英语论文定稿The Application of Body Language in Elementary School.docx
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英语论文定稿TheApplicationofBodyLanguageinElementarySchool
TheApplicationofBodyLanguageinElementarySchoolEnglishTeaching
FengQing
Class8,Grade2010,SchoolofForeignLanguageandLiterature,ChongqingNormalUniversity
Abstract:
BodylanguageusesasatoolinEnglishcommunication,itcomesoutbeforespokenlanguage.BodylanguageplaysaveryimportantroleinelementaryschoolEnglishteaching.TraditionalEnglishteachingalwaysfocusesonlanguageitself,mostly,studentsarerequiredtorememberwordsandlearngrammar.PeopleknowthatthemostimportantthinginstudyingEnglishislanguageenvironment.EnglishclassroomisthebestplacetostudyEnglishaccordingtotheteachingsituationofChina.Therefore,bodylanguagemeanspeopleusedifferentkindsofacts,mannersandexpressionstoreplacespokenlanguage.Bodylanguagecanpromotemutualunderstandingbetweenteachersandstudents,arousestudent'sinterest,enrichthecontentofEnglishteaching,diversifyteachingmethodsandaddvividnesstotheclassroomatmosphere,especiallyinelementaryEnglishteaching.Inthisarticle,theaccessibilityandnecessityofbodylanguageareexpounded,emphasizingtheproperuseofbodylanguageinelementaryEnglisheducation,includingeyecontact,facialexpressions,gestures,andposture.ThispaperarguesthatinelementaryschoolEnglishclass,forawiderangeofreasons,teachersshouldpayenoughattentiontobodylanguageandproperlyuseitasateachingtactic.
KeyWords:
bodylanguage;elementaryschool;Englishteaching;application
1Introduction
Itisanexcellenttimeofstudyinglanguageinprimaryperiod,alsoitisoneofthebesttimeofstudyingEnglish.However,thestudentsaretooyoungtocontrolthemselveswhichcausemanyproblemsinEnglishclassroomteaching.AsfarastheEnglishteachinginelementaryschoolisconcerned,teachershavetofacetheissueofhowtoarousestudent'sinterestandincreaseteachingefficiency.Bodylanguage,akindofnon-verbalbehaviorthatcanexchangeideas,expressemotionsandtransmitinformationthrougheyecontact,facialexpressions,posturesandgesturesandsoon.Bodylanguageplaysasignificantroleinhelpingstudentslearnefficiently.Thisisreflectedinseveralaspects,includingenhancingteachingatmosphereandhelpingwellorganizeclassroomorderandpromotingmutualcommunication.Teachers’gentlebodylanguagewillhaveagreatinfluenceonstudents,teachersinhighspiritinclassroomwillarousestudents’interests,onthecontrary,aseriouslookwillupsetstudents.What’smore,asteachersareusuallyrespected,whatorhowtheteacherssayanddowillbepossiblyimitatedbythestudents.Teachers'gracefulbodylanguagehelpstoimprovethestudents'abilityofcognizanceandmoralcharacter.Inthiscase,theteacherjustlikealifeguide.Soproperapplicationofbodylanguagecanimproveteachingqualityandteachingefficiencyandmaketheclassvividandmeaningful.
Bodylanguageisalsoatooltohelpexplaindifficultknowledgetostudents.Theimportanceofbodylanguageisconsideredtohelpstudents’understandingandcreateahappy,softandmorecomfortableclassroomenvironment.Sometimes,theoryknowledgeisahardparttoteachtostudents,butbodylanguagecanchangethetheoreticandabstractknowledgeintothesimple,andaccessiblegestures,whichismorespecificandfigurativeandmucheasierforstudentstounderstandandrealize.Tobeconcluded,thestudents'interestismotivatedandtheeffectofteachingisimproved.Alotofpracticeshaveprovedthatthesuccessfulclassroomteachingbasedonnotonlytheteachersgracefullanguageexpressionbutalsothenaturalanddecentbodylanguage,theyareindispensableparttooneanother.
Thispapercanbemainlydividedintothreeparts.Thefirstpartprovidessomedefinitionsofbodylanguagegivenbysomefamousexperts.Inthesecondpart,ittendtoshowtheconcreteapplicationofbodylanguagethrougheyesight,facialexpressions,gestures,andpostureinelementaryschoolEnglishteaching,combinedwiththeanalysisoftheaccessibilityandnecessity.ThelastpartshowsthesignificanceofapplyingbodylanguageinelementaryschoolEnglishteaching.
2Thedefinitionofbodylanguage
Manydefinitionsofbodylanguagehavebeenbuiltbyexperts.Somedefinitionsaregeneral.Forexample,bodylanguageisdefinedasalanguagewithoutwords;orbodylanguageindicatesallcommunicativesymbolsexceptoralspeech.(Harrison,R,1974:
133).Itbelongstonon-verballanguage.Somedefinitionsarespecific.Forexample,SamovarandPorterholdsuchidea:
"Bodylanguageisthespecially,biologically,psychologicallyorculturallyframedexchangeofvaluablemessageswhicharenotverballyspokenoutbutconveyedbythebody,gesture,symbolorrelevantcontextandsurroundingenvironmentetc."(Samovar,L.&Porter,R,1995:
14).
