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and etc. When a foreign language leaner can resort to all the possible target language resources, learning will be more
effective.
2. Development of EFL in China
Ever since 1950s till before The Economic Reform, influenced much by ex-Soviet Union EFL teaching models,
Chinese EFL teaching lays great emphasis on the system and the inter-structure of target languages, which just satisfies
with static teaching like memorizing new words and grammar explanation. We used to propose rote-learning and
mechanical training and considered EFL teaching as a process of imparting knowledge. Later we found out that our
traditional concept no longer met the higher demand for current society. As Lenin puts it, language is an important
communicative tool……Communication is the essential characteristics of languages. Looking back on our ESL
teaching, our traditional teaching methods overstated the accuracy of grammar and ignored students' language creativity
and learning initial, which eventually led to students' lack of communicative competence. As our vice premier once said
in a conference," We have spent too much time learning a foreign language, but our English language proficiency is far
worse than we expect". The ultimate aim of foreign language teaching is to train learners' communicative competence.
Foreign language is actually a tool in communication. Ever since CLT was introduced into China, its basic theories and
principles have become major influential methodologies that have a strong impact on the field of foreign language
teaching in our country.
With the advent of modern society and the era of new economy, we gain an ever-increasing chance to cooperate with
the outside world, and English become significantly important in Chinese people’s life. They need to master the tool to
communicate with foreigners. How to improve foreign language teaching quality so as to produce fine quality
"products" has therefore become the number one task for EFL teachers in China.
3. Influences of ESL theories on Current EFL teaching in China
With the introduction of EFL theories into China, like Direct Method, Audio-Lingual, Audio-Visual, Communicative
Language Teaching and Cognitive Approach and etc, our thoughts in language teaching are greatly activated. These
pose great challenges to our traditional teaching concepts. Chinese EFL teachers begin their researches in both theories
and practices in this field. They all agree the development of students' foreign language competence does not stand
alone, it depends on various factors.
3.1 Emphasis on non-cognitive factors
Non-cognitive factors in learning foreign languages have been one of the researches in EFL field. We realize that in
EFL teaching teachers should not ignore students' initiatives. Factors like stimulating students' enthusiasm,
self-consciousness and creativity turn out to be of vital importance in foreign language teaching. Compared with
traditional methods and concepts, this is a qualitative leap .Our traditional methods emphasize "filling", ie, paying much
attention to the knowledge delivery in language teaching, which would to some degree attribute to students'
incompetence. After 8 to 10 years of learning English, students still feel embarrassed when it comes to expressing
themselves and completing simple writing tasks. Students know little about communicative strategies. As a
consequence, they are easy to violate communicative rules without realizing them. Of course the weakness in basic
language training also contributes to students' difficulties in their communication and writing tasks. However, another
case does seem to be more dangerous: fluency in oral English and failure to understand communicative rules, since in
this case students may be misunderstood in authentic communication. And hurt native speakers feelings. To some
extent, we have to confess our traditional EFL teaching has produced too many "dumb and fluency idiots", which will
not at all satisfy the modern demand for foreign language specialists. However it is gratifying to note that with the
introduction of modern EFL theories into China, Chinese EFL teachers are realizing defects in their practices and are
beginning researches in case studies on the influences of non-cognitive factors on foreign language learners, which
will surely "fill into fresh blood" into Chinese EFL field.
3.2 Curriculum integration, flexibility, and diversification
Reform in current curriculum also belongs to one of the experimental projects in China's EFL field. Based on language
learning and teaching theories, we devise our curriculum and set up new goals for EFL learners in the new century. The
new curriculum tends to be
Integrated, Flexible and Diversified.
As for integration, we mean to combine listening, speaking, reading and writing tasks into one integrated course. While
traditionally we usually separated these skills. We have devised 5 modes in integrated language teaching:1) integrating
language learning strategies into major courses 2) organizing tasks on specific topics 3) learning a language by
participating various kinds of activities 4) learning foreign languages via series of events 5) learning foreign languages
through completion of "tasks".
