(此文发表于《中小学英语教学与研究》2009年第3期)
整体语言教学法对小学英语语篇教学的启示
南京市江宁区实验小学 宫文胜
电话:15850675551 邮编:211100
【摘要】本文以整体语言教学法的理论及原则为切入点,针对当前小学英语语篇教学的现状,从内容呈现、任务设计和情境创设三个方面进行了反思,并结合具体的案例,就如何有效地进行语篇教学提出了建议。以期激发学生英语学习兴趣,提高学生英语综合运用能力。
【关键词】小学英语 语篇教学 整体性
一、整体语言教学法的基本原则
“整体语言教学法”源于以英语为本族语的阅读教学,后来发展到语言教学的全过程。它不是一套简单的教学方法或技巧,而是建立在格式塔心理学基础之上的一套关于语言教学的理论。它主要包括以下几个原则:
1、语言是—个整体,语言能力的发展和培养是整体性的,而不是分割性。任何企图把语言肢解成语音、词汇、语法等都会使语言失去其完整性和真实性。
2、坚持以学生为中心的教学,充分考虑学生的需求、兴趣、能力、学习策略,发挥他们在学习中的主观能动性。
3、教学中为学生创造大量的自然语言环境,使其口语得到充分的练习,注重培养他们的语言运用能力、思维能力及创新能力。语言知识不等于语言运用,不应人为地把语言知识和语言技能分割开来孤立地进行培养,语言的应用技能应通过自然的语言环境加以培养。
二、对小学英语语篇教学的启示
“整体语言教学法”始终将语篇看成是一个具有完备功能的整体。认为它不仅是知识也是智力、情感的载体,既有语言上的功能,知识和认识上的功能,还有道德熏陶、美感培养、思维训练和智力发展的功能。因此,“整体语言教学法”主张:在语篇教学中,教师就应先引导学生去把握语篇这个整体,教学时应从阅读和理解全文开始,然后再逐步挖掘其它教学内容,如课文细节、词汇等;同时,教师应围绕语篇这个整体来同时展开听、说、读、写相互结合的教学活动。
立足“整体语言教学法”,反思目前的小学英语语篇教学,笔者得到了很多启示:
1、支离破碎地呈现语篇可取吗?
语篇,相对与教材的其它版块来讲,有着新知多、篇幅长的特点。于是,为了降低学习的难度,一些教师硬是把完整的语篇人为地割裂成许多部分,然后借助多样的教学手段一部分一部分地呈现,这样的做法可取吗?
【案例1】
有位教师在教学《牛津小学英语》(译林版)5B Unit8 At the weekends Part A
时,是这样进行课文的呈现:
Step1: Watch and answer .(仅仅看课文背景部分动画,并回答问题。听的内容为:It is Friday afternoon. School is over. The students are talking about their weekends.)
(问题如下:)
① What day is it today?
② What are the students doing?
Step2: Listen and choose. (继续听课文伊始的一小部分,原文为:
Mike: How do you spend your weekends, Wang Bing?
Wang Bing: I surf the internet. It’s very interesting. I can learn a lot from it.
Helen: Do you do it every Saturday and Sunday?
Wang Bing: No. Sometimes I go swimming. Sometimes I play basketball. I like sport. How about you? )
(选择题如下)
T:Wang Bing _____________ at the weekends.
① surfs the internet
② goes climbing
③ goes swimming
④ plays basketball
S: Wang Bing surfs the internet, goes climbing and plays basketball at the weekends.
Step3: Read and fill in the blank. (接着听课文下面一小部分,完成表格。听的内容为:
Mike: I like sport, too. I often go climbing. Sometimes I like watching TV at home.
Helen: How do you spend your weekends, Yang Ling?
Yang Ling: I often go to the park. I like playing on the swings.)
(表格如下)
Name |
often |
sometimes |
Mike |
|
|
Step4: Read and Judge. (读课文的最后一部分,并判断。读的内容为:
Helen: I do housework at the weekends. Do you do housework, too?
