创造性地使用教材,让“Task”教学更具实效
2018-07-10沈晓彦
沈晓彦
【摘 要】《牛津高中英语》Task板块涉及听说读写四项基本技能,教师在教学中常常按部就班教教材,导致Task部分教学未能达到教材编写者的预期效果。笔者认为,创造性地教教材,把Task的教学和Welcome to the unit与Reading的教学相互渗透可以有效改变这个局面,使学生听说读写的能力得到切实有效的提高。
【关键词】Task板块 创造性使用 听说读写能力提升
笔者有幸参加了江苏省高中英语教学观摩课活动。上课老师以精湛的教艺和高水平的语言素养向广大英语教师呈现了各种课型(Reading I,Reading II,Task,Project)的巧妙教学设计,为使用译林版《牛津高中英语》(以下均以该教材为例)教材地区的老师提供了大量可借鉴的模式与素材。当然,这样的高层次活动对我们一线教师的冲击力是可想而知的,我们在欣赏和模仿的同时,更应该思考如何在常态教学中创造性地使用教材。笔者就其中的一节Task教学课来谈谈牛津高中英语教材的创造性使用。
南京外国语学校黄蓓老师的一节模块二Unit 2的Task教学课给听课者留下深刻印象,黄老师地道流利的口语,从容自如的课堂驾驭能力把原本平淡无奇的教学过程演绎得相当出彩。那么我们不妨看一看黄老师的教学过程:
Step one:What should we consider before we go on a trip?
在这个步骤中学生通过听老师提问,回答问题来补全信息,为后面的制订旅行计划服务。
Step two: Read two travel plans on the screen and ask some questions
在这个步骤中学生针对plan中的空缺部分提问,逐步形成正确的关于旅游計划信息的提问内容。
Step three: Listen and complete the plans on the screen.
在这个步骤中学生听材料获取信息,提高听力能力。
Step four: Make a travel plan according to the two samples
在这个步骤中学生先模仿制作一个brief travel leaflet,然后相互提问或全班向一个同学提问来了解别人的旅游计划。
Step five: Write an email as the homework
在这个步骤中学生通过课后写电子邮件来进一步加强写作能力。
不难发现,这一节Task教学基本是按照书本的编排顺序来教,听说读写四个方面全部体现,可谓是面面俱到,这也是广大一线教师一直在沿用的方法。可是由于教师的个体水平差异,很多教师无法像黄蓓老师那样游刃有余,每次上完Task都可能会有同样的困惑:听说读写样样顾及,但又似乎顾而不及。师生就像在一条生产流水线上的工人,看着很多东西从眼前滑过,却什么也没有留下。正是由于此,很多老师渐渐放弃或者弱化Task教学,违背了教材设计者的良苦用心,也不利于学生语言基本技能的提高。
笔者认为,教材只是提供了一个教学的材料和平台,教师在教学中不仅要有驾驭课堂的能力,也要有驾驭教材的能力。创造性地使用教材是打造高中英语高效课堂的重要保证。
《牛津高中英语》教材每个单元由七个lesson构成,它们是Welcome to the unit,Reading,Word power,Grammar and usage,Task,Project和Self-assessment。这是教材列出的七个项目,我们可以按部就班顺着教这些内容,但如果我们尝试把这些项目进行整合,可能会带来意想不到的效果。
一、整合Welcome to the unit和Task前两部分,确保学生听说能力提升的最大化
Task板块旨在训练学生的听说读写能力,而Welcome to the unit也是以听说热身为主,我们完全可以把这两个部分整合在一起。现在很多高一高二老师把Welcome to the unit作为一个lesson来上,但由于内容比较少,老师在课堂上设问单调,学生缺乏表达自我的驱动力,以致于课堂气氛沉闷,教师唱独角戏,学生当听众和观众的场面时有发生。如果我们把Welcome to the unit和Task的前面部分整合起来,增加课堂容量,教师设问的形式和层次感更能激发学生的演讲动力,学生当然会积极回答老师的问题。以模块二第二单元为例,我们可以这样设计听说热身课:
Step one:
Look at the four pictures on Page 21,answer the following questions.
