As one of the important phases of language acquisition process, vocabulary acquisition has great impact on one＇s language competence and communication competence. However, there are still some problems in students＇ ...As one of the important phases of language acquisition process, vocabulary acquisition has great impact on one＇s language competence and communication competence. However, there are still some problems in students＇ vocabulary acquisition. This paper first discusses the current problems in vocabulary teaching, and then analyzes some laws in vocabulary acquisition, and at last it discusses the advantages of making use of Internet in vocabulary teaching, which aims to find a possible solution to the problems.展开更多
Preceding works tend to explicate affordance through supposing what is happening here and now.They seldom relate it to actual social,diachronic activities,such as foreign language learning.To tackle this issue,this st...Preceding works tend to explicate affordance through supposing what is happening here and now.They seldom relate it to actual social,diachronic activities,such as foreign language learning.To tackle this issue,this study explores how students actualize affordances in technology-enriched language learning environment(TELLE)by examining their perezhivanija(lived and emotional experience),a term borrowed from sociocultural theory.Because an individual’s social life is a developing process or a perezhivanie2,it is necessary to base the research in a dynamic development of language learning to figure out how the affordances are actualized.Narrative interviews were adopted to collect data from three Chinese college students who learn English as a foreign language in a Northeastern university in China.The results showed that due to the students’different past perezhivanija in English learning,their present interpretations of the perceived affordances in TELLE varied.This influenced hugely in their actions taken during their English learning in college to actualize the affordances.The findings indicated that the actualization of affordances is historical,dynamic and developmental instead of static.It does not lie in the autonomy of the students or the teachers,but in the institutional and cultural legitimacy of technology use in student’s social life.The paper contributes to the application of affordance theory in foreign language learning and provides implications to language teaching practice in TELLE.展开更多
In the domain of teaching reading of college English in China, to some extent, the words ＂teacher control＂ and ＂learner autonomy＂ have been miscomprehended by some teachers. This article argues that both teacher c...In the domain of teaching reading of college English in China, to some extent, the words ＂teacher control＂ and ＂learner autonomy＂ have been miscomprehended by some teachers. This article argues that both teacher control and learner autonomy play an important role in the process of foreign language learning. Too much or too little control may lead to the failure of learning effectively. Tasks can be accomplished effectively through teacher＇s balancing teacher control and learner autonomy. A teacher can play different roles in the process of teaching reading to balance teacher control and learner autonomy. In this way, teacher＇s proper control and learner freedom occur and language learning may be more effective.展开更多
This article makes an investigation of 114 English majors＇ level of a particular communicative performance and the general ability to perform in small-group conversations in their conversation class, and thereafter e...This article makes an investigation of 114 English majors＇ level of a particular communicative performance and the general ability to perform in small-group conversations in their conversation class, and thereafter explores the reasons for their current level with the aid of questionnaire based on a rating scale, together with observation and interviews. Some countermeasures are provided to call for teachers＇ attention in their teaching practice.展开更多
The findings of the study indicate that students prefer to engage in the vocabulary learning strategies that would be most appealing to them and that would entail less manipulation of the language. Of the four vocabul...The findings of the study indicate that students prefer to engage in the vocabulary learning strategies that would be most appealing to them and that would entail less manipulation of the language. Of the four vocabulary memorizing strategies cited in the study （rote repetition, structural associations, semantic strategies, and mnemonic keyword techniques）, students apparently tended to favor the second and the third ones, though rote repetition remains appealing to some of them. Mnemonic devices such as keyword method were rather unpopular to most of the students because they would involve the learners in more active performance of the target language.展开更多
This article discusses some theories relating to language learning and motivation. Considerable confidence is placed in the value of movies to enhance the learning of English language. From the author＇s own observati...This article discusses some theories relating to language learning and motivation. Considerable confidence is placed in the value of movies to enhance the learning of English language. From the author＇s own observation and experiences, movies are used to improve learners＇ motivation academically in three stages in addition to the discussion and evaluation of the activities in the three stares.展开更多
English teachers in China have seldom employed communicative teaching methodology. This paper reviews the research on communicative teaching in various areas, including the foundations of the approach, the principles,...English teachers in China have seldom employed communicative teaching methodology. This paper reviews the research on communicative teaching in various areas, including the foundations of the approach, the principles, the methodology and some techniques as well as the test in communicative teaching. This paper argues that the essence of communicative approach is that the students are prepared to meet the need of communication in the real world and this approach has a positive effect on students＇ achievements. Accordingly, it is hoped that communicative teaching approach will be more widely used in China.展开更多
