英語專業(yè)專科集中實踐環(huán)節(jié)(畢業(yè)論文)

How to Arouse Students’ Interests in Learning English

Yang Ying

Abstract: Foreign language learning is more complicated than native language. Interest plays an important role in students’ English learning. This paper, based on the students’ cognitive level and characteristic of age, gives some useful suggestions to arouse high students’ interest in learning English. It is a contribution to the discussion of some important approaches of arousing students’ interest in learning English by focusing on how to use varieties method like multi-media technology to arouse students’ interest.

Key word: learning interest; learning motivation; skill; student-based

Recent researches on how to arouse high school students’ interest in learning English mainly include “Multi-media Technology and Traditional Methods Combined Multi dimensional Foreign Language Teaching Mode and Its Strategies: Theory and Practice” by Li Wenying, and “Learning Motivation of Senior Student” by H.T.Batterlina, and so on. This paper draws support from the researches above and other relative researches; to make a further exploration on how to arouse high school students’ interest in learning English. And expounds how important the interest is in English learning and points out the disadvantages of traditional English teaching in achieving students’ learning interest. The article also gives some suggestions to arouse high students’ interest in learning English.

　

Interest plays an important role in English learning. This is because interest is the best teacher. “When working for what they are interested in, human being will feel happy and relaxed and working with their remote interest, they will feel sick and tired.”(皮連生 教育心理學 2004) Therefore, teachers and parents realized the importance of learning interest as they tried to achieve students’ learning motivation. For high school students who have numerous courses to learn, pressure of examination to face, will feel sick and tired about learning, even will give up learning if we do not focus on teaching method, and do not pay attention to achieve, train, and keep on their interest of learning, especially the English learning. There are mountains of vocabulary and grammars need to learn by heart. If students have remote interest in English learning, it is impossible for them to learn English well. “It will make senior students take a negative attitude to the corresponding subject if the subject can not be contented by students’ interest and the need of knowledge. The proportion of students who take this attitude is 52.5 %.” (巴特琳娜 高年紀學生的學習動機)At present, English has manifold significance to world wide communication. So we should engage in how to arouse students’ interest in learning English with changeful teaching method, harmonious teacher-student relationship and relaxed learning environment. 

Teaching effect in teacher-based traditional teaching is obscure. “For students, teacher-based learning prevents students from becoming the principal role in learning makes students feel dull, and can not promote students to grow active, happy and healthy. The disadvantages mainly focus on three aspects: learning method one-tracked; learning motivation extrinsic; and learning behavior unindependent. By the affection of one ?tracked learning method, many students have a negative learning motivation that is, passive, unwilling to learn. Because this kind of learning ways is lack of students’ self-control and self-select, so they lose their interest in class. ” The characteristic of high school students is vivaciousness, and not good at self-control. If we ignore this feature in teaching process, and simply use the traditional teaching method, take students just as container of knowledge, use the way which treats student like force-feed duck, only instill uninteresting vocabulary and dull grammar into their mind, they will never interest in learning English.

It can not merely base on students’ cognitive level and characteristic of age, but also focus on teachers’ teaching method and material to arouse students’ interest in learning English. The paper suggests that teacher should use some proper ways and multi-media method to arouse high school students’ interest in learning English. Teacher should improve their individual accomplishment.

4.1 To improve classroom teaching.

The major channel that students get knowledge is in class. And classroom teaching is the principal way for education. Through the class, teacher carries on the education. Consequently, it is viral to renew the classroom teaching. The first step of this renewing is to achieve students’ learning motivation and their interest of learning.

4.1.1 To contribute a student-based teaching pattern

Compared with traditional teaching method, the student-based role in modern learning environment succeeds in that it achieved students’ interest of learning. In this modern learning environment, students are the basic role. They explore and absorb knowledge actively. The ARCS model (put forward by J. Keller in 1987, which is a pattern to achieve and keep students’ learning motivation.) pointed out that teacher should attract students’ attention and know their interest. Teaching method and teaching material must conform to students’ cognitive need; teachers should help them contribute their confidence and must fulfill their satisfaction. As is often the case, high school students have accumulated some learning experience; the cognitive level is in creasing mature. They are willing to think, to find the truth by themselves. So they always suggest some new plan, or take fresh view, or take delight in attempting some new meanings. At this time, teacher should first abandon his or her concept of “ teaching “ English, English learning is mainly a matter of practice, and then try to discuss the teaching plan with students, what can achieve their learning interest, because they have took part in it, they were attracted by it, and they will pay more attention on it. Also, this way can induce students to realize they are the leader of learning. During the teaching process, the purpose of student-based teaching pattern is students’ activity, and the pattern is based on students’ interest of learning and what knowledge they really want to have. In high schoo[a-z] [a-z] English teaching, listening, speaking, reading and writing all these language skills connect with each other. So if we want to improve students’ language skills, the student-based teaching pattern is the best way. Because it can make students learn English voluntarily. Students’ intense emotion with the leading of interest can be changed into a strong learning motivation to cause the learning succeed.

