-
Unit 1
Language and Language Learning
Teaching Time:
2hours
Teaching
Aims:
1. Know
some methods of learning languages.
2. Know some views on
language.
3.
Know some views on language learning.
4. Learn some skills of
being a good language teacher.
Key
Points:
1.
Methods of learning languages.
2. Views on language.
3. Views on
language learning.
4. Skills of being a good language
teacher.
Difficult Points:
1. Views on language
2. Skills of being a good
language teacher.
Teaching
Procedures:
Stage
Ⅰ
: Greetings
(1min)
Stage
Ⅱ
:
Introduction (8mins)
1. A brief introduction about the
textbook.
2.
Some requests about the course.
Stage
Ⅲ
:
Presentation (40mins)
The
teacher
and
students
read
the
textbook
together.
Then
the
teacher explains some
difficult points.
1. How do we learn
language?
Much of human behavior is influenced by
personal experience. The
1
way
language teachers
teach in the
classroom
is
influenced
by
the
way
they
learned
languages.
This
is
especially
true
in
foreign
language
teaching.
The
students
look
at
task
1
carefully
and
then
discuss
with
your
partner.
From the task
above, we may have found that:
(1)
People learn language for difference reasons.
(2) People learn language in different
ways.
(3) People have different
understanding about language learning.
(4) People have different capabilities
in language learning
2. View on
language.
In
the
past
century,
language
teaching
and
learning
practices
have
been
influenced
by
three
different
views
of
language,
namely,
the
structural view, the functional view
and the interactional view. Different
views on language generate different
teaching methodologies.
Structural
View:
It sees language as a
linguistic system made up
of various
subsystem: from phonological, morphological ,
lexical, etc. to
sentence. Each
language has a finite number of such structural
items. To
learn a language means to
learn these structural items so as to be able to
understand and produce language.
Functional View:
It sees
language as a linguistic system but also as a
means
for
doing
things.
Most
of
our
day-to-day
language
use
involves
functional
activities:
offering,
suggesting,
advising,
apologizing,
etc.
Therefore,
learners
learn
a
language
in
order
to
do
things
with
it.
To
perform
functions,
learners
need
to
know
how
to
combine
the
grammatical rules and
the vocabulary to express notions that perform the
functions.
2
Interactional
view:
It
consider
language
as
a
communicative
tool,
whose
main
use
is
to
build
up
and
maintain
social
relations
between
people.
Therefore,
learners
not
only
need
to
know
the
grammar
and
vocabulary
of
the
language,
but
also
need
to
know
the
rules
for
using
them in
a whole range of communicative context.
The understanding of the nature of
language may provide the basis
for
a
particular
teaching
method,
and
it
is
also
closely
related
to
the
understanding of language learning. If
language is considered to have a
finite
number
of
structural
items,
learning
the
language
means
learning
these items. If
language is more than just a system of structure,
it is more
importantly a tool, then to
learn the language means to use it, rather than
just to study what it is and how it is
formed.
3. Views on language learning.
A
language
learning
theory
underlying
an
approach
or
method
usually answers two
questions:
1)
What
are
the
psycholinguistic
and
cognitive
process
involved
in
language learning?
2)
What
are
the
conditions
that
need
to
be
met
in
order
for
these
learning process to be activated?
Process-oriented
theories
are
concerned
with
how
the
mind
processes
new
information,
such
as
habit
formation,
induction,
making
inference, hypothesis
testing and generalization.
Condition-
oriented theories
emphasize the nature
of the human and
physical
context
in
which
language
learning
takes
place,
such
as
the
number of
students, what kind of input learners receive, and
the learning
atmosphere.
Behaviorist
theory:
Proposed
by
behavioral
psychologist
Skinner,
3
he suggested
that language is also is a form behavior. It can
be learned the
same
way
as
an
animal
is
trained
to
respond
to
stimuli.
This
theory
of
learning
is
referred
to
as
behaviorism.
One
influential
result
is
the
audio-
lingual
method,
which
involves
the
“listen
and
repeat”
drilling
activities. The idea of this method is
that language is learned by contrast
repetition and the reinforcement of the
teacher. Mistakes are immediately
corrected, and correct utterances are
immediately praised.
Cognitive
theory:
The
term
cognitivism
is
often
used
to
describe
method in which
students are asked to think rather than simply
repeat. It
is
Noam
Chomsky’
s
theory.
The
key
point
of
Chomsky’s
theory
is
reflected
in
his
most
famous
question:
If
all
language
is
a
learned
behavior, how can a
child produce a sentence that has never been said
by
others before?