This paper focuses on variables affecting L1 transfer in L2 acquisition, which, according to the author, are categorized into three groups： learner-related variables, language-based variables and socio-linguistic var...This paper focuses on variables affecting L1 transfer in L2 acquisition, which, according to the author, are categorized into three groups： learner-related variables, language-based variables and socio-linguistic variables, and each of them is clarified in more details.展开更多
An empirical research is done on how political Obama＇s 2015 State of the Union Address as the corpora sample speeches adapt to context in the framework of adaptation theory, taking This paper shows that language choi...An empirical research is done on how political Obama＇s 2015 State of the Union Address as the corpora sample speeches adapt to context in the framework of adaptation theory, taking This paper shows that language choices in the State of the Union Address are adaptive to all the levels of the context, including communicative context （language users, mental world, social world, and physical world） and linguistic context. It is confirmed one of the theoretical stances of adaptation theory that there is no language use without being adaptive to context.展开更多
In modem society, advertising plays a very important role in people＇s daily life. We can not imagine the world without advertisements. Advertisers try every means to design persuasive advertisements for their product...In modem society, advertising plays a very important role in people＇s daily life. We can not imagine the world without advertisements. Advertisers try every means to design persuasive advertisements for their products by attractive patterns, photos and colors, as well as commonly shared resources of language. The use of presupposition in advertising language, which is an important topic in pragmaties, can serve the function fairly well. This paper first presents a general review of previous studies on presupposition phenomena in advertising language, then investigates the use of presuppositions in advertising language by both qualitative and quantitative analyses. By qualitative analysis, the author tries to explore the functions of each type of presuppositions in advertising texts; by quantitative analysis, 100 sentences selected from various advertisements for different products are examined.展开更多
Applied to real-life teaching, Krashen＇s theory helps us to find the causes of top students＇ halt of acquisition in oral English class--that is, insufficient and inappropriate input in listening, speaking and reading.
This paper explores Chinese college students＇ motivation for learning oral English, which is normally considered as an important factor contributing to learners＇ speaking proficiency in Second Language Learning. The...This paper explores Chinese college students＇ motivation for learning oral English, which is normally considered as an important factor contributing to learners＇ speaking proficiency in Second Language Learning. The theoretical studies on motivation in Second Language Learning are firstly reviewed. Based on the literature review, Chinese college students＇ motivation in oral English learning is examined in terms of the Chinese context. Finally, five specific helpful strategies are put forward to facilitate students＇ optimal oral English learning.展开更多
In pronunciation teaching, learners may have difficulty when there is a ＂gap＂ in the phonemic system between L1 （the first or native language） and L2 （the second or foreign language）. In such a case, they tend t...In pronunciation teaching, learners may have difficulty when there is a ＂gap＂ in the phonemic system between L1 （the first or native language） and L2 （the second or foreign language）. In such a case, they tend to use their native language sounds in speaking the foreign language. Since some Chinese and English vowel sounds are easy to be confused, applying IPA cardinal vowels in the teaching of English pronunciation will help Chinese learners identify the difference between an English vowel sound and a Chinese vowel sound and thus enables them to make intelligible English speech sounds.展开更多
Different from literary English which tends to give a subjective description, culinary English tends to give an objective one. In addition, culinary English has other unique features as shown in this paper.
With the increasing of communicating with the world, spoken English for non-English majors is becoming more and more important. So although therc＇re problems existing in English classes for teachers to cope with, i t...With the increasing of communicating with the world, spoken English for non-English majors is becoming more and more important. So although therc＇re problems existing in English classes for teachers to cope with, i think it＇s necessary and possible to improve our students＇ speaking ability if only we do spare our efforts and make the most of the classes. Here in this article, I try to discuss the necessity and advantages of improving students＇ speaking ability, and also suggest approaches of getting our students to start talking, improving their spoken English, and discuss some problems as well.展开更多
Over the past decades, the rapid development has taken place in the teaching and research of English writing throughout the nation. However, due to the drawbacks in traditional teaching of English writing, especially ...Over the past decades, the rapid development has taken place in the teaching and research of English writing throughout the nation. However, due to the drawbacks in traditional teaching of English writing, especially the lack of effective information input （EII）, it is not an easy task for students to improve their writing level in conventional classes. This paper focuses on the study on group work from the perspective of information input. Unlike previous research, this paper intends to demonstrate the role of group work in obtaining effective information input. It starts with a brief introduction to problems in traditional teaching of English. Then it states the definition of group work and the ZPD theory applied in the paper. In the third part, it proposes a case study to testify how group work may improve the effective information input and terminate the study with the conclusion that group work can help to enhance students＇ effective information input. Based on the results of the study, we may suggest that applying group work in an English writing class will finally help students to elevate their writing level.展开更多
