许 俊
(湖北水利水电职业技术学院,武汉430070)
摘要:本文根据现代语言学及教育理论,介绍简要记录在英语听说教学中的应用技巧。研究表明:在听力过程中同时并用耳、眼、手、脑等多种感官,有助于学生创设语境,进行联想、归纳、演绎和口头表达,从而实现由短时记忆向长时记忆的转变过程,达到听与说相结合的预期教学效果,是进一步提高学生英语听说能力的有效途径。
关键词:外部信息;简要记录;听力理解;口语能力
中图分类号:H319 文献标识码: 文章编号:
Practice of Taking Brief Notes in the Teaching of English
Listening and Speaking
Xu Jun
(Hubei Water Resources Technical College,Wuhan, 430070,China)
Abstract:This paper,based on modern linguistics and teaching theories,introduces to readers some skills of taking brief notes in the teaching of English listening and speaking. Recent research findings have indicated that students’ ears,eyes,hands,brains,etc. should work together in listening to the sound recording, which helps to create the scene of English learning, connect more things in their mind, sum up their main ideas, deduce and express them correctly to achieve the process of change from short-term memory to long-term memory and accomplish the desired teaching results of combining listening with speaking.It is an effective method to improve the students’listening comprehension and communicative ability.
Key words:Outside Information;Brief Notes;Listening Comprehension;Speaking Ability
一、了解听力材料的外部信息,为重构听力材料含义打基础
在听力训练之前,教师应该采用一些有效的教学手段,有目的地引导学生了解听力材料的外部信息,如:应用多媒体在电脑屏幕上展现出文章题目The Crime of the Century,让学生凝视一下听力材料的外部信息,促进他们大脑里产生许多与盗窃有关的情景;同时还会想出如下问题:盗窃发生在何时何地?谁偷走了什么东西?有何动机和目的?然后,教师可以定向指导学生浏览听力材料的试题,注意观察四个选项中句型结构有多大相似之处及语义上有何共性,以便使学生做到有的放矢,弄清文体结构,从整体上把握全篇的文脉。以上了解听力材料的外部信息的方法能激发和培养学生的学习兴趣,使他们保持平稳和良好的心理状态,减轻听音过程中的记忆负荷,增强监控意识,将注意力集中在与主题有关的信息上,使语义联想不至于漫无边际,或陷入联想误区。这种教学方法能有效地调动学生大脑里的背景知识及已有的语言知识和经验来预测听力材料的大致内容、组篇模式及语料的线索、脉络,从而产生符合作者意图的预期,为进一步深入细致地进行有效听力及重构听力材料含义过程打下了良好的基础。
二、记录数字及时间,以便口头表达
在训练学生听第二段时,教师可以分两步进行教学。首先,把听力材料放一遍,要求他们在听音的过程中把注意力集中在听故事内容的大意上,不要在已听过的字或词上滞留。在此过程中学生能把所听到的关键词语在大脑里自动转变成相应的油画失踪的情景。然而,听力材料中涉及到数字和时间,会使学生的记忆难度加大,因此,在听第二遍或第三遍时教师要求学生在做简要记录的同时也要把具体的数字及时间记下来,力求简短明了,尽可能做到与放音速度保持同步。简要记录如下:
gone 24h noticed
closed Mon.
closing Sun.3m
hidden in
theft
morning removed
kept watch
went out
以上记录简单扼要、准确,充分发挥了外部储存信息的最大作用,也是学生主观能动性的具体表现。这些记录是叙述故事内容的重要载体,有利于学生回忆故事细节内容,以便进行口头表达。有位同学这样叙述:
In fact the painting,the Mona Lisa,had been disappeared for over 24 hours before anyone noticed it was lost. Just before the museum was closed on Sunday, three men had entered it. They had quickly hidden in a storeroom.Early the next morning one criminal took the painting away from the wall.The others stood outside,looking around all the time.Then they 1eft there.
