英语本科毕业论文-Memory Theory and Vocabulary Teaching.docVIP

Memory Theory and Vocabulary Teaching Introduction Vocabulary is central to language and of critical importance to the typical language learner. A critical first step in learning a foreign language is learning vocabulary. Actually, if the structure makes up skeleton of a language, it is vocabulary that provides the vital organs and the flesh. As we enter the 21st century, the National English Curriculum Standard has set a higher and higher requirement for students, nowadays, students are supposed to have a vocabulary of 3,660 words upon graduation from senior middle school, while the requirement in previous course syllabus was only 2,000 words. On one hand, students have a strong desire to improve their English level in order to make them more adaptable when they step into this competitive society after graduation. On the other hand, most students are facing a great difficulty in learning a large number of vocabularies though they do spend a lot of time and energy on it, it is important to equip students with necessary strategies for dealing with vocabulary learning. A number of research studies show that memory plays a dominant role in learning vocabulary. Many mnemonic techniques are directly used in vocabulary learning. Learning and memory are closely related, without memory, it would be unable to learn. 1. Memory Theory In Longman, however, memory is described as an ability to remember events or experiences. But, throughout the history various attempts have been made to describe memory in humans is complex and often mysterious. To understand these complexities, researchers look at simpler memory systems to get some ideas of how human systems might operate. Memory concerns with how items that have been learned are stored and later retrieved. It results from a variety of processes, which include encoding, storage, representation and retrieval. For the time being memory is considered as three stages in the storage of information, that is, Sensory Memory, Short-