views of lge and learning theories

Relevant Theories Concerning the Evaluation of an English Class

Zhang Yuxiang

Foreign Languages Dept.

Hefei Teachers College

Famous quotations One of the most characteristic features of co

mmunicative language teaching is that it pays systematic attention to functional as well as structural aspects of language , combining these into a more fully communicative view.

--- William Littlewood

Relevant Theories

Part I : Some relevant theories concerning the evaluation of a lesson

Review of the Views of the Language

In the past century, language teaching and learning practice has been influenced by three different views of language , namely, the structural view, the functional view and the interactional view.

Review of the Views of the Language: the structural view

The structural view of the language:

The view that language is a system of structurally related elements for the encoding of meaning. The target of language learning is to master the elements (phoneme, morpheme, and syntax.) of the system. To learn a language means to learn these structural items so as to be able to understand and produce language.

Review of the Views of the Language: the structural view

三种语言观 : 从现代外语教学发展历史来看，至少有三中不

同的语言理论和有关语言能力的本质的观点影响了外语教学路子和方法的形成：

结构主义：该流派将语言看作是由结构上相互联系的单位组成的、用来表达一定意义的结构系统。语言学习的目标被认为是掌握该系统中各种成分，即音位、语法单位、语法和词汇。听说法、全身反应法和沉默法都反映了这种语言观。

Review of the Views of the Language: the functional view The view that language is a vehicle for the

expression of functional meaning. This theory emphasizes the semantic and communicative dimension rather than merely the grammatical characteristics of language.

The functional view not only sees language as a linguistic system but also a means for doing things. Most of our day-to day language use involves functional activities. So, learners learn a language in order to be able to do things with it.

Review of the Views of the Language: the functional view

功能主义：该流派将语言看作是表达功能意义的载

体。语言教学中的交际法就体现了这种语言观。该理论强调语言的语义和交际特点而不是语言的语法特征。

Review of the Views of the Language: the interactional view

It sees language as a vehicle for the realization of interpersonal relations and for the performance of social transactions between individuals. Language is seen as a tool for the creation and maintenance of social relations.

The interactional view considers language to be a communicative tool, whose main use is to build up and maintain social relations between people. So, learners not only need to know the grammar and vocabulary of the language but as importantly they need to know the rules for using them in a whole range of communicative context.

Review of the Views of the Language: the interactional view

相互作用理论：该理论将语言看作是实现人际关系和进

行个人之间的社会交往的工具。按照这种语言观，语言教学的内容的组织可以通过交流和互动的模式进行。

The Main Language Learning Theories

Behaviorist theory( 行为主义理论 ):

The key point of the theory of conditioning is that “ you can train an animal to do anything if you follow a certain procedure which has three major stages: stimulus( 刺激 ), response( 反应 ), and reinforcement( 强化 ).

Based on the theory of conditioning, Skinner suggested that language is also a form of behavior.

The Main Language Learning Theories

Cognitive theory( 认知理论 ):

The term cognitivism is often used to describe methods in which students are asked to think rather than simply repeat, which seems to be largely the result of Noam Chomsky’s reaction to Skinner’s behaviorist theory.

The Ultimate Goal of Language Learning

The ultimate goal of foreign language teaching is to enable students to use the foreign language in work or life when necessary.

The Overall Language Ability The overall language ability involves the following

five aspects: language knowledge: phonetics, vocabulary, grammar,

functions and topics. language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. learning strategies: cognitive, self-management,

communication and resource. cultural awareness: cultural knowledge, cultural

understanding, cross-cultural communication, awareness and ability.

affect: motivation and interest, confidence, collaboration and international perspectives.

综合语言运用能力语言知识：语音，词汇，语法，功能，

话题语言技能：听，说，读，写学习策略：认知策略，调控策略，交际

策略，资源策略文化意识：文化知识，文化理解，跨文

化交际，意识和能力情感态度：动机兴趣，自信意志，合作

精神，祖国意识，国际视野

Communicative Competence ( 交际能力 )

The ability not only to apply the grammatical rules of a language in order to form grammatically correct sentences but also to know when and where to use these sentences and to whom.

Communicative Competence

a. knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of the language.

b. knowledge of rules of speaking.

c. knowing how to use and respond to different types of speech acts, such as requests, apologies, thanks and invitations.

d. knowing how to use language appropriately.

Task- based Language Teaching

A task- based classroom instruction is composed of a series of tasks. All the tasks are involved in language use, the key features of a task are:

A task is a work plan--- a plan for learner activity. A task involves real-world processes of language use. A task engages cognitive processes such as selecting,

classifying, ordering, and evaluating information in order to carry out the task.

A task involves a primary focus on meaning. A task can involve any of the four language skills. A task has a clear defined communicative outcome. (Ellis,

2003)

Task- based Language Teaching

In China, according to the ideas provided by the new curriculum and teaching system of new teaching materials, English task-based language teaching includes lead-in, pre-task, during-task, post-task, check and assessment, and homework assignments.