Q1: Which of these places would you like to visit most?
Q2: Why do you like these places of interest best?
Q3: If you plan to travel to your favorite place of interest,what should you consider?
Step two:
Read two travel leaflets on Page 33. One student pretends to be a travel agent and the other
student asks questions by using what,when,who,why,and how about the activities,
transportation,places to stay and so on.
Step three:
To complete the two travel plans on Page 34,the students have to listen to a dialogue or a
speech carefully and find the missing information.
Step four:
Work with your partner and make a travel plan. The students should following all the instructions on page 35.
这样的教学设计表面上似乎和原來的Welcome to the unit无太大变化,其实教师和学生的角色任务发生了根本性的改变,教师说的较少,学生说的、听的和做的较多,学生在紧张而兴奋的听说训练中不知不觉提升了能力。
二、整合Reading和Skills building 3,力求读后任务的多元化
现在很多老师把Task的最后一部分Skills building 3作为课外作业来处理,这当然无可厚非。但从效果来看,课外作业和课堂完成的任务的效果是不可同日而语的。可是按照传统的处理方法,课上显然来不及完成。所以笔者认为,把Task中的Skills building 3和Reading部分相整合是最理想的选择。
《牛津高中英语》教材对Reading的传统处理就是:第一节课着重理解文章篇章结构,文章的表层意思和深层内涵,分析判断文章中人物关系、情感和行为,赏析文章中的长难句等;第二节课着重讲解和拓展文章中的重点词汇、短语、句型和语法项目。很多老师对于Reading的处理仅仅满足于此,殊不知我们学习过程中“听”是为了更好地“说”,“读”是为了更好地“写”。现在比较流行的做法就是把Reading分成Reading I和Reading II,也就是上面提到的第一节课和第二节课。其实我们可以把整个Reading分成三个部分,Reading I的教学内容不变;Reading II是读后任务和Task的Skills building 3整合,那就是“写”,以Reading文章为模板,以不同的人物和事件为内容写一篇文章,既让学生进一步理解了文章的体裁结构,又让他们巩固了课文中所学的语言文化知识,还让他们提高了语言组织表达能力;Reading III是语言知识补充与拓展。我们不妨以2011年南通市通州区青年教师优课比赛宋
晓丹老师的教学为例,教材模块二Unit 2的Reading教学课例:
Step 1: Lead-in
1. Talk about travel with Ss. Ask them the following questions:
2. Ask Ss whether they want to go to Africa and what they know about Africa.
3. Show Ss the pictures of morocco,the Sahara Desert,the Nile,Mount Kilimanjaro and
animals in Africa.
Step 2: Fast reading
1. Help Ss to find out what an informal letter is like.
2. Ask Ss to look through the passage quickly and find out the destinations and route of
Tobys adventures in Africa.
Step 3: Careful reading
1. Para. 2 (Morocco and the Sahara Desert)
(1) Read Para.2 and find out the main information.
(2) Ask Ss to retell the paragraph in their own words based on the form they completed. They
are encouraged to use varied sentence patterns.
2. Para. 3(the Nile)
(1) Ask Ss to read Para.3 and find out the main information.
(2) Ask the Ss what the word “rough” mean in the paragraph.
(3) Ask Ss to read the sentence carefully “You should wear a helmet and a life jacket for protection,in case that they fall into the water.” Find out what “you” means in the sentence.
(4) Ask Ss to retell the paragraph in their own words based on the information theyve found.
3. Para. 4&5 (Kenya)
(1) Ask Ss to read Para. 4&5 and find out the main information.
(2) Ask Ss to retell the two paragraphs in their own words based on the information above.