Yang Ling: Of course, I do. I clean the rooms and wash the clothes. How about you, Su Hai?
Su Hai: I often watch cartoons.
Yang Ling: How does Yang Ling spend her weekends?
Su Hai: She often watches cartoons, too. Sometimes we catch butterflies in the park.)
(判断题如下)
①( ) Yang Ling clean the rooms and watch cartoons at the weekends.
②( ) Su Yang often butterflies in the park.
③( ) Su Hai and Su Yang both watch cartoons at the weekends.
【问题分析】
这位教师在呈现语篇时用的方法具有典型的代表性。现在许多一线教师都在这样做。表面上,这样的呈现方法条理清晰,一步一步逐个进行,起到了分散难点和帮助学生剖析语篇的作用。实际上,它完全游离了完整、具体的语篇语境,只是在孤立、分散的呈现新知。就这节课而言,语篇的完整情景应该是at the weekends, 而笔者却将完整的情景硬生生的拆分为4个部分,然后一部分一部分支离破碎的呈现。在这个过程中,学生根本无法整体感知语篇,只能机械地做一些毫无联系的听力和阅读练习,这与整体语言教学法的宗旨——在完整的情景中理解和分析语篇是背道而驰的。
【案例探讨】
就以上这节课而言,笔者认为可以采用这样的方式来呈现:
Step1. Listen and answer.(听整篇课文,并回答问题)
① What day is it today?
② What are the students talking about?
Step2 Watch the whole cartoon and tick in the blank.
Activities |
Mike |
Helen |
Yang Ling |
Wang Bing |
Su Hai |
Surf the internet |
|
|
|
|
|
Go swimming |
|
|
|
|
|
Play basketball |
|
|
|
|
|
Go climbing |
|
|
|
|
|
Listen to music |
|
|
|
|
|
Go to the cinema |
|
|
|
|
|
Go to the park |
|
|
|
|
|
Do housework |
|
|
|
|
|
Watch cartoons |
|
|
|
|
|
Catch butterflies |
|
|
|
|
|
Step3. Read and judge. (读课文,并判断)
① Wang Bing surfs the internet every Saturday and Sunday. ( )
② Mike sometimes listens to music or goes to the cinema. ( )
③ Helen likes watching TV at school. ( )
Step4. Read and circle. (读课文,并根据短文内容圈出合适的词)
Today is (Friday / Tuesday). The students are talking about their (birthday / weekends). Wang Bing often (surfs the internet / play computer games), he can learn a lot from it. …
Step5. Retell.(复述课文主要内容)
在这一系列环节中中,教师引导学生紧紧围绕“weekends”这个主题,经历了整
体感知语篇——局部细致分析——不同角度、不同形式的再次整体呈现语篇的整—分—整的教学过程。这样做不仅有利于学生多方位、多角度的审视语篇、理解语篇,而且对于学生的理解能力以及综合语用能力的培养都是大有裨益的。
2、断章取义地设计任务有效吗?
伴随着一定的任务来呈现语篇、分析语篇已经成为一线英语教师的共识。但是,由于受传统小学英语教学模式的影响,许多教师任务设计的对象仅仅局限于语篇的各个片段,任务设计的重点也往往固守于单词、句型、语法以及课文表层意思的理解,使得设计的任务零碎散乱、缺乏联系。试问,这样断章取义的任务能够有效促进学生对课文的理解与分析吗?能够有效激发学生的主动性与创造性吗?能够有效培养学生的语言实际运用能力吗?
【案例2】
一位教师在教学《牛津小学英语》(译林版)6A Unit2 Part A《Ben’s birthday》时,设计了这样的任务。
Step1. Watch and answer. (观看整篇课文卡通,并回答问题)
① Do Ben and Jim often go home together?
② Is the 18th of October today?
③ Would Ben like to ‘watch’ Aladdin?
