A Comparison of Vocabulary Presented in Word Lists and Literary Texts

Under the influence of globalisation through cultural and technological exchange English viewed as a medium of international communication enjoys its privileging status around the world. In Taiwan English is the only foreign language tested in the entrance examinations and is the most popular foreign language that Taiwanese people desire to master. However many learners in Taiwan agree the fundamental and crucial role vocabulary plays in the language learning but they think learning vocabulary is very difficult under the current method of instruction based on the use of word lists. This book aims to investigate the learning outcomes of presenting vocabulary in contexts specifically in the texts of literature and imaginative texts and compare them with the use of word lists only. Two experiments were designed to investigate Taiwanese learners’ attitudes and perceptions concerning the way in which vocabulary is presented and compare their opinions about the effect of the use of word lists and literature in the foreign language classroom respectively. Questionnaires were used and implications were drawn concerning the design of curriculum and methodological innovation.