4。 Theory of Semantic Perception

4。1 Definition of semantic perception

Semantic perception is not something in nothing, not a apocryphal concept, but a sixth perception, which is independent of sense of sight, hearing, taste and somatic sensation, is unique to human brain and specialized in perceiving and identifying all kinds of semantic relation in spoken language。 (He&Lin 10-18) Since it relates to spoken language, corresponding semantic recognition must be carried out on the base of sound perception and identification, which essentially possess two functions:

One is the perception and discrimination of sound, the other is the analysis and recognition of semantic。 Semantic perception not only involves semantic relation in spoken language, but also refers to sound in spoken language。 What’s more, it needs to perceive and discriminate sound。 Professor He Kekang, inheriting and developing environmentalism and innate determinism, put forward a brand-new fundamental theory of language teaching----theory of semantic perception。 People have semantic perception, hence he or she has the process of speech comprehension and speech production, the process which is from “listening” to “speaking”。 In addition, there is a rather complicated phase of “psychological processing” between “listening” and “speaking”。 It includes the psychological processing of speech comprehension and the psychological processing of speech production。 (He Kekang, 2005)Theory of semantic perception considers that the ability of listening and speaking of language learners mainly depends on inborn heredity。 The theory makes a clear distinction between language ability----listening, speaking, reading and writing and it holds that the ability of “listening and speaking” is genetically transmitted while the ability of “reading and writing” is acquired。 These two language ability is essentially different。 Therefore, their corresponding teaching methods are greatly different。 Through a long-run study and accumulation, adults have more rigorous acquired logic thinking。 They are better at inducing and settling and as a result easier to acquire a second language。文献综述

4。2 Guiding significance

4。2。1 Critical period

The important period of the growth of children’ s semantic perception is from 0 to 12 years old (the period before grade 7 or 8), and the best age stage is from 0 to 9 years old。 That is to say, English teaching must grasp the critical period in primary school (especially from grade1 to grade 4)。 According to theory of semantic perception, among the four language skills, the ability of “listening and speaking” is genetically transmitted while the ability of “reading and writing” is acquired。 Consequently, during the critical period of semantic perception, the much attention should be paid to ability of “listening and speaking”。 During the period of primary school, there is no reason to give same concern on “listening, speaking, reading and writing”。 Because the ability of “reading and writing” is acquired and not restricted by the critical period of semantic perception, it is not late to strengthen the training of them in the high level of primary school or in the junior school。 

4。2。2 Concerning the verbal communication

To the generation of language, in ‘Dialectics of Nature’, Friedrich Engels pointed out, “the development of labor inevitably drive the members of a society to combine with each other。 The reason is that it brings more occasion for helping each other and working together。 And everyone knows the benefits of working together clearly。 One word, people who are in the making have formed a relationship in which they have to say something to each other。” From the thesis of Friedrich Engels, we can reach a conclusion: