A New Method of Teaching English Words

高岩

[ABSTRACT] With the globalization approaching， China is paying more and more attention to English teaching. They are spending too much money， time， energy on it， but they have got little from it， which is far from satisfactory. The writer of this paper thinks that it is mainly due to the old teaching ideology in which the meanings of a word or a phrase are taught separately， not basically. This method disables students to master the nature of English words or develop the ability to think in English， which makes it harder for students to learn English well. Therefore， the writer here introduces a revolutionary method of teaching English words-MEANING INDUCING METHOD， which can enable students to master the nature of English words and develop the ability to think in English as soon as possible， which makes it easier for students to learn English well.

[KEY WORDS] word teaching；teaching separately；inductive teaching

Since the introduction of English， we Chinese have been keen on learning it， especially in the modern time. The English language has been one of the dominating subjects in every school， from primary school to university. With the globalization approaching， we are paying more and more attention to English teaching and learning， which is very right， for the whole world is developing quickly into a village， where English is the commonly used language. Therefore， it is impossible to survive if we dont master it well. Unfortunately， we are spending too much money， time， energy on it， but we havent got much from it， which is far from satisfactory.

1. The most difficult task for students in learning English

As we have found， there arent many students in every class who master English very well， while many students are not interested in it and can not grasp it well， for which there are many reasons. The most important reason is the fact that we English teachers give students so many different meanings of each English word in Chinese， and that our students have to remember all these meanings one by one and separately， For example，

（1） bow n. 弓，琴弓，蝴蝶结；

v. 鞠躬，弯腰，以鞠躬表示。

（2） content n. 内容，目录；含量，容量，容积体积，所容之物；要旨，意义；满意，安心

v. 使……满足，使满意

adj. 满足的， 满意的

（3） spare n. 备用品 adj. 备用的，多余的，剩余的

v. 赦免，饶恕，免除，使省去，舍弃，让与，剩余，多余

（4） match n. 对手，相似物，相配物，相衬物，配偶，婚姻，比赛，竞争，火柴

v. 相等，相似，相配，找相似物或相配物，使比赛，使比重

（5） practice n. 实行，实践，实习，经验，练习，熟练，惯例，常规，习惯，图谋，诡计，（医生，律师的）业务，医务所，事务所

v.实习，练习，按规则做，开业，执业，图谋，利用

（6） tip n. 尖，尖端，具有尖端的东西，小费，小账，堆垃圾处，废物场，

v. 打翻，倾斜，丢弃，倒掉，把 倒入容器，轻拍，给 小费，提示，告诫

（7） desert n. 沙漠，不毛之地 adj. 沙漠的，不毛的，无人烟的，被抛弃的，荒废的

v. 遗弃，抛弃，舍弃，背弃，离弃，开小差，逃跑

（8） respect n. 尊敬，尊重，关心，注意，敬意，问候

v. 尊敬，尊重

So the most difficult problem for students is to memorize different meanings of English words in Chinese and using them properly， which is the most troublesome and time-consuming task. It takes students too much time and energy to memorize so many different meanings that they cant keep them in mind for ever and they cant often recall them when they want to use them， and that they can not at all grasp the spirit of English words， let alone think in English or memorize its meanings in English. So they all wish that there would be someone that can find out a good way to solve this problem.

2. The solution to the problem of teaching English words

How it comes about？ It is we English teachers who make the mistake. Up to now， our idea and ways on how to teach meanings of English words are as old as those when English was first introduced into China. And we have not found out novel ideas or ways to ease our students. When we edit new words in every lesson， we only give the meanings used in this lesson， but in this way we ignore a fact that we can conform the meaning of a word in a specific context and that most words have a basic meaning， from which its other meanings are extended. If we are able to induce the basic meaning of each word and teach our students how to do it， it will make students learn English very easily and make students more creative and imaginative.

For example，

（1） bow n. 弓，琴弓，蝴蝶结；

v. 鞠躬，弯腰，以鞠躬表示。

n. a weapon used for shooting arrows or something like a bow

v. to bend the top part of your body forward in order to show respect for somebody important

its basic meaning： n. 弓形物v. 使成弓形

e.g.

① He bowed before the king.

② content n. 内容，目录；含量，容量，容积体积，所容之物；要旨，意义；满意，安心

v. 使……满足，使满意

adj. 满足的， 满意的

n. the things that are inside something else； a feeling of quiet happiness and satisfaction

adj. happy and satisfied

v. make somebody feel happy and satisfied

its basic meaning： n. 所容之物v. 获得所要容纳之物

e.g.

①The boxes had fallen over， and some of the contents had spilled out.

