英國(guó)教育家吉姆·格林說(shuō):“學(xué)英語(yǔ)沒(méi)有英語(yǔ)思維,就像大不列顛沒(méi)有沙鷗一樣叫人難受。”(馮紅梅,2005)2002年9月至2003年10月,筆者在倫敦市政廳大學(xué)修外語(yǔ)教學(xué)法碩士學(xué)位。期間發(fā)現(xiàn)中國(guó)留學(xué)生英語(yǔ)思維能力特別薄弱,尤其是批判性思維能力和創(chuàng)造性思維能力比較欠缺,這使得大部分中國(guó)留學(xué)生在剛開(kāi)始很難適應(yīng)英國(guó)高等教育的模式, 即使后來(lái)逐漸適應(yīng)了,論文也很難拿到高分。國(guó)外的留學(xué)經(jīng)歷讓我堅(jiān)定了回國(guó)后在自己的教學(xué)實(shí)踐中注重培養(yǎng)學(xué)生英語(yǔ)思維能力特別是批判性思維能力和創(chuàng)造性思維能力的信念,希望傳授給學(xué)生的不僅僅是英語(yǔ)知識(shí),更重要的是潛移默化地培養(yǎng)學(xué)生英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)的能力和用英語(yǔ)思維的能力,既授之于“漁”。
一、培養(yǎng)學(xué)生用英語(yǔ)思維的理論依據(jù)
1.英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)的最終目的是用英語(yǔ)思維。
現(xiàn)代教學(xué)論認(rèn)為,英語(yǔ)教學(xué)的根本目的是使學(xué)生能以英語(yǔ)為交際工具達(dá)到交際的目的,其實(shí)質(zhì)是一種交際活動(dòng)。當(dāng)代國(guó)外對(duì)第二外語(yǔ)最終目標(biāo)達(dá)成的認(rèn)識(shí)又提高了一步。 即不僅僅是用目標(biāo)語(yǔ)進(jìn)行交流,而且是用目標(biāo)語(yǔ)思維。
2.新課程標(biāo)準(zhǔn)對(duì)于英語(yǔ)能力的要求。
新課程標(biāo)準(zhǔn)明確提出高中階段英語(yǔ)教學(xué)要重點(diǎn)從三個(gè)方面發(fā)展學(xué)生的英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)用能力:用英語(yǔ)進(jìn)行恰當(dāng)交流的能力;用英語(yǔ)獲取信息、處理信息的能力;用英語(yǔ)進(jìn)行思維的能力。
二、培養(yǎng)學(xué)生用英語(yǔ)思維的指導(dǎo)思想
1.教師課前在備課時(shí)要有意識(shí)地留給學(xué)生用英語(yǔ)思維的時(shí)間和空間。
案例一:Unit 6: keys to a better life (上海牛津教材英語(yǔ)高一下)
本課內(nèi)容是就如何理財(cái)。為了激活學(xué)生的創(chuàng)造型思維,我設(shè)計(jì)了這樣一個(gè)導(dǎo)入的環(huán)節(jié)。我在黑板了畫了一個(gè)圓,讓學(xué)生想象這個(gè)圓可能是什么。學(xué)生給出了近20種各種各樣的答案:“太陽(yáng)”“皮球”“鏡子”“月餅” “洞” “蛋糕”“數(shù)字零” “西瓜” “鐘” “地球”……雖然是幾年前的一堂課,其中個(gè)別學(xué)生的創(chuàng)造性思維讓我至今記憶猶新。有學(xué)生說(shuō)“ It is like a person ’s life”, 有學(xué)生說(shuō) “ It is a drop of water.” 有學(xué)生說(shuō),“It’s mother’s smiling face.”更有學(xué)生說(shuō),“It is like a stick seen through one side.” 然后,我在圓內(nèi)加了個(gè)小正方形,學(xué)生馬上想到了“coin”, 從而很順理成章引到了“money management” 這個(gè)主題。這樣的設(shè)計(jì)不僅僅是給了學(xué)生思考的時(shí)間和空間,更是給予學(xué)生一個(gè)思考的“支點(diǎn)”。
2.教師在授課中要有意識(shí)地引導(dǎo)學(xué)生用英語(yǔ)思維。
Good thinking skills will not develop on their own, they must be taught. ( Beyer,1987) 這就要求教師在課堂上引思、導(dǎo)思、啟思。老師引思、導(dǎo)思、啟思的關(guān)鍵在于老師如何巧妙地設(shè)問(wèn)及追問(wèn)。
案例二:The Road Not Taken (校本選修課教材)
引思問(wèn)題:
Which season does the poem take place?
What did the poet do at a fork, why ?
What else did the poet do? Could he see the end of the road?
Why is the poem set in a wood?
導(dǎo)思問(wèn)題:
Which road did the poet decide to take, why?
What did the poet think of his choice, why?
Had anyone walked on the two roads that morning, why?
Would it be possible for the writer to come back and try the first road?
啟思問(wèn)題:
What did ‘the two roads’ symbolize?
What did ‘the less-traveled road’ symbolize?
Why is the title ‘The Road Not Taken’ instead of ‘The Road Taken’?
