浅析英语写作中衔接手段的教学
2021-12-02陈镜辉许静
陈镜辉 许静
胡壮麟在其著作《语篇的衔接与连贯》及后期发表的相关论文中,从三个方面,即指称性、结构衔接和逻辑衔接,对衔接理论进行了高度概括。逻辑连接更着眼于语义,除了传统语法中的连词,也可通过副词、介词短语,甚至零形式体现,比如later,consequently,the next morning,in conclusion等词,即显性衔接手段。然而,在日常教学中,这是一个很细小且容易被忽视的教学点。
一、英语写作中衔接手段缺失
学生在英语写作中因缺少运用衔接手段的意识,往往不懂得如何合理运用,甚至连最基础的连词也用得十分混乱,以致文章逻辑混乱,结构松散。笔者把这些问题简单归为三个方面:(1)缺失,上下句有明显的逻辑关系,但写作时并没有使用任何衔接手段;(2)误用,对衔接手段理解不正确,或是对上下句逻辑理解不正确,导致句子逻辑混乱;(3)单一,手段过于单一,最常见的就是只用“and”进行衔接。
这可以归因为两个方面:(1)日常教学中得不到重视,平时更侧重于词汇、高级表达或长难句理解等环节,很少把衔接手段的学习放在重要的位置;(2)受中文思维影响较大,中文相对于英文来说是较为松散的语言系统,但其“形散意不散”,英语则是一门更重视“形聚意才不散”的语言。
笔者认为,显性衔接手段虽小,但无论在交流、写作或教学中都应重视。如果按照高考作文字数要求100词左右来算,至少应该有8~10个正确使用的衔接手段数量,才能让文章逻辑通顺。这和王寅提出的“一篇英语文章连接词语的覆盖率一般在10%左右”研究结果不谋而合。(王寅, 1990)因此,一线英语教师应尝试将衔接手段纳入教学中。
二、拼句法
为了提升学生对于衔接手段的理解和运用能力,笔者推荐以形合法为理论依据的教学方法。
1. 了解衔接手段的定义和分类
在设计连词课堂前,教师需先和学生分享常见衔接手段的分类和基本用法,笔者建议借鉴Cobuild English Grammar的归纳方式:
(1)Indicating an addition(besides, as well, furthermore, at the same time, moreover, etc)
(2)Indicating a similar point(again, equally, likewise, in the same way, similarly, etc)
(3)Contrasts and alternatives(all the same, instead, still, nevertheless, by contrast, though, on the contrary, yet, on the other hand, however, rather, etc)
(4)Causes(accordingly, consequently, so, therefore, as a result, hence, thereby, thus, etc)
(5)Showing sequence in time(afterwards, last, soon, later, beforehand, meanwhile, next,ever since, presently, then, finally, previously, simultaneously, in the meantime, since, etc)
(6)Putting points in order(firstly, secondly, finally, then, in conclusion, lastly, etc)
(7)Conjunctions(and, but, yet, or, nor, etc)
以上例句从略。
2. 以形合法为理论基础的拼句训练
形合法指出,英语是重形合的语言,各种语法在句子结构中都有表现,如有较明显的形态标记(单复数、时态)、丰富多样的词类及合理使用的连词等。英语的形合手段多种多样,主要运用连词、从句中的关系代词或关系副词,以及分詞、动名词、介词短语和不定式等。以此为理论基础,笔者设计了以下几个层次的拼句训练。
Level One
She bought a tin of coffee. She bought a bottle of milk. → She bought a tin of coffee and a bottle of milk.(运用and连接)
He wants to leave. It suddenly rains. → He wants to leave but it suddenly rains.(运用but连接)
Level Two
He is a coward. It is known to all. → It is known to all that he is a coward.(运用关系代词that)
Mrs. Brown was a doctor. You met her at my house. → Mrs. Brown who you met at my house was a doctor.(运用关系代词who)
It was a crucial moment. Everybody decided to devote themselves to the rescue work. → It was a crucial moment when everybody decided to devote themselves to the rescue work.(运用关系副词when)
Level Three
Julia is in a hurry.
Her boyfriend is in a hurry.
The film started.
It was fifteen minutes ago.
Julia does not want to miss too much of it.
Her boyfriend does not want to miss too much of it.