②If the contents of this letter become known to the Foreign Secretary， there would be grave consequences.

③The fat content of cheese is very rich.

④They said they liked the content of your article， but the style wasnt quite right for the magazine.

⑤Tarka lay drowsy and content in the sun.

⑥I was no longer satisfied with the life that had hitherto content me.

（3） spare n. 备用品 adj. 备用的，多余的，剩余的

v. 赦免，饶恕，免除，使省去，舍弃，让与，剩余，多余

adj. additional or available

v. if you can spare something， you can give it to somebody because you are not using it or do not need it.

n. an additional thing of a particular kind that you keep so that it is available.

its basic meaning： n. 备用品 adj.备用的 v. 让与

e.g.

① Have you got any spare boxes？

②Were too busy to spare anyone to help you right now.

③If the fuse has gone， the spares are kept in the garage.

（4） match n. 对手，相似物，相配物，相衬物，配偶，婚姻，比赛，竞争，火柴

v. 相等，相似，相配，找相似物或相配物，使比赛，使比重

n. 火柴（皮与棍的搭配）

比赛（between two teams or people）

相配物（something that is the same color or pattern as something else， or looks attractive with it）

v. if one thing matches another， or if two things match， they look

attractive together because they have similar color， pattern， etc.

its basic meaning： n. 相配的人或物 v. 相配

e.g.

① The towels match the color of the bathroom tiles.

（5） practice n. 实行，实践，实习，经验，练习，熟练，惯例，常规，习惯，图谋，诡计，（医生，律师的）业务，医务所，事务所

v.实习，练习，按规则做，开业，执业，图谋，利用

n. regular activity that you often do

v.

①to do an activity regularly in order to improve your skill or to prepare for a test

②to use a particular method or custom

③ to work as a doctor or lawyer

its basic meaning： n. 经常所做之事 v. 反复做某事

e.g.

① It takes hours of practice to learn to play the guitar.

②The Navy has abandoned the practice of serving rum to the men.

③Mary Beth had a busy legal practice in Los Angeles.

④Today we are going to practice parking.

⑤Polyandry is still practiced in some parts of the world.

⑥Gemma is now practicing as a dentist.

（6） tip n. 尖，尖端，具有尖端的东西，小费，小账，堆垃圾处，废物场，

v. 打翻，倾斜，丢弃，倒掉，把 倒入容器，轻拍，给 小费，提示，告诫

n. the end of something， esp. something pointed. 尖， 小费（小费是总消费中的一小尖），小贴士（小贴士是在繁琐的讲解，说教后简洁的总结）

v. fall； pour something from one place into another.

its basic meaning： n. 小尖端 v. 使……成为尖端状

e.g.

① The tip of her nose is red.

②If you lean on the table， it will tip up.（桌腿斜倒）

③She weighed out the flour and tipped it out into a bowl.（从小尖槽处倒出）

（7） desert n. 沙漠，不毛之地 adj. 沙漠的，不毛的，无人烟的，被抛弃的，荒废的

v. 遗弃，抛弃，舍弃，背弃，离弃，开小差，逃跑

n. a large area of sand where it is always very hot and dry or a place where there is no activity or where there nothing interesting happen.

v. leave somebody alone and refuse to help or support them any more or leave a place so that it is completely empty.

its basic meaning： n. 不毛之地 adj.不毛的 v. 使……不毛之地

e.g.

① Mike just deserted her when she got pregnant.

②They deserted their homes and fled to the hills.

（8） respect n. 尊敬，尊重，关心，注意，敬意，问候

v. 尊敬，尊重

n. admiration， thinking of somebody or something important.

in one respect， in some respects， in every respect： used to say that something is true （important）in one way， in some ways or in every way.

its basic meaning： n. 重要 v. 认为……重要

e.g.

① Aunt Arabella is very stubborn， and Kim takes after her in that respect.

From the above， we can find that if we give the students the basic meaning of each word and teach them how to develop the specific meaning in a context， its much easier for students to remember meanings of English words， and they will find out the practice of defining words meanings， which will excite students imagination and creativity and which will help students grasp the nature of English words and learn its meanings and think in English. This is the method of teaching English words-MEANING INDUCING METHOD，

3. The conclusion

Therefore， I here introduce the method of teaching English words-MEANING INDUCING METHOD， which can enable students to master the nature of English words and develop the ability to think in English as soon as possible， which makes it easier for students to learn English well. My idea is very simple and there is a lot to do about how to perfect the idea， though， I introduce it here so that others may come up with valuable opinions.

References：

[1]Longman Group Ltd 1995 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 外语教学与研究出版社.