According
to Choms
ky’s theory, language is not a
form of behavior,
it is an
intricate rule-based system and a large part of
language acquisition
is the learning of
this system. There are a finite number of
grammatical
rules in the system and
with knowledge of these rules an infinite number
of
sentences
can
be
produced.
A
language
learner
acquires
language
competence which enables him to produce
language.
Constructivist
theory:
The
Constructivist
theory
believes
that
learning
is
a
process
in
which
the
learner
constructs
meaning
based
on
his/her
own experiences and what he/she already knows.
Socio-constructivist
theory:
Similar
to
constructivist
theory,
socio-constructivist
theory
represented
by
Vygotsky
(1978)
emphasizes
interaction and
engagement
with
the target language in
a
social
context
based on the
concept of ZPD and scaffolding.
4. What
makes a good language teacher?
4
a. Enable the students to communicate
in English inside and outside
class.
b. Have a goal in teaching.
c. Keep in mind that communicating in
English and learning English
go hand in
hand.
d. Create conditions for
learning.
e. D
o
all he can to stimulate the students’ motivation
to learn.
5. How can one
become a good language teacher?
The most
important and most difficult part of the making of
a good
language teacher is the
development of professional competence, which is
the state or quality of being qualified
for the profession, and armed with a
specific range of skills, strategies,
knowledge and ability.
For
the
development
of
professional
competence,
we
can
use
the
“reflective model” by Wallace (1991).
From the model, we can know the
development involves stage I, stage II
and the goal.
The
first
stage
is
language
development.
All
English
teachers
are
supposed to have a good
command of English.
The second stage is the
most crucial stage and it is more complicated
because it involves three sub-stages:
learning, practice and reflection.
The
learning
stage
is
actually
the
purposeful
preparation
that
a
language
teacher
normally
receives
before
he
starts
the
practice
of
teaching. This preparation can include:
a.
learn from
others’ experience
b. learn
received knowledge
c.
learn
from one’s own experience
s as a
learner.
Teachers
benefit
from
practice
if
they
keep
on
reflecting
on what
they
have
been
doing
(Stanley
1999).
It
should
be
noted
that
teachers
5
reflect on their work not only after
they finish a certain period of practice,
but also while they are doing the
practice.
Stage
Ⅳ
: Practice
(30mins)
1. Finish Task 1 in groups of 4 and
draw some conclusions.
2. Finish Task 2 in groups of 4.
3. Finish Task
4 in groups of 4.
Stage
Ⅴ
:
Consolidation (20mins)
1. Read all the parts in Unit one
again.
2.
Finish Task 7 with your partner.
Stage
Ⅵ
:
Assignments (1min)
1. Review all
language points.
2. Review all Tasks.
3. Finish Task 6 after
class.
4. Preview Unit 2.
6
Unit 2
Communicative
Principles
And Task-based
Language Teaching
Teaching
Time:
2hours
Teaching Aims:
1. Know the differences between
language in classroom and language
in
real life.
2.
Master the concept of communicative competence.
3. Master the
main features of communicative activities.
4. Know the
concept of Task-based Language Teaching.
5. Master the
differences between Task-based Language Teaching
and
PPP.
Key
Points:
1. The
differences between language in classroom and
language in real
life.
2. The concept of
communicative competence.
3. The main features of communicative
activities.
4.
Concept of Task-based Language Teaching.
5. The
differences between Task-based Language Teaching
and PPP.
Difficult Points:
1. The differences between language in
classroom and language in real
life.
2. The main
features of communicative activities.
3. The differences between
Task-based Language Teaching and PPP.
Teaching Procedures:
Stage
Ⅰ
: Greetings
(1min)
7
Stage
Ⅱ
: Revision
(8mins)
1. Check Task 6 in Unit 1.
2. Ask two students to answer “What is
language?”
Stage
Ⅲ
:
Presentation (40mins)
1. Language use
in real life vs. traditional pedagogy
The ultimate goal of foreign language
teaching is to enable students to
use
the foreign language in work or life when
necessary.
The
differences
between
language
used
in
real
life
and
language
taught in the classroom under
traditional teaching pedagogy are numerous
and they are beyond the scope of
discussion in this unit.
Generally
speaking, language use in real life differs from
traditional
language teaching pedagogy
in the following aspects:
1)
In
real
life,
language
is
used
to
perform
certain
communicative
functions; In a traditional language
classroom, the teaching focus is often
on forms rather than functions.
2)
Traditional
pedagogy
tends
to
focus
on
forms
rather
than
functions; In real life, we use all
four skills.
3) Traditional pedagogy
tends to isolate language from its context; In
reality language is used in a certain
context.
2. What is communicative
competence?
