论词汇象似性及其对初中英语教学的启示_英语论文

The Lexical Iconicity and Its Enlightenment on Vocabulary Teaching in Junior High School

摘要

英语词汇如砖瓦，是英语语言这一建筑的根基。英国著名语言学家威尔金斯曾说：“没有语法，人们表达的事物寥寥无几，而没有词汇，人们则无法表达。”由此可见，词汇是语言的根本。词汇的确非常重要，然而，我国的英语词汇教学却非常困难。在中国，无论是老师，还是学生，都被传统的机械式词汇记忆法所折磨着。这种方法基于索绪尔的语言任意性，单调枯燥，效率底下。然而，自20世纪80年代以来，认知语言学的发展，使许多语言学家将注意力转移到了象似性上。不同于任意性，象似性指语言符号在语音、语形或结构上与其所指之间存在映照性相似的现象。语言象似性挑战了一直以来被人们所认可的语言任意性，同时也给词汇教学带来了曙光。象似性会帮助学生找到词汇的理据，从而使词汇学习更加轻松，有趣，高效。

该论文首先会回顾国内外象似性的研究现状，然后，将讨论词汇层面的象似性，最后，会集中讨论基于象似性的初中英语词汇教学。希望本论文能对初中英语词汇教学有所贡献。

关键词：象似性 认知语言学 词汇教学

Abstract

English vocabulary, just similar to the relationship between brick and building, is the fundamental part of English language. The famous British linguist Wilkins once put it: “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” (111). So, we can see that vocabulary is essential to language. Important as it is, vocabulary teaching is very difficult in China. Both teachers and students are bothered by the monotony and low efficiency of traditional rote memorization method of memorizing words, the kind of method that is based on arbitrariness by Saussure. However, since the 1980s, with the development of cognitive linguistics, many linguists have shifted their focus from arbitrariness to iconicity. Different from arbitrariness, iconicity is defined as the phenomena of corresponding resemblance between language form and referent. Thus, iconicity has challenged arbitrariness and cast a new light on the field of vocabulary teaching. It will help students find the motivation of the words, thus will make vocabulary learning easier, more interesting and efficient. 

This thesis will first review the studies on iconicity both at home and abroad and give a general introduction to vocabulary teaching. Then it will discuss iconicity on the lexical level. Finally, it will focus on vocabulary teaching in Junior High School based on iconicity. I hope that this thesis will make a contribution to vocabulary teaching in Junior high school.

Key words: Iconicity; Cognitive Linguistics; Vocabulary Teaching