以上所表达的内容意思与听力材料中的内容意思是相同的,但所使用的语言形式及单词或词组有所不同。虽然句型结构不太复杂,但是,语法关系明确,通俗易懂,适合口头表达。这种边听边记录的训练特点能促使学生的耳、眼、手、脑等多种感官在听力活动中达到和谐立体的统一,有助于他们集中精力来听语篇内容、加快反应速度,便于简要记录,避免短时记忆容量小,持续时间短的缺陷。随后,利用简要记录促使学生在较短的时间内进行有效的回忆听力材料中的人、物、景的不同细节在空间所占据的位置以及其相互间的平面联系和文体联系,在大脑里构成一幅幅清晰的画面,加深对听力材料内容的理解,进而内化输入语言知识及文化信息,实现了由短时记忆向长时记忆的转变过程,达到了听与说相结合的预期教学目标。
三、记录段落中的关键句型,口述语句的确切含义
在听完第三段的前提下,教师可以试探一下学生是否完全理解了这一段落的大意,有意识地要学生用自己的语言进行口头表达,多数学生认为这一段的意思是:Two years later, when Perrugia tried to sell the painting,he was arrested.He was in prison for 7 months.So the crime of the century was solved.
上面划线部分的句子说明学生把意思理解反了,造成这种错误理解的原因是录音语速较快。学生只听见了主语从句的那一部分——“that the crime of the century had been solved,”而没有听清楚关键句型——“It seemed that-clause”,所以,导致把原句的意思理解错了。这时,教师可以把听力材料重放一遍,让学生再细致地听这一段落,并要求学生记录本段落中的最后一个句子:It seemed that the crime of the century had been solved.采用边听边记录关键句型的方式,能使学生口述出这句话的准确意思是:In fact,the crime of the century was not really solved.
通过反复试听这一段落,并记录关键句型,使学生懂得了掌握关键句型对正确理解语句的意思起着至关重要的作用;同时也使他们体会到作者在这一段的最后运用了“It seemed that-clause”这一句型的目的是为了提示听者注意倾听下文的重要信息。这种巧妙的写作手法具有承上启下的作用,能充分表达作者意图的心理意向,也是作者意义的规约手段。
总之,在听力过程中只有准确把握住关键句型,才能真正领会话语的确切含义。否则,就会导致错误的理解话语的意思,不利于对下文的预测。
四、记录动词及短语,口头回答问题
对于训练信息量大的段落(第四段),教师可以应用多媒体在电脑屏幕上展现出几个与本段落内容有关的问答题来限定将要听到的听力材料的具体范围,避免预测出现偏差。问答题如下:
1. When did the crime of the century come out?
2. How many master criminals had Perrugia been working for?
3. Where had they done?
4. What had a dealer been persuaded?
以上所设计的问答题之间具有连贯性、衔接恰当、层次分明,有助于学生在边听的过程中把能够代表本段落中心意思的关键动词及短语记录下来,并作用于大脑进行经验性反映与连结来创设合理的动态语境,从而拓宽思维的范围,加深理解的深度,达到理解听力材料内容的目的。记录如下:
claim
20y came out
working 2c
steal
make a copy
tape back
taken to
make a mark
marking copy
produce
see
be persuaded
possessed
以上所记录的动词及短语都是对动作的形象描写的词类。由于人们在长期的活动中对动词的实质概念具有感性的或理性的认识,因此,当学生从录音机里听到以上这些动词及短语时,自然会将它们与现实的具体动作联系起来,立即在大脑里反映相应的动态情景,进而会联想起与这些动词有关的人或事,于是就能创设出如下的语境:
Perrugia was eager to confess that he was wholly responsible for the stealing of the painting,and it was not until 20 years later that the real case of the theft became publicly known.In fact,Permgia had been working for 2 master criminals. They had stolen a famous painting from a gallery for a dealer side by side.Then they had made a copy of the painting,taped the copy to the back of the original painting.After that they had taken the dealer to the gallery and asked him to make a mark on the back of the painting.Later, one of them had produced forged newspaper cuttings and the copy.However they had already used a copy as a substitute for the original painting.If the dealer found that the painting was on display in the gallery, he would have to believe that it was a copy, while he possessed the genuine one.
