A word is not only a basic unit and but also an essential part in a sentence. With only one word we can communicative with foreigners properly. To acquire more vocabulary means to improve language competence. So, English teachers have been interested in vocabulary and tried various ways to teach vocabulary. In this study, unlike a traditional teaching method through explaining an exact definition and rote memorization, I tried to analyze affixes in a word. It helps students learn vocabulary effectively. English prefixes and suffixes have many clues to understand words. They give learners useful information about meanings of the word and its role in the context. By this logical Inferring leaners can find out meaning even unfamiliar words in the context. In addition, they can apply this understanding to other words having same suffixes and affixes and find out the meaning of a great number of words in a short time.
The purpose of this study is to improve vocabulary ability by analyzing affixes and applying this to other words. The experiment was designed for the 2nd grade students in a boys high school at Suwon. To accomplish this, the students were classified into 2 groups (experimental and controlled) out of 80 students.
The following hypotheses were tested;
1)The experimental class that learned vocabularies in analyzing vocabulary activity may gain high score in vocabulary test than the controled class.
2)Applying analyzing vocabulary may increase the scores of students of total levels.
3)After experiment students may learn new words in a logical way inferring affixes in words.
For the experiment analysis, three vocabulary tests and two questionnaires were administrated.
The results are summarized as follows:
Firstly, the vocabulary test scores of the experimental class showed more improvement than those of the controlled class. Secondly the scores more increased in an intermediate and low level group than high level group.
Thirdly, the degrees of interest, confidence, and satisfaction about a new way are not so effective according to statistics. But attitude of students in experimental class has changed meaningfully after experiment.
In conclusion, the result of this study showed that the analyzing affixes activities in high school are quite effective and useful in improving the students?? vocabulary abilities.
For further study, I hope that more effective and funny ways to teach vocabulary should be planned and applied in English class.
