Analysis of vocabulary processing in english teaching based on cognitive psychology

Abstract

The learning of English vocabulary is a cognitive behavior. Thus, cognitive psychology plays an important role in English vocabulary processing. Inspired by theories on memory, processing hierarchy and information processing, this paper analyzes the vocabulary processing in English teaching based on cognitive psychology, and divides English vocabulary processing into three processes: input, central processing and output. Then, a contrastive experiment was designed and implemented in a college of Heilongjiang Province, China. The students in the experimental group were taught English vocabulary based on cognitive psychology, while those in the control group were taught in the traditional mode. The vocabulary acquisition of all students was measured through pre-test, post-test and questionnaire survey. Through data analysis, it is concluded that the college students are poor in vocabulary acquisition, lacking effective learning or acquisition methods for vocabulary processing; more than 81 % of the students want to learn English vocabulary well; the two groups had no obvious difference in pre-test scores, while the experimental group achieved much higher post-test scores than the control group. The research results greatly promote the research of English vocabulary acquisition in colleges and universities in China.