The Input Hypothesis and English Synonym Learning

The input hypothesis can provide some useful suggestions forEnglish synonym learning in senior high school. At present, most seniorhigh schools still adopt the traditional teaching method in Englishsynonym teaching. That is to say, synonyms are taught in absence ofcontext. In this case, students can not get comprehensible input very well.It is easy for students to confuse the usage of different synonyms inspecific context.

Long (1980) stated that teachers should use the structures andvocabulary which learners already knows and make use of linguistic andextralinguistic contexts to interpret language which learners don’tactually know. English paraphrase aims to restate the target material indifferent words, phrases or sentences, especially to turn the difficult andincomprehensible material into a simple and comprehensible form so thatlearners can understand and acquire it. Therefore, the input hypothesisprovides a theoretical basis for application of English paraphrase-basedmethod in senior high school English synonym teaching. According tothe input hypothesis, English paraphrase-based method should be carriedout in certain linguistic context and help learners acquire the usage ofdifferent synonyms accurately.

the author elaborated an experimental research of theeffect of English paraphrase-based method on students’ vocabularyacquisition in senior high school English synonym teaching. Two parallelclasses in a senior high school in Changsha, Hunan Province were chosenas the research subjects. By adopting different teaching methods andconducting vocabulary tests in the experimental class and control class,we can figure out the effect of English paraphrase-based method onstudents’ vocabulary acquisition in senior high school English synonymteaching.

Nation (1990) divided the vocabulary knowledge into receptivevocabulary and productive vocabulary. Reception and production refer tolearners’ ability to understand and produce language in the process ofsecond language acquisition. That is, receptive vocabulary is thevocabulary used in receptive language activities, i.e. listening and reading.

It can also be interpreted as learners’ ability to understand specificmeaning of vocabulary accurately in certain context. Productivevocabulary is the vocabulary used in productive language activities,i.e.speaking and writing. In other words, productive vocabulary refers tolearners’ ability to use words freely to express intended meaning.