[摘要] 詞匯是語言學習的基礎(chǔ)。當前中學英語詞匯教學陷入“避而不談”的怪圈,導致詞匯教學研究處于盲區(qū)。本文基于教學實踐,探究在語境中習得詞匯的8種有效途徑,旨在優(yōu)化中學英語教學中的詞匯教學效果。
[關(guān)鍵詞] 詞匯教學;語境;策略
一、詞匯教與學的誤區(qū)
在傳統(tǒng)教學中,教師教授單詞的模式往往是適度領(lǐng)讀,然后略舉幾個脫離生活語境的例句。由于缺乏單詞學習的方法介紹及鞏固性的學習活動,學生只會死記硬背,不能領(lǐng)悟詞匯的語用情境,無法靈活運用詞匯。筆者從本校高中三個年級抽取了316名學生進行詞匯學習情況問卷調(diào)查。結(jié)果顯示:約50%的被調(diào)查者學習英語詞匯的目的是應試,85%以上的學生有“臨陣磨槍”的現(xiàn)象,在考前強記詞匯。由于詞匯學習的目的不明確,缺少語境理解與記憶,導致詞匯學習收效甚微。
二、語境中詞匯教學的策略
語言學家們在詞匯教學方面進行了大量的實證研究,并已提出不少有效的教學策略。例如,根據(jù)上下文語境感知詞匯的運用,教師可以讓學生朗讀文本或聽文本錄音,觀察詞匯在語境中的具體運用。通過語境理解詞匯的意義,并在適當?shù)膱龊先ナ褂?,才能真正習得詞匯。在語境中教學詞匯要比死記硬背的效果好得多,不僅能夠幫助學生記憶大量的目標詞匯,還可以通過不同的句式不知不覺地帶動很多非目標詞匯的反復運用。那么,怎樣創(chuàng)設(shè)詞匯教學中的語境呢?筆者運用以下策略進行了詞匯教學的實踐。
1.詞義猜測
詞義猜測,即教師借助相關(guān)信息的口頭或書面描述,創(chuàng)設(shè)具有生活意義的語境,讓學生判斷詞匯。詞義猜測旨在幫助學生通過“聽”來擴大詞匯量。筆者通常采用What is it?這一猜詞活動。如:
(1)Last summer we went hiking in the country. In the evening we didnt stay in a hotel or in our car. We put up something to keep us in for the night.(Tent)
(2)I want to get a machine. It looks like human. It never eats or drinks. It can do some cooking,cleaning or other housework. I neednt pay it to work.(Robot)
2.語篇填空
語篇填空,即教師通過語篇挖空的方式,讓學生根據(jù)上下文語境填補缺省詞匯信息,提高靈活運用詞匯的能力。如:There will probably be no schools on Mars. Every student will have a computer at home connecting to an inter-planet computer . They can study, do their homework and take exams inschools. Each student will also have their own online teacher called.(network;online;e-teacher)
3.話題展開
話題展開,即在一個單元結(jié)束時,教師讓學生根據(jù)本單元主題和詞匯,在特定語境中開展Free talk,此舉既能防止學生遺忘所學詞匯,又能促使學生創(chuàng)造性地運用詞匯。例如,教學《牛津高中英語》模塊五單元二,筆者提供圖片,讓學生圍繞“中國西部土地荒漠化”展開討論。在“Free talk”的過程中,學生幾乎用到了本單元所有單詞。(atmosphere,concern,decrease,environmental,pollution,preservation,prohibit,responsibility,etc.)
4.概念擴展
概念擴展的詞匯學習方法基于語義場理論,即在一個特定的概念支配下,語言中的某些詞可以組成一個語義場。概念擴展有利于學生學習或復習相關(guān)聯(lián)的詞匯。比如,在“space”這個概念下,教師帶領(lǐng)學生學習“planet-inter planet-spacecraft-space shuttle-spacesuit-astronaut-sun-solar-moon-surface-alien-atmosphere”等單詞。再如,教師可以讓學生根據(jù)colour一詞,聯(lián)想各種顏色的詞,如black,blue,brown,dark,green,grey,orange,pink,purple,red,white,yellow等,以及與這些顏色代表的情感詞匯,如clam,growth,joy,power,purity,wisdom等。
5.詞匯派生
詞匯派生,即教師讓學生圍繞某個單詞進行發(fā)散思考,給出通過添加前綴或后綴派生的詞匯。比如,以agree一詞為例,學生會聯(lián)想到agreement,agreeable, disagree,disagreeable等,再用這些詞造句或編故事,以達到在語境中學習詞匯?!杜=蚋咧杏⒄Z》教材中常見的前綴和后綴有:
(1)表示“否定的dis-,im-,in-,un-”等前綴。比如,disagree,impatient。
(2)表示“再re-”的前綴。比如,remarry,repay。
(3)表示“名詞的-er,-or,-ness,-tion”等后綴。比如,explorer,visitor,witness,explanation。
(4)表示“形容詞的-ern,-ful,-able”等后綴。比如,western,peaceful, enjoyable。
(5)表示“否定的-less”等后綴。比如,homeless,
priceless。
(6)表示“副詞的-ly”等后綴。比如,healthily,specially。
6.詞形類比
詞形類比,即教師利用圖片創(chuàng)設(shè)語境來指導學生比較同義詞、近義詞、詞與詞之間的搭配和短語搭配學習詞匯。比如,在復習“alive(adj. 活著的,只用作后置定語、表語或補足語),lively(adj. 活潑可愛的),living(adj. 活著的),live(adj. 實況播送)”時,筆者讓學生用這四個詞描述PPT上的圖片。Picture 1可愛的漫畫蛇在冬眠;Picture 2一位老人在運動;Picture 3所有活著的總統(tǒng)在參加尼克松的葬禮;Picture 4正在上演一場現(xiàn)場音樂會。(The snake is still alive.The old man is over ninety,but he is still lively. All the living presidents attended Nixons funeral.It is a live concert,not a recording.)
7.同義解釋
同義解釋,即教師提供短文或書信,讓學生閱讀文章并理解語境,再用同義詞或同義詞組來替換文中能被替換的詞或詞組。如:It was raining. I went(walked) into a cafe and asked for(ordered)a coffee. While I was waiting for my drink,I realized(became conscious)there were other people in the place,but I sensed loneliness(felt lonely). I saw their bodies,but I couldnt feel their souls because their souls belonged to(were owned by)the Net.
8.詞義突破
詞義突破,即教師指導學生進行廣泛閱讀,根據(jù)上下文來加深對詞匯各種意義的理解。常有單詞在不同上下文的語境中含義不同。比如,下面短文中單詞free有多種意義。Whenever free(自由的,有空的),my Irish friend,Peter,goes to the school library,where he has access to the Internet for free(免費的). Peter loves travel. He has been to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors, Guilin to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery,and Beijing to visit the Great Wall. He always books rooms in advance in his destination cities. He told me he was once in a small town in the south of Britain. There he had great trouble in finding a room free(空著的)in hotels. Next month,he will fly to Canada to see his aunt. He has asked me to accompany him to buy presents in the duty-free(免……的,無……的)shop for her aunt.
詞匯在語言中舉足輕重。可以說,沒有語法難以表情達意,但沒有詞匯就不可能表情達意。學生詞匯量的大小決定學生的語言能力,影響他們與人的溝通。需要注意的是,單詞的拼讀、詞性、意義及用法不能孤立而言,要在具體的語境中才能習得,教師需要努力創(chuàng)設(shè)語境,引導學生在運用中擴大詞匯量。
焦繼俊? ?江蘇省南京市人民中學,高級教師。