Study on Forgetting Theory in English Vocabulary Learning

【Abstract】Some English learners strengthen their memory continuously， but forget parts of the knowledge they have learned gradually. English words study is connected with forgetting tightly. In this article， I point out the knowledge of forgetting firstly， and then analyze the causes of forgetting from the psychological aspect， and finally put forward six suggestions accordingly in the only hope that readers can be enlightened.

【Key Words】English vocabulary； Forgetting Theory

【作者簡介】賈敏，副教授，山東工藝美術學院公共課教學部。

【基金項目】山東省本科高校教學改革研究項目名稱：基于能力培養的高校藝術生英語學習動態（面上）自籌項目，編號：C2016M043。

I. Introduction

Learning is a complicated process in which every condition and each factor perform their own functions. English learning has its own characteristics and methods in terms of psychology. A small vocabulary is an intractable problem for Chinese students and the only solution is to find excellent approaches under the guidance of which the students can enlarge their vocabulary effectively. Some English learners strengthen their memory continuously， but forget parts of the knowledge they have learned gradually. English words study is connected with forgetting tightly. In this article， I point out the knowledge of forgetting firstly， and then analyze the causes of forgetting from the psychological aspect， and finally put forward six suggestions accordingly in the only hope that readers can be enlightened.

II. Forgetting theory and the causes of forgetting

“So many words need remember and I keep forgetting.” We often hear sentences like this. Thats the complaint by the pitiful students. Forgetting is obnoxious！ If we want to gain a large vocabulary， the biggest enemy for us to defeat is forgetting. Forgetting is the opposite course of retention.

Many causes of forgetting have been put forward by psychologists. Information， despite being received by the senses， may be forgotten， because it has not reached long term storage for two main reasons： multi-store model information processing limitations and insufficient information processing. The multi-store model can be thought as a set of filtering mechanisms that reduce the vast amount of information received by the senses down to manageable and useful proportions. Thus information not paid attention to in sensory memory will decay， while due to the limited capacity of 7 plus or minus 2 items in the short term memory， any information not rehearsed or passed into long term memory will be displaced by new coming material and will therefore be lost. According to the levels of processing model if information is only processed at a shallow level， then the resulting memory is unlikely to persist for very long and will be forgotten. Material may reach long term memory storage but may then become unavailable either rapidly because it has failed to be consolidated or slowly because that consolidated memory trace fades in strength over time. Forgetting is harmful， so we should try to prevent what we have memorized from forgetting.

III. Suggestions

English vocabulary learning is of vital importance. A large number of English learners are obsessed with the problem on how to enlarge their vocabularies effectively. By studying the mentioned knowledge of forgetting and by analyzing the causes of forgetting， I will give the English learners six suggestions， from the psychological aspect， on how to enlarge their vocabulary effectively. Keep them in mind because they are practical and beneficial.

1. Process the new words thoroughly. The better the process， the better the learning result. 2. Depend on sense memory rather than mechanical memory. Sense memory plays a vital role in learning effectively. 3. Over-learning can strengthen the long term memory. If the information can reach the long term memory and then be strengthened， it is hard to forget them.4. Make good use of revisions. Review as soon as possible. Review as frequently as possible. Choose the proper review time： on the morning after just getting up or in the evening just before going to bed. 5. Use the new words as frequently as possible. A frequent use of new words is essential. It can make learners memorize them tightly. 6. Stimulate all the sense organs to work. If all the sense organs are involved， the consequences of vocabulary learning will be enhanced greatly.

IV. Conclusion

Forgetting is the major factor concerning the ineffective English vocabulary learning. It is essential to grasp the knowledge of forgetting and find out the causes of forgetting. In order to learn English vocabulary better， learners should take forgetting theory into consideration. Following the above six suggestions mentioned may help learners achieve a better English vocabulary learning result.