From 1970 onwards, Halliday worked on the functional aspect of grammar. He mentioned the language as a form of ＂doing＂ rather than a form of ＂knowing＂. He believes that language is what it is because it has to ser...From 1970 onwards, Halliday worked on the functional aspect of grammar. He mentioned the language as a form of ＂doing＂ rather than a form of ＂knowing＂. He believes that language is what it is because it has to serve certain function. In other words, social demands on language have helped to shape its structure. This theory distinguishes linguistic behavior potential from actual linguistic behavior. That means the speaker can do many things in certain language： making an invitation, expressing hope, inquiry, agreement, refuse and etc. Therefore EFL teaching is to develop the abilities to communicate with others, that is, listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating. This paper wants to discuss Halliday＇s theory about the functional approach and how to make good use of it to the language leaming and teaching.展开更多
In the current debates over Saussure＇s principle of arbitrariness, there have occurred some confusions and misunderstandings, especially in the equation of Saussure＇s notion of arbitrariness with the classical notio...In the current debates over Saussure＇s principle of arbitrariness, there have occurred some confusions and misunderstandings, especially in the equation of Saussure＇s notion of arbitrariness with the classical notion of arbitrariness. In this article, the uniqueness of Saussure＇s arbitrariness is illustrated in, relation to the classical arbitrariness.展开更多
文摘As one of the important phases of language acquisition process, vocabulary acquisition has great impact on one＇s language competence and communication competence. However, there are still some problems in students＇ vocabulary acquisition. This paper first discusses the current problems in vocabulary teaching, and then analyzes some laws in vocabulary acquisition, and at last it discusses the advantages of making use of Internet in vocabulary teaching, which aims to find a possible solution to the problems.
基金part of the work for the National Project on Social Sciences“Efficacy of Ecological Affordances Actualization in Language Learning Environment in China in the Technology Era”(16BYY093)
文摘Preceding works tend to explicate affordance through supposing what is happening here and now.They seldom relate it to actual social,diachronic activities,such as foreign language learning.To tackle this issue,this study explores how students actualize affordances in technology-enriched language learning environment(TELLE)by examining their perezhivanija(lived and emotional experience),a term borrowed from sociocultural theory.Because an individual’s social life is a developing process or a perezhivanie2,it is necessary to base the research in a dynamic development of language learning to figure out how the affordances are actualized.Narrative interviews were adopted to collect data from three Chinese college students who learn English as a foreign language in a Northeastern university in China.The results showed that due to the students’different past perezhivanija in English learning,their present interpretations of the perceived affordances in TELLE varied.This influenced hugely in their actions taken during their English learning in college to actualize the affordances.The findings indicated that the actualization of affordances is historical,dynamic and developmental instead of static.It does not lie in the autonomy of the students or the teachers,but in the institutional and cultural legitimacy of technology use in student’s social life.The paper contributes to the application of affordance theory in foreign language learning and provides implications to language teaching practice in TELLE.
文摘In the domain of teaching reading of college English in China, to some extent, the words ＂teacher control＂ and ＂learner autonomy＂ have been miscomprehended by some teachers. This article argues that both teacher control and learner autonomy play an important role in the process of foreign language learning. Too much or too little control may lead to the failure of learning effectively. Tasks can be accomplished effectively through teacher＇s balancing teacher control and learner autonomy. A teacher can play different roles in the process of teaching reading to balance teacher control and learner autonomy. In this way, teacher＇s proper control and learner freedom occur and language learning may be more effective.
文摘This article makes an investigation of 114 English majors＇ level of a particular communicative performance and the general ability to perform in small-group conversations in their conversation class, and thereafter explores the reasons for their current level with the aid of questionnaire based on a rating scale, together with observation and interviews. Some countermeasures are provided to call for teachers＇ attention in their teaching practice.
文摘The findings of the study indicate that students prefer to engage in the vocabulary learning strategies that would be most appealing to them and that would entail less manipulation of the language. Of the four vocabulary memorizing strategies cited in the study （rote repetition, structural associations, semantic strategies, and mnemonic keyword techniques）, students apparently tended to favor the second and the third ones, though rote repetition remains appealing to some of them. Mnemonic devices such as keyword method were rather unpopular to most of the students because they would involve the learners in more active performance of the target language.
文摘This article discusses some theories relating to language learning and motivation. Considerable confidence is placed in the value of movies to enhance the learning of English language. From the author＇s own observation and experiences, movies are used to improve learners＇ motivation academically in three stages in addition to the discussion and evaluation of the activities in the three stares.
文摘English teachers in China have seldom employed communicative teaching methodology. This paper reviews the research on communicative teaching in various areas, including the foundations of the approach, the principles, the methodology and some techniques as well as the test in communicative teaching. This paper argues that the essence of communicative approach is that the students are prepared to meet the need of communication in the real world and this approach has a positive effect on students＇ achievements. Accordingly, it is hoped that communicative teaching approach will be more widely used in China.
