Acquiring Vocabulary in Context in Second Language Acquisition

【Abstract】Learning through context is a more efficient way to acquiring deeper understanding of vocabulary not only because its theoretical assumptions but also can be verified in the real application of context vocabulary acquisition.

【Key words】vocabulary in context；SLA

【作者簡介】王婧儀（1988- ），女，漢族，陜西西安人，武警工程大學基礎部外語第一教研室，助教，應用語言學碩士，研究方向：英語教學理論與實踐。

According to Nation （2006， p.59）， second language learners， who want to comprehend a written text without help， need the ability to understand 98% vocabulary in the text； then they should at least grasp 8，000 to 9，000 word-family vocabulary. So vocabulary is considered has a close relationship with second language learners reading comprehension ability （Joshi， 2005， p. 209）. Most of researchers insist that learning words in decontextualized environment is better than contextualized environment， because the former method can produce better long term memory with less time （Laufer and Shmueli， 1997， p.105）. However， learning words by word lists just stays in superficial understanding of the words， and learners still need contexts to help them exploring deeper usage. Thus， learning through context is a more efficient way to acquiring deeper understanding of vocabulary not only because its theoretical assumptions but also can be verified in the real application of context vocabulary acquisition. This article will probe the benefits of context word learning， the application of context learning in SLA， and the significance of context to language learners.

Form Webbs study （2007， p.75）， the author concluded that word-list learning is more efficient than single-sentence context word learning. However， Nation （1990， cited in Webb， 2007， p.77） indicated that word-list learning is more suitable than beginner level students to acquire the connection between meanings and forms of high frequency vocabulary， and then they can use the knowledge to build implicit and deeper understanding of these words. Additionally， context can provide a lot of benefits for second language learners. For example， Blachowicz and Ogle （2006， p. 210） concluded that context can offer related definitions and synonyms for difficult words， specify the features of some objects， convey the meaning of location function and attribution， describe the action， and identify the related topics of the words.

Learning vocabulary in context can be applied in different ways， such as textbook and dialogue reading， clozes tasks， and incidental learning. By using context， language learners can infer the meanings for the unfamiliar words. Specifically， the technique of finding “restatement” is indispensable when students dealing with textbooks， dialogues， and clozes. For instance， to some difficult words， which are separated from restatement words by more than one sentence， language learners can guess the meanings based on the simpler restatement words （Nippold， 2002， p. 475）. Thus， students need to train their sensitivity to conjecture the meanings of the words （Blachowici and Ogle， 2006， p. 208）.

The study from Fitzpatrick （2012， p. 81） showed that the students who study abroad can learn more vocabulary in context no matter by incidental learning in their daily life or the adequate word access in collocation environment. The context can not only provide plenty of word exposure to language learners， but also facilitate the interest to learn more vocabulary， especially for intermediate and advanced level students.

Even though nowadays relatively few studies investigate the significance of context in word learning， it is proved to be a very important and efficient way for language learners to acquire vocabulary. In this way， learners can grasp the deeper meaning and function of words， and they can enjoy the pleasure of inferring the meanings of the words simultaneously.

References：

[1]Blachowicz，C.，&Ogle;，D.（2008）.Reading comprehension：Strategies for independent learners.New York，NY：The Guilford Press.

[2]Fitzpatrick，T.（2012）.Tracking the changes：Vocabulary acquisition in the study abroad context.The Language Learning Journal，40（1）， 81-98.

[3]Joshi，R.M.（2005）.Vocabulary：A critical component of comprehension. Reading&Writing; Quarterly，21，209–219.

[4]Laufer，B.，&Shmueli;，K.（1997）.Memorizing new words：Does teaching have anything to do with it？ Relc Journal，28（1），89-108.

[5]Nation，I.S.P.（2006）.How large a vocabulary is needed for reading and listening？ The Canadian Modern Language Review，63（1），59–82.