基于综合视野理论的高中英语阅读教学读后活动设计:问题与思考

2015-02-14 01:06芮甜甜
英语教师 2015年18期
关键词:读后高中英语文本

芮甜甜

基于综合视野理论的高中英语阅读教学读后活动设计:问题与思考

芮甜甜

在高中英语阅读课堂教学中,读后活动的设计及有效进行扮演着举足轻重的作用。结合2015年浙江省高中英语课堂教学评比活动中的课例,分别从内容、思维、语言三个角度用综合视野理论来分析读后活动设计中出现的问题,并探讨其对策。

阅读教学;综合视野;读后活动;问题与思考

一、综合视野理论下的读后活动

阅读教学中,不论从何种角度来解读文本,始终是一个高度综合的过程,即要有综合视野。高中英语阅读课堂首先要关注文本信息的加工,语言是承载信息的核心载体,而这个过程能有效地促进思维能力的提升。简言之,高中英语阅读课的核心是:在阅读和交流中关注文本内容,在交互和活动中关注学习策略,在评判和想象中提升思维水平(葛炳芳2013)。英语阅读教学综合视野的理论,以“为内容而读,为思维而教,为语言而学”和“体验阅读过程,感受策略运用”为核心理念,强调阅读课堂教学是一个综合而有侧重的过程(葛炳芳2015)。阅读教学中“内容、语言和思维”这三个维度始终贯穿于阅读的始终,自然也体现在读后活动设计与实施的过程中。

本文结合了在2015年浙江省高中英语课堂教学评比活动中的课例,分别从内容、思维、语言三个角度即以综合视野理论来解读其读后活动设计中出现的问题,并探讨问题解决的对策。

二、高中英语阅读教学中读后活动存在的问题与思考

(一)语言视角

语言是文本内容的载体,也是表达思想的载体。语言学习应贯穿于整个阅读教学中。在读后活动中,如何从语言视角来判断其读后活动有效性,势必要从语言输出的有效性上来判断。Swain(Swain 1985)认为,尽管“可理解性地输入”对语言学习是必不可少的,但“理解性输入”本身还不足以导致成功的语言习得,成功的二语学习者不仅需要“可理解性地输入”,更需要“可理解性地输出”。

1.语言输入与输出的平衡性

研究发现,有的读后活动设计缺乏对语言输入与输出平衡性的考量。少数课堂上,教师在读后活动之前忙于梳理有关信息,整理文本内容,对有效的语言输入关注不够,这样便很难为学生在读后活动中的语言输出提供有效支架,导致语言输入与输出不够平衡。多数的参赛教师意识到这种平衡的重要性,在一开始便注重词汇的初步感知、读中的再理解、读后的运用。但是还存在一个现象:在具体实施过程中语言输入“量”上去了,但学生输出的“质”却不尽如人意。如:

在On self-esteem and Sport这篇阅读文本教学中,在导入时,某教师通过对学生提问(Q:What was your feeling when you came to this new school?)和介绍自己的经历引出一系列词汇,scary,stressful,self-esteem,fit in,physical active,core,terrific,并在PPT上展示,给出英文释义。紧接着在读中让学生画出课文中表现主人公感受的单词,有scary,stressful,angry,worried,sadness,self-doubted等,之后一系列的读中活动都没有这些词汇的复现,直到在读后活动Group Work中给出填空式问题:

If you feel/are(not)___.I suggest that___,because___.

教师的用意是要学生运用这些语言,这看似与前面的语言铺垫紧密结合,在读前和读中也分别出现了一些学生可以用的词汇、短语,但事实上,学生在回答这个题目时,用到的语言最多的是unhappy,confident,nervous等这些词汇。而这些语言在上这次课之前已经存在于学生的认知结构中,换句话说,输出语言知识和阅读前没有明显差异(戴军熔2011),学生的输出质量是值得教师深思的。

对此,笔者认为可以尝试以下措施来避免语言的输入与输出在读后环节的不平衡性。首先,教师在读中,文本信息的处理过程中,提高这些单词的复现率,即教师在各个教学环节过渡及教学环节中,有意识地增加其出现的频率;其次,教师可以用一些同义词替换,以学过的词来替换这些新出现的语言,内化文本中的语言;除此之外,在读后活动的实施中,除可以给出句型之外,还可以给出之前输入时的关键词,以提醒学生学以致用。

