ECI523

07/29/2016
Shuhui Yao
Strategies for Improving Chinese EFL Learners Vocabulary Learning

I. Introduction:

To begin with, there is no doubt that words play a fundamental role in the world

of language. What is well acknowledged is that the first stage of language learning is

vocabulary learning. Depending on the vocabulary learning, EFL learners can develop

other language skills including reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The core

component of language proficiency is vocabulary and it makes the basis for how well

learners of a language speak, listen, read, and write (Richards & Renandya, 2002).

Furthermore, Lotfi Ghazal (2007), the writer of Learning Vocabulary in EFL Contexts

through Vocabulary Learning Strategies, holds that words are the building blocks of a

language since they label objects, actions, ideas without which people cannot convey

the intended meaning. Vocabulary builds a bridge for users to convey their desired

meaning, which means that vocabulary is the key to communication. To be more

specific, if EFL learners have enormous capacity of the vocabulary knowledge and are

able to use it appropriately, it is believed that communication will be meaningful.

In the last 30 years, the English language has been gaining importance at an

accelerated rate in China because of the policy of opening to the outside world and the

drive to modernization (Xu, 2006). For keeping pace with the development of

globalization, Chinese government made a series of educational policies. According to

the Chinese Ministry of Education, English education should start in grade three at the

primary school level and students from primary school to high school have to take at

least four periods of English education weekly. Moreover, English also has become

one of the three required core subjects in high school curricula and College Entrance

Examinations. Besides, with the stronger international connection, the ability of using
English skilfully is becoming one of the requirements for employment. Therefore, it is

obvious that there is an increasing number of EFL learners in China.

As a matter of fact, vocabulary learning is not only an obstacle but also a

challenge for a majority of Chinese EFL learners. On the one hand, because of the

cultural differences between China and the West, most Chinese EFL learners have

difficulties in understanding the vocabulary precisely. According to Freeman and

Johnson (1998), language teaching cannot be understood apart from the socio-cultural

environments in which it takes place and the processes of establishing and navigating

social values in which it is embedded. It is widely accepted that Chinese traditional

cultures and social values may influence EFL learners vocabulary understanding and

learning.

On the other hand, there are several problems existing in vocabulary instruction

in China. Firstly, instead of learning the meaning of vocabulary more precisely and

deeply, instructors prefer to ask students pay more attention to spelling words

correctly and enlarging their vocabulary. Traditional teaching mode put more

emphasis on mechanical memorization to enlarge students vocabulary instead of

developing their lexical competence (Ma, 2012). Secondly, related research shows

that because of inadequate vocabulary learning strategies, low motivation, no

collaborative learning environment to practice their lexical competence, insufficient

exposure to authentic language input, and so on forth, it is hard for Chinese EFL

learners to keep improving their vocabulary learning and developing their language

skills.

In conclusion, since there are a huge number of EFL learners in China and

vocabulary learning plays a fundamental and essential role in language learning, it is

of great necessity to improve Chinese EFL learners vocabulary learning. Only the
solid foundation of vocabulary knowledge is established can other language skills be

acquired and proceeded. Meanwhile, problems existing in Chinese traditional

vocabulary teaching, like lack of lexical competence, vocabulary learning motivation

and strategies, cultural background, and authentic language environment, actions

should be taken to improve Chinese English vocabulary learning and instruction. And

also these are the reasons why the question how to improve Chinese EFL learners

vocabulary learning should be studied. It is an urgent task to find more advanced and

effective approaches to changing the current situation of vocabulary learning in

China.

II. Methodology

A. Objectives of the study

This study aimed to cultivate Chinese EFL learners awareness of enhancing

their lexical competence and improve their vocabulary learning. It is not only focused

on the change of vocabulary learning materials and strategies, but also the

improvement of vocabulary instruction. This study was conducted to investigate the

effect of different learning materials and strategies on vocabulary learning among

Chinese EFL learners. Therefore, the following research questions and hypothesis

were proposed:

Q1. Compared with official English textbooks, can authentic materials help EFL

learners better enhance their understanding of vocabulary?

Q2. Can collaborative English environment improve EFL learners lexical

competence?

The research questions mentioned above formulate the following hypotheses:

H1: Authentic materials can help EFL learners better enhance their
understanding of vocabulary.