這節(jié)英語(yǔ)詩(shī)歌賞析課得到了同行專家的高度評(píng)價(jià),亮點(diǎn)是課堂的設(shè)問(wèn)和追問(wèn)啟迪了學(xué)生對(duì)于詩(shī)歌的深層理解。鄭小明(2005)所說(shuō):“教師的教學(xué)在于善于設(shè)疑、巧于設(shè)疑,于無(wú)疑處設(shè)疑,撞擊學(xué)生思維火花?!?/p>
三、培養(yǎng)學(xué)生用英語(yǔ)思維的教學(xué)實(shí)踐
1.用頭腦風(fēng)暴法激活學(xué)生用英語(yǔ)發(fā)散思維。
由美國(guó)人Alex F. Osborn提出的大腦激蕩法(Brainstorming) 是訓(xùn)練發(fā)散思維的有效方法,是指利用集體的智慧,通過(guò)相互交流、啟發(fā)和激勵(lì)產(chǎn)生新思想的一種方法。劉燕(2008)提出:“將‘頭腦風(fēng)暴法’引入語(yǔ)言教學(xué),可以培養(yǎng)學(xué)生形成發(fā)散性思維和創(chuàng)造性思維的能力,學(xué)生想象和思考的空間,誘發(fā)集體的智慧,激活學(xué)生的創(chuàng)意與靈感?!?/p>
案例三:Unit 3: plants: (上海版牛津教材高一下)
T:Please brainstorm functions of plants.
S1: We can use plants to decorate our house.
S2: Some of the plants can be eaten.
S3: Plants are good for the air quality.
S4: Some plants can be used as medicine.
S5: Plants are homes for some birds.
S6: Some plants can produce fruits.
S7: The plants provide us with a place where we can play hide and seek.
S8: Green plants can produce oxygen.
S9: Plants can prevent soil from being washed away.
S10: Plant industry can create a lot of job opportunities.
教師然后根據(jù)學(xué)生的回答做總結(jié)、提升。板書如下:
實(shí)踐證明,“頭腦風(fēng)暴法”能激發(fā)學(xué)生的學(xué)習(xí)熱情,調(diào)動(dòng)學(xué)生積極思維,提高學(xué)生英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)言素質(zhì),最終達(dá)到用英語(yǔ)思維。
2.用互動(dòng)合作式教學(xué)模式呈現(xiàn)學(xué)生用英語(yǔ)思維的過(guò)程。
我喜歡采用面向全體學(xué)生,有利于學(xué)生語(yǔ)言實(shí)踐活動(dòng)全面開(kāi)展的“互動(dòng)合作學(xué)習(xí)”的教學(xué)模式。尹剛,陳靜波(2007)指出:“ 師生互動(dòng)不僅僅是一種形式,其實(shí)質(zhì)是教學(xué)原則和教學(xué)思想的體現(xiàn)。凡是調(diào)動(dòng)學(xué)生積極思維來(lái)完成兩個(gè)以上飛躍和各種教學(xué)活動(dòng)的措施都可看成師生互動(dòng)?!?我在教學(xué)實(shí)踐中師生互動(dòng)的模式是:教師創(chuàng)設(shè)情景——學(xué)生想象情景——教師設(shè)疑提問(wèn)——學(xué)生回答問(wèn)題——教師回應(yīng)答復(fù)并繼續(xù)追問(wèn)——學(xué)生進(jìn)一步回答問(wèn)題——教師概括總結(jié)
案例四:Right here waiting (校本選修課教材:師生互動(dòng)的課堂實(shí)錄)
T: To whom did Marx sing the song?
S: To someone he loves
T: How do you know that?
S: From the lyric “I wonder how can we survive the romance.”
T: Where was she?
S: She is far away from him. How did you get the information?
T: “Oceans apart”.
T: Had they been away for long?
S: Yes, “day after day”
T: Why did he write to her?
S: He missed her very much.
T: To what extent did he miss her, which lines tell you that?
S: I slowly go insane (seriously mentally ill and do not have a clear way of thinking)
S: But it doesn’t stop the pain.
S: oh how my heart breaks
S: You’ve got me crazy
T: He missed her very much and wrote the song to express his feelings.
T: In what way did he say the song?
S: He sang the song on the phone
T: What is your evidence?
S: I hear your voice on the line.
T: Was he confident about their relationship?
S: yes, I took for granted all the times that I thought would last somehow.
T: What attitude did he express in the song?
S: He will never give up waiting for him. Which line shows his attitude?
S: Whenever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you.
T: Which word emphasizes his perseverance?
S: Right
從上面這個(gè)教學(xué)實(shí)錄,我們可以感受到師生互動(dòng)給英語(yǔ)教學(xué)帶來(lái)的勃勃生機(jī),學(xué)生英語(yǔ)思維的能力也在互動(dòng)中得以訓(xùn)練。
教給學(xué)生英語(yǔ)思維方法是非常必要的,因?yàn)閷W(xué)生的思維策略和其學(xué)習(xí)策略是相互影響的。M.Kabilan (2000) put it: Teachers' beliefs and attitudes about themselves, and their functions in language classrooms have momentous implications for learners' ability to think creatively and critically. 英語(yǔ)課堂教學(xué)是一個(gè)復(fù)雜的信息相互作用的過(guò)程,但是通過(guò)教師的調(diào)控作用,按照思維的規(guī)律指導(dǎo)學(xué)生進(jìn)行思維活動(dòng),可以使學(xué)生形成優(yōu)良的思維品質(zhì), 從而用英語(yǔ)進(jìn)行思維。如果我們注重英語(yǔ)思維能力的培養(yǎng),創(chuàng)設(shè)思維培養(yǎng)的環(huán)境,并教給學(xué)生英語(yǔ)思維的方法,我們的英語(yǔ)教學(xué)便能做到授“漁”得“魚”!