It is one of the old films.
The films are Charles Kays.
It was made years ago.
It was ten years.
Julia does not remember.
Julia saw the film on television.
It was a few months ago.
连句成篇的综合难度更高。几个短句合成一篇2-3个句子的短文,这种训练模式适合以小组头脑风暴的方式进行。在实际教学当中,学生十分喜欢这个环节,课堂气氛热烈,产出的答案多样。但此模式十分考验教师的点评和分析能力,教师也可以放手讓英语基础较好的学生作为助教来点评。(此拼句练习源自华南师范大学外文学院教授潘军武。)
三、其他训练方法
1. 师生同改作文法
教师精心挑选一些衔接手段运用问题较大的文章,以投影或课件方式全班呈现。学生分组探讨、修改和提升。此外,教师还可以给出中文,让学生重写有衔接问题的句子,进一步巩固和加深衔接手段的学习。
2. 语境训练法
要使语篇连贯,应满足三个内部条件:话题、主位推进和衔接手段(朱永生,1996)。话题和主位推进是更高层次的语言素养,而衔接手段看似简单,但无论是应试还是日常交流中都不可或缺。在日常单元教学中,教师应精选文段,如课文或者高考题目原文等,挖空原文中的衔接手段并让学生填入。此外,教师可创设更贴近学生日常生活和写作的语境让学生写句子,着重语言的衔接方式。下文是笔者改编2020年全国I卷阅读理解C篇的段落挖空后的练习:
① running, race walking is physically demanding, she says. According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里)per hour, ② is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, ③ fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.
④, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, ⑤ race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
⑥, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runners knee, are uncommon among race walkers. ⑦ the sports strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. ⑧, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.
参考答案:1. Like 2. which 3. though 4. However 5. while 6. As a result 7. But 8. In fact
为达到更好的教学效果,贯彻英语学习活动观,可以让学生分组竞赛,小组寻找或改编一篇文章,并将衔接手段全部删去,然后小组间互相挑战,以正确填入最多衔接手段的小组为胜利方。此训练模式能很好地提升学生学习动力,激发学习热情。活动之后,教师应对学生的表现进行互动点评,从而达到2017年新课程标准的“教学评一致性”的相关要求。
四、提升、反思和总结
以形合法为理论基础所设计的衔接手段练习,能让学生更加深入地理解衔接手段。经过训练,笔者能明显感受到学生写作时连贯性的提升。但这仅仅是训练的第一环节,因为语言结构中除了显性的衔接手段,还有隐性的衔接手段,这对于学生的语言综合能力以及中英思维对照的要求更高。下阶段笔者将以意合法为理论根据设计训练。意合法指词与词、句子和句子之间的组合往往在外部形态上没有明显的标志,而主要依靠意义上的关联来“粘合”。此训练方式适合更高水平的学生,比如设计一节课,教师给出中文,学生翻译。
(1)Tom太累了,不能再走了。Tom was too tired to walk.
(2)他收拾好书包,然后毫不犹豫地离开。He packed the bag, and left without hesitation.
(3)小男生正在玩,这时他妈妈冲进来了。When the little boy was playing, his mother rushed in.
(4)到了我就打电话给你。Ill call you as soon as I arrive.
(5)好久不见了。It has been a long time since I saw you last.
(6)有空就来。Come if you have time.
(7)冬天来了,春天还会远吗? If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
此外,笔者还曾设计中英诗歌的互译,让学生从更高维度掌握衔接手段的高级运用以及中英文化的异同。
衔接手段的课堂教学活动设计对教师的要求很高,主要难点在于课时安排问题,也在于部分学生会觉得衔接手段很简单,并不值得投入很多时间。所以,这对课堂活动的创新提出了很高的要求。尽管如此,教师应重视培养学生合理运用衔接手段的意识,以教材为载体,在教学中创设更多不同的情景加以巩固和提升。
注:本文为2019年广东省教育信息化应用融合创新专项课题“新课标背景下基于语料库的高中英语写作研究”的阶段性成果(课题编号:19jx06071),及2020年广东省教育科学“十三五”规划“强师工程”2020年度项目“新高考背景下微型语料库在高中英语写作教学中的应用研究”的阶段性成果(课题编号:2020ZJK003)。