短篇小说After Twenty Years读后续写教学设计与反思
2022-11-30海南省海口市第四中学黄达娅
◎ 海南省海口市第四中学 黄达娅
◎ 海南省海口市教育研究培训院 罗家富
《普通高中英语课程标准》(2017年版)中对学生写作技能要求是“以书面形式描述、概括经历和事实;以书面形式传递信息、论证观点、表达情感;根据表达意图和受众特点,有意识地选择和运用语言;根据表达的需要,设计合理的语篇结构;运用语篇衔接手段,提高表达的连贯性。”课标还指出,“广泛阅读可以让学生体验更丰富的语篇文体,如:对话、小说、传记的代表性文章等语篇类型,使学生逐步养成良好的阅读习惯,通过阅读发展阅读能力,通过阅读学习语言和人文、科学知识,通过阅读拓展思维,提高审美、鉴赏和评价的能力。”但是在日常的英语教学中,教师往往偏向于对阅读文章材料中语言点的讲解,而忽视了对学生思维的逻辑性、批判性和创新性的培养,阅读与写作分离的现象较为严重。
读后续写能实现阅读与写作的紧密结合。从语言输入角度看,短篇小说是很好的读写素材,尤其是欧·亨利的短篇小说,可以帮助学生提高阅读能力、发展思维,提高语言鉴赏能力等。教师可根据学情对小说进行二次开发,根据故事设定续写任务,让学生在理解原著的基础上充分发挥想象力和创造力,续写故事结尾。在读与写的过程中,不断提升学生的阅读鉴赏能力、思维能力、学习能力、创造能力和写作能力。
下面谈谈短篇小说After Twenty Years的读后续写教学设计与反思。
笔者通过“绘制思维导图、根据高考读后续写模式设置续写部分两段的首句、制定该文本续写的目标、根据任务和目标写出参考范文以及制定评价细则”这五个过程对小说进行二次开发,实现读—写—评的一体化。
一、教学内容
本阅读材料选自欧·亨利短篇小说集,故事讲述的是两位在纽约一同长大的好朋友(鲍勃和吉米)不同的人生轨迹和命运的故事。二十年前,十八岁的鲍勃只身前往西部去谋生,而忠厚老实的吉米继续留在纽约。他们约好于二十年后在同一地点同一时间再次见面。然而,二十年后,作为逃犯的鲍勃回到当初告别的餐厅等待好友吉米时,被装扮成是吉米的便衣警察抓捕。与此同时鲍勃也收到来自吉米的纸条告知缘由—作为警察的吉米不忍亲自捉拿好友,只好请别人代劳。
故事明线描述了两位好友二十年间人生的变化,暗线旨在传达鲍勃与吉米在不同的社会背景下生活,导致价值观取向发生改变—在情与法的较量中,职责最终战胜了友谊。
学情分析。本课授课对象为高一年级学生。在阅读小说材料前,学生已学过外教社教材必修一第四单元的泛读课After Twenty Years的节选内容。对于原著中的个别生词(如:chum、chap、 staunch、hustle、proposition、make one’s fortune、scar等)、故事情节以及欧亨利式的结尾(surprise ending)已有所了解。但学生缺乏思维能力的训练,对阅读材料的归纳和整合能力以及故事的主题把握能力较差。且高一的学生缺乏读后续写的训练,学生往往存在畏难心理。加之表达的逻辑性、谋篇能力较差,在故事续写阶段,许多学生无法完成语篇输出。
教学目标。结合学生的学习特点、语言水平、阅读能力和教学内容,笔者共用两个课时(每课时40分钟)进行读写训练。在学习结束时,学生能够:
1.在预习阶段,通过老师提供的问题支架,运用思维导图梳理故事情节;
2.依托文本和故事背景,分析、概括并阐述人物性格,以此挖掘文章主题,树立正确的友谊观;
3.根据文章发展脉络、续写首段的提示及教师追问,合理构思和布局故事;
4.模仿并创造性地使用原著中烘托气氛、体现人物情感的表达,提高续写微技能之动作、场景的描写能力,使得故事的续写与原著衔接合理、融洽 度 高。如:“Bless my heart!”exclaimed the new arrival,grasping both the other’s hands with his own.(非谓语动词doing作伴随状语);chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them…/There was now a fine,cold drizzle falling,and the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow…(环境描写).
