5、用多媒体教课文。将搜集到的各种图片,影像资料、文字资料、声音素材加以加工制作,制成课件,来介绍人物、历史事件、文化背景、自然景观等。鼠标点按,轻松自如,内容生动,学生在审美的愉悦感中,对感知对象产生心理接纳,进而产生学习英语的激情。特别由于文化背景和中英文表达方式的差异,学生对教材中的一些文章难以作深入的了解,因此借助多媒体展示背景就尤为重要。如讲《林肯》时,呈现其肖像、纪念馆照片、美国南北战争影片剪辑等。又如在课文《The Secret Is Out》中,教师向学生展示了同一人物不断变换的发型和服装的图片,医生检查人物伤势时让学生观看病人为难的神态,促使学生对神秘女郎的工作经历加以探究,为学习本课内容:西方社会就业中的性别歧视作好铺垫。
The Value of Grammar-Translation Method in
College English Teaching
语法翻译法存在的价值
[Abstract]
With the rise of communicative approach in
the 1980s, the dominant position of grammar-translation method has been
challenged and questioned. In view of the current situation of English teaching
in China, grammar translation still plays an irreplaceable role. So far,
grammar translation method still has its reality, but in view of some
shortcomings and disadvantages of grammar translation method, we need to
constantly reform and innovate so as to better serve our English teaching.
In the long history of foreign language
teaching, grammar translation is the oldest teaching method. Vocabulary and
grammar are the main contents of teaching. Since the 20th century, with the
development of science and technology and the progress of linguistics, people
have come to realize that language teaching is not only to impart linguistic
knowledge and skills, but also to cultivate communicative competence. Language
is a tool of communication. In this case, communicative teaching methodssuch as
listening and speaking, systemic response and silence have sprung up. Grammar
translation method has been questioned and criticized gradually because of its
own shortcomings and drawbacks. However, communicative approach has not
replaced the dominant position of grammar-translation approach in practical
teaching until today. The present situation of English teaching in China
provides a living space for grammar translation.
First, the necessity of English grammar
teaching emphasizes the necessity of grammar teaching. Widdowson is the
representative of foreign scholars. He believes that “language teaching is
essentially to learn how to express meaning through grammar.”If you hold other
views, they are all wrong (1990:97). Ellis (1997) pointed out that when
students only accept communicative language teaching courses but not grammar
knowledge points, their accuracy of using language will be greatly reduced.
Cook (2000:35) argues that the question of whether grammar should be taught
must be raised again, not for the last time. First language learning and second
language learning are completely different. Children naturally acquire a first
language without conscious first language learning, which does not mean that
adult learners cannot learn a second language in such a way. Conscious
explanation is also a way of teaching language. Chinese scholar Wang Zongyan
(2001) pointed out that “learning English must acquire grammatical knowledge,
do not understand grammatical knowledge, listen to English, read English cannot
understand, speak English, write English cannot start.”Scholars who oppose
grammar teaching are represented by Krashen. Krashen.(1982) believes that
grammar can be acquired naturally, so grammar teaching is not necessary.
College English teaching in our country has undergone reforms. In the past,
most of the college English teaching aims at examinations and pays attention to
grammatical basis. However, students often show dumb English, which can only do
questions and cannot communicate with each other. Nowadays, College English
classes focus more on the cultivation of students’communicative competence, which weakens the basic position of
grammar. If students do not have a systematic and solid grammar learning, it
will greatly reduce the accuracy of oral or writing. “Requirements for College
English Teaching”summarizes that the goal of College English teaching is “to
cultivate students’comprehensive English application ability, especially listening and
speaking ability, so that they can communicate effectively in English in their
future study and social intercourse, at the same time, to enhance their autonomous
learning ability and improve their comprehensive cultural literacy so as to
meet the needs of social development and international communication in
China.”In order to achieve this goal, College English teaching should be based
on the teaching of language grammar and pay attention to the cultivation of
students’communicative
competence. Therefore, grammar learning is absolutely necessary. With a solid
foundation of grammar, students’language skills can be effectively improved.
II.The Reality of Grammar-Translation
Method in College English Teaching in China
Teaching methods are carried out indoors.
Teachers usually use both Chinese and English to teach in class. In view of
this situation, if communicative teaching method is adopted, most students have
no chance to speak English in class. When enrolling students in Colleges and
universities, the students’foundations are uneven, the “dumb English”education is deeply rooted
in the hearts of most students, and the situation of “high marks and low abilities”is
common. In this case, grammar translation method is used to help teachers
better manage the classroom and successfully complete the teaching objectives
2. Teachers’factors.
Communicative teaching method came into being in the 1970s. Most foreign language
teachers in Colleges and universities are over 30 years old and have received
grammar translation method education since childhood. They lack the
understanding of communicative teaching method. The communicative teaching
method requires more teachers than the mother tongue. Teachers should design a
large number of situations for students to practice and guide and adjust them
when appropriate, which has a high demand for teachers’own theoretical basis and oral
ability. In addition, the communicative teaching method also has higher
requirements on the technical equipment of schools. The communicative teaching
method breaks the traditional teaching mode of “a chalk, a ruler, a textbook”.