以上所创设的语境属于常识性的、经验性的联想归宿,完全符合人的思维定势和认识规律。它充分体现了学生的形象思维能力与综合概括能力在听说训练中得到了进一步的提高和发展。
由此可知,在听音的过程中记录与问答题内容有关的动词及短语能创设动态语境,使学生确立鲜明、完整的表象,最大限度地调动了学生左右大脑积极思维,从而使记忆内容形象生动、条理清晰,便于理解和回忆,有助于提高学生回答问题的正确率。
五、记录意群中的关键词,口述大意
听力材料中的第五段落具有一定的难度。因为此段较长,段落中有新词语、新概念、新内容出现,估计学生在听力过程中难以预测接下去要叙述的新信息,思考速度会明显下降,产生跟不上,听不懂的感觉。因此,教师应该根据段落中所讲述的几件事情的意思,按意群把本段落分为四个部分,分别播放给学生听,并要求他们在边听的过程中做好简要记录。请看下列意群,其中划线部分是学生记录的关键词:
Chaudron then painted not one,but six copies of the Mona Lisa, using 400-year-old wood panels from antique Italian furniture.The forgeries were carefully aged,so that the varnish was cracked and dirty.
以上关键词正是假画及画框的突出特征。学生可以利用这些刚刚储存在短时记忆的信息来进行经验联想、重组、编码等一系列认知活动,然后,储存在长时记忆之中,而长时记忆的信息也能得到激活。请看下列一位学生的口述大意:
At that time Chaudron painted six copies of the Mona Lisa on the antique Italian wood panels. The forgeries having been aged looked cracked and dirty.
以上这个例子充分说明了学生在处理信息的过程中要识别多种命题,判断它们是否在同一个语义场,句与句之间是否有一定的呼应关系,有没有照应手段把它们联在一起。从中还要区分主要、次要信息和冗余现象,依据事物发展的客观规律灵活运用组构规则,有创新地对意群进行信息处理,概括出恰当得体的语句,促进学生语言基础知识的不断巩固和提高。采用边听意群边记录关键词的方法来口述大意,能调动学生的主观能动性,有意识地训练他们灵活驾驭语言的能力,促使他们牢固掌握同一意义的多种表达方式,是培养学生提高口头表达能力的必要手段。这种训练方法还能调节学生的学习情绪,缓解由高度紧张所引起的大脑疲劳,保持注意力的稳定性,有利于激发他们的参与意识及主动表达的迫切愿望和要求。
六、重听听力材料,口述提纲
听听力材料不仅要理解透彻,会说大意,更重要的是掌握它的写作特点和技巧。这是进一步升华英语听说教学活动中必不可少的重要坏节。因此,教师可以把听力材料从头到尾重放一遍录音,让他们从整体上来回忆一下细节内容,训练他们对文体的认知技能,促使他们学习文体结构的组编方式,从而口述下列提纲:
The Crime of the Century
1. The Disappearance of the Painting,the Mona Lisa(Para.1)
2. The Painting Being Stolen and Perrugia Being Caught(Paras.2-3)
3. Having Made Copies and Sent Them to New York for Sale before the
Original Painting Being Stolen (Paras.4-5)
4. Conclusion(Para.6)
Much Disagreement about the World’s Most Famous Painting
以上提纲体现了作者论述的内容要点,其写作方法采用了倒叙法,它的写作特点是把听力材料中最重要的事实——世界名画被盗提到前边叙述,随后再叙述事情的发生与发展过程。这种写作手法能使学生造成悬念,激发他们追根溯源的兴趣,使听力材料产生强大的吸引力。通过先听听力材料、后口述提纲的这种教学方法,能使学生从中领悟作者是如何使“倒”和“顺”有明显的界限,以及过渡衔接是多么巧妙而自然的独特风格。
七、简要记录在英语听说教学中的实践结果
经过一年的英语听说教学实践,学生的听与说技能掌握得娴熟,思维敏捷,能根据特定语境的要求和需要即兴发挥,表达恰当、得体。最近,对191名学生进行了一次较全面的考试,其结果表明:每个学生的学习成绩比去年有不同程度的提高,听力测试合格率为94.8%,口试合格率为91.6%,简要记录合格率为93.2%,对听说课感兴趣的人为95.8%。
八、结语
实践表明,英语听说教学法是完全符合语言学习规律的,它的实用性强。英语听说的特点决定了这种教学手段的效果是其他教学手段难以达到的。听与说相结合的具体做法是以听懂听力材料为基础,紧紧围绕听力材料所提供的语境进行实战模拟训练,促使学生积极动脑,用所掌握的语言知识灵活运用到具体的情景中去,强化训练他们的口头表达能力及应变能力。不过,英语听说教学方法尚有许多值得进一步认识、探索的问题。笔者愿在自己的教学实践中不断地探索语言的学习规律,努力提高教学质量,为英语教学事业做出更大的贡献。
附录
The Crime of the Century
1 On Tuesday August 11th,1911,a young artist,Louis Beraud,arrived at the Louvre in Paris to complete a painting of the Salon Carre.This was the room where the world's most famous painting,the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci,was on display.To his surprise there was an empty space where the painting should have been.At 11 o'clock the museum authorities realized that the painting had been stolen.The next day headlines all over the world announced the theft.