2.关注话题语言与功能语言的输出

在阅读教学的读后活动中,教师将关注点放在了语言的输出上,那么应该输出什么样的语言呢?是不是文中出现的新的语言点或者标注的黑体字都需要在这一个环节中进行巩固输出呢?显然不是。若是以话题为中心组织语言具有特定的语境要素,能满足特定交际需要,需要与学生的生活经验和情感体验有机结合,因而便于学生做到“整进整出”(赖朝晖2013),所以从这一点上看,注重话题语言与功能语言能更好地输出。

如在On Self-esteem and Sport这篇文章的教学中,教师则较好地进行了话题语言的输出,group work:Make a suggestion for a friend with low self-esteem in life or study.并给出了相关的支架:Ifyoufeel/are(not),Isuggestthat, because。在这个读后活动中,该教师将读中遇到的问题、解决的方法都囊括了进来,将零碎的语言点由一条有主题的线串联起来,有利于帮助学生掌握这个主题的语言点。

(二)内容视角

内容视角即与阅读文本信息处理相关的视角。读后活动在于文本信息的再组织、再加工,对文本结构、主要内容的全方位把握,使学生对文本的理解更加深刻。

1.读后活动应与文本紧密相关

阅读教学中,教师常常把读中活动作为理解和获取文本信息的唯一环节,而在读后活动中忽略了该活动与文本内容的相关性。试问读后活动若与文本内容脱离了关系,那读后活动是否还为这堂阅读课服务?

如在At life’s crossroad这篇阅读文本的教学中,文章主题为在人生道路上如何做抉择,如何正确选择人生道路,关键词应该是choose,option,choice,decision。在读后环节,大多数教师都选择了用提问学生自己的经历来完成discussion的读后活动。如:Who made the decisions for you?Share your own experience with us.等与阅读文本的话题紧密相关的讨论主题。由于是省级课堂教学评比,与日常的常态课相比,在此方面做得比较到位。

在设计读后活动时,教师在充分理解本文内容的基础上选择与文本密切相关的活动进行拓展,如在讲述self-esteem这个主题时,读后活动的主题仍然与描述某个人建立自尊自信的“方向”相关;在讲述life crossroads中decision,option,choice时,活动主题也不能脱离“选择”“重要决定”这些关键词。

2.尊重文本的价值内涵

部分课堂在阅读文本阶段“匆匆忙忙赶时间”,而在课堂的最后阶段却用10分钟左右去做一个读后活动,从而导致学生对文本的阅读和理解不充分。教师所追求的是为读后活动创造更多时间,但是教师应反思的是,学生阅读如果不够充分,在教师匆匆“赶”完阅读中阶段,到了读后阶段,即使有时间去讨论,学生若在前期对文本把握并不准确或不完整的情况下,读后活动的实施效果也会大打折扣。同时也可以发现,几乎每位教师都将一个“大型”的读后活动放在了所有阅读都完成之后,当文本中出现有深层价值的语段时,教师便匆匆以一个问答题的形式完成,忽略了对文本价值内涵的尊重。

在Self-esteem文本的教学中,几乎所有教师都采用了小组讨论的读后活动,即讨论自己或朋友中遇到low self-esteem时如何解决这个问题。某教师的读后活动为Group Work:What are your ways of increasing self-esteem?Why?而在读前或者读中出现a core group of good friends,have history with friends和But the battle to fit in wore on me等具有深刻价值内涵的词句时,教师却没有进行设问,也没有帮助学生进行文本内容的深层次理解,对文本本身的内在价值缺少尊重。

所以在读后活动的设计中,教师不应该只注重活动形式,为了活跃气氛而讨论,从而忽略活动内容、教学目标以及教学活动之间的相关性,更不能忽视对教学内容深层意义的挖掘、解读、探究和拓展。事实证明,并非每一堂阅读课都要在读完整个文本后才可以设置一个“大型”的读后活动。读后活动也可以安排在读完一个相对独立的片断后进行(葛炳芳2011),一般这个教学片断或者其中的一句话具有丰富的内涵,如对文章的主题有呼应,反映主人公内心世界的变化等。