1)
Chomsky’s
theory:
competence
simply
means knowledge
of
the
language
system: grammatical knowledge in other words
2) Hymes’s theory: “there are “rules of
use without which t
he rules
of grammar would be useless”. Besides
grammatical rules, language use
is
governed
by
rules
of
use,
which
ensure
that
the
desired
or
intended
functions
are
performed
and
the
language
used
is
appropriate
to
the
context.
8
3)
Communicative
competence:
according
to
Hymes,
communicative
competence
included
four
aspects:
grammatically
acceptable;
understandable; social norms; actually use.
3. The implementation of language
skills
1)
In
listening
and
speaking,
students
should
have
the
chance
to
listen
to
and
produce
what
is
meaningful,
authentic,
unpredictable,
and
reactive if ever possible.
2) In reading. Since communicative
courses focus on meaning rather
than
on
form,
the
reading
skill
is
redefined
to
focus
on
the
purpose
of
reading.
3) In writing,
students should make the writing more meaningful
and
authentic,
that
is
to
practice
writing
to
express
their
own
feelings
or
describe their own experience.
4. Communicative activities.
1)
MMC
system.
Mechanic
drills,
meaningful
drills
and
communicative drills. /
Functional communicative activities, and Asocial
interaction activities,(P. 18)
2)
Six criteria for
evaluating communicative classroom activities:
i. communicative purpose
ii.
communicative desire
iii. content, not
form
iv. variety of language
v. no teacher intervention
vi. no materials control
Stage
Ⅳ
: Practice
(30mins)
1. Finish Task 1 in groups of 4.
In real life
In
traditional pedagogy
9
How
is
Lang.
used/taught?
What
parts
of
lang.
are
used/
taught
2. Finish Task
5 in groups of 4.
3. Finish Task 6 in groups of 4.
Stage
Ⅴ
:
Consolidation (20mins)
1. Read all parts in Unit two again.
2. Discussion:
the limitations of CLT and TBLT.
Stage
Ⅵ
:
Assignments (1min)
1. Review all parts
in Unit two again.
2. Finish and review all Tasks.
3. Finish Task
8 & Task 10 after class.
4. Preview
Unit 3.
10
Unit 3
The National English Curriculum
Teaching Time:
2hours
Teaching
Aims:
1. Know
the history of foreign language teaching in China.
2. Know the
designing principles for the National English
Curriculum.
3. Master the goals and
objectives of English language teaching.
4. Master the
design of the National English Curriculum.
5. Know the
challenges facing English language teachers.
Key Points:
1. The history of foreign language
teaching in China.
2. Designing principles for the
National English Curriculum.
3. Goals
and objectives of English language teaching.
4. Design of
the National English Curriculum.
5. Challenges facing
English language teachers.
Difficult
Points:
1. Designing principles for the
National English Curriculum.
2. Goals and objectives of
English language teaching.
3. Design of
the National English Curriculum.
Teaching Procedures:
Stage
Ⅰ
: Greetings
(1min)
Stage
Ⅱ
: Revision
(8mins)
1. Check Task 12 in Unit 2.
2.
Ask
two
students
to
say
something
about
Task-based
Language
Teaching.
Stage
Ⅲ
:
Presentation (40mins)
11
1. A brief history of foreign language
teaching in China
1) Foreign language
teaching before 1978
Foreign
language
teaching
in
schools
has
enjoyed
along
history
in
China.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of
China in 1949, the
first 15 years saw
Russian as the predominant foreign language in
both
secondary schools and colleges.
2) A phase of restoration (1978-1985)
Following
the
Cultural
Revolution,
English
was
restored
to
the
secondary curriculum. A national
syllabus was issued by the Ministry of
Education
(MOE)
in
1978.
From
1978
to
1982,
English
was
gradually
restored
into
the
secondary
curriculum
and
quality
began
to
be
given
more attention.
3) A phase
of rapid development (1986-1992)
As
a
result,
a
revised
English
syllabus
for
secondary
schools
was
issued in the autumn of
1986 followed by the rewriting of the text books
by the People’s Education Press
(PEP).
4) A phase of reform
(1993-2000)
With the rapid
social and economic development, the development
in
the
policy
of
nine-year
compulsory
education,
and
also
with
the
introduction of the
communication approach in language teaching. It
was
in
1993
syllabus
that
the
word
“communication”
was
used
in
the
objectives of teaching
for the first time.
5) A phase of
innovation form 2000
This phase beginning from
2000 is characterized by a firm and urgent
call form the government for quality-
oriented education. Four steps were
taken
a
smooth
transition
to
the
New
National
English
Curriculum
in
2005.
12