The equipment and equipment of most colleges and universities can not meet the
requirements of communicative teaching method, so it is difficult to carry out
communicative teaching method. In view of the current situation of teachers in
Colleges and universities, grammar translation method eliminates the obstacles
of communication between teachers and students. Teachers can use their mother
tongue to teach smoothly, and this method can also be implemented smoothly when
the equipment and technology are not advanced enough.3. The present situation
of examination-oriented education. Based on the most realistic point of view,
although the College Entrance Examination, CET-46, CET-48 and Graduate
Examination have undergone several reforms, the examination of language
knowledge is still the central content of the test. If students want to go to
school, pass the exam and take the postgraduate entrance examination, it is an
insurmountable barrier to take the exam. “For ordinary colleges and
universities, it is imperative to stimulate students’learning motivation through CET-4
and impart them the necessary language knowledge, otherwise the cultivation of
communicative competence will be empty talk.”In order to pass the exam smoothly
and achieve good results in the exam, grammar translation method is the most
direct, realistic and labor-saving method 4. Students’own factors. English is a foreign
language rather than a second language in our country. The transfer of mother
tongue to foreign language always exists. Every human language has a system
with its structure and rules, and grammar is the summary of language structure
and rules. Chinese students generally begin to learn English when their mother
tongue is mature, but the English language environment is often unsatisfactory.
Chinese students have been receiving grammar translation teaching from
elementary school to junior high school and then to senior high school. The
traditional methods are deeply rooted, which makes the communicative approach
lack a solid foundation. Grammar-translation method, with its own advantages
and characteristics, is still playing an important role in today’s foreign language teaching. Based
on the reality of foreign language education in Colleges and universities in
China, grammar translation method has great vitality and will continue to be
popular for a long time. However, things are constantly changing and
developing. There are no invariable methods in foreign language teaching. Any
method has its drawbacks and shortcomings. On the contrary, we should take the
essence and dregs of the traditional methods and constantly reform and innovate
to make them better serve our English teaching.
III.The innovative application of
Grammar-Translation Method in College English teaching in China.
The traditional grammar translation method
is teacher-centered, and the teacher is the organizer and decision maker of the
classroom. “Teachers are encouraged and punished by compulsory teaching methods
Punishment, coordination of interaction with students, and ultimately to
achieve the goal of imparting knowledge and skills to students. The status of
students is more passive, only as the imaginary object of teacher preparation,
as well as the object of teaching in class, students adopt more adaptive and
passive behavior. In the long run, it will lead to dull classroom atmosphere
and low enthusiasm of students. Therefore, in teaching, we should take students
as the center, respect students’principal position, change the “cramming”teaching mode, pay
attention to students’learning needs, and cultivate students’learning initiative and self-learning ability. Foreign languages are
not only instrumental, but also humane. Traditional teaching emphasizes on the
cultivation of students’English language knowledge while ignoring the education of
communicative competence and cultural awareness. In the process of foreign
language teaching, teachers should pay attention to the cultivation of students’humanistic quality, not only to
enable students to master basic language knowledge, but also to cultivate
students’cross-cultural
awareness, correct values, patriotism and innovation ability, so as to truly
achieve the unity of instrumentality and humanism. 85 Foreign language teaching
methods are flourishing, and none of them can be applied everywhere. Grammar
translation helps students to form a complete grammar system, help students
form solid grammar knowledge, students have a higher level of reading and
translation, and teachers test teaching methods are relatively simple. However,
the grammar-translation method neglects oral English teaching. Although
students master grammar and vocabulary knowledge, their general grammar ability
is weak. Overemphasizing teachers’thematic status in the classroom is not conducive to the cultivation
of students’autonomy.
These shortcomings of grammar-translation method can be remedied by
communicative approach. If we combine the two methods, make full use of their
advantages, absorb their essence and dregs, we can better serve foreign
language teaching. 3. Develop students’practical language ability, use reasonable memory correctly and
oppose rote memorization. Recitation and memory play a very important role in
language learning. Mr. Ye Yinsheng, a famous linguist and professor of the
Chinese Department of Peking University, said in an interview with students at the
University of Macau: “To learn a language, we must read, speak and recite more.
I like to recite in Chinese, English or other languages, because recitation is
one of the ways to help me get through. Grammar translation method pays
attention to the memory of grammar rules and vocabulary and tends to go to the
extreme of rote learning, which is the weakness of grammar translation law.
Nevertheless, we cannot deny the importance of reciting memory in foreign
language learning. Reasonable memory recitation can not only improve students’discourse ability and language
perception ability, but also improve students’humanistic literacy and interest in learning. Therefore, at this
stage, reasonable memory should still be strongly advocated.
IV.Conclusion
In a word, grammar translation still plays
an important role in college foreign languages in China because of its unique
advantages. However, long-term existence does not mean perfect, any method must
have its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, we should absorb its essence
while absorbing the advantages of other teaching methods. We should constantly
reform and innovate according to the characteristics of the teaching subject,
so that it can better serve our English teaching.