The Application of Contextual Expressions to Improve Effectiveness of Learning in ESP Classroom

Abstract

This thesis discusses vocabulary as a key factor to increase effectiveness of ESP pedagogy. Contextual expressions are the main line of context, and form the principal clues for the textual anticipation and key word-meaning inferring. The thesis compares the different effects of the conventional word-list and contextual expressions as used in textual anticipation, and finds that contextual words have positive effect on pre-text leaning, oral and writing interaction and word-meaning inferring. The thesis also discusses the recognition of contextual words and makes in-depth analysis of the logical deducing process, aiming to raise students’ contextual awareness over ESP learning and develop their independent and autonomous capacity. The discussion recommends the inference strategy based on contextual expressions and core and peripheral words, in order to achieve some degree of independence from dictionaries.