Intensive Reading Problems and Possible Solutions.doc

英语精读教学的问题，以及可能的解决方法Intensive Reading: Problems and Possible SolutionsContentsAbstract1Key words1I. Introduction1II. Background Information2III. The Problems in the Instruction of Intensive Reading43.1 The Problem Caused by the Textbook43.2 The Problems Caused by Requirement of Tests53.3 The Problems of Teaching Method53.3.1 Traditional Teacher-Centered Approach53.3.2 Lacking the Skills of Intensive Reading73.4 Lacking the Qualified Teachers7IV. Some Possible Solutions84.1 Revising Existing Textbooks84.2 Improving the Intensive Reading Teaching94.2.1 Using the “Student-Centered” Approach94.2.2 Self-Learning114.2.3 Improving the Reading Skills134.2.4 Encouraging Students Active Thinking134.3 Training Teachers Activity14V. Conclusion14References 15Intensive Reading: Problems and Possible Solutions摘 要： 在中国大学英语精读课是大学生学习英语的主要课程，也是基础课程。我们要不断地提高教学质量，因此对英语精读课的研究是很必要的，以便提高精读的教学质量，从而让老师们和学生们都有一个全新的角色。这篇文章它指出了精读教学中存在的问题，以及提出了可能的解决办法。这对改进大学英语精读教学方法很有益处。关键词：英语精读；问题；教学方法；可能的解决方法Abstract: Intensive reading course has been a predominant course in English in most English departments and sections in the college learning in China. It is the basis of other English course. As far as the promotion of teaching quality is concerned, it is necessary to survey and improve teaching method for intensive reading, such as bringing into full play the role of both teachers and students. In this paper , it points out that the problems of intensive reading and gives some possible solutions. All those will no doubt benefit the improvement of the quality of college English intensive reading.Key words: Intensive reading; problems; teaching methods; possible solutionsI. IntroductionAmong the four skills reading has been viewed as the most basic and useful skill for Chinese learners of English, which is also reflected in college English syllabus. In Chinese tertiary institutions, intensive reading is offered as a premier reading course to college students in their language learning. It has remained the dominant approach in the Chinese syllabus of college students, taking up a high percentage of class hours each week. As we know, many college students will just read the written form of English after they graduate from the colleges. So the instruction of reading becomes more and more important in English teaching. In an intensive reading class, the teacher usually guides his or her students through a text carefully, explaining new words and phrases as he or she goes, analyzing the grammatical structures in detail, translating some sentences or parts of the text if necessary, always making sure that the students understand each sentence in the text. Intensive reading as the main method to teaching English reading has dominated the Chinese language classroom for many years. Both teachers and students spend much of their time teaching and learning it. But as a matter of fact, many college students still have great difficulty in reading comprehension and many English teachers are also aware of the Chinese students difficulties and more and more aware of how inefficient the traditional approach is in the design of teaching materials and teaching methods. Therefore, it is very necessary to do more research on the teaching mode of intensive reading so as to find the problems. Only when we solve problems constantly could we improve teaching efficiency. As a result, this paper is an attempt to analyze some current problems and suggest a revised method for teaching intensive reading to Chinese students.II. Background InformationSince 1970s, great developments have been made both in the linguistic and pragmatic fields of reading analysis, we have been exploring new ways of teaching English for a long time, the aim is to prepare qualified English graduates in more effective ways. The English teaching has seen its greatest developments. Still we have a long way to go to meet the demands of globalization, especially after China joins the WTO. The English is very important and useful for Chinese students. The Chinese job market in the 21st century will be highly competitive and challenging. Confronted with great pressure, both educators and students may find it hard to resist the temptation of achieving instant success by exactly fitting the students skills to the particular needs of the market. This is very important for Chinese college students and Chinese education. Forty-five years ago, the successful launch of the Russian Sputnik sent shivers down the spines in American classrooms. There followed heated discussions of and vehement attacks on the poor quality across the whole American educational spectrum. Presumably the Americans had every reason to focus on training their graduates with practical skills. What happened, however, was that the administrators and teachers agreed that the whole situation should be improved from the ground up. As far as English curriculums are concerned, there was a call for the need to return to basics (Hillocks, 1982). And Chinese education also has some problems, especially intensive reading, that demand to change, perfect it.English is a world language and intensive reading course is main way to study English for college students. There is a questionnaire which has been carried out on more than 900 teachers from 48 colleges. It shows that 82.8% college teachers believe that only English teachers who are qualified can teach reading well to students; about 70.9% teachers believe that teaching intensive reading is not very difficult; more than 60% teachers believe that teaching activities in intensive reading should only be based on the text and do the exercises; about 84.5% teachers believe that it is a waste of time if students are asked to join the activities designed by the teachers in teaching intensive reading; only 3% teachers think the students should be required to take part in speaking activities and reading activities in class. From this questionnaire it also explains why many teachers have traditional teaching idea and use the traditional teaching method. Many language teachers try their best to help students to pass CET4, CET6, so they pay more attention to students scores. They pay less attention to whether the students can speak or write. Although now we advocate quality education, the test system is not changed. So teachers simply let the students remember the words, do many structure exercises, and do more test paper in their reading class. Many teachers have realized that the old idea of teaching approach and traditional teaching method are threatening quality of intensive reading teaching. Of course, we cant say the traditional teaching method is not good at all. It contributed a lot to English teaching during 1970s and 1980s, especially intensive reading, and many students benefited a lot from this approach. But its time to do research on teaching approach to intensive reading and try to find the solutions in order to improve the college teaching quality of intensive reading.If we want to talk about training college English learners “with multiple skills”, they could use English well, the emphasis should be laid on a broad range of knowledge, a solid foundation of language skills and high