Challenges and Approaches of Teaching EFL to Large Classes in China

Compared with the smaller class sizes in many other countries, China EFL classes are generally oversize with gaps of learners'language proficiency and competence, different language acquisition abilities, diverse motivations and attitudes which constitute a multilevel class with many challenges to class management and language teaching. Based on the views upon the issue of researchers from China and other countries, this paper identifies the challenges with large EFL classes and discusses strategies of coping in such a context by providing pragmatic guidelines of teaching EFL to large classes in China.

中国大学英语学习者对课堂结伴互动的认识研究

近年来,关注课堂互动促进二语/外语学习的研究越来越多。大部分研究通过转写学生结伴或师生之间的对话,探讨互动“有效性”,即互动能在多大程度上帮助二语学习者取得可理解性输入,接收反馈,对输出进行相应的调整、控制和修正(Ellis,2003)。关注学习者如何看待课堂互动的研究很少,在中国,英语作为外语(EFL)环境下的相关研究至今未见。学习者是课堂活动的主体,教师只有了解学习者的行为和想法才能帮助学习者达到预期学习效果(Barkhuizen,1998)。本研究探索了中国大学生对英语课堂结伴互动的认识及其对互动行为的影响。结果表明,学习者对课堂结伴互动的认识普遍比较积极,学习者的认识对互动总参与量和互动参与量的影响都是正向的,也就是说学习者的认识越积极,小组互动的积极性和有效性水平越高。