As for flexibility, we mean that we have more flexibility when arranging our curriculum, totally different from
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traditional rigid mechanical approaches before. Based on recent researches in second language acquisition and second
language psychology, we are considering transferring some university courses into high school curriculums. Thus
students may set sound foundation for their basic language skills while in high school. University curriculum may then
consider setting up courses like English literature, western cultures, secretary English, business English and etc .This
can not only reduce the quantity of compulsory courses in university, but also enable college students to have more free
time to enrich language knowledge and widen their vision of target languages. In this case students can not only learn
theoretical knowledge but also practical skills. All these may help lay a solid foundation for their learning and
employment in the future.
3.3 The Reform in Teaching Methodologies
Since 1980s, foreign languages teaching in China was gradually moving towards its maturity both in theories and
practices. Teachers realize differences in learners, teaching styles and teaching environment. To achieve success in
language teaching, EFL teachers are advised to apply dynamic, adjusted "open policy" to foreign language teaching.
They realize that learning outcomes rely much on factors like ultimate goals, professional levels of teachers, teacher's
personality and difficulties in learning materials. They all agree teaching methodologies should vary from person to
person, from time to time. Never will there be an effective methodology. We didn't have it before, and we will never
have it in the future. Gradually foreign language educators begin to reflect on EFL teaching in China and start reforms
in this field. Their main concerns are to abolish traditional "fillings" and encourage heuristics in classroom teaching.
Current EFL in China are now experiencing its reforms in the following aspects: 1) Cooperative trend. Break the
domination of teachers in classrooms and start to attach importance to cooperation between teachers and learners. Such
cooperation not only helps brainstorming, but also enhances communication between teachers and learners. When
learning a language, it is strongly advised that students understand the successful experience of other language learners.
Also teachers may help students to form their own learning pathways.2) Place importance to emotional factors.
Teachers should especially care about new "self-images" of foreign language learners and help them improve their
self-confidence. Integrating language teaching with its culture will also help arouse learners' interest. The interaction
between teachers and students helps to create a pleasant and relaxed learning environment and will accordingly increase
the efficiency of teaching and learning.
3.4 Strengthen Researches and Experiments in Teaching Modes
Researches in EFL teaching mode have been carried out in China only in recent years. There are divergent views on the
nature of EFL teaching, its mode, its concept and its characteristics.EFL researches and teachers all agree on the
significant role that teaching modes play in EFL teaching theories. Since teaching modes embody both theoretical and
interoperability characteristics, they are supposed to be the best link between teaching theories and teaching practices.
Under the guidance of teaching theories, teaching modes combine various aspects in the teaching process and supply
information for teaching strategy system. They are also reflections on teaching principles and laws and thus can make
general teaching theories concrete and workable. They provide teachers with a set of teaching methods and strategies.
Conducting an extensive and in-depth researches and experiments in teaching modes can not only help to enrich and
develop foreign language theories, but also offer solutions to long-time detachment between foreign language teaching
theories and teaching practices in China.
4. Several Problems Existed in Current Foreign Language Teaching
History of modern foreign language teaching has proved that the emergence of any new theories and methodologies is
closely related to demands for that time and promoted by progresses in related subjects. Due to the ever-increasing
contacts and exchanges between nations, the demand for EFL talents has reached an unprecedented degree. Although in
ESL theories, we have Cognitive Psychology, Chomsky's linguistics rationalism, Context Linguistics and etc, but there
is still to much to improve in ESL theories. A lot of problems in teaching practices remain to be solved.
4.1 Modern pedagogy vs traditional pedagogy s
Researches in teaching pedagogies in EFL are to meet requirements for contemporary society, to cultivate new ways
and thus train more learners to meet new demands. However when new methods are not perfect, we should still hold on
to old ones that have proven to be effective all through the history of EFL teaching practices. Discarding old methods
thoroughly is not a good choice, since any new theories and methodologies are make-ups for their past. Adopting new
theories and methodologies does not mean to cancel traditions. Anyway, ever since many ESL theories coming into
China, many EFL teacher home think all existing methods are backward and out of date. Thus, they pushed modern
ESL theories to its extreme. A case in point is the Communicative Approach.