H2: Collaborative English environment can improve EFL learners lexical

competence.

B. Design of the study

In this study, 100 Chinese EFL learners will be divided into 2 groups. Each

group has 50 members. One group is experimental group, while another one is control

group. The experimental group will use authentic materials to learn target

vocabularies while the control group is still using textbooks. Additionally, foreign

teachers and students will be invited to learn collaboratively with the experimental

group. But the control group still learn vocabulary in the traditional Chinese EFL

class with Chinese instructors.

The design of the research is quasi-experimental. Interviews and conversations

will be conducted to ask for reflections and suggestions. Pre- and post-test will be

compared to identify the growth of their vocabulary learning. Based on the careful

observation, research journal will kept to reflect and trace the change during the

research.

C. Participants

The data collection for the research question requires 100 Chinese EFL learners,

aged from 12 to 16. The reason why these EFL learners are chosen to participate in

this study is that these EFL learners had studied English more than 2 years in the

school, which means they are elementary English learners who focus on vocabulary

learning currently. Then, these students will be divided into 2 groups with 50

members. One group is experimental group, while another one is control group.

D. Data collection

1. Interviews and conversations

 Interviews and conversations provide the researcher with chances to interact with

these EFL learners. By conducting interview questions with careful and meticulous

design, the researcher can embrace better understanding of these learners

perspectives. In this study, several interviews or conversations will be conducted

during this research. Interviewees names and thoughts will be explicitly recorded.

Questions concerned about their vocabulary learning, such as their current strategies

of vocabulary learning, the effectiveness of their strategies, and so on forth will be

posed to obtain these EFL learners experience and ideas of vocabulary learning.

Generally speaking, one person will be interviewed more than once.

2. Pre-test and post-test

This method is used to assess whether these EFL learners could enhance the

lexical competence and memorize English words more effectively. In the pre-test,

students will be asked to finish a thirty-word test that choose the most appropriate

word to complete the sentence. Based on the results of the pretest, participants would

be assigned to different groups in order to increase the accuracy of the final result of

this experiment. Moreover, this pretest is also used to test the participants current

vocabulary knowledge for designing other research contents and steps appropriately.

After this experiment, depending on what they have learnt during the research, the

post-test, which will be similar to the pre-test and also contain 30 English words, will

be created to determine their growth of vocabulary learning.

3. Observation and research journal

Keeping research journal is for recording and reflecting the ideas, changes,

process and development during the research. Based on the reflection and record, the

steps and strategies can be adjusted to collect data more effectively.

E. Data analysis
 According to methods used to collect data in this study, firstly, qualitative

analysis is appropriate for analyzing the data from the interview and the journal, while

quantitative analysis is suitable for analyzing the data from pre- and post-test. When

dealing with qualitative analysis, the researchers personal interpretation is of great

significance. In addition, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) will be

used to analyze the scores of the pre- and post-test of both groups. By comparing the

differences between two groups and two tests, changes and growth can be determined

to address the research questions.

III. Discussion

It is believed that there would be a strong relationship between authentic reading

materials and vocabulary learning. Since authentic materials provide a detailed

cultural background for EFL learners to link English words to the practical use.

Textbooks, as official tools for Chinese EFL learners to learn English, are essential

part of vocabulary teaching and learning. Meanwhile, appropriate authentic reading

materials can play a supportive role to enhance students understanding and using

vocabulary more effectively and precisely.

Moreover, creating a language learning environment is considered to be

beneficial for Chinese EFL learners to improve their vocabulary learning. I suppose

that inviting foreign teachers and students to learn collaboratively can motivate

students to learn more positively and passionately. Through the communication,

irregular usage of the vocabulary can be correct and the pronunciation also can be

perfected.

Personally speaking, besides the textbooks, I would like to choose some

appropriate authentic reading materials as extra-curricular reading materials for my

students to read. That relate the vocabulary from textbooks with authentic materials

can result in better vocabulary understanding and learning. Furthermore, I will

suggest the school to seek collaboration with some international schools for setting up

language exchange and communication programs.

Although the experiment is mainly focused on improving Chinese elementary

EFL learners vocabulary learning, it is still of guidance and reference significance for

other level EFL learners in China, even foreign EFL learners to improve the

vocabulary learning.

References:

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language teacher education. TESOL Quarterly, 32(3), 397-417.

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