When it comes to the practical use of English, the traditional college English class, which has big size and uses lecture-style teaching, has increasingly showed its disadvantages. The English Department of Harbin Eng...When it comes to the practical use of English, the traditional college English class, which has big size and uses lecture-style teaching, has increasingly showed its disadvantages. The English Department of Harbin Engineering University has initiated a mini-class model in recent years, which has received positive responses from both teachers and students who have experienced the class. By comparing the lecture-style class with mini-class, this paper will introduce the strengths and weaknesses of mini-class according to the author＇s observation of the class as well as the feedbacks from teachers and students. As is found out, its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, and therefore the model is highly recommended for college English class in other schools展开更多
Interaction in EFL （English as a foreign language） classrooms has received much attention in recent years However, little research exists that has investigated interaction in Chinese EFL classrooms. To bridge this g...Interaction in EFL （English as a foreign language） classrooms has received much attention in recent years However, little research exists that has investigated interaction in Chinese EFL classrooms. To bridge this gap, the current research investigates interaction in EFL classrooms in middle schools in China in terms of： （1） the amount of teacher talk and interaction; （2） the type of teacher questions and teacher feedbacks; and （3） the amount and forms of meaning negotiation. The data set include observation records and observation reports of 140 naturally occurring lessons in middle schools in China. The findings reveal that there is not much interaction in EFL lessons in middle schools in western areas of China, which is shown by class time dominated by TTT （teacher talking time）, teacher questions and feedbacks that do not encourage students＇ responses and very little negotiation of meaning Possible causes are analyzed, and implications of this research for EFL teaching in China, teacher development and further research are also discussed展开更多
This action research explores the use of the flipped classroom approach in an English speaking class with 25 students at intermediate level in a vocational college in China's Mainland. It aims at motivating Englis...This action research explores the use of the flipped classroom approach in an English speaking class with 25 students at intermediate level in a vocational college in China's Mainland. It aims at motivating English learners and helping them develop communicative language skills more effectively and efficiently. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted to analyze the data collected through interviews, teaching logs, as well as anonymous questionnaires and a summative assessment. Results show that the flipped classroom approach does stimulate students to invest more time and effort prior to instruction and during class learners do participate in communicative language exercises more enthusiastically. As a result, conceivable progress has been made in learners＇ performance. Possible recommendations of incorporating periodic rotation within the class, adding certain teacher-led instruction, and informal evaluation with group members, are raised at the end of the paper to help further improve the teaching/learning outcome of the flipped classroom approach.展开更多
Automated writing evaluation （AWE） technology is being adopted in classrooms in China and the USA. This paper presents the results of a case study of the application of AWE in Dalian, China. The quasi-experimental s...Automated writing evaluation （AWE） technology is being adopted in classrooms in China and the USA. This paper presents the results of a case study of the application of AWE in Dalian, China. The quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2010 in Chinese middle school English language classrooms. An effect size of 0.30 was found in favor of the experimental group using AWE as an online formative assessment. Student survey responses and teacher observations are presented as convergent evidence to illustrate the impact AWE technology has on teachers, students, and student achievement in English writing.展开更多
文摘When it comes to the practical use of English, the traditional college English class, which has big size and uses lecture-style teaching, has increasingly showed its disadvantages. The English Department of Harbin Engineering University has initiated a mini-class model in recent years, which has received positive responses from both teachers and students who have experienced the class. By comparing the lecture-style class with mini-class, this paper will introduce the strengths and weaknesses of mini-class according to the author＇s observation of the class as well as the feedbacks from teachers and students. As is found out, its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, and therefore the model is highly recommended for college English class in other schools
文摘Interaction in EFL （English as a foreign language） classrooms has received much attention in recent years However, little research exists that has investigated interaction in Chinese EFL classrooms. To bridge this gap, the current research investigates interaction in EFL classrooms in middle schools in China in terms of： （1） the amount of teacher talk and interaction; （2） the type of teacher questions and teacher feedbacks; and （3） the amount and forms of meaning negotiation. The data set include observation records and observation reports of 140 naturally occurring lessons in middle schools in China. The findings reveal that there is not much interaction in EFL lessons in middle schools in western areas of China, which is shown by class time dominated by TTT （teacher talking time）, teacher questions and feedbacks that do not encourage students＇ responses and very little negotiation of meaning Possible causes are analyzed, and implications of this research for EFL teaching in China, teacher development and further research are also discussed
文摘This action research explores the use of the flipped classroom approach in an English speaking class with 25 students at intermediate level in a vocational college in China's Mainland. It aims at motivating English learners and helping them develop communicative language skills more effectively and efficiently. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted to analyze the data collected through interviews, teaching logs, as well as anonymous questionnaires and a summative assessment. Results show that the flipped classroom approach does stimulate students to invest more time and effort prior to instruction and during class learners do participate in communicative language exercises more enthusiastically. As a result, conceivable progress has been made in learners＇ performance. Possible recommendations of incorporating periodic rotation within the class, adding certain teacher-led instruction, and informal evaluation with group members, are raised at the end of the paper to help further improve the teaching/learning outcome of the flipped classroom approach.
文摘Automated writing evaluation （AWE） technology is being adopted in classrooms in China and the USA. This paper presents the results of a case study of the application of AWE in Dalian, China. The quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2010 in Chinese middle school English language classrooms. An effect size of 0.30 was found in favor of the experimental group using AWE as an online formative assessment. Student survey responses and teacher observations are presented as convergent evidence to illustrate the impact AWE technology has on teachers, students, and student achievement in English writing.
