Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
In recent years, both learners and researchers have taken English vocabulary as asignificant element in learning English in the era of information explosion. DavidWilkins (1972) says that without grammar very little can be conveyed, withoutvocabulary nothing can be conveyed. Rivers (1983) also expresses that large numberof foreign language vocabulary is the cornerstone of successful use of language.Textbooks play a significant role in the components, methods and procedures ofEnglish learning for them. College English in the present thesis refers to Englishlanguage courses attended by non-English majors in colleges in China. So it meansthat on one hand, apart from English courses, these college students have their ownmajors to learn, on the other hand, with limited conditions, students cannot acquireknowledge like the native speakers by natural listening, speaking, reading and writingin the non-English language environment. They acquire English mainly under theguidance of the teachers with the textbook. Textbook evaluation is a main way toknow if the textbook is qualified or not.Mastering quantities of vocabulary fluently and flexibly is required by the societyand the college English education in China, especially according to the CollegeEnglish Curriculum Requirements (the CECR 2007 version) and the College EnglishTest Band 4 and 6 (the CET4 & 6). However, at the same time, memorizing a largenumber of words of a foreign language seems like a burden for most languagelearners. In this way, on one hand, varieties of memory strategies and mnemonicdevices have been researched and utilized in lexical approach. For example, usingaffixes, categorical clustering and learning words in context as well as interestingassociative method, key-word method and the story method are the main ways theyusually use to learn vocabulary.
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1.2 Purpose and Significance of the Study
For most part, especially for language teaching, textbooks are usually taken as theleast important or dispensable factor in the process of subject teaching. Students’abilities and the teaching conditions are strengthened more than the textbooks.We have mentioned the different ways of vocabulary retention. Some people usespecific skills in order to find an easy way while some people just only recite thewords again and again, which is called “rote learning”. Therefore, there are numbersof researches on memory strategies and mnemonic device. Taking CNKI as anexample, we could find 2,734 papers related to memory strategies of vocabulary viathe internet, while there are only 948 studies related to vocabulary repetition. Paperson vocabulary repetition in textbooks are less and much of them focus on teachingChinese as a foreign language.This study aims to test whether the repetition of new words is scientific andreasonable through statistical analysis of the repetition of new words in this book. Italso tries to highlight the importance of repetition of new words in the compilation oftextbooks. The more reasonable the new words' frequency of appearances in thetextbook, the more efficient the students will learn the words and the longer they willkeep them in learners' long-term memory. The scientific design of vocabulary is oneof the significant criteria of choosing textbooks. And whether the repetition isemployed well and whether the new words are memorized organically in thetextbooks are also very important. The reasonable design of vocabulary teaching incollege textbooks can help students to improve English knowledge and competenceefficiently and effectively.
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Chapter Two Literature Review
2.1 Studies and Criteria for Material Evaluation
One of the leading characters in the present thesis is college English textbook, sowe have to discuss the concept of textbook first of all.Tomlinson (1998) thinks that any input material that is used to improve students'knowledge and language experiences could be called "teaching material".Cheng Xiaotang (2002) points out that materials definition has its broad sense andnarrow sense. In broad sense, materials refer to all the teaching materials, such as thetextbooks, exercises books, self-study books, sound recordings, PPT, cards, etc. Whilein narrow sense, materials only refer to textbook or course book. Textbook is used inits narrow sense in this thesis.Shu Dingfang (2004) says that the most important function of a textbook is that itcould present the knowledge of a certain course systematically. It is authoritative forlearning and teaching and it provides the appropriate and relative activities orexercises for learners to practice.
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2.2 Vocabulary Teaching and Vocabulary Study
Vocabulary is taken as the crucial element of communicative competence as wellas an important part in language learning. Rivers (1983) expresses that large numberof foreign language vocabulary is the cornerstone of successful use of language.Vocabulary is the basis of language learning, which also the implementation andformation of phonetics, grammar and discourse. Without vocabulary, listening,speaking, reading, writing and translating will be restricted. As Duin and Graves(1987) have stated, "Words embody power, words embrace action, and words enableus to speak, read, and write with clarity, confidence, and charm." Expressing ideaswith vocabulary flexibly and fluently is an important criteria for communicationcompetence in most areas of language education. However, forgetting is one of thegreatest obstacles in acquiring vocabulary. How to keep the learned new wordsstaying longer in long-term memory is worthy of researching by scholars andeducators at home and abroad.
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Chapter Three Memory and Repetition....... 18
3.1 Memory Theories....... 18
3.1.1 Ebbinghaus's Research of Memory....18
3.1.2 Atkinson-Shiffrin Model (Multi-Store Model).......20
3.1.3 Spiral Structure and Liner Structure......... 20
3.2 Repetition Theories.... 21
3.2.1 The Importance of Repetition..... 21
3.2.2 Timing, Frequency and Forms of Occurrence........ 21
Chapter Four Methodology.......25
4.1 Research Questions.... 25
4.2 Materials.......25
4.3 Data Collection and Analysis..........29
Chapter Five Data Analysis and Discussion........ 30
5.1 Frequency of Repetition of New Words in NHCH v2b1rs.......30
5.2 Range of Distribution of New Words.... 55
5.3 Discussion.... 62
Chapter Five Data Analysis and Discussion
5.1 Frequency of Repetition of New Words in NHCH v2b1rs
Cunningsworth (1984) regards recycling as the consolidation of knowledge. Thatis, only by repeating “three, four, five or six times” (1984:25) word, could studentslearn it adequately. O’Dell (2002) believes that in vocabulary learning, memory isvery crucial, and the words should be recycled in textbooks thoroughly because of thebenefits of repetition and revision in studies of vocabulary learning. Scott Thornbury(2003) puts forwards several principles to enhance the words could move intolong-term memory. These principles are: repetition, retrieval, spacing, practical use,cognitive depth, personal organizing, imaging, mnemonics, motivation, attention/arousal, affective depth. Repetition is thought to be the time-honored way of learningand memorizing new words. It has been estimated that when reading, words stand agood chance of being remembered if they have been met at least seven times overspaced intervals (Thornburry, 2003: 24).
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Conclusion
After making a thorough analysis and discussion of the repetition of new words inNew Horizon College English (Reading and Writing 1, the 2ndedition) based on dataof the current unit, the following unit and the cross units and the range of distribution,the thesis finds that the compilers of this book has paid much attention and make greateffort to ensure the retention of new words and some specialties will be summarizedas follows:First, when arranging of texts structure, each unit is around the similar topic fromdifferent aspects in two texts, which is the basis of improving repetition rate. The totalnumber of occurrence is 2119, which is large enough to repeat part of new words. Butthe average repetition times of the total new words seem far less than the "seventimes" standard which mentioned above. The words which occur less than seven oreven six times will be great burden for students to learn. New words of Text A in Unit5 are most repeated while in Unit 9 are the least. The reason why there is greatdifference between the two units on repetition is that the former is around one object,AIDS, while the latter’s topic is an abstract one, success, and the structure is moredivergent. In other words, the genres of them is different, the former is expositionwhile the latter is argumentation. The former focus one object while the latter has toillustrate more examples and ideas. As for Text B, repetition of new words in Unit 3reaches the most. Among them, marine has repeated as many as 15 times, for thearticle tries to prove something with this identity for some reason. So the frequency ofrepetition is relevant with the genres of the articles as well as the new words arecovered in the topic or character of an article.
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Reference (omitted)
