昝亞娟
眾所周知,語法課是高中英語教學的重要組成部分,也是日常教研的一項重要內容。美國社會語言學家Dwell Hymes認為,交際能力不僅包括對一種語言的語言形式的理解和掌握,而且還包括對在何時何地、以什么方式對誰恰當使用語言形式進行交際的知識體系的理解和掌握。由此可見,正確地理解和掌握語言形式是具備交際能力的基礎,研究英語語法教學策略是英語教師的當務之急。
目前,“3P教學模式:Presentation(演示)—Practice(操練)—Production(成果)”仍是語法課堂教學的主導教學模式。主要教學步驟包括:教師首先講解語法規(guī)則,學生初步理解這些規(guī)則;其次,學生做各種語法練習來牢記語法規(guī)則;最后,讓學生使用語法規(guī)則來進行交際活動。但是,由于一些教師缺乏課堂教學設計的技巧,而且教學資源有限,學生在課堂上以機械訓練為主,因而使語法課比較單調枯燥,很難完成預期的教學目標。筆者認為,如果教師能夠充分挖掘各種教學資源,豐富課堂教學的內容,為學生創(chuàng)設使用所學語言的情境,就能增強語法教學的實效性。
一、挖掘教材資源,豐富語法學習情境
現行的高中英語教材,是按照語法項目和交際功能的主線進行編排的。每一單元圍繞一個語法項目進行訓練,因此,英語教師應充分挖掘教材資源,更好地利用教材來教授語法項目。
以人民教育出版社編寫的《高中英語》(New Senior English for China)為例。在每個單元的第一篇閱讀材料中多處出現本單元的語法結構,然后在課后的Discovering Useful Structure部分,讓學生主動探究這些語法結構,再做練習,鞏固所學的語法知識。由于篇幅所限,教材中提供的練習較少。針對這種情況,教師應針對閱讀材料進行再創(chuàng)作,借助課文提供的交際語境,為學生提供優(yōu)質的練習題。
《高中英語》第三冊 Unit 3 的兩篇課文是美國著名作家馬克·吐溫的小說《百萬英鎊》(The Million Pound Bank Note)改編的劇本。本單元的語法項目是名詞性從句,課文中多次出現名詞性從句的例句。由于學生對《百萬英鎊》的劇情非常熟悉,這為教師挖掘教學資源提供了良好的條件。以下是筆者根據課文改編的課堂練習題:
根據短文內容,在空格上填出所需的連接詞。
In the summer of 1903 ,two wealthy broth-ers, Roderick and Oliver made a bet on a man could survive a month in London with a million pound bank note. When they saw Henry Adams , a homeless American, wandering in the street, they invited him to their house and asked him some questions they were interestedin. To their joy, they discovered the fact Henry landed in Britain by accident and he was penniless at that moment.So they drew a conclusion he was the right person to carry out the experiment. That was they gave Henry an envelope with a million pound bank note in it.Now they were eager to find out was Henry would survive without any relatives or friends in London.
這篇短文的設空處既有定語從句,又有賓語從句、同位語從句、表語從句和主語從句,對學生的定語從句和名詞性從句知識進行了全方位的考查。通過語篇填空,學生一方面把本單元所學新知識付諸實踐,另一方面復習了已學知識,收到一石二鳥之效。
二、挖掘網絡資源,為語法教學添活力
為了提高語法課的趣味性,教師應積極開發(fā)各種網絡教學資源。我們在網上搜索到的精美的圖片、清新活潑的視頻、優(yōu)美動聽的英語歌曲、英語詩歌和引人思考的名言警句都是語法教學的寶貴資源。
常言道“A picture is worth thousands of words(一幅圖畫勝過千言萬語)”,精美的圖片是語法教學中最為常見的資源。例如,在學習非謂語動詞時,筆者精選了這樣一幅圖畫,然后和學生一起進行看圖對話。
T:What can you see from the picture?
S:We can see some people staring at their smart phones while walking or riding in the street. What is worse, we can see a driver using his smart phone while driving a car.
T:How does the picture impress you?
S:It serves as a warning to us. Some people are so addicted to playing with smart phones that they totally ignore their safety in the street.
T:What lesson should we learn from the picture?
S:Being addicted to smart phones is very harmful and even dangerous. It is time to reflect our way of life. We should make better use of high technology to serve us so they wont ruin our life.
通過師生對話,學生使用不同形式的非謂語動詞形式來表達對社會熱點話題的看法,把所學知識付諸實踐,不僅培養(yǎng)了語言技能,而且發(fā)展了批判性思維的能力。
三、借助英語原著閱讀,使學生感悟語法知識
英國語言學家Henry Widdowson指出,語言學習的最終目的是獲得交際能力。而語法能力是交際能力的基礎,正確使用語法規(guī)則能使人們順利開展交際活動。筆者發(fā)現,閱讀地道的英語原著,可以讓學生在閱讀過程中感悟知識,體驗學習的快樂。筆者讓學生閱讀英語小說《秘密花園》,并關注里面的非謂語動詞形式。然后,筆者針對這個故事進行了縮寫,讓學生用非謂語動詞形式填空。下面是筆者編寫的練習題:
Fill in the blanks using the suitable forms of the words given:
I like The Secret Garden very much. I was deeply impressed by the heroine Mary. She used to be a selfish, unhealthy and badtempered girl, but after (playing) with her friends in the secret garden, she changed a lot.She became healthy, helpful and caring.The little master Colin was Marys cousin. (stay) in bed for a long time, he was too weak (walk) properly. However, Colin gradually improved his health by (take) physical exercise outdoors with his playmates Mary and Dickon. The story tells us that (spend) more time in nature with our good friends is beneficialto us physically and mentally. When (face) with difficulty and challenges in life,we should always develop a positive attitude.
在課后,我布置學生寫讀后感和故事摘要,在寫作中盡量使用非謂語動詞形式。由于這部小說趣味性很強,情節(jié)跌宕起伏,學生非常喜歡,所以,他們高高興興地做練習,學習效果非常好。
四、挖掘寫作資源,鞏固語法知識
實踐證明,只有反復使用,學生才能牢記語法規(guī)則,逐步提高語言技能。如果學完某個語法項目后,棄之不用,學生很快就會忘記。教師要經常挖掘英語寫作資源,在學習某個語法知識后,鼓勵學生使用所學語法知識進行寫作。例如:要求學生每天盡量用英語寫日記,記錄發(fā)生在校園中和日常生活中的事件,在寫作中應用所學語法知識。
總之,在課改背景下,教師是教學資源的開發(fā)者。如果教師能根據教學需要,充分開發(fā)教學資源,就能豐富語法教學的內容,提升語法教學的趣味性,調動學生學習語法的積極性,從而大大優(yōu)化教學效果。
(本文為河南省教育科學“十二五”規(guī)劃2015年度立項課題《英語語法課教學設計策略研究》(課題編號〔2015〕-JKGHZD-0042)的階段性成果。)
(責 編 再 瀾)