4.3.3 The effect of the two ways on students in Level B and Level C 10

5. Conclusion 12

5.1 Major findings 12

5.1.1 Building vocabulary in reading class 12

5.1.2 Building vocabulary for reading 12

5.2 Pedagogical implication 12

5.3 Limitations and suggestions 12

References 14

Appendix 1 16

Appendix 2 17

Appendix 3 18

Appendix 4 19

1. Introduction

1.1 Research background

Vocabulary plays an important role in language learning. As it is said in the book Linguistic and Language Teaching by D.A.Wilkins: “Without grammar very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”, vocabulary can be seen as the material for the building of language.

In English reading classes, many students find it very hard to catch up the teacher as there are many vocabularies that they don’t understand. Students feel nervous when they read which bores them and even makes them lose interest in English as reading is an important and necessary way to improve English. Therefore, finding out a proper way to build vocabulary when reading can’t get too much attention.

The study conducted home and aboard has achieved a lot.

1) The theoretical studies mainly focus on introducing and review of foreign theories of reading; papers on reading process mostly probed into the nature and the cognitive mode of and, the transfer of Chinese on English reading process; empirical researches on factors affecting reading comprehension mostly center on such linguistic factors as lexis, syntax and text, and such non-linguistic factors as reading strategies, meta-cognitive and cognitive strategies, and knowledge of Schema. However, there is much to be further studied, such as, the reading competence of English. And the research methods need to be innovated, as many are mere imitations of studies overseas.

2) The meaning of vocabulary, including its breadth, depth, and the relationship between them.

3) The significance of vocabulary and relationship between vocabulary learning and reading.

1.2 Thesis structure

The study conducted in the last 20 years has made reading comprehension draw more attention, but how to build vocabulary in reading classes is still in debate. 

Vocabulary plays an important role in reading. Without understanding vocabulary, especially the key words in the passage, students have more difficult in understanding the passage, let alone the spirit in it. And meanwhile reading is also a good way to build students’ vocabulary. While reading, students have a situation, and the words are linked by context, not just alone, which makes it easier to understand and memorize. What’s more, reading provides a theme to talk about, on which students can use the new words from it to talk about it or retell. These help students build vocabulary. 

There are words of different groups in a passage. Some words can be inferred or understood according to the context; some need background knowledge or cultural knowledge to understand; some only show once or twice in the passage. Words of different group may need different ways of presentation.

In classes, the students have different learning ability and they are in different learning levels, so the way the teachers build vocabulary may have different influence on the students.