Step2. Listen and put the following sentences in the right order: (听课文背景,并排序)
( ) They are in Jim’s room?
( ) He lives near Ben.
( ) They are talking about Ben’s birthday.
( ) Jim is a new student in Ben’s class.
( ) Ben and Jim often go home together after school.
Step3 Read and fill in the blank. (读课文,并填空)
Ben: __________________, Jim?
Jim: It’s the 16th of October.
Ben: The 16th of October? Oh, __________________.
Jim: Is it? When’s your birthday?
Ben: It’s on the 18th of October. Would you like to come to my _______________?
Jim: Sure.
Ben: Great! __________________, Jim?
Jim: My birthday’s on the 6th of August.
Ben: Do you usually have a birthday party?
Jim: Yes, I do.
Step4. Read and choose.(读课文,并选择)
Aladdin is _____________.
A. Japanese cartoons B. a toy C. a game D. a VCD
Step5.Act out the dialogue(可选择前半部分或后半部分,表演对话)
【问题分析】
乍看之下,这位教师任务设计形式多样,脉络清晰。然而,细细地分析:从step1
的问题到step2的排序到step3再到step4的选择最后到step5的对话表演,不难发现这些任务仅仅是立于语篇片段之上的、机械的听、读训练项目。它们脱离了语篇的大情境(Ben’s birthday),彼此之间相互孤立、毫无层次。这不仅阻碍了学生对语篇整体的感知及内容的理解,而且对学生听、读等综合能力的发展也极为不利。
【案例探讨】
对于以上的内容,笔者设计了这样一些任务,并实践到了自己的英语课堂:
Step1. Listen and answer(听课文,并回答问题)
① Whose birthday is coming?
② How old is he?
Step2. Watch the cartoon and fill in the table.(观看课文卡通,并完成表格)
Name |
Date of birthday |
Celebrating way |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Step3.Read and choose. (读课文,选择)
Ben would like ____________ as the birthday presents.
A. a yo-yo
B. telescope
C. a balloon
D. some flowers
E. Japanese cartoon
Step4. Read, fill in the blank and retell.
Today is the _____ of October. Ben is ______ Jim. They are talking about Ben’s__________. Ben’s birthday is on the _______ of October. Jim would like to come to his birthday _______. Ben would like a _______ and a VCD of Japanese cartoons as birthday presents
Step5. Make up a dialogue (借助课文内容拓展,情境会话)
Today is the 5th of August. Jim’s birthday is coming. Now Ben and Jim are talking about Jim’s birthday.
Jim: What date is it today, Ben?
Ben: It’s the …
Jim: …
…
在整个教学过程中,笔者引导学生完成了从听录音回答Whose birthday is coming?到看卡通填表the date of the birthday;再到阅读选择birthday presents;最后拓展到编排对话Jim’s birthday等一系列任务。这些任务紧紧围绕“birthday”这个主题,任务之间彼此相连、环环相扣、层层推进,使得学生兴趣盎然、积极参与;教学成效十分显著。
3、移步换景地创设情境有益吗?
随着新课改的推进,愈来愈多的教师都懂得通过创设真实的生活情境来进行教学。于是,一些教师在一节课中会设计很多的零碎的小情境,借此来突破语篇中语言点的教学。开始是这个情境过一会又变换成另一个情境,情境与情境之间互不相连,有时甚至背道而驰。这样的情境有益于语篇的教学吗?
【案例3】
一位教师在教学《牛津小学英语》(译林版)3B unit10 Do you play… part A时,是这样一步一步进行的:
T: (指着用布盖住的钢琴) Look at this. Have a guess what it is?
S: It’s a piano.
(教学单词Piano.)
T: (教师演奏一曲钢琴曲)边弹边说:“I can play the piano. Do you play the piano?”
(教学play the piano; Do you play the piano?)
T: (指着学生带来的长长的盒子)Guess,what’s that?