(三)思维视角

一节课成功与否的关键在于教师设计的活动是否激发了学生的思维,而不是开展了多少教学活动(林才回2008)。大多数人认为学生连基本的语言也学不好,何谈思维。Waters(2006)认为,越是语言水平低的学生,越需要思维性的活动,越需要参与认知上具有挑战性的活动。英语学科的“思”是学习语言创新思维能力,即逻辑性思维、批判性思维和创造性思维的技能,其中,批判性思维在语言意义的评判中发挥重要作用(黄远振等2014)。批判性思维技能包括判断推理、质疑解疑、求同辨异(求同思维和求异思维)、评价预测(黄远振、兰春寿、黄睿2014)。读后活动是在理解了文本表层含义后进行的,可以进一步理解体会文本,并对文本、作者、主人公提出评价的活动环节。若此时还是停留在表层信息的理解或者曲解作者写作意图的话,这样的读后活动是无效的。

1.注重深层意义的理解

在读后活动中,不难发现许多教师在教学中多采用小组讨论的形式,这时教师的提问十分重要,若是教师的提问还停留在对表层信息的获取,那么这项读后活动就没有起到帮助学生提升思维的作用。如在On self-esteem and Sport这个文本中,要体会主人公思想的转变,即运动给她带来了自尊的力量,某教师在读后设计了这样一个分享活动:Faced with low self-esteem,what will you choose to be your soccer?Why?学生通过自身经历体会作者的心情改变,当然他在描述自身前后改变时,用到的词汇意义是相反的,前面是消极词汇,后面是积极词汇,其实在某种程度上来说,学生能意识到这一点,就是在积极地思考,而不只是停留在表层信息的获取上。

教师在引导学生阅读文本时所涉及的问题是至关重要的,并且要善于追问,如What’sthepurpose of the passage?What is the author’s idea?How about your idea?先问作者,问主人公,然后延伸到自己的经历,问自己。教师不仅仅将教学内容停留于作者的想法,主人公的想法上,更多地要学生说出自己的想法和经历,即求同辨异,判断推理,阅读读后活动作为思维碰撞的环节,应引导学生去探寻文本背后的“言外之意”。

2.提供学生推测和评价的机会

读后阶段,需要学生通过之前的阅读,对阅读文本有基本的理解。读后活动的设计多是以小组讨论和作报告的形式出现。比如,教师提问时,有的学生就拿起书本找答案,这便是认为在书中可以找到问题的答案。这时教师若给学生创造自己独立思考和对作者的写作意图进行预测、质疑、评价的机会,学生在读后活动中便有了思维的提升。预测是指在对文本信息有了理解后,加入自己的观点,来揣摩作者意图,而在预测的同时,免不了对作者的写作目的、方法、措辞、篇章结构进行质疑和评价,可以正面评价,也可以负面评价,若是负面的,也可以给出修改的意见。

如在At Life’s Crossroads的教学中,某教师的读后活动为:

Your ending:We spend a lot of our time wondering about what path to take in our lives.This experience taught me that______.

即进行最后一段的阅读之前,让学生在阅读前面文本的基础上,自己续写结局,出乎意料的是,学生在实际操作中将自己的想法说得头头是道,甚至有的学生与文本本身的conclusion十分相似,在很大程度上,较为准确地预测了作者的写作意图,并且与主人公产生了强烈的共鸣。

教师在读后活动的设计与实施中,要为学生创造能够推测、预测、评价、质疑的机会,不只是在读后活动中讨论述说自己的经历,而应该是对文本进行深层次的思考。

结束语

读后活动是阅读课堂教学不可缺少的重要环节。读后活动是语言、内容、思维输出和反馈的过程,教师应当以综合视野来衡量读后活动。它既能引导学生深入理解文章的篇章结构和思想内容,又能有助于学生对文本中的语言有效吸收和运用,还要使学生深层次地、批判性地理解课文,为了文本的这三个方面使语言得到内化和迁移。因此,读后活动是阅读教学的重点,精心设计好这个阶段的教学任务对一节阅读课的成功起着非常关键的作用。当然,有效的读后活动设计与实施最终的落脚点还要与阅读文本有着紧密联系,不能为了读后活动而做读后活动,话题讨论的指向性还在文本主题上。

在阅读教学的读后活动中,虽然从三个角度分别来阐述读后活动的有效性,实则这三者是息息相关,不能孤立存在的。思维需要语言作支撑,需要内容作基础,更需要时间去体验(葛炳芳2013)。当然,在读后活动的设计中,教师要努力把文本内容、语言、思维三者的关系更好地融合起来。

引用文献

戴军熔,郑春红,朱雯,吴璇.2011.英语阅读教学中的读后活动:设计与实施[M].杭州:浙江大学出版社.

葛炳芳.2011.外语教师的专业成长:阅读教研与行动改进[M].杭州:浙江大学出版社.

