摘要
Guessing strategy is a traditional and effective way for EFL students to improve their reading. Almost all readers apply this method, to a greater or lesser extent, when reading different kinds of materials. This is partly because readers simply do not have the time to look up every new word in the dictionary. Linguistics developments in recent years make it possible to reconsider this kind of strategy in the framework of cognitive grammar. A number of theories have provided more evidence regarding the effectiveness of a guessing strategy. Linguistic theories dealing with terms such as schemata, prototype, etc. make it possible to reconsider the strategy in a broader context. Schemata theory tells us that the context of a given word is not the only source and basis of guessing. Other factors include background knowledge and the given word itself. Prototype theory, on the other hand, shows how readers guess the meaning of a familiar word form with a completely new part of speech or meaning. Even though cognitive linguistics has shown the effectiveness of a guessing strategy in reading, the applicability of the method needs to be reconsidered. Some materials may not be suitable for the application of a guessing strategy.
猜词策略是EFL学生在阅读当中经常使用的阅读技巧。它的有效性已被很多理论所证明,而语言学中相关理论的发展可以将这一策略放在更广泛的背景中重新加以考虑。图示理论表明上下文并不是猜词策略的唯一资源和基础,背景知识和词汇本身同样是这一策略中非常有效的因素;原型理论可以帮助读者猜测一个熟悉的词型以全新的词性出现时所代表的不为读者所熟悉的含义。另外,这一策略的适用型同样需要重新加以考虑。