S: It’s a violin.
(教学单词violin)
T: (请一位学生拉小提琴)Look, She can play the violin. Do you play the violin? What do you play?
S: Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
(教学play the violin; What do you play?)
T: (课件出示一个圆形) Guess,What’s this?
S1: basketball.
S2: volleyball.
S3: football.
(教学单词football)
T: (播放一段足球比赛的视频)Look, they can play football. They like football. Do you like football?
S: Yes, I do.
T: Great! Let’s go.
(教学play football; Do you like football?)
T: Watch the cartoon and answer the questions(播放完整卡通片,呈现课文)
…
T: (就课文内容分角色表演对话) Act out the dialogue in roles.
【问题分析】
这位教师应该很懂得情境教学的重要性,于是猜布下的东西、弹钢琴——猜盒中的物品、拉小提琴——猜圆形的图片、踢足球……一步一步创设了一个接一个的情境。而且,每次创设一个新情境,学生看起来似乎也挺感兴趣的。然而,这些移步换景的小情境零散、破碎,缺乏迁移性及包容性,不仅“费时低效”,而且与语篇原有的大情境缺乏联系,无法融会贯通。
【案例探讨】
在南京市2008年小学英语优质课评比活动中,恰巧有位教师执教的是同样的内
容,其教学实录如下:
T: Today, I want to introduce you a funny place. Xiao Sheng Long Club.
T: There are many clubs in Xiao Sheng Long Club.
T: How many clubs are there?
S: Six.
T: Yes. They are football club, basketball club, ping pang club, violin club, piano club and guitar club.
T: Do you want to join in the club?
S: Yes.
T: Ok. Let’s go.
T: (出示一个圆形) Look and guess, which club is it?
S1: It’s a basketball club.
S2: It’s a football club.
T: ( 点击图片,圆形变成了football) It’s a football club.
(呈现并教授单词football)
T: Do you like football?
S1: Yes, I do.
S2: No, I don’t.
T: Do you play football?
S1:Yes, I do?
S2: No, I don’t.
T:(播放一段钢琴曲)Listen and guess, which club is it?
S: It’s a piano club.
T: Yes. You are right. (点击出现钢琴图片)
(呈现并教授单词piano)
T: Do you play the piano?
…
T: (播放一段小提琴曲) Listen and guess, which club is it?
S: It’s a violin club.
(呈现并教授单词violin)
T: Do you play the violin?
…
T: There are some children in the club? Watch the cartoon and answer the questions(播放课文的完整卡通片,呈现课文)
…
T: Now, you can take part in the Xiao ShengLong club. (设计了参加小神龙俱乐部的活动,将教室分成6个俱乐部,每个俱乐部设一个负责人,其他学生可到自己喜爱的俱乐部面前去“登记”,接受负责人的调查询问:What’s your name? / How old are you? / Do you play…? / Do you like…? 通过“登记”,便可成为会员。 )
这节课相当成功。其别致之处在于创设了一个非常好的情景,小神龙俱乐部。不仅实现了许多零散新知(piano, violin, football, play the…, do you play the…, do you like…)的有机整合、自然呈现,而且将整个语篇的情境也巧妙糅合到了小神龙俱乐部这个大情境之中,更为精彩的是最后“参加小神龙俱乐部”的大活动,画龙点睛,使得整个教学过程前后呼应,浑然一体。极佳的教学情境,借助多样的呈现方式(诸如:猜图、歌曲)、流畅的教学过程,加上成功的活动编排使得全体学生兴趣盎然,整个课堂精彩纷呈,教学效果十分显著。
总之,整体语言教学法对我们今天的小学英语的语篇教学有着重要的启示作用。教师不仅要懂得借助恰当的教学手段完整地呈现语篇内容,而且要善于 “瞻前顾后”地设计任务以及“化零为整”地创设情境,从而达到进一步优化语篇教学,提升课堂教学实效的目的。