The Interactive English Teaching Method.docx

The Interactive English Teaching Method.docx

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TheInteractiveEnglishTeachingMethod

TheInteractiveEnglishTeachingMethodBasedonConstructivisminJuniorMiddleSchool

Abstract

Withthepromotionofteachingreforms,manyscientificandefficientteachingmethodsarestronglyadvocatedinclassroomteaching.Amongthese,interactiveteachingmethodisaneffectiveandpopularmethod.Inrecentyears,constructivisttheorywhichemphasizesstudents’initiativelearninghasbeenwidelyappliedintoeducationinallpartsoftheworld.

However,thetraditional“teacher-centered”methodhasdominatedEnglishteachingforalongtime,whichmakesstudentsboredandacceptknowledgepassively.Forthesakeofinadequateinteraction,students’communicativecompetenceandsecondlanguageacquisitionarenotwelldeveloped.Neitheristheirinitiativelearning.Constructivismholdsthatstudentsareanessentialpartinclassroomteaching.Theyconstructknowledgeandmeaningfromaninteractionbetweentheirownexperiencesandideas.Therefore,itisquiteessentialthatteachersshouldprovidemoreinteractionswithstudentstocommunicate.Thisthesiscombinesthesetwotheories,tryingtoshowtheirimportanceandtofindaneffectivewaytolearnEnglish.

Keywords:

Constructivism;Interactiveteachingmethod;Classroomteaching

摘要

随着教学改革的推进，很多科学而有效的教学方法展现在课堂中。

其中，互动教学法就是一种有效而受欢迎的教学方法。

近些年来，注重学生主动学习的建构主义理论也被广泛运用到全世界的教学中。

然而，传统的以教师为中心的教学方法一直在英语教学中处于领导地位。

这种教学模式使学生感到厌烦并且被动地接受知识。

由于缺少足够的互动，学生的交际能力和第二语言习得能力没有得到很好的发展。

学生的主动学习能力同样没有提高。

建构主义认为学生是课堂教学的主体，他们对自己的经验和思想进行互动从而达到知识和意义的建构。

因此，教师给学生提供更多的互动机会进行交流是非常必要的。

本文结合建构主义理论和互动式教学，体现两者对学习英语的重要意义并尝试探求学习英语的有效途径。

关键词：

建构主义；互动教学法；课堂教学

contents

TheInteractiveEnglishTeachingMethodBasedonConstructivisminJuniorMiddleSchool

1.Introduction

EnglishasaforeignlanguagehasexistedforalongtimeinChina.AgrowingnumberofpeoplehavepaidmuchattentiontoEnglishteachingduetothepracticeoftheOpeningandReformPolicy.Besides,Englishhasbeenconsideredasoneofthefundamentalsubjectsinthecurriculumofmiddleschoolsincetheearly1990s.However,itcannotbeneglectedthatEnglishteachingstillhasalongwaytoreachthenationalEnglishlevelonaccountofChinesetraditionalteachingmethod.Therefore,howtochangethetraditional“crammingmethodofEnglishteaching”andfosteringstudents’interestsinlearningEnglishistheissuethatallthecountriesencounternowadays.Althoughtherearemanyteachingapproachesavailable,itisstilldifficulttofindaneffectiveandsatisfactoryapproachinEnglishteachingofjuniormiddleschool.Asconstructivismgetsmoreconcernsfromtheresearchersinteaching,someconstructivistshaveputforwardaseriesofreformswhichattempttoshape“student-centered”modelinclassroomteaching,tryingtocultivatestudents’motivationandinitiationoflearning,interactionwithteachers.Furthermore,teachersservingasguiderscanstimulatestudents’interestsandencouragethemtohaveenoughinteractionbothinandoutofclass.

Juniormiddleschoolstudentsareinthesecondimportantperiodofacquiringaforeignlanguage.However,inChinesetraditionalclassroom,thestudentsjustlistentoteachers,takenotesandtakeinknowledgepassively.Thereislittleornoexchangeofinformationandinteractionswithteachers.Itissafetoconcludethatthisteachingmethodisnotconsistentwithstudents’psychologicalcharacteristics;itjustmakesthestudentsacquireEnglishpassivelyratherthanhelpsthemhaveadesiretolearn.Asfortheteacher,heorsheonlyplaysasatransmitter.SotakethequalityofEnglishteachingintoconsideration,optimizingEnglishteachingmethodinjuniormiddleschoolisfairlynecessary.

Constructivismholdsthatteachingshouldbebuiltbasedonwhatlearnershavealreadyknownandteachersshouldguidethemtodifferentkindsofactivities.Thisideahasfullyillustratedtheimportanceofinteractiveactivitieswhichcanhelpstudentstostimulatetheirinterestandconsolidatetheknowledgetheyhavelearnt.Thetraditionalteachingmethodnotonlydepressestheatmosphereoftheclassroom,butalsoerasesstudents’initiationoflearningandself-constructionlearning.