二、教学重点和难点
1.通过文本阅读和信息寻读,分析主人公的性格;
2.根据故事发展脉络及续写两段首句,合理预测和构思故事;
3.通过对文本经典句式的模仿与创造,激发续写思路,完成续写。
三、课前预习
1.为培养学生自主学习能力,在课前预习阶段,教师指导学生阅读小说,通过回答以下问题链梳理故事情节和主线:
(1)Who are the main characters in the story?What’s their relationship?
(2)When and where did the story happen?What was the weather like?
(3)Why did they come and meet?
(4)Where did Bob leave for twenty years ago?What about Jimmy?
(5)What kind of life did Bob live in the West?
(6)Did they recognize each other at first when they met twenty years later?
(7)When did Jimmy recognize Bob?What did he do then?
(8)Who turned up after Jimmy left?Why did he come?
(9)What happened to Bob at last?What did he get?
2.学生以小组为中心,充分利用课内及课外资源,同伴互助、分工协作,完成教师分配的任务卡:
Role Task Group 1&2 background investigator Investigate the write r and the background (America’s Westward Expansion 美国西进运动)Group 3&4 plot explorer Sort out the plot of the story with a mind map Group 5 character analyst Find out the sentences that describe Jimmy, and try to infer Jimmy’s personalities Group 6 character analyst Find out the sentences that describe Bob, and try to infer Bob’s personalities
3.在完成以上的预习任务后,学生根据续写两段的首句以及教师提供的问题支架,预测故事走向,初步构思故事结局。
Paragraph 1:
“Jimmy!Where are you?”cried Bob,____________________________________
Q1:What response would Bob get?How did he feel?
Q2:Would Jimmy turn up?If yes,what would Jimmy say and do?If not,what would Bob say and do next?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Stepping out of jail into the cold wind,Bob,now 58,felt lost and hopeless. _____________________________________________________________________
Q1:Where would Bob go?What would he see and do?
Q2:Do you want to introduce other characters?If so,who are they?
Q3: What had happened to Bob and Jimmy over the past 20 years?
Q4:How will the story end?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
四、教学过程
本教学设计的课堂部分主要分为七个环节,共用两节课时。
1.“梳理背景”环节。梳理小说相关背景信息有助于学生更加深入地理解故事、分析人物性格、体会作者隐含的思想感情。
此环节,笔者邀请“background investigator”上台展示课前信息搜集与整合的成果:作者简介及美国西进运动的相关历史知识,并对学生的预习成果予以评价和适当的补充(见图1)。
2.“理清情节”环节。关注小说三要素,理清故事脉络。小说三要素为人物、环境和情节。三者中,人物是核心,小说以情节为骨架、以环境为依托来塑造丰富的人物形象。掌握小说三要素对深入理解人物性格、探索故事主旨有着重要的作用。
笔者首先通过以下设问引导学生关注故事的主要人物、人物关系、故事环境以及小说的矛盾冲突:
(1)Who are the main characters and what’s their relationship?
(2)When and where did the story happen?What was the weather like?
(3)Did they meet and chat happily as good friends just like 20 years ago?Why?
