Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

English vocabulary input in the tertiary classroom in China

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Tang, Eunice (2002) English vocabulary input in the tertiary classroom in China. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

[img] PDF
WRAP_THESIS_Tang_2002.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (89Mb)
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1379531~S15

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

This study investigates the intensity of English vocabulary input available to non-English major university students in the Chinese classroom. It sets out to explore the lexical environment in China by addressing five core questions:

1. What are word lists in China like?

2. What is the relationship between the syllabus wordlist and the vocabulary presented in the textbooks?

3. What is the relationship between the words prescribed in the syllabus and the vocabulary presented in the classroom?

4. What is vocabulary instruction in China like?

5. Do the classrooms for English major university students provide a suitably rich lexical environment?

In order to identify the number and types of words available for teaching and learning, my analysis involved an in-depth examination of the syllabus word lists and textbook word lists, cross-referenced to other ESL word lists. It was found that the vocabulary requirements in the syllabus and textbooks posed enormous demands on teachers in terms of the quantity of words to be covered. University students when they graduate should know 95% of the GSL and 83% of the AWL, but this only covers about half the total amount of English vocabulary input from the syllabus and the textbooks. They are exposed to many of the "other" words in print. In the classroom, teachers were found to teach a new word explicitly every 2.6 minutes, using vocabulary treatment methods in accordance with the culture of teaching and learning in Chinese contexts. It was found, however, that the teachers' oral input failed to provide a lexically rich environment for incidental vocabulary acquisition and that the words available from teacher talk were limited in both variation and frequency range.

Item Type: Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects: P Language and Literature > PE English
L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Vocabulary -- Research, English language -- Word frequency, English language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Chinese speakers, Education, Higher -- China
Official Date: September 2002
Dates:
DateEvent
September 2002Submitted
Institution: University of Warwick
Theses Department: Centre for English Language Teacher Education
Thesis Type: PhD
Publication Status: Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: Nesi, Hilary
Format of File: pdf
Extent: 345 leaves : ill., charts
Language: eng

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us