Misunderstanding Comprehension(III)

Teachers of receptive skills have a threefold concern:to identify which of their learners have real problems with understanding written or spoken texts;to establish exactly what is causing these problems;to provide whatever help is needed for the learners in question to overcome them.Where learners have real difficulties with reading or understanding speech,and where these do not simply arise from inadequate language or subject knowledge,the default assumption should be that they are caused primarily by problems with accuracy and/or fluency in decoding and parsing.Assessment,whether formal or as a part of the kinds of reading and listening activities normally carried on in the classroom,should therefore focus on establishing the exact nature of these problems,and teaching(where necessary)should focus on remedying them.An approach of this kind,in receptive language skills as elsewhere,provides the best chance of fostering accurate and fluent performance in a way that uses classroom time efficiently.

The Textbook: Bridge or Wall?

This article has been quoted more than once in support of the idea that teachers should reject textbooks and produce their own custom-made courses for their students.This is not at all what I believe.I am critical of bad or unsuitable textbooks,and I believe that any textbook needs adaptation and supplementation to make it appropriate for a particular group of students.However,producing full-scale language courses is a complex,demanding,and highly-skilled job.As I argue in a later article,to expect a practising teacher to do this is like expecting the first violinist to compose the orchestra's repertoire in his or her spare time.

Where Is the Language Going?

In a small way,this article anticipated later discussions of English as a Lingua Franca.Lord Airedale(L)said there was no question that if there was to be a world language it would be English,but whether it would be English English or American English was uncertain.He was prejudiced in favour of English English.The Americans,although they economised a little in their spelling,undid this good work by always preferring the longer word to the shorter.

The Input To Language Learning:Two Out Of Three Ain't Good Enough

2006年4月在英国约克古镇(Harrogate)召开的第40届国际英语外语教师协会(IATEFL)国际学术年会上,语言学家Michael Swan在所作的大会主报告The Input to Language Learning:Two out of Three ain't good enough中提出了英语语言(外语)教学应注重大量输入的观点,长期以来,人们所忽视的在语言教学中进行大量的可理解性的输入,使得教学效率低下。此报告如一石激起千层浪,引发了英语教学界对近年来倡导“输出性教学”的思考。而后该年会传统之“ELTJ”辩论中,Michael Swan与How To Teach Grammar系列书籍作者Scott Thornbury针对英语教学中是否应有语法大纲(Grammar Syllabus)展开了激烈探讨。本刊撷取两报告与辩论之精华,以期引起我国英语教学、教研工作者更深的思考。