humanistic quality. We must always bear in mind that English is both their discipline and survival kit. What college English learners urgently need is not the technical knowledge and/or skills for a particular job but the ability to think cteatively and adapt themselves to the ever-changing market. So, for college student, the intensive reading is the main course to training their language skills, training their English ability. In intensive reading class,we can improve our listening, speaking, reading and writing, and learing of language knowledge, contains vocabulary and grammar. Huang Yuanshen (1999) explains. “The absence of critical thinking has a negative effect on creativity, research and problem-solving abilities. It can also adversely affect ones general quality.” We maintain that the three categories of training students in the colleges should be regarded as transitional measures only, a sort of expediency, which ate not to be confused with the ultimate aim of educational reform. With the further development of market economy and the improvement of English proficiency for college English learners, we would like to predict that colleges in China will sooner or later return to their “proper business” of teaching English language and culture. This will not be a tragedy for English departments and their teachers, but a blessing indeed. According to this condition, we must change the texkdook, add many new information and knowledge; we should change our traditional approach. That can improve the quality of intensive reading. III. The Problems in the Instruction of Intensive Reading3.1 The Problems Caused by TextbookIntensive reading which is a compulsory course set in many English departments of different schools is supposed to be a very important course. Most Chinese students learn a foreign language by attending schools, and the proficiency and accuracy of English is mainly achieved at college. During this period, more than half of the students time is devoted to textbooks. Textbook is a very important source of studying English knowledge, so whether the textbook is good or bad directly affects the effect of students study. The main activity is reading the text word by word to analyze the grammatical structures and the meaning of the vocabulary item in the passage in which they appear, structure and vocabulary are practiced through rote memorization and the completion of written exercises that follow each text. So the textbook that should be used is of great concern to both teachers and students. Many college students think the textbook is not very good. 60% of the college students think the textbook is out of date and monotonous. Concerning textbook, Li Erlong contends that all the current English textbooks are still unnecessarily confined by Chinese conventions. The textbooks old-fashioned language is almost irrelevant to todays communication situations. These outdated textbooks have resolvedly impacted negatively on tertiary teaching English as a foreign language (Li, Erlong 1999) so the textbook that should be used is great concern to both teachers and students. Although attempting to practice some sentence structures, they are like gifts wrapped in old newspapers. There are no colorful pages and reverted printing, and all the texts are so similar in style and form-you will know what the next lesson will be after you finished the first one, only some changes in grammar items and topics. Finally, the textbook appears too easy for college students. And Wedell (1995) said: “The more tangible the benefit that the learner will have access to through learning the language, the more likely they are to be motivated to learn it successfully”. So the textbook should be designed with an appropriate degree of difficulty to which learners feel that if they do not study, they will miss something that would have been of value to them. More and more college students feel that they are gaining from learning the English, the more motivated they are likely to be. Although the textbook does provide some practical skills and culture knowledge, it does not supply a sufficient explanation of how and where to use them, how important a certain skill is in a certain context. Without a detailed teachers book, the teachers must struggle to figure out what should be known as common sense and basic skills; what should be mastered as a grammatical item; and what only need to be acquainted with. If all structures and vocabulary items are treated as equally important in terms the time spent on teaching and practicing them, it tends to ignore or underestimate that within language certain structures and vocabulary items are more frequent and useful than others. As a main textbook, it should reflect and explain it. English is more and more regarded as a means of conveying idea and context is crucial to the way that meaning can appropriately be expressed and understood. Otherwise, students will feel bored and uninterested in learning of the textbook. So the traditional textbook must be changed for the times requirement.3.2 Problem Caused by the Requirement of TestsThere would be many reforms of students achievement and proficiency of English if they were tested only by their ability to communicate. The fact is that they must pass CET4 and CET6. They want to improve their English, and they pay more attention to intensive reading. So intensive reading is becoming more and more important. Both teachers and students spent a lot time in doing exercises. The traditional forms are to do exercises. They are designed in a way that students may have a detailed study of and practice at using grammar rules and vocabulary. The students must remember more and more words as possible as they can. They also do many practices if they want to get high mark in the test. Students must have dictionary and a grammar book, every one can do the exercises equally well, which is not competitive enough for the advanced learners to show their ability and get encouraged. 3.3 The Problems of Teaching Method3.3.1 The Problems in Traditional Teacher-Centered ApproachIn China intensive reading has long been seen as an important course for college students. The traditional approach to teaching reading in our English classroom is commonly called the Grammar-Translation Approach. We must notice that this partly owes to the teachers effortby initiating more activities and giving systematic explanation of grammar. The teacher remains center of classroom. The traditional teacher-centered paradigm may prevent effective technology integration. Most teachers were taught under the Kairov pedagogy, and this model has dominated Chinese education for approximately fifty years.In the traditional language classrooms the teachers speech occupies most of the class time. What learners have to do is listening to the teacher and taking notes. Most college students, rarely preview their English lessons. Those who do generally just look up new words in the text and learn them by heart. They feel this is all they need do because they expect their teachers to spoon-feed them in class. Students do not need to actively think over what they will learn or why they should learn or how. They just come to class with their ears open to