The Yardstick for a Good Lesson

Purposeful Interesting Motivating

Principles of Communicative Language Teaching

1. Communication principle: Activities that involve real communication promote learning.

2. Task principle: Activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning.

3. Meaningfulness principle: Language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process. --Richards &Rodgers(1986)

method

approach design procedure

theory of lg.theory of lg. learning •Syllabus design

•Role of teacher•Role of students•Role of materials

classroom activity

The Principles of Lesson Planning

Aim Variety Flexibility Learnability Linkage

The Format( 格式 ) of a Lesson Plan

I. At the beginning:1. The analysis of the textbook:2. The analysis of the students:3. Aims:

1. Knowledge: 2. Ability:3. Affect:

4. Key points:5. Difficult points:6. Approaches and Methods:7. Activities:8. Teaching Aids:

The Format of a Lesson Plan

II. In the body:Procedure

WARM-UP: Game(3 mins.) ( Next write out the name of the game.)

STAGE1, PRESENTATION (approx. 10 mins.)Step 1:Step 2: etc.

STAGE2, PRACTICE (approx. 15 mins.)Step 1:Step 2:

The Format of a Lesson Plan In the body (cont’d): STAGE 3, PRODUCTION (to end of

lesson,17 mins.) Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: etc.

The Format of a Lesson Plan

In the end:

1. Summary of the lesson

2. Homework

3. Optional activity

4. Layout of the chalkboard

5. After-class reflection

Teacher Roles

Harmer(1983) holds that the teacher adopts the roles of controller, assessor, organizer, prompter, participant, resource provider and facilitator according to the functions he performs in different activities.

Reference Books

Ellis, Rod(1994), The Study of Second Language Acquisition, Oxford University Press

Richards, Jack C. & Rodgers, Theodore S. (2000), Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, Fltra &Cup

Wang Qiang (2006), A Course in English Language Teaching, Higher Education Press

Xiao Xi ((2003), A Practical Training Course of English Teaching Techniques, Higher Education Press

Ouyang Junling & Zhang Yuxiang (2007), English Teaching Methodology, Anhui People’s Publication House

Assessment

Part II: The Assessment of the Lesson

Module 9 Animals in danger

Unit 1 We need to protect animals

Assessment of the Lesson

Strong points:

1. Generally speaking, the lesson went smoothly. Under the teacher’s instruction, the students can have a good command of what is being taught.


2. At the beginning, by showing the students contrasting pictures (i.e. a group of pictures about animal living in peace and those about animals in danger), the teacher is able to draw the attention of the students and have them mentally prepared for the lesson and the follow-up activities.


3. In the guessing game, it is good that the teacher has rewritten the definitions of the words in the textbook so as to make the descriptions more vivid and more concrete for the students to guess the words.


4. Meaning for understanding in a context is very important for all the learners, so the teacher can revolve around the topic of “Animals in Danger” to demonstrate his teaching of listening and speaking in a specific context.


5. In Listen and Read, the teacher puts forward the question “ Why are these animals in danger?” and asks the students to have a discussion about the answer to the question, which provides the students with opportunities to obtain the information.


6. In grammar teaching and learning: Focus on sentences--- Read and find out the rules in the sentences, the teacher uses inductive method to let the students find out the rules by themselves , aiming at cultivating the students’ autonomous learning( 自主学习 ).


7. In the role-play, the activity named simulation( 模拟 ) is the communicative one, which gives the students the chance to use the language creatively.


8. With the song Heal the World by Michael Jackson as the background, the two sentences “ Animals are our friends.” and “ Let’s protect all the animals in danger!” are shown on the screen, which is not only used as the theme of the lesson, but again as moral education.


9. The computer-assisted teaching is fully exhibited in the teaching process. Without it, the whole teaching would have been dull and abstract for the learners.


Suggestions for the further improvement:

1. From the first impression, all the students seem to be not the second graders in junior high school but much higher graders. So, the teaching seems to be too smooth but may be not the case for the real second graders from junior high schools.


2. It seems that the topic of the module( Animals in danger) and that of the unit (We need to protect the animals) have failed to function as well as expected. In fact, the teacher needn’t write the topics for the sake of writing both on the screen and on the chalkboard. The topics should be given as naturally as possible in the process of the lead-in and explanation. In addition, the layout of the chalkboard should be redesigned, for it is a bit in disorder.


3. In Listen and Read part, the sequence of activities should be adjusted a little bit, i.e. after the students have finished the step (Read again, ask and answer in pairs), then the teacher can present the key words and everyday English. In this way, the students can fully learn the words and expressions in context. Besides, the process of students’ obtaining the information can avoid being interrupted.


4. The teacher should have given priority to the training of the students’ listening and speaking strategies. But in fact, the teacher has failed to do so. (Take listening for example, the students only listen to the first dialogue once; for the second dialogue, the students are only asked to listen and read after the tape. It has nothing to do with the training of the listening strategies. )


5. The offering of the correct answers has confined the students to do creative thinking. It is hard for the students to develop the habit of doing autonomous learning. (for example, in discussion of the question: Why are these animals in danger? The students are only asked to focus on the three reasons.

(cont’d)


And the same answers are used again and again in the following activities. The students have failed to mention other reasons than those offered in the conversation. That’s the reason why in the role play , the students fail to use the variety of language)


6. It would be much better if the teacher were less dependent upon the textbook and would engage or involve more students in class and it would be much better if the teacher gave the students more comprehensible input in class.


7. In the whole process of teaching and learning, the teacher is a bit dominant, and the students are somehow passive in deciding what to do, though they seem to be actively involved in the different activities.

Acknowledgement

I’d like to give my heartfelt thanks to Associate Professor Wang Jiling and Mr Jiang Daohua for their suggestions in the evaluation of the lesson.

Thank you for your attention!