4.1.2 To use the multi-media technology to contribute a multi-dimensional foreign language teaching mode.

In the recent years, with the constant improvement of instructional technology and the development of cognitive science, great progress has been made in theoretical research and practice on computer assisted instruction for foreign language teaching. Such mode is a perfect combination of students’ learning and the teachers’ teaching in the classroom. “Multi-media make the learning process full of fun and relaxed, with its own feature which has perfect video and audio, the picture and its accompanying essay are both excellent. It has changed the traditional teacher-based teaching method, and aroused students’ interest in learning English.” (李文英 多媒體手段與傳統(tǒng)方法整合的多維外語教學模式及策略 2005) The computer and multi-media technology have recently been brought to the public notice all over the world. In the classroom students to answer questions may feel i[a-z] [a-z] a shame, not willing to answer. But if we use multi-media technology students can talk to teachers without bashfulness. The web concludes many resources that are a stage to encourage students to communicate with foreign people who is a way to learn English well. To use computer broadcast listening material because there are thousands and millions funny picture or cartoon on the web, when teachers do their teaching plan, they can use multi-media technology. To find some interesting listening materials and combine them with listening material in the book and show them to the students is obvious to achieve students’ interest in learning English and it can solve the difficulties in listening and validly improve students’ listening level. Teachers can ask students to write autobiography and then put it on the web. The exercise is very motivating to the students, because they are making a product that is real and can be shared like many other real things on the web. When it is just a paper for teacher they think of it as just another assignment. When they put it on the web, they think of it as something real. That can arouse their interest in learning English. And teacher can give them some comment to encourage them keep doing so.

4.1.3 To improve teache[a-z] [a-z] individual accomplishment

A good teacher is a good actor and artist. For an English teacher, he or she should have fluent and beautiful pronunciation and intonation and be able to use all kinds of teaching skills to arouse students’ interest. A good teacher should be equal to every student and trust every student. He or she should try to be close to their hearts, to exchange views with them, and grasp their interests. Changing different teaching skills is a good way to arouse students’ interests. Teacher, especially a good English teacher therefore should do all effort to organize various classroom activities and every possible way to arouse students’ interest in learning English.

Fitting warm-up exercise at the beginning of an English class will arouse students’ interest. Teacher can use an English song, an interesting story, a joke, a game, doggerel or a puzzle to arouse students’ interest to guide students to warm up. An English song will make students exciting and they will eager to learn it and in order to learn it well, they will do their best to understand what the son[a-z] [a-z] meaning is. They will be interested in English learning. And the beautiful and rhythmic pronunciation and intonation will affect students. The more students interested in, the eager they will to wait for the next class to learn more about English songs. An interesting story, especially a long story that ca[a-z] [a-z] finish in warm-up time can arouse students’ imagination. The story can be a legend, a detective story, and a fable and so on. They will concern on it and try to grasp the main idea. And teacher can ask them to predict what will happen next. Teacher also can plan a puzzle connected with the new vocabulary or a new lesson. Any way, all these kind of things are to arouse students’ interest and let them get ready for class.

The teaching method of instruction and association can enlighten students’ ability to observe, to review what they have learned and prepare what to be learning and arouse students’ interest in learning English. For example, when teaching a grammar like: “Proud as these nobles are, he is afraid to see me.” Teacher can give these three sentences below, and let students themselves to conclude.

Proud as these nobles are, he is afraid to see me.

=Though (Although) these nobles are proud, he is afraid to see me.

=Proud though these nobles are, he is afraid to see me.    (秦建華 外語教學的情緒誘發(fā)和控制 2001)

Teaching and learning is a pair of contradiction. The characteristic of high school students require that if a teacher is their favorite, they will be interested in the course that teacher teaches and focus on it. If there is a good relationship between teacher and student, the teaching will be much easier. That requires teacher to give love to student and try to help them and never look down upon them.