葛炳芳.2013.英语阅读教学的综合视野:内容、思维和语言[M].杭州:浙江大学出版社.

葛炳芳.2015.英语阅读教学的综合视野:理论与实践[M].杭州:浙江大学出版社.

黄远振,兰春寿,黄睿.2014.为思而教:英语教育价值取向及实施策略[J].课程·教材·教法,(4):63-69.

赖朝晖,刘晓燕,赖轶璇,叶未翔.2013.英语阅读教学中的语言处理:感知与运用[M].杭州:浙江大学出版社.

林才回.2008.高中英语阅读读后活动设计的问题与思考[J].中小学外语教学(中学篇),(4):35-40.

Swain,M.1985.Communicative competence:Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible outputin itsdevelopment[C]//In Gass,S.&C.Madden (Eds.).Inputin SecondLanguageAcquisition.Rowley,MA:Newbury House.

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作者信息:321004,浙江金华,浙江师范大学外国语学院

附录1:

该材料用于2015年4月9日开课,金华艾青中学高二学生使用,但在实际比赛中,参赛教师根据学生水平以及自己对原始材料的理解,对此进行改编。

On Self-Esteem and Sport My dad was in the Air Force.When I was a kid,we moved every few years.That meant a lot of good-byes.It also meant getting used to a whole new community and a whole new school each time we moved.It was scary because I was really shy.I can still feel what it was like to have to walk into the new school—that sinking feeling in my belly,that lump in my throat.All the kids already knew each other.It would always take time for me to learn how everything worked,what was cool and what was not. It was always a struggle to find where I fit in—never a fun struggle either.

Feelings happen.Sadness,anger,stress,worry,nervousness,and all other emotions are normal.It’s what makes us human.But the emotion commotion can hit girls especially hard during the teen years. Changingbodies,changingfriends,changing schools,and just growing up can make life confusing and hard.It’s totally normal.

But the battle to fit in wore on me.Already shy,Ididn’thavemuchself-confidenceinmy friend-making abilities.I was the girl walking in the halls with her head down,fidgeting.I would check my clothes and hair every two seconds.When I spoke,you could hardly hear my soft voice.I was nervous and doubted myself a lot.

It’s a fact—girls are likely to face a drop in self-esteem during the teenage years.That means all those feelings about self-worth and competence take a big hit.I think part of that is due to wanting to fit in.And part of it is due to what girls see in the media.We are bombarded with nasty messages in videos,magazines,and television—about how girls are“supposed”to be.

Low self-esteem might lead to some very serious consequences.Have you heard the statistics?Before graduating high school,nearly one out of every three girls will experience depression,anxiety,or eating disorders—almost twice the rate of boys.Now that’s scary!

It was very hard not having a history with everyone else.I was an outsider.But what I did have was soccer.Wherever I went,I knew that I could fit in with the soccer ball.The soccer team meant a familiar place and immediate friends for me.I could express myself on the field.Playing hard helped to get rid of all my nervousness.Girls who play sports and are physically active are more likely to feel good about themselves.And that goes for all kinds of physical activities,from yoga to basketball.Even today,I am not confident all the time.I still think about getting people to like me.When I start feeling like that,I just call my mom or sister or a friend and talk about it.Or I’ll do things that make me feel good,like exercising,cooking,or reading.

There are always going to be things that make you nervous and uncertain.That’s life.And even in my lucky life,I still have those feelings—at the beginning of the new sports season,when meeting new people,or making important decisions.I keep a small,core group of really good friends.Most have been my teammates for years.We have shared a lot together.They have seen the good,the bad,and the ugly sides of me,and they still accept me.They have taught me that it’s how you treat others that makes you valuable in life.I guess I have history with friends now.

Throughout our lives,our self-esteem goes down when we feel like a failure,and it goes up when wefeelsuccessful.Doingsomethingwell,being praised,and feeling loved goes a long way.We all need to explore opportunities where we can be good at something and feel good about ourselves.Physical activity and sport participation is a terrific way to build up your sense of self-confidence and self-worth. You get to set goals for yourself,you get challenged,you feel good about your accomplishments,and you learn that after today’s failure—there’s tomorrow’s chance.

附录2:

该材料用于2015年4月10日上午开课,金华艾青中学高一学生,但在实际比赛中,参赛教师根据学生水平以及自己对原始材料的理解,对此进行了改编。

At Life’s Crossroads

In 1989,fresh outofschool,Ihad theintimidating task of choosing a career path before college started in three months.In those days in Pakistan,there were limited options:becoming a doctor or an engineer,or entering the corporate world after getting a business degree.I wasn’t interested in engineering,so that left medicine or business.I couldn’t decide.

