英語學習者寫作當中常出現(xiàn)的一個問題就是句子結構單調(diào)、乏味,多數(shù)學生在寫作上所欠缺的不是系統(tǒng)的寫作理論與方法,而是最基本的單句寫作能力以及對詞匯用法的確切理解??梢?,如何練習寫好英語句子是一個值得研究的問題。
造句練習方式的多樣化與漸進性能夠讓學習者擺脫傳統(tǒng)的語法練習的單調(diào)、乏味。在英語教學過程中,造句練習常常作為一種理解和掌握詞匯的手段被廣泛采用,但是過程性常常被忽視,變成了機械、重復的語法操練。造句過程中學生創(chuàng)造性思維的培養(yǎng)也沒有得到足夠的重視。其實,造句練習是一個系統(tǒng)的思維過程,如果練習設計得當,則可以達到讓學生靈活運用語言、自由表達思想的效果;如果設計草率,則會使造句練習或者變成機械的重復,或者流于文字游戲,達不到啟發(fā)創(chuàng)新思維和訓練語言技能的目的。下面介紹幾種寫好句子的訓練方法,旨在探索如何提高學生有效處理語句能力的策略,供大家參考。
一、替換練習
替換練習是造句的基礎,沒有人能夠在不借用任何語言形式的前提下憑空造出一個句子來。替換練習是一種非常必要的實踐方式,也是英語學習者在進行造句練習時必不可少的一種方法。替換的句子成分可以是單詞,也可以是短語或句型。替換練習對于學習者理解不同詞類的語法功能具有很大的幫助作用。從理論上講,詞匯量越大,能夠通過替換造出的句子就越多。寫作中要想得到理想的分數(shù),運用高級詞匯與句型替換普通用詞是非常必要的,同時,替換練習還有助于學生加強對詞匯的理解與靈活使用。替換練習可以采用以下兩種替換方式和手段。
1.替換詞匯與短語
比如:There are three methods of solving the problem.
→ There are three solutions / approaches to this problem.
My parents and I went to the competition together.
→ I went to the competition with the company of my parents.
2.句型替換
例如:“眾所周知”這一句型可進行如下替換:
It is known to all that...
→ As is known to all...
→ We all know that...
對英語詞匯和句型的靈活運用是體現(xiàn)學生英語表達水平的一個重要標志。比如表達“科技給我們帶來好處”,可作如下替換:
Technology brings us benefits.
→ Technology benefits us.
→ We benefit from technology.
→ Technology is beneficial to us.
→ We are the beneficiaries of technology.
由此可見,替換練習有利于考生對較高級詞匯或較高級句型的理解與應用,從而有助于考生在考試中避免重復用詞,寫出較高水平的句子。比如在有關議論性的作文中時常出現(xiàn)“think”一詞,如果考生整篇文章多處使用同一個詞,就會使文章顯得用詞貧乏、單調(diào),如果在教師指導下的平時練習中,學生對這一詞匯進行過替換練習,他們定會在考試中加以應用??梢蕴鎿Qthink的句型有:take the attitude that / hold the view that / it is widely shared that / it is universally acknowledged that等。這樣的表達哪怕只用上兩個,也會使考生的作文提高一個檔次。
二、同義句型轉換練習
同義句型轉換練習似乎與造句無關,但這一過程是對原句進行加工、改造,從而造出一個新句子??梢?,同義句型轉換在造句的思維過程中也是非常重要的。請看例句:
1.He couldnt help crying when he heard the news.
→ Hearing the news / At the news,he couldnt help crying.
2.We were surprised the girl could draw so well.
→ To our surprise, the girl could draw so well.
→ What surprised us was that the girl could draw so well.
同義句型轉換練習能夠幫助學習者掌握更多的詞匯和句型,增加語言表達的多樣性。學生能夠使用的詞匯、句型越多,句型轉換時的靈活能力就越強,造句的時候也就越得心應手。
總之,句型轉換之所以成為一種經(jīng)久不衰的語言教學方法,正是因為同義轉換將學習者的認知環(huán)境納入其中,對語用能力的培養(yǎng)具有積極的推動作用。在英語教學中,教師應有意識地引導學生掌握同義轉換的方法,并注意運用語境來解決學習同義轉換中的有關問題。
三、合并句子練習
英語重“理性和邏輯思維”,過渡性詞語成為必不可少的語言紐帶;漢語重“悟性和辯證思維”。思維方式不同使西方人擅長形式邏輯,語篇中會運用很多過渡手段;而漢語不太注重形式邏輯。在造英語句子的時候,如果按漢語思維,寫出的句子必然是句式單調(diào)乏味,缺少連貫性,一連串的簡單句或雷同的復合句與地道的英語格格不入。
1.用分詞短語把相關短句合并起來,例如:
The thief was caught on the spot. The thief was brought to the police station.
可合并為:Caught on the spot, the thief was brought to the police station.
A:Paris is the capital of France.
B:It is the largest city in France.
C:It is situated on the River Seine.
可合并為:
Paris is the capital and largest city of France,situated on the River Seine.
2.用復合主語或謂語把相關短句合并起來,例如:
We watched the basketball match on TV that night. We went to bed late that night.
這兩個簡單句可合并為:That night we watched the basketball match on TV and went to bed late.
3.用復合句把相關短句合并起來,例如:
The man is our English teacher. The man has taught for about thirty years.
這兩個短句可合并為:The man who has taught for about thirty years is our English teacher.
4.通過用形容詞、副詞或介詞短語把相關的短句合并成長句,例如:
The building is new and magnificent. The building is situated on the main street of the city. The building makes a grand picture.