In addition, question-ask is a key section in classroom teaching, it also reflects teache[a-z] [a-z] level. A good teacher should know how to ask question. The teacher who grasps the skill of question-ask can attract the students’ attention and students will participate to answer question. “Teacher should ask question in English. It can not only improve students’ listening and translating skills, but also arouse students’ motivation. Besides, it can awaken students’ recall what they have learned. And teacher can ask question in heuristic method. In this way, students’ cognitive level will improve, the original thoughts of students will cultivate, and students all join it, want and try to express their own views in English.” (趙常青 中學英語課堂提問與指令初探) To make sure all students listen to, understand and think of the question; The question must be clear, explicit enough; it is better not to ask question in this way:”Do you understand?” or “Are you clear?” Question-ask is the stage that can make students do perfect performance in class and arouse their interest in learning English.

“Humor is a good assistant for an English teacher, if an English classroom-teaching embellishes humor, that will arouse students’ interest.” (張廷凱 教學幽默潛談 1988) In American, learning is fun, is teache[a-z] [a-z] motto in secondary school. Moreover, teachers do not ignore his or her words and deeds, behavior and dress.

4.2To enrich the outside class activities, replenish the disadvantages of classroom teaching and protect students’ interest in learning English.

It is important to protect students’ interest so that they can gradually make progress when the students’ interest in learning English has been aroused.

4.2.1 Introduction some good English movies or cartoons.

According to Robert E. Slavin, teachers can use a variety of interesting presentation modes. He or she can maintain student to interest in a subject by alternating use of films, guest speakers, demonstrations, and so on. According to high school students’ cognitive level, teacher introduces some good English movie or cartoon to students to achieve their interest in learning English. Because they will become interested in the story happened in the movie or cartoon. And the fluent and beautiful pronunciation and intonation will be an enjoyment to students. If they like one movie or cartoon, they will see it again and again, in order to grasp the meaning. The more movie or cartoon a teacher introduces the more curiosity the students will have. Wha[a-z] [a-z] more, they will get an unobtrusively influence.

4.2.2 The outside class activities.

“One excellent means of increasing interest in a subject is to use games or simulations.” (姚梅琳等譯 教育心理學?理論與實踐 2004) The teacher should make use of spare time after class to guide students to contact with some English songs, simulations, English corner, etc.

Music is the happiest spirit in peopl[a-z] [a-z] life. Majority students are fond of English songs. But there are many kinds of English song such as: jazz, blue, rock, R&B, and so on. Teacher should get rid of his or her own favorite when introduce or teach English song. It is better to let the students know the background of the singer, or the origin of that kind of English song. This way not just only makes students understand what the song is about, but also gives them some culture background and to make them to know the differences between English and Chinese. Those differences will protect their interest in learning English.

A simulation, or role plat, is an exercise in which students take on roles and engage in activities appropriate to those roles. Based on Yang Cuiping, in order to achieve students’ motivation, she redesignate some text which students have learned before in and out book to become a simple artistic. Students take role in the simple artistic, learning English and use English. That obviously arouses students’ interest in learning English.

English corner is a way to encourage student to speak English. There is always a topic in English corner, teacher should tell the topic before and give some time to students for preparation. English corner is a stage for student to show their preparation their own opinion.

All these methods must be carefully planned to make sure that they focus on the course objectives and students’ interest.

4.2.3 To hold English parties of competition

English party supplies a stage that students can perform what they have learned. Teachers first tell students what the party flow is, and only English in there. Students can exchange the learning experience in the party and communicate with each other or with teachers freely. It can not only achieve students’ interest, but also promote the relationship between teachers and student. Teacher can also hold some English competition, like lecture competition, or debate. “Team games are usually better than individual games it provides an opportunity for teammates to help one another and avoid one problem of individual games, which more good students might consistently win. If all students are put on mix-ability teams, all have a good chance of success.” (姚梅琳等譯 教育心理學?理論與實踐 2004)In all this activities teacher should try his or her best to help students, to encourage them.

　

The paper has explained the importance of English learning interest, pointed out the disadvantages of traditional English teaching in achieving students’ interest and discussed some method to arouse the students’ interest in learning English. Use the multi-media technology; student-based teaching method; outside class activities. And teacher should always remember to improve their individual quality. It is no doubt that the interests influence the students in learning English greatly. Teacher should use all skills and materials, not only mentioned in this paper, what can be use to arouse students’ interests in learning English. When the interest has been aroused, it is better to protect it.