论中学英语教师课堂用语的有效性(一)(3)
2014-07-14 01:26
导读：3.2.3 Situations for “real” communication — “ try-out” Wilga M. Rivers compares language to a vehicle of expression: Language is a vehicle of meaning that we do not even realize we are using
3.2.3 Situations for “real” communication — “ try-out”
Wilga M. Rivers compares language to a vehicle of expression:
Language is a vehicle of meaning that we do not even realize we are using; in other words, a vehicle that is transporting a person’s message somewhere but is not itself the object of the trip. Before students can use such a vehicle for their purposes it must be constructed, and this construction requires a blueprint and various stages of production, with tryouts as the various sections and combinations are assembled — tryouts during which what has been assembled to date is used, if only momentarily, for its ultimate purpose. With our language vehicle this ultimate purpose is expression: people revealing themselves to, or disguising or hiding themselves from, other people. Expression involves all the problems of interpersonal relations. For this reason it is frequently less painful for teachers and students to continue working on the construction of the vehicle than to try it out for level of performance (1996: 98-105).
Construction is not, however, the use of the vehicle. It is only through such tryouts that the operation of the vehicle can be smoothly integrated; the faults corrected; and the user gain confidence in handling it. Therefore, in every lesson, teachers and students’ production of language must be regarded as preliminary to actually trying out what is being learned so that from the earliest stages all learning activities lead to some form of real communication rather than remaining at the level of pseudo communication through imposed utterances.
3.3 non-verbal languages
Non-verbal communication, that is, communication by means of movements and gestures is commonly used in daily life. People are communicating through their movements, posture and mannerisms everyday without realizing it.
The most successful trial lawyers are those who can look at a jury and a judge and pick up little cues that tip off what people are thinking. An observant lawyer may notice that the judge is compressing his lips into a thin line as the lawyer is speaking. That is a common sign people use when they disagree or are becoming annoyed. A smart lawyer will quickly try a new approach (Givens, 1996:74-78).
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English teachers should make good use of such silent language, as it is supplementary to verbal language in classroom. Positive nonverbal feedback from teachers — in the form of making eye contact, paying attention when students speak and letting them know that they understand their strength and weakness — can make all the difference in the world in removing barriers to the learning process.
4. The way to improve classroom language
Teaching English through English
According to Jane Willis, teaching English through English basically means that teachers should speak and use English in the classroom as often as they possibly can, for example when organizing teaching activities or chatting to their students socially (1981:2). In the author’s understanding, English teachers should seize every chance to communicate with their students in the target language in classroom.
When teachers speak English, the children receive listening practice, which is a necessary and helpful step before students learn to understand English at normal speed. Common classroom language will impress students a lot and enhance their understanding and memorizing of certain expressions. Teachers’ fluency in presentation and organization will probably gain rewarding appreciation from their students.
Another reason for the emphasis of teachers’ language is that school environment created by a teacher is an ideal one for children to learn language. Vivas and Goredeckis had a study in 1980 examining comprehension and expression in Spanish in 58 preschool children ranging in age from 3 years 6 month to 6 years. There were three groups, each placed in a different experimental condition: (a) listening to stories read aloud systematically at home everyday for 60 days; (b) being read to in the school environment, by a special teacher, also for 60 days; and (c) not exposed to story reading. The children in the school situation showed better performance in receptive language (assessed by 2 tests) than children in the control group. The results stem from the specially motivating situation the story-reading teacher created and the social interaction stimulated by it (Vivas, 1996:89-216). Accordingly, in middle schools, English teachers are supposed to create motivating situations by putting students in a genial foreign language atmosphere.
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4.2 Attitude teachers should hold toward errors
The structuralist linguists follow the behaviouristic view that to learn is to change old habits and build new habits. In their opinion errors occur when the learner fails to respond correctly to a particular stimulus in the second language, this is because the features of the second language differ from those of the native language and the learner tends to carry over features of the native language into the second language. In other words, the learner fails to change his old habits so as to acquire new habits of the second language. Since an error may serve as a negative stimulus, which reinforces “ bad habits”, it should not be allowed to occur (Hu Zhuanglin, 2001:374-375).
