陈文芳徐州市王杰中学
牛津高中英语教材使用以来,我们一直在探讨如何针对英语水平不同的学生进行有效的课堂教学,这对教材的使用提出了挑战。不同的学校、甚至不同的班级,到了高中阶段,学生的英语水平存在着很大的差异。尽管教材有着很多优点,但学生英语水平存在差异的客观现实要求我们教师应对教材进行重新整合、优化,挑选出适合学生的教学内容。教师只有对教材进行创造性使用,才能保证教材使用的实效性,提高课堂教学效果。
针对英语水平较低,英语基础比较薄弱的学生,教师应对教材进行简化,进行适当的、有科学性的删减,或者替换教学活动或活动步骤,降低教材的难度,便于学生学习和掌握。例如,Unit4(Module6)Helpingpeoplearoundtheworld,课文篇章比较长、新词语较多、句式比较复杂,在进行第一课时阅读教学时,可以把阅读教材简化为:
TheUN—bringingeveryoneclosertogether
Part1:AnintroductiontotheUN
TheUNisaninternationalgroupmadeupofcountriesthatwanttoincreasepeace.ItwasactuallysetupjustaftertheSecondWorldWarinOctober1945by51countries.Today,nearlyeverynationintheworldbelongstotheUN—191countriesaltogether.TheUNisbasedonacharterthathasfourmainpurposes:tokeepinternationalpeace;todevelopfriendlyrelationshipsamongnations;toco-operateinsolvinginternationalproblemsandinpromotingrespectforhumanrights;andtobeacentrefororganizingtheactionsorworkofdifferentnations.
TheUNtouchesthelivesofpeopleeverywhere.Apartfromtheurgentproblemscausedbywarsandconflicts,theUNhelpscountrieswithotherproblemssuchaslackofeducation,lackoffood,poverty,disastersanddisease.
TheUNdoesnothaveitsownarmy.Instead,itborrowssoldiersfromdifferentcountriesthatbelongtotheUN.WiththehelpofthesearmiesandotherworthyorganizationstheUNassiststhevictimsofwarsanddisasters.
Part2:TheworkofaUNGoodwillAmbassador
Ifeelveryhonoredtohavebeenabletotakeontherole—aGoodwillAmbassadorforthem.MyjobwiththeUNisnotpaid,butvoluntary.
BeingaGoodwillAmbassadormeansthatIvisitedcountrieswheretheUNoperatesprogramstohelppeople.IfIvisitthesecountries,thetelevisionandpresswillfollowandrecordmyvisits.Thiswillincreasepeople’sawarenessoftheworkoftheUN.Inaddition,myvisitswillencouragepeopleworkingontheprojectsanddrawlocalpeople’sattentiontothesituation.WiththeworkoftheUNtheworldhasbeenbroughtclosertogether.
以上两部分内容是对原阅读文本的分解和简化,但话题仍然是单元话题。文本虽然简化了,却能体现原文本的主题,同时又涵盖了原材料中大多数的新词汇,学生阅读和理解的材料相对简单,便于他们学习和掌握,同时也为第二课时语言知识的学习作好铺垫。对改造过的教材内容,学生再进行细致地学习:阅读之后回答问题。例,①WhatistheUN?②WhenwastheUNsetup?③WhatarethefourmainpurposesoftheUN?④Apartfromwarsandconflicts,whatotherproblemsdoestheUNhelpwith?。在阅读理解的基础上,再通过听取信息进一步加强对文章细节的理解。例,TheUNhasfourmainpurposes.Theyaretokeepinternationalpeace;todevelopfriendlyrelationshipsamongnations;toco-operateinsolvinginternationalproblemsandinpromotingrespectforhumanrights;andtobeacentrefororganizingtheactionsorworkofdifferentnations(划线的词语设置为填空)。这样,通过读和听两种形式的语言输入,文本很容易被学生接受。
再如,Unit3(Module6)Task部分skillsbuilding1PartC,把教材中的教学活动改造为:Frommyexperience,peoplefromtheUSAoftenfeeluncomfortableifpeopleareintheir‘personalspace’(aboutfiftycentimetersaroundtheirbody).ButIheardthatbusinesspeoplefromAsiahaveadifferentideaaboutpersonalspaceandusuallystandcloserthansomepeoplefromtheUSAmightlike.LatinAmericansarethesame,andliketogreettheircolleagueswithahug.IalsonoticedthatintheUSA,gift-givingisnotpartofthecultureunlikeinmanyothercountries.Isawthatgift-givingisveryimportantinJapanandonatrip.Japanesepeoplemustbringbacklotsofgifts.Therearealsosignswhichmeandifferentthingsindifferentcountries.IntheUSA,an'OK'signisformedbytouchinghethumbtotheindexfinger.ThisisapositivesignintheUnitedStates,butinFrance,thesamesignmeans'zero'or'worthless'andinJapan,itisarequestforsmallchange.(划线的词语设置为填空),把听力文本完整地呈现给学生。学生先阅读与听力活动匹配的文章,再对听取的信息进行预测,降低听力的难度,减少学生对听力训练的畏惧、恐慌,同时加强对听力技巧的巩固。对Task部分中听力素材进行听力训练活动之后,再对其加强理解,提取其中与话题相关的信息让学生说一说,进行双向的语言听说训练,实现语言的输入和输出,从而提高课堂教学效果。
尽管影响学生学习成绩的因素是多方面的,但作为教师,我们应当把自己所承担的责任做到最好:针对学生的学习能力,选择适合的教学内容,优化教材设计——突出重点、突破难点、合理设计教学活动。这样,我们的课堂教学任务对学生来说才能接受。特别对于那些英语基础比较薄弱的学生,他们通过学习简化的教学内容,掌握基本的语言知识,读懂中等难度以下的文章,写出结构比较完整的句子,语言技能才能得到提高,课堂教学的有效性才能得以实现。
总之,牛津高中英语教材如同一把尺子,只有对学生进行量体裁衣,才能发挥它最大的价值。