(3) Guess: Why do the Kenyans drink cows blood?
(4) Discussion: Do you think Toby should drink cows blood?
(5) Present some pictures of rare animals in Africa. Tell Ss that these pictures are taken by Toby in Kenya. Ask Ss to tell the names of these animals.
4. Para. 6 (Tanzania)
(1) Ask Ss to read Para. 6 and find out the main information.
(2) Ask Ss to retell the paragraph according to the information above.
Step 4: Consolidation
Present the map of Africa. Ask Ss to talk about Tobys adventures in Africa.
Step 5: Further thinking
Can we change the title into “A trip to Africa”?
Step 6: Brainstorming
1. Ask Ss to watch a short video about white-water rafting. Then ask the question: If you want to go for adventures such as white water rafting,what personalities should you have?
Ss give their answers. Then I present some adjectives.(strong,brave,enthusiastic,determined,quick-witted,determined,cooperative)
2. Ask Ss to list the reasons why people go for adventures.
After their answering the question,Ill present some on the screen. (to enjoy their scenery; to widen their eyes; to seek for excitement; to strengthen their health; to challenge themselves…)
Step 7: Post-reading writing
An adventure in the Amazon
If I have the chance, Id like to go for adventures in the Amazon River.
what to do there
why to go there
I think I can benefit a lot from the adventure. First, … Second, … Third, …
Ask Ss to discuss the adventure plan and write it down in groups. Several minutes later,Ill ask some to read their travel plan to the whole class.
[點评]
宋晓丹老师的这节课对于Reading文本材料的解读与挖掘非常清晰与深刻,学生在老师的指导下能充分理解文章的表层和深层含义。教师以“adventure”为主线,向学生展现了一次惊心动魄而富有挑战的非洲之旅,同时不失时机培养了学生的情感价值观。这节课受到听课教师的一致赞赏。
反思这节课的不足或者说是遗憾,那就是第七项任务Post-reading writing没有能在课堂完成。多年来,很多专家、学者都在研究如何让Writing成为Reading课堂教学的高潮,但这个很难成功,因为课堂四十五分钟的时间限制了学生任务的完成,学生在一节课上只能理解文章的篇章结构和获取细节信息,加上对主旨大意和人物情感的分析,对风土人情和文化知识的渗透,学生不可能再有时间来写作,与其在课堂匆匆敷衍或课外的草草了事,我们不如把Post-reading writing的设计和Task部分的Skills building 3整合,自成一节课:
Step two:
Read the first part on page 36 and keep these points in mind.
An e-mail is usually a kind of informal letter. When you write an e-mail,there are several points to note.
Step three: Finish the second part on page 36.
Step four:
(说明:把Reading I 设计中的post-reading writing去掉,最后的homework改为老师给学生四个名胜—西藏、湄公河、亚马逊河、阿拉斯加,让学生课前上网查阅有关那四个旅游名胜地的信息包括去那里的交通、有何潜在危险、随身携带何物品、有何特殊风土人情等,为本节课写作做些必要的准备。)Write an e-mail to your American friend,telling him your plan to travel to one of the four places of interest. In your e-mail,you are supposed to tell your friend when and where to start,your destination,how to go there,what to take,what are the potential dangers,and so on.
Step five: Presentation.
显然,Step four的设计是在课本第37页任务的基础上进行了优化,学生通过写作进一步提炼Reading文本材料,从而对文本材料的体裁、谋篇布局、语言风格等有更深刻的认识,才能体现读有所思,思有所悟,悟能书之的过程。
《牛津高中英语》Task板块是非常重要的教学依据,教师在应充分领会教材编写者的意图,精心巧妙地设计教学步骤。笔者提倡创造性地使用教材,并不是要对Task部分的随意切割,而是教学内容的相互渗透,目的是把这个板块的作用最大化,让学生听说练得更完整,读写练得更真实,相信听说读写技能的教学会更有实效。