Myuncle,oneoftheeldersinthefamily,suggested that I do a work placement to gain experience for a month in a multinational company followed by a month in a hospital.After that,I could make a decision.It seemed like a brilliant idea.

I was accepted for a month’s observatory placement at a foreign bank in Karachi.I tagged along with the sales and marketing people,and got a feel for how the world of finance functioned.I liked the professionalism,made new friends,and generally enjoyed the mostly easy-going work surroundings.

The month passed rapidly,and soon I began my stint at a leading hospital in Karachi.The experience couldn’t have been more different.The hospital had an intense environment,with the buzz in the wards contrasting with the eerie silence of the intensive care unit.The doctors were in a constant rush.

The days started early(at 7 am,compared to 9 am at the bank),and were filled with attending rounds,watching blood samples being taken,and rushing around with the team to the ward,intensive care and clinics.It seemed that everyone was always busy,that there was always work to be done.

While I saw a good number of patients getting well and being discharged,I also witnessed a 16-year-old die.The family’s grief was difficult to handle.

And the night duties!Also known as night calls,they were essentially a 36-hour shift.This was insane,working all day,through the night,and again the next day.

I began thinking about my two experiences.The bank had offered a more relaxed atmosphere,better working hours and less stress.The hospital was full of excitement,and unpredictability,but the studying and training was tough.It seemed that the business option was going to win out.

Near the end of my month at the hospital,I was driving home after a particularly hectic night call.In front of me was a public bus,with college students sitting on the roof,clinging to a small metal railing. As the driver weaved through traffic,I could see the boys shaking from side to side.

Suddenly,a boy tumbled off the back of the bus.He hit the road face down,bounced once,and rolled over.He lay motionless in the middle of the road as the bus sped away.

The cars directly behind the bus braked to avoid the boy,but none stopped.Part of me understood if he died,it would mean police involvement and unnecessary problems.In fact,I felt the same urge to keep going,but the urge to stop and help was stronger.I knew that if the boy was bleeding into his brain,he could die in a matter of minutes.He had to get to hospital quickly.

I stopped my car and carefully examined the boy,who appeared to be about 20.His face was covered in blood he had a large gash on his forehead and another above his right ear.There didn’t seem to be any other injuries.I tried to apply pressure to the cuts to stem the bleeding but to no avail.With the help of some bystanders,I lifted his unconscious body into the back seat of my car.

I asked a couple of men to accompany me,butthey shrank away from further involvement.I jumped in the car and raced back to the hospital.On reaching the emergency entrance,I shouted,“Head injury!”Paramedical staff whisked the boy into the emergency room,while I gave a quick history to the on-call doctor.

After a preliminary examination,the doctors determined that he was most likely bleeding into his brain.His family was contacted,and he was wheeled into emergency surgery.Since I wasn’t allowed into the operating room,I drove home,exhausted and troubled,the blood on my back seat serving as a reminder of my harrowing experience.

The next day,I went to the operating room to find out what had happened.A surgical aide said that a blood vessel had ruptured in the boy’s skull.The clot had been removed,the bleeding stopped,and the boy was recovering in the ward.

After learning that his name was Asif,I went to see him.His head was in a bandage,and there was excessive swelling around his eyes,but he was conscious.Asif’s parents,grandmother,brothers and sisters were sitting around his bed.The doctor introduced me as the“person who saved your son’s life”.

Everyone got up,with grateful smiles on their faces.The mother held my hands to her face and started weeping.“Son,you are an angel,”she repeated over and over in Urdu.After consoling her,I went over to Asif.He managed to smile and squeeze my hand.No words were spoken between us none were needed.

What a feeling this was,to help save the life of another person!I spent the rest of the day in a state of exhilaration,the most fabulous mood I had ever experienced.Driving home that evening,I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.Two months of placements could not do what 30 minutes helping an accident victim had done for me.

I enrolled in college for my medical studies and am now an assistant professor and practise as a specialist gastroenterologist in Karachi.I never saw Asif again,but I was told that he made a complete recovery.

We spend a lot of our time wondering about what path to take in our lives.This experience taught me that sometimes,you don’t really have to worry about the big decisions.At times,these decisions are made for you and that whatever happens is always for the best.

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