本书运用语用学理论和方法对心理词汇进行专题研究。全书共11章，以二语/外语语用能力习得和学得的视角，全面探讨了语言学习者一语和二语心理词汇形成、发展和作用过程中语用因素发挥的重要影响，心理词汇形成阶段的语用化过程及语用属性，为词汇研究提供了崭新的途径，为二语/外语的词汇教学提供了新的启示。
本书可供英语教师、研究生、语言学工作者阅读．也可供广大英语学习者参考。

Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Lexicon and Linguistic Competence and Communicative Competence
1.2 Deficiency and Inadequacy of Current Researches on the Lexicon
3.3 A Multi-dimensional Pragmatic Approach to the Mental Lexicon
Chapter 2 Terminological Issues and Literature Review
2.1 A Preliminary Research Step: Terminology
2.2 A Historical Literature Review
2.3 Pedagogical Implications
Chapter 3 General Considerations of the Lexicon and Its Development
3.1 Words: Starting Point for a Language
3.2 What Is a Word?
3.3 What Is in a Word?
3.4 What Is Involved in Knowing a Word?
3.5 Lexical Development
3.6 Pedagogical Implications
Chapter 4 Pragmatic Competence and the Mental Lexicon
4.1 A Brief Interpretation of Pragmatics and Pragmatic Competence
4.2 Pragmatic Competence and L2/FL Acquisition and Learning
4.3 The Mental Lexicon
4.4 Pragmatics and the Mental Lexicon
4.5 Pedagogical Implications
Chapter 5 Pragmatic Aspects of the L1 Mental Lexicon
5.1 A General Description of a Language Speaker's F1/NL Mental Lexicon
5.2 Children's Acquisition of the Essential Properties of Words
5.3 Learning of the L1 Pragrnatics
5.4 Pragmatic Environments and Cognitive Capacities in the Early Formation and Development of the L1 Mental Lexicon
5.5 Empirical Evidence for Pragmatic Development in Children's Early Lexical Acquisition
5.6 Context and Early Word Learning
5.7 Pedagogical Implications
Chapter 6 L2 Acquisition/Learning and the L2 Mental Lexicon
6.1 An Overall Review of the L2 Acquisition/Learning.
6.2 Learning of the I_2 Pragmatics
6.3 A General Investigation into the L2 Mental Lexicon
6.4 Pedagogical Implications
Chapter 7 Pragmatics and the Formation of the L2 Mental Lexicon
7.1 Pragmatic Nature of the Phonology of the Mental Lexicon
7.2 The L3 Orthographic Impact on the L2 Word Processing
7.3 Pragmatic Factors in the L2 Mental Lexicon Meaning Construction
7.4 Pedagogical Implications
Chapter 8 Pragmatic Nature of the L2 Mental Lexicon Representation and Processing
8.1 Pragmatic Nature of the L2 Mental Lexicon Representation
8.2 Adaptive Properties of the Lexical Processing in the Mental Lexicon
8.3 Pedagogical Implications
Chapter 9 Pragmatic Mechanism of the Lexical Access in the Mental Lexicon
9.1 Existing Lexical Accessing Models
9.2 Variables Influencing Lexical Accessing
9.3 Social Influences on Lexical Accessing
9.4 Appraising the Pragmatic Nature of the Lexical Accessing Mechanism
Chapter 10 Other Pragmatic Factors Contributing to the L2 Mental Lexicon
10.1 Incidental Acquisition of Lexis
10.2 Impact from Socia-cuhural Familiarity on the L2 Vocabulary Development
10.3 Pragmatics and Learner Styles and Learning Strategies
10.4 Pedagogical Implications
Chapter 11 Conclusions
11.1 Concluding Remarks on the Pedagogical Implications of the Study
11.2 General Conclusions of the Book
11.3 Existing Limitations
Bibliography