Probably influenced by this type of theory, some teachers are critical about their students’ performance. Corrections occur frequently during students’ performance, which, in the author’s opinion, is not an effective way to promote students’ learning.
Learning a language involves making constant hypotheses about the structure of the target language. The learner tests his own hypothesis against what the native speaker says. The errors he makes are actually his incorrect hypothesis about the new language. The post-structuralists, therefore, regard errors as evidence of the learning process. By making hypothesis about the targeted language, the learner arrives at a particular interlanguage. Then he modifies his hypothesis and goes towards the targeted language (ibid). Thus, teachers need not make corrections unless when necessary and it is better to put corrections after rather than during students’ presentation and they should studiously avoid grammar discussion unless absolutely necessary. When students are learning something new, praise and encouragement are needed. Teachers are supposed to enthusiastically praise any attempt to speak, regardless of errors. Therefore, teachers need such kind of classroom language: “That is OK. But…” “No bad. But pay attention to …” or “ I understand what he was trying to say when he said ‘…’, but we usually say it ‘…’”
4.3 Flexibility in Language
Catering to different needs, teachers are expected to use varied classroom language. For example:
(1) Class usually begins with greeting, though, teachers should not hasten to begin the new lesson. In Jane Willis’ opinion, a short, informal chat at the beginning of the lesson would help students to do well in English (1981:6). If it is the first lesson after a holiday, teachers can begin a chat like this: “ Well, did you have a good holiday?” After some students’ responses, they can try to develop the talking in this way: “Can you tell me more about that?” What’s more, if teachers find that something new has happened to a certain student, they can make some comments: Oh, you’ve got a new shirt on. It is very nice.
(2) Some words like “OK”, “Right”, “Now”, “Alright” can be used to introduce a new stage in the lesson. These words are sometimes called “marker” words because they mark places in classroom dialogue when something new is going to happen.
(3) Interruptions in lessons can be used for communicative language practice. If a student is late, teachers should seize this chance to make a real dialogue with the student by asking, “Did you miss the bus or forget the time?”
5. Conclusion
On the whole, English teachers’ classroom language carries great weight in the teaching process. English teachers in China are supposed to show the glamour of this music-like language to students and stimulate them to learn effectively by means of creating a pleasant classroom environment with colorful and appropriate classroom language. The author hopes that this essay will remind English teachers to improve their classroom language and serve as a good suggestion for their classroom performances.
References
⒈ Givens, David, What Body Language Can Tell You What Words Cannot [A]. English Book for English Majors, volume 5 [C]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Publisher, 1996: 74-78.
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⒉ Krashen, Stephen D., The Input Hypothesis: Issues and Implication, Language Learning [J]. England: Longman, 1985.
⒊ Rivers, WilgM. Language Teaching and Learning [A]. English Book for English Majors,
Volume 6 [C]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Publisher. 1996:98-105.
⒋ Skinner, B.F. The Technology of Teaching [M]. New York: Appleton, 1968.
⒌ Strevens, O.Peter, New Orientation in the Teaching of English [M]. England: London publisher, 1977.
⒍ Thurburn, Gwynneth, Voice and Speech, An Introduction London Nisbet [M]. London: London Publisher, 1939:167.
⒎ Vivas, Eleowora, Effects of Story Reading on Language, Language Learning [J]. V46 No.2, 1996: 89-216.
⒏ Whitman, Walt, Leaves of Grass [M]. London: J.M.Dent.1947: 93.
⒐ Willis, Jane, Teaching English through English [M]. England: Longman House, 1981.
⒑ 胡壮鳞, ed., Linguistics. A Course Book [M]。北京:
北京大学出版社, 2001.
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