The Application of Greco-Roman Mythology Learning in English Vocabulary Teaching from the Perspective of Etymology

Language is the carrier of culture and culture nourishes language. According to statistics, 56% of the commonly used 10,000 English words are adopted from Latin and ancient Greek, which are the carrier languages of Roman civilization and Greek civilization respectively. Greco-Roman mythology, with its rich cultural connotation, permeates all aspects of people's social life in English-speaking countries and becomes a source of vitality for the expansion of English vocabulary. Etymology, the scientific study of the origin of words, is crucial in English vocabulary teaching, as etymological study improves vocabulary learning. This paper adopts the methodology of literature research to gather materials about English vocabulary teaching methods, etymology theory, and Greco-Roman mythological origin of English vocabulary. In order to better explain the cultural connotation of words in English vocabulary teaching, this paper proposes method of applying Greco-Roman mythology learning in English vocabulary teaching, and classifies English vocabulary into four forms according to etymological motivation: direct use, metaphorical use, semantic transfer and derivation from the perspective of Greco-Roman mythological origin, thus stimulating English learners' interest and improving the efficiency of both teaching and learning.