A Study on Implication of Prototype Theory in English Vocabulary Teaching

Nowadays, English plays an increasingly important role in international communication. Vocabulary plays the important role in the process of English learning and teaching. Although the significance of the vocabulary teaching and learning have been noticed by the teachers and students, the current situation of English vocabulary teaching and learning is not satisfactory in most Chinese schools. This paper applies the prototype theory and other related theories, which contains the three levels of categorization and two cognitive mechanism, to vocabulary teaching and learning. The paper aims at exploring the implications that prototype theory indicates in English vocabulary teaching and learning, finding out the crux of English vocabulary teaching and learning. Teachers need to consciously foster students’ metaphorical and metonymical awareness when teaching vocabulary.