply. To be a commander of
The essence of the English vocabulary spelling is to let
English words, teachers should integrate students into
students comprehend the meaning of English words,
the idiographic situation, guiding them to study
where each word has a certain law of letter shape
cheerfully. Students have already mastered word
formed by units. The research shows that about 80% of
recognition through guessing linkages between the
the vocabulary conforms to the rules of phonological
contexts of passage.
correspondence.
Aiming at the matter of one-size-fits-all in English
Apart from it, the use of English artless spelling is
Vocabulary Teaching, this writing classifies a various
significant assist students to clear the coalescence of
orientation. It is syllabus taken for granted that the
compound words. Teachers can utilize the coalescent of
students should master the words as well as emulate it in
letters to aid students to transliterate learning especially
different levels, which can enhance their confidence and
are those of vowels and consonants and those of pure
improve the learning effect. In the meanwhile, the
consonants. Let the students repeatedly comprehend the
characteristics of vocabulary itself can classify words
characteristics of vowel-consonant, and learn a wide
such as polysemy, synonym, or antonym.
range of collocation as soon as possible, which can help
expand the vocabulary. As English words become more Modern multimedia technology can be used to
difficult, it can also be extended to simple consonant explain vocabulary. For example, teachers can use
combinations. multimedia equipment to show some funny pictures,
which can not only enliven the classroom teaching
4.2.2. Combine Sentence, Phrase and Text with atmosphere, it also allows students to speculate or guess
Teaching what the word means and how it is used. It is worth
being mentioned that there are numerous approaches in
English words have many derivatives and teaching, and the most concern is to actualize them
compounds, thus teachers should put focal point on rationally in the manner of the students’ condition.
students’ perception through observation and thinking. Apart from it, task-based practice, communicative
Students can remember the words according to these vocabulary, word-building analysis and word
rules. In this process, teachers should consciously train association can be used in teaching.
students’ ability of thinking, let students try to find and
generalize these rules, and let them master the rules of 5. CONCLUSIONS
English word formation while learning an English word. For students, the research mainly focuses on pulling
Vocabulary learning should not be isolated, teachers corresponding observation, questionnaires and
should put vocabulary into specific sentences and interviews in G middle school. For English teachers, the
articles, so that students can really understand and use thesis takes more notice of the tactics of vocabulary
the words. teaching, which could be suitable for all G middle
Combining sentence, phrase and text to teaching, school students. What is more, these new teaching
teachers should reorganize stuff and make out teaching modes can be applied in daily life to improve teaching
modification flexibly in the light of students’ efficiency.
identification demand and level, so as to activate According to the outcomes of the research, English
students’ tension efficiently. Creative use of textbooks vocabulary teaching is required to change both the side
can not only make students more interested in learning of students and teachers. From the aspect of students,
words, but also effectively make up for the lack of their negative study viewpoint, unsophisticated memory
vocabulary in textbooks and expand it. Teachers need to and English vocabularies misuse are the chief matters in
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