這3個短句可合并為:The new and magnificent building on the main street of the city makes a grand picture.
5.用同位語或同位短語把相關短句合并起來,例如:
Jane Austin wrote six novels in all. Jane Austin was one of the leading novelists in the 19th century England. 可將其合并為:Jane Austin, one of the leading novelists in the 19th century England, wrote six novels in all.
A:Florence is a city.
B:Florence is in Italy.
C:It was famous because Renaissance began here in the 1300s.
D:Renaissance is a great artist movement and lasted for 300
years.
可合并為:
Florence is an Italian city which became famous because of the Renaissance, a great artist movement which began in the 1300s and lasted for 300 years.
由此可見,合并句子練習可以幫助學生鍛煉英語思維,寫出地道的英語句子,使英語句子由簡單變?yōu)楹啙?,而這正是英語表達的最高境界。
練習把簡單句或是零散的句式運用各種技巧(如非謂語動詞、從句等)合并為一個緊湊簡潔的英語句子是一種不錯的練習形式。
四、一句多譯練習(paraphrase)
從某種意義上講,一句多譯是翻譯練習的另一種形式。運用多種句式表達同一個意思是英語綜合運用能力的一種體現(xiàn)。許多學生在英語寫作時受漢語負遷移的影響,往往喜歡按字面翻譯,容易出現(xiàn)詞語搭配不當、詞性不分、句子結構不嚴密等問題。一句多譯有助于學生體會和理解詞匯的內(nèi)涵與外延,訓練學生思維的靈活性,最大限度地調(diào)動他們頭腦中儲備的詞匯、句型和語法知識,是培養(yǎng)英語寫作能力的有效途徑。常采用的練習方式有:
1.運用同義詞語。如“她被哈佛大學錄取了?!笨勺g為:
(1)She got admitted to Harvard University.
(2)She has been officially enrolled by Harvard University.
(3)She has been accepted by Harvard University.
2.運用同一詞義的不同句式結構。如“看到照片使我想起了童年。”可譯為:
(1)When I looked at the picture, I couldnt help recalling my
childhood.
(2)At the sight of the picture, I was reminded of my childhood.
(3)The sight of the picture reminded me of my childhood.
3.運用簡單句與復合句的相互轉換。如“我建議我們舉行一個英語晚會?!笨勺g為:
(1)I suggest our holding an English evening party.
(2)I suggest that we (should) hold an English evening party.
(3)My suggestion is that we (should) hold an English evening
party.
4.綜合運用同義詞語與不同句式。如“艱苦的工作使他獲得了成功?!笨勺g為:
(1)His hard work led to his success.
(2)His hard work resulted in his success.
(3)His success resulted from his hard work.
(4)He worked very hard; That was why he succeeded.
(5)The reason for his success was that he worked very hard.
(6)The reason why he succeeded was that he worked very hard.
(7)It was because of his hard work that he succeeded.
(8)He succeeded as a result of his hard work.
五、仿寫句子
英語寫作從句子開始,而造句是一個創(chuàng)造性的過程。為了“創(chuàng)造”出符合英語表達習慣的句子,首先就要模仿,由模仿到熟悉,再由熟悉到創(chuàng)造。模仿是語言學習的必經(jīng)之路,模仿是英語學習不可或缺的途徑。由于受例句的制約,在仿寫過程中,學生可以最大限度地控制母語思維習慣的干擾,跨越漢語翻譯障礙,直接用英語思維造句。對學生進行寫作訓練可通過以下方式來實現(xiàn)。如舊版教材中的一句話“Where there is a river, there is a city.”可引導學生進行仿寫練習,舉例如下:
→ Where there is life,there is hope.
→ Where there is suffering,there is duty.
→ Where there is pain,there is gain.
→ Where there is industry,there is pollution.
→ Where there is smoke,there is fire.
仿寫句子時,教師不應對例句做過多解釋,尤其是不做語法解釋,由學生根據(jù)自己的理解寫出一個語法結構相同或相似而意義不同的句子。教師可以為學生提供一些幫助并指出學生句子中的錯誤。通過自己所寫的新句子和例句之間的比較,多數(shù)學生能夠掌握例句中詞語的用法以及屬于同一詞類的詞的用法。這種寫作教學策略是以教材內(nèi)容為基礎,在課文或其他語言材料中選取具有典型意義的表達方式或結構,再引導學生有意識地將其改變成具有其他意義的句子。
學會造英語句子是提升英語語言輸出質量的有效手段,而造句練習的效果取決于題目的設計,其中對學生創(chuàng)造性思維的培養(yǎng)是教師在練習設計中必須考慮的關鍵性因素。
上述各種練習寫好句子的方法作為訓練方式可促使學生辨析詞語的準確含義,理解詞匯的準確用法,提高語言表達能力和用英語思維的能力。這些練習能夠幫助學生有效地把消極詞匯轉化為積極詞匯,同時也是克服遺忘、逐步建立英語思維的一種重要而有效的手段。大家在教學中不妨一試。
作者簡介:王鮮梅目前就職于太原五中,擔任高中英語教師26載,曾陸續(xù)被評為山西省學科帶頭人,山西省骨干教師,太原市十佳百優(yōu)教師以及優(yōu)秀骨干教師等榮譽稱號。
工作二十余年始終戰(zhàn)斗在教學一線,多次帶高三畢業(yè)班并在高考中取得優(yōu)異成績。所輔導的學生參加各級各類大賽均獲不同獎項,其中一位同學參加全國創(chuàng)新英語大賽榮獲全國特等獎,本人也因此獲得專家級輔導教師稱號。另外在太原市首屆“升華杯”課堂大賽中榮獲一等獎。
編輯 馬曉榮