ENGLISH PERSONAL NAMES AND LISTENING COMPREHENSION AMONG CHINESE EFL LEARNERS

ABSTRACT

In recent years, with the popularity of foreign language examinations as well as the actual needs of language application, vocabulary plays a more significant role in language acquisition. Vocabulary is a basis for language learning, from which the improvement of each language skill is inseparable. Personal name, as a class in English vocabulary of proper names, reflects history, politics, culture, science, technology, and much additional information of a society, and it has become one of the carriers that contain social and cultural characteristics. The English textbooks, reading materials, and listening materials which current college students use, the newspapers and magazines which they read, and various kinds of examinations which they participate all involve English personal names of the ordinary and the famous including foreign scientists, writers, historical figures, heads of dignitaries, etc. However, under the existing language teaching system, the learning of English personal names is often neglected among learners and teachers, which results in certain cognitive and output barriers.
This study was conducted to discuss the performance of listening comprehension which contained English personal names among Chinese learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Specifically, it explored whether English names of different familiarity had impact on listening comprehension under different conditions; how Chinese college students gained knowledge about English names and how they were taught in classes. The results indicated that Chinese college students’ listening comprehension is closely related to their levels of familiarity with English personal names and listening conditions. Moreover, it was noted that there are problems in teaching and learning of English personal names, which deserve special attention.

Key words: Personal Names, English Listening Comprehension, Foreign Language Learning