A Study of Current English Learning and Teaching for College Art Majors and a Brief Discussion of Art—based English Teaching Strategy

張靜

Abstract：In accord with the current general testing regulation and reformation of the entrance examination in China， there has appeared to be various contradictories in the process of English teaching for art majors. Thus， English teaching has witnessed a turning point and teaching methods have been calling for transformation and advancement. Art-based English teaching method， i.e.， teaching languages through art， is still a new concept to many of the English teachers for art major though it has been discussed for a long time among domestic educators and even abroad for its targeted effects for art major students. This article aims at stating and analyzing English teaching for art major from two aspects in general， the current teaching condition and the introduction of art-based teaching method.

Key Words：English teaching; art majors; current teaching condition; art-based teaching method

Introduction

Art major students including those who just through the entrance examination have been afflicted with one prolong matter – whats the point of learning English if it has nothing to do with my major and even with my future career. Assigned to the college art major students who spend much of their time conquering their art major test with relatively lower standard of their library tests， English teachers maintain much less awareness of the importance of learning English for them. In that case， many an inflexible and non-interacting teaching methods are deeply rooted in Chinese art major English teaching. On the other hand， having been too concentrated in the art major study in high school and a long summer vacation before college， the college art students are facing huge gap between the non-art major students and them and inevitably feeling hatred toward English which they regard as a forced subject they have to bear on from high school to college.

1.THE STATUS OF ENGLISH TEACHING AND TESTING FO R ART MAJOR

According to a survey targeting Chinese art students， they report that most of their teachers use traditional teaching mode aiming at English major but blame them for not competent enough. Inexperienced English teachers fail to come up with specific teaching plans and new materials to arise their interest in English and they pay little attention to the feedback of students.

Less-advanced teaching materials and non-specific testing mode. English textbooks for Chinese English learning students （ELS） textbooks are fixed in contents out of date. The art students dont know what they can get from these textbooks， finding no connection between their major and all the bilabial words through pages and they finally draw a conclusion of giving up taking part in English study. Materials except from textbooks seemed worth little attention in English class for most of art major. Art students are being stimulated by their teachers to embrace English as much as they can in their daily life without giving them any useful readings.

The reformation of entrance examination makes a great difference upon art major students. In September 4th， 2014， a new reformation of the entrance examination system was declared. In 2016， English testing will not be acquired in the entrance examination and the score will be reduced. Score being reduced， art students simply treated it as the lessened valuing of English but most of the top universities take English score very seriously in recruiting students. They may finally end up not getting offers for a lower English score even though they do well in art major tests. Secondly， for Jakobson in his Linguists and Poetics （1960） and Halliday， language bears metalingual function and interpersonal function thus English is an international mean to the end of explaining and communicating. The art students are less likely to use the most basic way to understand the description and introduction in English and also fail to introduce Chinese beauty to the world.

2.CONFLICTS BETWEEN ART STUDY AND ENGLISH STUDY FOR ART MAJOR

Many college English teachers spend very less time in class， give relatively less guidance and just throw a general final text plan to them in the end. The students find it tremendously consuming to study English on their own and have trouble responding to the voice command from teachers. Chinese art students can manage to demonstrate their talent only in Chinese. It is common that music major singing English songs without accurate pronunciation or hosting major unable to imitate a piece of English news broadcasting. Some may argue that the art students who major in painting， sculpting and dancing have no need to articulate that much often so they are free from troubles. However， the truth is plain that they give up English study after having got a good score in entrance examination and then find it challenging to pick it up again at college. On the other hand， Language is of arbitrariness so that art， literature and the other creativeness can be achieved. Language， as another form of culture， has not been fully used as a way to grasp the ideology of creating a specific art piece.

3. THE CHARACTERISTICS AND ADVANTAGES OF ART-BASED ENGLISH TEACHING STRATEGY

Art-based English pedagogy is a strategy for art students in which teachers make use of any extra materials related to art to teach English. The students are expected to find the very connection between English and their major so that they may learn English with more interest and concentration. This pedagogy combines artistic study and language study at full extent and it gives the students more opportunities to learn how to apply their art major to English and vise versa.

3.1 Art-based English teaching method allows various teaching materials that related to art entering the class.

Documentary – get to know art and learn to articulate English

The teachers can select subtitled art documentaries and highlight any English grammar and expressions similar to those in textbooks. It should be noted that teachers can encourage the students to remember some typical words and phrases. Documentaries can stimulate the students spontaneously to get close to the differences between Chinese art form and others with English pronunciation and expressions at the same time.

Movie – appreciate art and learn to listen to English and write in English

Movie is more concrete and plays a very significant role in English teaching class for all ELS in China. Teachers can select movies carefully with bi-lingual subtitles. The purpose is to teach the students how to appreciate art and the culture behind it in a recreational way. Art students should be guided to appreciate the general culture background， critical techniques in movies through listening to English. Teachers can organize some activities to make study cards of the movie.

Study Card #1

Title of the movie：

Description of the movie：

Your response to the movie：

New vocabulary：

Short biography of historical and present great artists – describe art and artists and learn to read English

Short biography can be handed out in class and teachers can estimate students English reading level accordingly and substitute the difficult words and sentences for some simple ones. The students are recommended to make study cards to have a general idea about how to describe an artist and his or her work.

Study Card #2

Title of the text：

The name of the author：

Major works：

Description of the works：

3.2 Through Art-based English teaching method， the combination of art major and English makes it possible for students to apply English into their art majors.

Create new art

Art-based English pedagogy teaches art students how to learn English through art and apply English onto art so that they can create their own works with English further. At the very beginning， the students may just know combine English with their art homework under constructions within a limited space like classrooms. However， given more practice and experience， they can do inventions independently and confidently at a larger stage. They will know how to weave two different cultures， two different genres of linguistic elements into their works thus the results will be more amusing， creative and outstanding. Through art-based English teaching， the art students are training their observation and sensation toward art and language. A second language is useful to students to see art and the world from a new angle without too much bias or stereotypical thinking. Bi-lingual interpretation， appreciation and recreation of art can be fulfilled in a brand new level with fluent transition from English to Chinese and vise versa.

International cooperation and exchange of art

International cooperation and exchange of art are significant affairs in Chinese art institutes and many art students are assigned to be engaged. For example， in Guangxi Art Institute， a project called “English Talented Training Program” has selected the top 10 students of English test and provided with extra training. It has made great progress in fostering bi-lingual art talents.

One of the selects called Li Peishan， a first grade student， is one of the recipients for Guangxi Art Institute to meet the delegation from Europe in the 4th China-ASEAN Music Week in Jun 8th 2015. Li is the very example of the results of art-based English training as she applied her English skills to art major skills， playing an extraordinary part in this cultural and musical exchange event.

Li will not be the first and the last bilingual talent in China， but in a middle-east province in China， she is a compelling proof of the art-based English pedagogy. The art-based English pedagogy being extended we can generate more and more students like Li so that we can have more our own art students as messengers and translators bringing Chinese art to international center.

Conclusion

In conclusion， due to variable restrains in high school， Chinese art students have missed learning English with a practical plan ahead of time which leads to much affliction in their English learning college. The out-dated textbooks and non-specific teaching methodology additionally give rise to challenges to teachers and help the art students bring art and English together. Art-based English pedagogy offers a great opportunity to teachers to make the best of multiple teaching materials and attachments and students to study， think and practice with interest and concentration. It can be regarded as enlightenment and a prolonging teaching strategy for developing art students mind and comprehensive qualities.

References

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