2.Theoverviewofconstructivisttheory

Constructivismisafairlyadvancedtheorysystem，whichdevelopsfurtherfrombehaviorismtocognitivism.Itreferstotheideathatthelearnerconstructsknowledgefromexperience.Inotherwords,theacquisitionofknowledgehappensintheprocessofself-construction.Knowingisaprocessofself-construction,learnersneedtotransformtheknowledgeprovidedbyteachersorbooksandcomprehenditbythemselves.Intermsofconstructivism,therearemanyhistoricalscholarsmakingcontributiontoitsdevelopment.First,itisgenerallyputforwardbyJeanPiaget,whoarticulatesmechanismsbywhichknowledgeisinternalizedbylearners.Hesuggeststhatthroughprocessesofaccommodationandassimilation,individualsconstructnewknowledgefromtheirexperiences.What’smore,hearguesknowledgeisconstructedthroughsocialcollaboration,andlearningarisesfrominteractionswithothers.（郑勇,陶三发，2007）Piaget'stheoryofconstructivistlearninghashadwiderangingimpactonlearningtheoriesandteachingmethodsineducationandisanunderlyingthemeofmanyeducationreformmovements.

JohnDeweyhasprovidedafoundationforConstructivism.Hebelievesthatlearningoccurswhenchildrenareexperiencingsomething.Teachersneedtodesignenvironmentsandinteractwithlearnerstofosterinventive,creative,criticallearners.（Archambault,1964）Therefore,teachersshouldhaveanunderstandingoflearners’characteristicsaswellaspersonalities.Andanotherunderstandingofarousinglearners’interestandcuriosityforlearningalsoneedteachers’attention.Asteachers,theymustbalancethesetwounderstandings.

PsychologistVygotskyrepresentssocio-constructivisttheorywhichholdslearningisbestachievedthroughthedynamicinteractionbetweenteacherandlearnerandbetweenlearners.（Vygotsky,1978）Withthehelpoftheteacheroranotherlearner,thelearnercanmovetoanewlevelofunderstanding.ModernconstructivistspaymuchattentiontoVygotsky’stheories,whichhavebeenusedtosupportclassroominstructionalmethodsthatemphasizecooperativelearning,project-basedlearning,anddiscovery.（Holliday,1994）

Itcanbeconcludedthatthedevelopmentofconstructivismtheoryiscloselyconnectedwithinteractionsanditattachesgreatimportancetolearners’self-exploration,self-discoveryandself-constructionofknowledge.Thetermknowledgecanbeseenasaproductofhumansanditissociallyandculturallyconstructedbyhumanthemselves.Today,thereismuchpedagogyrelatedtoconstructivisttheory.Mostteachingapproachesdevelopingfromconstructivismadvocatethatknowledgeisconstructedbylearnersthemselves.Moreover,constructivistlearningtheoryandconstructivist-basedteachingtheorywhichwillbediscussedinthefollowingsectionsalsohavecapturedgreatattentionnowadays.

2.1Constructivistlearningtheory

Accordingtoconstructivism,itpointsoutthatknowledgeisnotacquiredfromteachers;instead,itsacquisitiondependsonlearnersthemselves,teachersarejustviewedasguidersandpromotersfromwhomlearnerscangetsomehelp.Throughmakinggooduseofmaterialsunderacertaincircumstance,theycanconstructmeaningsfinally.Theconstructivistlearningtheoryinvolvesfourfactors.Theyarecircumstance,cooperation,discussionandmeaningconstruction.Constructivismplaysanimportantroleinlearning;itaimsatconsolidatingmeaningconstruction.Therefore,lessonplanningshouldnotonlypayattentiontoteachinggoals,butalsotocircumstancewhichishelpfulforlearnerstoconstructmeanings.Cooperationwhichfocusesoninteractionsbetweenlearnersfunctionsgreatlyinthewholeprocessoflearning;itcanimprovestudents’abilityofcommunicating.Furthermore,itconcernsaboutmaterialcollectingandanalysis,questionsanddiscovery,assessmentandmeaningconstruction.Asfordiscussion,itisanindispensablepartincooperation,includinggroupdiscussionandgroupcommunication.Inaccordancewithstudents’characteristicsofpsychology,discussioncangivestudentssomechancestoshowthemselves.Tosomeextent,itstrengthensstudents’communicativecompetence.Lastbutnotleast,meaningconstructionisthefinalpurposeoflearning.Itconsistsofthenature,regularityandinnerconnectionsofleaning.（何克抗，2009）

Constructivistdefinesthatlearningisaprocessoflearners’self-constructioninsteadofteachers’controlling.Inotherwords,whatalearnergetsisproportionaltohisabilityofmeaningconstruction.Sotakethefeaturesofconstructivistlearningtheoryintoaccount,aconstructivistclassroomshouldbemanagedbyteacherswhocanhelpstudentstoconstructmeaningsinanappropriateenvironment.

2.2Constructivist-basedteachingtheory

Constructivismwhichdevelopsfromcognitivetheoryofchildrenhasformedanewlearningtheoryandanewteachingtheoryaswell.Accordingtoconstructivismmentionedabove,thislearningtheorystressestheimportanceofindividuals.Itadvocatesstudents’initiationofconstructingmeaning.Althoughconstructivismmaintainsstudentsarethemainpartinclassroomteaching,itdoesnotmeanthatteacherscanbeneglected.Bycontrary,itputsemphasisonteachers’rolesinhelpingstudentstolovelearning.Additionally,thenewcurriculumalsostipulatesthattheteachershouldfunctionasafacilitatorofstudents’learningratherthansimplytransmittingknowledge.Thismeansthattheteacherneedstocreateapositivelearningenvironmenttomotivatelearnersandinteractwiththem,guidethemtoacquireknowl