In fact, every methodology has its merit. Take Direct Method and Audio-Lingual Method for an example, they are still
very useful to children learners and beginners since they know little about their target language and do not have any
communicative competence. Generally excluding these two methodologies is not conducive to EFL teaching.
As for Grammar-Translation Method, though we appraise and deny the ups and downs of this methodology, it is still an
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important supplement to current EFL teaching methods. Regardless of foreign language learning in classroom or self
learning, learners often achieve understanding of meaning of words or contexts with the help of grammar analyses.
Sometimes it is very difficult to explain abstract words in target languages. Foreign language learners believe grammar
analyses will certainly help them to understand contexts, long and complicated sentences. For example, when
professionals in other fields consult their difficulties with EFL teachers, more often their problems are not meaning of
words, but sentence structures, grammar points, or relationships between sentences.
4.2 Call for reforms in CET 4 & CET 6 national examination
Tests, mostly in writing, are the major means to test the ability of students who learn English in universities or high
schools. And implications of EFL test modes, especially like CET 4 and CET 6 national examinations, are tremendous
to English teaching and English language learning. To some extent, it is a baton. Usually test questions are objective
ones and in the form of multiple choice. Testees are required to select one correct answer among four choices. Although
this test method can facilitate assessments, the credibility of such scores is questionable. For example, there are three
students who have made correct choices to the same question: We can assume three possibilities in this situation: one is
that the testee gets the correct answer because he can tell the reason why he makes it; another is testee get the score by
trying his luck because he is not quite sure about the correct answer; the third possibility is testee doesn't know anything
about the correct answer at all and simple makes his blind guesses. The result is that they all got one score since they all
made the correct choice. Although they get the same score in that question, their knowledge and abilities are different.
Since we all know there is 25% of the guess rate, the objectivity of this score should be discounted in this case. These
test modes can mislead students and encourage their guessing. Therefore various ways of guessing skills are quite
popular among students. There are researches in topics like Know-how-to-guess, guessing principles and etc. Actually
these phenomena have been in existence for quite a period of time in China. As a consequence, quite a number of
students' foreign language ability and knowledge are still very weak although they have got high scores in examinations.
The negative effects that current test modes bring can never be ignored. Nowadays we can see some changes in CET 4
and CET 6 examination. We see more subjective questions in exam papers. But we have to confess that the volume of
objective questions has not been reduced. Defects have not been eliminated, only slightly been made up. We need
further reforms in test modes and we hope reforms in CET4 and CET6 can change in the direction that will help
students to improve their EFL practical abilities and knowledge.
4.3 Differences between Learning First and Second Language
Language acquisition theories advocate that children learn discourses in natural environments. Current researches in
how learners learn to talk and how they use languages for social communication will no doubt be a great inspiration to
EFL filed. Although there are some similarities between kids learning to talk and beginners learning a foreign language,
differences do exist between them. College students are adults. They have learnt English language for six years before
they come to universities. We also believe students who are learning foreign languages have different social roles from
children. Examining these differences will help to achieve effectiveness in EFL teaching and learning.
First, there is a cognitive difference between them. As children acquire their first language, they learn concerning
cognitive areas like time and space, cause and effect relationship and etc. at the same time; While foreign language
learners do not have to re-experience above processes. Second, when kids learn first languages, they also learn how to
use set ways to express love and hate. Consequently, they obtain their social identities and try to develop their own
personality in this framework; And foreign language learners, no longer need to learn the stereotyped concept of what to
say in certain situations .
To sum up, we can see differences between first language acquisition and foreign languages learning. Therefore, when
teaching foreign languages, there is no need for EFL teachers to repeat the known areas of students' cognition. Instead
they should provide a "language rich" environment and supply stimulation to guide students to attain their self-study.
References
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Nunan, D. (1991). Language Teaching Methodology: A Text-book for Teachers. New Jersey. Prentice Hall.
Nunan. D.·(2004). Practical English Language Teaching. Higher Education Press.
White, R. (1991). The ELT Curriculum: Design, Innovation and Management. Cambridge: Basil Blackwell.
Widdowson,H.G. (1978). Teaching English as Communication. Oxford University Press.
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