AccordingtoBirdwhistell,thestudyofnonverbalcommunicationcoversthreemajors:
Proxemics,Paralanguage,andKinesicsorBodyLanguage.(Birdwhistell,R,1952:
56).Proxemicsmeansthatpeoplekeepacertainspaceordistancewitheachotherwhentheycommunicateandthatthedistancecanrepresentdifferentsignificance.Paralanguageinvolvesthelinguisticelementsofspeech--howsomethingissaidandnottheactualmeaningofthespokenwords.Itistotransforminformationbysound,suchas"Ouch".Besidesthis,thepitchoftoneandvolumeofspeakingalsobelongstoParalanguage.KinesicsisalsocalledBodyLanguage,whichstudiesthemeaningofallpartsofbodyandhowbodymovementcommunicatesmeaning.(Birdwhistell,R,1952:
154).
3TheapplicationofbodylanguageinelementaryEnglishteaching
Inthepaper,itdefinesbodylanguageasaseriesofphysicalmovementsthatcansendinformationeffectivelywhencombinedwithverballanguage.ConsideringthespecialtyofEnglishteachingactivities,weclassifyitintoeyecontact,facialexpressions,gestures,andposture.
Inclass,theteacher'sbodylanguagechieflyincludeseyecontact,facialexpressions,gesturesandposture.Differentclasssituationshavedifferentbodylanguages.Accordingtothepupil'slivelycharacters,teacherscanapplygestures,expressions,etc.asmuchasnecessary.Forinstance,whenteachingthemeaningofword‘jump’,teacherscanfirstwritethewordontheblackboard,thenjumponceandaskstudentstoguesswhat’sthemeaningofit.inthisway,pupilscanlearnthismoreeasily.Inaddition,teachersavoidspeakingChineseinordertostrengthenpupil'sperceptualknowledgeoftwolanguagesandpavethewayforfuturestudy.
3.1Teachers’eyecontact
Pupilsattitude,emotion,andinspirationareinfluenceddirectlybyteacher’seyesight.Positiveeyesightreflectsconcernandencouragementfromteachersanditensurestheformationofconfidenceinstudents.Onthecontrary,negativeeyesighthurtspupils'confidence.Inshort,lovingandkindeyesightoftengetintothestudent'smemoryalongwiththeteachingcontent.Sucheyesightandteacher'sgoodmoralqualitycandeeplyinvolveinthestudent'smind.Inaddition,teachers'eyesightconsistsoflookingaroundandlookingattentively.
3.1.1Lookingaround
Lookingaroundhasaconventionaleffectonstudents.Whiletheclassbellisringing,theteachercanstandontheplatformandlookaroundtheclassroom,suggestingtothepupilsthattheclasswillbeginandit'stimetobequiet.Thismethodismoreeffectivethanteachers'shouting,"Quiet,please!
"Intheprocessofinstructing,occasionallylookingaroundtellsthepupilstolistenconscientiously,becausetheteacherisobservingtheirindividualperformanceintheclass.That'swhytheforeignlanguageeducationistsbelievethatateachershouldlooksteadilyateverystudentwhilehavingaclass.Itmeansloveandequalityanditcanmakethestudentsrealizetheirteacher'svaluableconcern,whichcanraisethestudents'dynamicroleofstudy.Furthermore,teachersshouldtrytoestablisheyecontactwiththeentireclass,notjustwiththefrontroworonlyoneortwostudents.Teachersalsoshouldnotonlystareatthestudentwhoisgoingtobeaskedaquestion,becauseitprohibitslettingallthestudentsthinkaboutthequestion.Theteachershouldpresentbalancedeyesightandlooktotheback,front,fromsidetosidearoundthewholeclass.
3.1.2Lookingattentively
Lookingattentivelyreferstotheeyesgazingatstudentsforaquitelongtime.Itisdividedintoseriouslooking,intimatelookingandnecessarylooking.(Harrison,1974:
232).Duringexaminations,teachersusuallyadoptseriouslookingeyegazetopreventstudentsfromtryingtocheat.Intimatelookingtendstobeusedinnormalclassroomsituations.Themomenttheteachersstandontheplatformdisplaying"sweet"eyesight,pupilswillfeelascomfortableandatease.Thisinformalandrelaxing"introduction"indicatesthebeginningofajoyfulclass.Ifsomepupilsfeelnervous,thisformofeyesightalongsideasmilewillaidingettingridoftheirworries.Andalsobywatchingtheeyesofstudentsandlettheeyeshelpinterpretlanguage,organizetheteaching,transfertheinformationandexpressthefeeling.
3.2Teacher’sfacialexpressions
Ourfacesplayakeyroleinexpressingourthoughts,especiallyouremotionsandattitudes.Accordingtoseveralcross-culturalstudiesmadebysocialpsychologistPaulEkmen,people'scountenancesshowtheiremotionalexpressionsclearly.Therefore,teachersshouldaimatunderstandingthedifferentsituationsthatappearintheEnglishteachingclassroom,andbeabletotalkandperformusingtheirfaces.Usingtwoteachersasexample,twoteacherswhodisplayedentirelydifferentperformanceduringthe