A Study on Reconstruction of Classroom Ecology of Higher Vocational English against the Background of “Internet Plus” from the Perspective of Ecolinguistics

Xie+Dan

【Abstract】In the era of“Internet plus”， new teaching models such as MOOCs， Microlearning and Flipped Classroom （a form of blended learning） have been integrated into teaching and learning of English courses in higher vocational colleges， which have brought about positive effects as well as challenges on it. The biggest challenge is that the original classroom ecology of higher vocational English has been disturbed， seriously hindering the realization of their functions. This paper discusses the necessity of reconstructing classroom ecology of higher vocational English and put forward some measures such as redefining the roles of teachers and students， building digital teaching resources and reforming assessments of students English learning to achieve the goal of optimizing students learning processes and facilitating the improvement of their English language competence

【Key words】Reconstruction； classroom ecology； higher vocational English；“Internet Plus”； Ecolinguistics

1. An Overview of English Classroom Ecology in Higher Vocational Colleges

Ecolinguistics， emerging in the 1990s as a new paradigm of linguistic research， is the study of interactions between any given language and its environment， involving three linguistic factors （groups of people in linguistic ecosystems， educational activities and ecological environment where educational activities are carried out） and their interactions. From its perspective， the higher vocational English classroom is an ecosystem where the ecological classroom principal （teachers and students） interacts with its ecological environment. Classroom ecology of higher vocational English is the embodiment of the interactions among these ecological factors （teachers and students， teaching and learning activities， classroom environment） which are relatively independent， interrelated， interdependent and interactive. These ecofactors are inseparable and dynamically changeable. Their interactions determine the running state of the classroom ecosystem of higher vocational English. When the interrelationship among these factors is harmonious and balanced， effective teaching and learning in English classroom can be realized.

2. English Classroom Ecology in Higher Vocational Colleges against the Background of“Internet Plus”

Since the issue of Guiding Opinions of the State Council on Actively Promoting the“Internet Plus” Action in 2015， a new wave of reform has begun with the aim to innovating the teaching models of higher vocational English by integrating internet into teaching and learning in higher vocational colleges throughout China. In the era of“Internet Plus”， new teaching models such as MOOCS， Microlearning and Flipped Classroom， complete reversal of traditional teaching， have been integrated into teaching and learning of higher vocational English courses， which have exerted great significance on them， such as diversifying the teaching resources， vitalizing the teaching content， expanding learning time and developing learning venues， modernizing teaching tools and flexiblizing the teaching methods etc. However， the integration of new teaching models into teaching and learning of English courses in higher vocational colleges broke the balance of its original classroom ecology， leading to the inharmonious relationships among ecological factors of higher vocational English classroom， such as teachers， students， teaching resources and assessment of students learning and so on， which have been seriously hindering the full play of the functions of these new teaching models.endprint

3. Reconstruction of Classroom Ecology of Higher Vocational English against the Background of“Internet Plus” from the Perspective of Ecolinguistics

After the analysis of the English classroom ecology in higher vocational colleges against the background of“Internet Plus”， we learn that it is very necessary for us to reconstruct the classroom ecology of higher vocational English. Next come some suggestions on how to reconstruct it.

3.1 To Redefine the Roles of Teachers and Students

Constructionism lays emphasis on student-centered， discovery learning where students use information they already know to acquire more knowledge. It advocates that students learn through participation in project-based learning where they make connections between different ideas and areas of knowledge facilitated by the teacher through coaching rather than using lectures or step-by-step guidance. According to constructionism， in English language teaching， the teacher takes on many roles such as organizer， instructor， facilitator rather than a lecturer. Teaching“at” students is replaced by assisting them to build English knowledge and improve English language skills in a hands-on way. Thus， the English teachers in higher vocational colleges should make great efforts to create a collaborative learning environment that focus on collaboration and the exchange of ideas for the students. The roles of the teacher in English classroom are to guide and motivate students along their learning paths and help them become quick learners and effective acquirers of English language.

3.2 To Build Diversified Digital Teaching Resources

Traditional teaching resources centered on paper textbooks， the major media for information transmission which was applicable for students in the past but cant satisfy students individualized and autonomous learning needs in the era of“Internet Plus”. The teaching resources， a very important ecofactor of the ecological classroom of higher vocational English， should be built based on following four principles， namely diversity， development， adaptation and openness. It is very important that we make rational use of new information technology to build digital teaching resources with rich content， diversified forms and fast dissemination. In addition， these various teaching resources should be available for students school， home and distance learning by using digital tools such as computers， mobile phones and so on. Characterized by clear and reasonable layout， easy and convenient operation， they can help passionate English teachers in higher vocational colleges integrate new technology effectively into English language teaching to engage students and help them reach their full potential in English language learning. Interest should be considered as a very important factor in building teaching resources because interesting teaching resources can enable the students to experience the joy that comes from learning English， facilitate their English learning and greatly influence their learning effects.endprint

3.3 To Reform Assessments of Students English Learning

As we know， learning is a complex process， which involves not only what students know but also what they can do with what they know. It entails not only knowledge and abilities but also values， attitudes， and habits of mind that impact both academic success and performance beyond the classroom. Assessment of students English learning should adopt a diverse array of methods which can range from informal assessments of whether students are“getting it” （such as observing a well-informed， articulate discussion of a topic or noticing that students eyes have glazed over in class）， to formal assessments of student learning that contribute to their grades in the English courses. English teachers in higher vocational colleges can employ a variety of classroom assessment techniques， including exams and quizzes， written and oral assignments such as papers， oral presentations， English debates and so forth. The flexible use of diverse assessment methods can help to identify areas of the students strengths or success as well as areas that may need further improvement. Subsequent changes can be more effectively targeted， and students may receive more specific feedback about their learning， which ensures that students have sufficient opportunities to optimize their learning processes and better their learning performance in English courses in higher vocational colleges.

4. Conclusion

In summary， in the era of“Internet Plus”， the integration of new teaching models such as MOOCs， micro learning and flipped classroom into teaching and learning of English in higher vocational colleges has brought about positive changes to the English classroom， but also raises some problems. In order to rebalance the interrelationship among the various ecofactors of the classroom ecology of higher vocational English， it is very important for the English teachers to adopt following measures such as redefining the roles of teachers and students， building digital teaching resources and reforming assessments of students English learning to achieve the goal of optimizing students learning processes and helping them gain a higher level of competence in English.

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