接着邀请“plot explorer”上台依据自己绘制的思维导图复述小说情节。教师给学生提供必要的评价和指导,鼓励学生以多种方式呈现自己对小说情节的梳理和整合,培养了学生对文本信息的归纳和整合的能力。
在欣赏“欧·亨利式结尾”方面,笔者通过设问“What surprises you after reading the story and sorting out the plots?”引导学生回顾故事,欣赏欧·亨利式“意料之外,情理之中”的结局,学生的阅读兴趣被激发,为更深入的阅读理解做好准备。
3.“分析人物”环节。笔者引导学生在立足文本、推敲细节的基础上总结和归纳人物性格,能充分培养学生的逻辑性思维能力和批判能力。
此环节,笔者通过追问“Jimmy arrested his best friend.Do you think Jimmy did the wrong thing?”“What do you think about Jimmy?What about Bob?”引导学生思考人物性格,并在文中找出支持性的句子(见图2、图3)。
4.“挖掘主题”环节。开展对主题意义探究的活动,引导学生用辩证思维看人物,理性分析做判断,以此树立正确的价值观。
笔者引导学生思考问题:“Will you do the same as Jimmy if you find your friend a criminal?Why?”学生讨论并分享自己的看法后,教师给出自己的见解,引导学生达成共识,树立正确的友谊观:“Yes,I would.Even though I cherish our friendship very much,I would not let a personal relationship stand in the way of sticking to the truth.I should distinguish right from wrong.What’s more,everyone should pay for the crimes he/she commits.”
5.“预测构思”环节。这一环节既是学生逻辑性、批判性、创造性和发散性思维的发展过程,也是其语言组织和表达能力提升的过程。
笔者首先引导学生关注段落首句的关键词,以此确定续写内容逻辑的关联性。接着根据首句设问,在环环相扣的问题引导下,学生紧紧围绕事件、人物感受和结果,合理预测故事的发展和结局。
Paragraph 1:
“Jimmy!Where are you?”cried Bob,____________________________________
Q1:What response would Bob get?How did he feel?
Q2:Would Jimmy turn up?If yes,what would Jimmy say and do?If not,what would Bob say and do next?
Paragraph 2:
Stepping out of jail into the cold wind,Bob,now 58,felt lost and hopeless. _____________________________________________________________________
Q1:Where would Bob go?What would he see and do?
Q2:Do you want to introduce other characters?If so,who are they?
Q3:What had happened to Bob and Jimmy over the past 20 years?
Q4:How will the story end?
因学生在预习阶段已经根据自己预读的成果初步构思故事,所以在深入解读故事后,笔者引导学生在小组内讨论并修改自己的提纲,最后在班里分享优化后的提纲。
6.“赏析语言”环节。高一的学生接触读后续写的训练较少,可能在完成语篇输出方面有困难,所以语言的模仿对内容的创造至关重要。笔者引导学生品析目标语言,在后续的目标语言操练时融入多种故事续写的辅助性信息,为学生指引续写方向,使模仿与创造紧密结合。
此环节笔者通过设问“Now you have the outline,but do you know how to write your story vividly?Let’s appreciate some wonderful sentences in the story.”顺势引出目标语言并引导学生关注语法结构和句子功能:“Bless my heart!”exclaimed the new arrival,grasping both the other’s hands with his own.(现在分词充当伴随状语,体现主人公激动的心情);chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them…/There was now a fine,cold drizzle falling,and the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow…(环境描写,烘托凄凉的气氛)具体教学设计如下:Finish the following sentences and translate the sentences into English.
非谓语动词-ing形式充当伴随状语,通过动作细节描写体现人物情感。
(1)The man stood there silently, ____________ where he should go. (wonder)
(2)My beloved friend, ________ a smile upon her face,came out to greet me.(wear)
(3)He turned the envelope over,his hands________.(tremble)
(4) _______(wander)on the street, Jack bumped into his old friend he hadn’t seen for ages.They grabbed both the other’s hands,________(chat) and ________(laugh)loudly.“Let’s go around to a place I know of, and have a good long talk!”Jack suggested.The two men started up the street,________(walk) arm in arm.
(5)他抬起头(raise one’s head),看着天空,然后打开双手,任由纸条飞在寒风中。“一切都结束了。走吧,伙计。” 他转向(turn to)身边的男子,低声说道 (murmur)。___________________________________________________________
通过环境描写烘托气氛、表达人物情感。
(1)(描述黑暗)It was quite dark.
这是一个阴冷的 (chilly)雨夜,一切都被黑暗所吞噬了(be swallowed by)。_____________________________________________________
(2)(描述寒冷)It was cold.
天气异常地冷,冷风不停地吹打着她的脸。(blow; beat against)
_____________________________________________________________________
(3)(描述太阳)The sun was in the sky.
