的优势与不足。同时探讨如何运用交际教学法更加有效地进行英语教学。
关键词：交际教学法；英语教学；教学改革
中图分类号：G427文献标识码：A文章编号：1009-5608（2010）12-019-02
1.Introduction
WiththedevelopmentofCommunicativeLanguageTeaching(CLT),thenewteachingapproachhasbeenintroducedinChinaformorethantenyears.ThegovernmentmadeanimmenseeffecttopopularizeitinEnglishlanguageteaching;trytoimprovethelearners’communicativecompetence.Yet,thereisanargumentintheacademe:AreCLTsuitforallofthecountries?
Chinahasitsowncultureandformsitsspecialteachingmethodduringthelonghistory.Manylinguisticexpertshaveaviewpointthat“differentmethodssuitdifferentteachersandstudentsindifferentcontext”(Liao,2004).ItisnodoubtthatCLTisabeneficialapproachforEnglishlearningandteaching.Wemustmakeclearthatwhenweacceptanewteachingmethodfromothercountries,weshouldfocuson“howtoteachratherthanwhattoteach”(Littlewood,1981).
2.WhatisCommunicativeLanguageTeaching?
CLTdatesfromthelate1960s.Itisakindofapproachonteachingforeignlanguage.Intheteachingprocess,teachersshouldpayattentiontotheaspectsoflanguagenotonlystructurallybutalsofunctionally(WilliamLittlewood).Because“languageisinteraction;itisinterpersonalactivityandhasaclearrelationshipwithsociety.”(MargieS.Berns)ThepurposeofCLTistotrainthelearners’communicativeabilitywhichhelpsthemtocommunicatesocially.CLTisaninnovationinlanguageteaching,becauseitisnotbasedonagrammarsystematicanalysis,butbasedonalearner-centeredmethod(Liao,2000).AndCLTisnotasingleandfixedteachingmodel;thecorecontentis“usinglanguagetolearn”and“learningtouselanguage”.Itisnotlearningonly.
3.ThecurrentsituationofCLTinChina
3.1CLTintroduceinChinaOfficially
In1992,theStateEducationDevelopmentCommission(SEDC)introducedanewEnglishTeachingSyllabus.TheSEDCstatesthatthepurposeofteachingEnglishistodevelopthestudents’communicativecompetence.In2001,SEDCrequiredallsecondaryschoolschangednewtextbooks(Liao,2004).Thesetask-baskedbooksintroducedCLTintheteachingandlearning.CLTgainalotofsupportbytheChinesegovernment.Untilnow,CLTwaspopulatedandextendedintheforeignlanguageteaching,fromtheprimaryschooltotheuniversities.
3.2DifficultiesintheCLTperformance
WhenCLTintroducedinChinainthe1990s,theeducationalsystemfacedgreatchangesfromtheoldtonew.Ithadmanydifficultiesintheprocedureofreformfromthebeginning.“ChinaisavastlydifferentELTenvironmentfromonethatspawnedandnurturedthecommunicationapproach”(Hird,1995).ThereareobviousdifferencebetweenChineseandEnglish.Itisnotonlyinvolvedinthelanguageitself,butalsoaboutsomecultureandsocietyaspects.WhenCLTcarriedoninChina,thereweresomeobstaclesexistintheteachingprocedure.Therearesomeproblemsasfollow:
3.3.1Grammar–orientedexaminationsystem
JustasHird(1995)said,“ThetesthasbeenidentifiedasthesinglemostpowerfulinfluenceintheresistancetoinnovationpracticeinChina”.Inthegrammar–translationexamination,onlythecertainanswerisright.Soteachersandstudentsmakeagreatefforttocopewithit.Ifoundthatthesmallestproportionislisteningpartinallkindsofexaminations,mostofcontentsaregrammar,structure,readingandwriting.Andthereisnooraltestatall,itisjustwidespreadandcarryoninresent5yearsinsomeoftheexamination.
3.3.2Studentsinalargeclass
Chinahasalargepopulation,whichledtoanobjectiveresult,thelargeclass.Anotherreasonisthereisaninformationgapbetweenstudents.Thegapwillexistifteacherorstudentsinanexchangeknowssomethingthattheotherstudentdoesnot(Liao,2000).Then,theCLTwillfailintheclass.Because“Theroleoflearnerasnegotiator–betweentheself,thelearningprocess,andtheobjectoflearning–emergesfromandinteractswiththeroleofjointnegotiatorwithinthegroupandwithintheclassroomproceduresandactivitieswhichthegroupundertakes.Theimplicationforthelearneristhatheshouldcontributeasmuchasthegains,andtherebylearninaninterdependentway.”(BreenandCandlin,1980:110)
3.3.3Teacher’sdominatingroleintheteaching
BytheviewofBreenandCandlin,inCLTteacherhastwomainroles.“first,asanorganizerofresourcesandasaresourcehimself,secondasaguidewithintheclassroomproceduresandactivates…Athirdroleforappropriateknowledgeandabilities,actualandobservedexperienceofthenatureoflearningandorganizationalcapacities”.(1980:99)
InthetraditionalEnglishteaching,teacher’slecturewilldominatealmostthetime.“Manyteachershavetriedtochangethedominantteachingproceduresbutquicklygetfrustrated;theylosetheirinitialenthusiasm,andacquiescetotradition”.ThatisanactualityintheChineseclassofEnglishteaching.Inaddition,teachershouldhave“anextraordinarylevelofexpertise,togetherwithsustainedenergyandeducation”(Liao,2000)intheCLT.Thatrequiresateacherhasagoodknowledgeofthetargetlanguageaswellastheculture.Asanon–nativespeakerofEnglish,itisagreatchallengeintheEnglishteachingespeciallyintheCLT.
4.Difficultieswillbeovercame
4.1ThepolicyReform
Chineseeducationmethodhasimprovedinaoftheteachingstuffcommitsthemselvestofindannewwaytofitfortheirowneducationsystem.Now,LanguageTeaching,UniversityofCambridge
ZhenhuiRao,2002,ChineseStudents’PerceptionsofCommunicationandNon-communicationActivitiesinEFLClassroom,SchoolofEducation,University.