专门用途英语教材编写的实践与反思——以《法学英语》教材为例

A Reflection on ESP Textbook Compilation—Based on English for Legal Purpose

专门用途英语(ESP)已成为近年来大学英语教学改革的'热词',各高校陆续设置ESP课程。在教材选择上,为凸显自己的特色与培养目标,部分高校编著了有一定特色的ESP教材。本文介绍了中国政法大学为教改后的学术英语课程所编《法学英语》教材的实践与反思。我们认为该教材是在顺应教改潮流、遵循ESP教学理论及教材编写原则的基础上,对于编写以法学为背景和学习目标的ESP教材进行的有益尝试和实践。在经过四轮教材使用以及一次教材修订后,根据调查问卷的反馈,我们发现,虽然教材在编写上遵循了ESP教材的编写原则,在选材和选题上尽量做到了兼顾趣味性和学术性,在练习设计上尽量包括各项技能的训练,但是,对于学生水平、学生需求和学生未来发展的关注度需进一步提高。根据英语水平和发展需求对学生进行分流的同时,提高ESP教材的专业化程度、精简练习、提高针对性、更加重视兴趣培养是下一轮教材编写要遵循的原则。总之,教材编写和教学活动安排要以学生为本,以学生需求为导向,盲从和一刀切都不是正确的做法。

English for Specific Purposes(ESP)has become a trend in the current reform of College English Teaching,and ESP courses are being taught in more and more universities.In order to highlight their own characteristics and meet the needs of their educational objectives,some universities have chosen to compile their own ESP textbooks.This paper aims to introduce the practice in,and reflections on,compiling textbooks of English for legal purpose in the China University of Political Science and Law.After four years of compilation and one revision,a questionnaire survey has been conducted.We find that despite the fact that great attention is paid to the authenticity of materials,interesting topics with academic significance,and exercise design for improving comprehensive language skills,consideration of students’proficiency level,their needs and future development are far from satisfactory.It is imperative for future ESP textbook compilers to make the materials more specialized,exercises more concise and operable,and topics more attractive catering to the actual characteristics and needs of the students.To follow the trend of textbook compilation blindly or ignore the students’specific characteristics can only lead to failure in English teaching reforms.