太阳升起来了。整条街被金黄的光线包裹着,在温暖的阳光下闪闪发光。
(be wrapped in; shine) __________________________________________________
(4)(描 述 星 星)The stars were in the sky.
天上的星星在照耀,就像钻石(diamond)般镶嵌(inlaid)在这深蓝的夜空中。
_____________________________________________________________________
7.“写作分享”环节。学生在续写环节创造性地模仿和运用目标语言,大胆地设想故事结尾,充分培养了学生的创新思维能力。续写完成后学生对照评价标准,对续写的故事先自评后互评,有助于培养学生的读者意识,激发其写作兴趣。具体写作任务如下:
(1)Write your story according to your outline and the following requirements:
(2)Share your story and check your partner’s work according to the chart above.
(3)Let’s learn from each other and make improvements together.
Item Make sure you…Tense use the simple past tense Content make your story logical and closely connected to the original passage Language use the language we learned today to show people’s feelings and foil the atmosphere vividly Ending make your ending soft; convey correct view of friendship
在全班分享环节,笔者挑选一篇较为出色的文章进行展示,并引导学生一起赏析,实现续写成果相互分享、学习并优化。
“Jimmy! Where are you?”cried Bob, but nobody answered.It was unusually cold with chilly winds blowing and beating against his face.“Actually,I have already been tired of escaping.You needn’t hide yourself.We should have caught up on the lost twenty years.”Bobmurmured,reaching out his hands and asking to be handcuffed.A few minutes later,Bob and the tall man disappeared into the cold dark night.
Stepping out of jail into the cold wind,Bob,now 58,felt lost and hopeless.“Twenty years is a long time.Who will think of me?”He smiled bitterly.Walking in the street,Bobwas surprised to seea familiar-looking man.His hands were trembling by the time he realized that the man was Jimmy.“I’m here for you,bro.”Jimmy said,“Let’s go home.”With tears in their eyes,the two brothers hugged each other.At that time,the sun rose.They both felt warm with the sun shining on them.
在该生的续写中,画线部分为目标语言的使用,斜体字部分为动作细节的描写。可见该生充分发挥了自己的创新思维,模仿并创造性地使用了语言操练教学活动中提供的续写语料,通过环境描写及动作细节的描写,巧妙地烘托了气氛、体现了人物情感并创造了合理的故事结局。该生的习作与原著衔接合理、融洽度高,体现了正确的友谊观与世界观。
8.教学反思。本次读写课实现了分析阅读材料、探索故事主题、落实语言知识和培养思维品质的有效结合。具体而言,笔者有以下四点感悟。
(1)先学后教的效果。先学后教不仅能培养学生自主学习的能力,而且有助于教师课上检测学生预习成果、调整教学节奏并帮助学生形成新的知识结构,能为续写做好充分准备。
(2)小组合作的效果。小组合作能促进学生思考、合作探讨和展示合作成果,能锻炼学生搜集、梳理、整合信息的能力以及口头表达能力。笔者课前担心学生在完成预习成果展示时会有困难,但是学生的表现出乎笔者预料,可见学生的潜力无限。
(3)赏析语言的效果。通过赏析语言,学生在语言储备上迈出了写作语言准备的第一步,随后的填空、句型仿写和翻译等教学活动,融入多种可能的故事情节,做足铺垫与输入,能为学生的语篇输出提供语料和方向,让学生在写作上更加自信。
(4)走好写作过程的效果。通过具体的续写目标,关注学生的写作过程以及分享写作成果,能更好地锻炼并提升学生的写作能力,学生的作品能给我们带来更多惊喜。
在常规的读后续写教学中,因为课时紧、内容多,教师常常无暇关注学生的写作过程以及对学生思维能力的培养,对学生的写作成果评价方式也较单一,导致教师教得辛苦,学生写得痛苦。经过此次的课堂实践,笔者对课外阅读以读促写的教学有了新的认识和方向,将在后续的教学中不断培养学生的阅读技能和语言鉴赏能力,提升学生的读后续写能力和主题挖掘能力。