文摘This paper focuses on variables affecting L1 transfer in L2 acquisition, which, according to the author, are categorized into three groups： learner-related variables, language-based variables and socio-linguistic variables, and each of them is clarified in more details.
文摘An empirical research is done on how political Obama＇s 2015 State of the Union Address as the corpora sample speeches adapt to context in the framework of adaptation theory, taking This paper shows that language choices in the State of the Union Address are adaptive to all the levels of the context, including communicative context （language users, mental world, social world, and physical world） and linguistic context. It is confirmed one of the theoretical stances of adaptation theory that there is no language use without being adaptive to context.
文摘In modem society, advertising plays a very important role in people＇s daily life. We can not imagine the world without advertisements. Advertisers try every means to design persuasive advertisements for their products by attractive patterns, photos and colors, as well as commonly shared resources of language. The use of presupposition in advertising language, which is an important topic in pragmaties, can serve the function fairly well. This paper first presents a general review of previous studies on presupposition phenomena in advertising language, then investigates the use of presuppositions in advertising language by both qualitative and quantitative analyses. By qualitative analysis, the author tries to explore the functions of each type of presuppositions in advertising texts; by quantitative analysis, 100 sentences selected from various advertisements for different products are examined.
文摘Applied to real-life teaching, Krashen＇s theory helps us to find the causes of top students＇ halt of acquisition in oral English class--that is, insufficient and inappropriate input in listening, speaking and reading.
文摘This paper explores Chinese college students＇ motivation for learning oral English, which is normally considered as an important factor contributing to learners＇ speaking proficiency in Second Language Learning. The theoretical studies on motivation in Second Language Learning are firstly reviewed. Based on the literature review, Chinese college students＇ motivation in oral English learning is examined in terms of the Chinese context. Finally, five specific helpful strategies are put forward to facilitate students＇ optimal oral English learning.
文摘In pronunciation teaching, learners may have difficulty when there is a ＂gap＂ in the phonemic system between L1 （the first or native language） and L2 （the second or foreign language）. In such a case, they tend to use their native language sounds in speaking the foreign language. Since some Chinese and English vowel sounds are easy to be confused, applying IPA cardinal vowels in the teaching of English pronunciation will help Chinese learners identify the difference between an English vowel sound and a Chinese vowel sound and thus enables them to make intelligible English speech sounds.
文摘Different from literary English which tends to give a subjective description, culinary English tends to give an objective one. In addition, culinary English has other unique features as shown in this paper.
文摘With the increasing of communicating with the world, spoken English for non-English majors is becoming more and more important. So although therc＇re problems existing in English classes for teachers to cope with, i think it＇s necessary and possible to improve our students＇ speaking ability if only we do spare our efforts and make the most of the classes. Here in this article, I try to discuss the necessity and advantages of improving students＇ speaking ability, and also suggest approaches of getting our students to start talking, improving their spoken English, and discuss some problems as well.
文摘Over the past decades, the rapid development has taken place in the teaching and research of English writing throughout the nation. However, due to the drawbacks in traditional teaching of English writing, especially the lack of effective information input （EII）, it is not an easy task for students to improve their writing level in conventional classes. This paper focuses on the study on group work from the perspective of information input. Unlike previous research, this paper intends to demonstrate the role of group work in obtaining effective information input. It starts with a brief introduction to problems in traditional teaching of English. Then it states the definition of group work and the ZPD theory applied in the paper. In the third part, it proposes a case study to testify how group work may improve the effective information input and terminate the study with the conclusion that group work can help to enhance students＇ effective information input. Based on the results of the study, we may suggest that applying group work in an English writing class will finally help students to elevate their writing level.
文摘From 1970 onwards, Halliday worked on the functional aspect of grammar. He mentioned the language as a form of ＂doing＂ rather than a form of ＂knowing＂. He believes that language is what it is because it has to serve certain function. In other words, social demands on language have helped to shape its structure. This theory distinguishes linguistic behavior potential from actual linguistic behavior. That means the speaker can do many things in certain language： making an invitation, expressing hope, inquiry, agreement, refuse and etc. Therefore EFL teaching is to develop the abilities to communicate with others, that is, listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating. This paper wants to discuss Halliday＇s theory about the functional approach and how to make good use of it to the language leaming and teaching.
文摘In the current debates over Saussure＇s principle of arbitrariness, there have occurred some confusions and misunderstandings, especially in the equation of Saussure＇s notion of arbitrariness with the classical notion of arbitrariness. In this article, the uniqueness of Saussure＇s arbitrariness is illustrated in, relation to the classical arbitrariness.