2 Actually the Leonardo had been gone for more than twenty-four hours before anyone noticed it was missing.The museum was always closed On Mondays for maintenance. Just before closing time on Sunday three men had entered the museum,where they had hidden themselves in a storeroom.The actual theft was quick and simple.Early the next morning Perrugia removed the painting from the wall while the others kept watch.Then they went out a back exit.
3 Nothing was seen or heard of the painting for two years when Perrugia tried to sell it to a dealer for half a million lire.Perrugia was arrested on December 13th.Perrugia claimed he had stolen it as an act of patriotism,because,he said,the painting had been looted from the Italian nation by Napoleon. Perrugia was imprisoned for 7 months.It seemed that the crime of the century had been solved.
4 But had it? Perrugia was keen to claim all responsibility for the theft,and it was twenty years before the whole story came out.In fact Perrugia had been working for two master criminals, Valfierno and Chaudron,who went unpunished for their crime.They would offer to steal a famous painting from a gallery for a crooked dealer or an unscrupulous private collector.They would then make a copy of the picture and,with the help of bribed gallery attendants,would then tape the copy to the back of the original painting.The dealer would then be taken to the gallery and would be invited to make a secret mark on the back of the painting.Of course the dealer would actually be marking the copy.Valfierno would later produce forged newspaper cuttings announcing the theft of the original,and then produce the copy, complete with secret marking.If the dealer were to see the painting still in the gallery, he would be persuaded that it was a copy, and that he possessed the genuine one.
5 Chaudron then painted not one,but six copies of the Mona Lisa,using 400-year-old wood panels from antique Italian furniture.The forgeries were carefully aged,so that the varnish was cracked and dirty.Valfierno commissioned Perrugia to steal the original,and told him to hide it until Valfierno contacted him.Perrugia waited in vain in a tiny room in Paris with the painting, but heard nothing from his partners in crime.They had gone to New York,where the six copies were already in store. They had sent them there before the original was stolen.At that time it was quite common for artists to copy old masters,which would be sold quite honestly as imitations,so there had been no problems with US Customs.Valfierno went on to sell a11 six copies for $300000 each. Valfierno told the story to a journalist in 1914,on condition that it would not be published until his death.
6 Does the story end there? Collectors have claimed that Perrugia returned a copy.It is also possible that Leonardo may have painted several versions of the Mona Lisa,or they might be copies made by Leonardo's pupils.There has been a lot of controversy and argument about a 450-year-old painting,but after all,maybe that's what she's smiling about.
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本论文发表在《剑南文学》半月刊2010.07(下)上,刊号:ISSN 1006-026X。