3.5.2 Interview 8

3.6 Data Collection 8

4. Results and Discussion 9

4.1 Quantitative analysis 9

4.1.1Analysis of the scores in the pre-test 9

4.1.2Analysis of the dictation scores in the first four weeks. 9

4.1.3Analysis of the dictation scores in the second four weeks 10

4.1.4 Analysis of the scores in the post-test 11

4.2 Qualitative analysis 12

4.2.1 Materials collected in the interview. 12

4.2.2 The summary of interviews 13

4.3 Discussion 13

5. Conclusion 15

5.1 Major findings of the research and implications 15

5.1.1 Major findings 15

5.1.2 Pedagogical implications of the research 15

5.2 Limitations of the research 16

5.3 Suggestions for future research 16

References 17

Appendix I 18

Appendix II 19

1. Introduction

Recently, a survey conducted by Liu（2008）showed that, the majority of student participants were reported to be unable to learn vocabulary effectively. One middle school student once complained, “Usually I spend several hours remembering those words, but forget quickly tomorrow.” For them, most way of learning vocabularies is to memorize them by rote, which results in de-motivation in vocabulary learning. Vocabulary learning is indispensable in English learning for EFL learners. D.A.Wilkins (1972) once mentioned, “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”. That’s to say, vocabulary is the first step of learning a new language. Only having a basic lexicon can a new learner further develop competence to read, write and speak in English. 

 However, facing increasing number of students who are tired of reciting words, an English teacher, usually with 80 students in two classes, gets into big trouble. An efficient way to assistant those underachievers is in urgent demand. It’s frequent to hear a comment from teachers, “I am learning more than my students” (Liu，2008). So given that comment, why not apply this teaching-learning principle to the class room and allow students to teach their classmates? With that inspiration, the author in this research has probed into one method of cooperative learning, Same-Age Tutoring (SAT). Nowadays, most vocabulary teaching applies the teacher-centered tutoring strategies. Seldom vocabulary teaching attaches great importance to cooperative learning. Therefore, it is innovative to put up SAT into vocabulary teaching. SAT engages teens as same-age teachers for peers. Teens who are outstanding in study play a role of same-age teachers while students are those underachievers. It is a useful strategy to lighten teachers burden since there are enough same-age teachers to assistant those underachievers one by one. Under such mode, underachievers often respond more enthusiastically to modeling by peers than teachers. Because unlike adult-child instruction, same-age teachers place underachievers in a less passive role than the adult-child instructional relation (Slavin, R. E. 2004). An underachiever in a peer relation feels more relaxed to express opinions or ask questions. For quite some time, they regain the interests of learning vocabulary. Besides, same-age teachers also consolidates what they have learn when they try their best to help underachievers. They become actively involved and responsible for their students, and then gradually, those little teachers tend to be more perfect. And from their experiences as teachers, many teens begin to be more responsible and mature. So SAT is a win-win situation for both same-age teacher and underachiever.