图片教学方法提高小学生英语单词认读能力Enhancing Young Learners’ word recognition Ability through pictures.doc

图片教学方法提高小学生英语单词认读能力Enhancing Young Learners word recognition Ability through pictures论文摘要小学生学习英语，单词认读能力的培养和训练非常重要，然而多数学生在单词认读方面存在困难，在单词的发音和理解方面有困难，必须准确认读每一个单词或认读时很容易疲倦等问题。笔者通过从学生学习兴趣和学习单词的方法入手，对如何提高小学生词汇认读能力进行分析，发现在目前的小学英语教学中，多数教师采用图片教学词汇的方法，注意让学生认读单词或句子，并提供给学生有情节的、感兴趣的图片材料，从而进一步引导学生理解词汇含义。据以上所述及分析，作为一名小学英语教师的笔者，在单词认读能力教学过程中增添了一系列的图片，并对其教学效果进行了研究。研究的目的是：激发小学生对英语单词认读能力的兴趣并建立起英语的语感，训练和引导学生养成正确的单词认读能力习惯，帮助学生明确识别什么和如何读得地道，进而提高学生单词认读的能力。本课题假设：图片教学的方法较之传统的一本书、一支笔及反复诵读的教学方法更能吸引学生注意力，更能有效地提高学生的单词认读能力。本课题的教案包括两个系列图片，侧重对小学生单词认读能力技巧的训练，通过图片展示的情景，帮助学生有目的地识别并认清主要含义，指导学生揣摩发音，进一步理解词汇，为进一步掌握单词奠定基础。在同一小学三、五年级的班级经过为期四周的教学实验，收集了课堂观察，以及实验后的问卷调查和学生访谈等数据。这些数据有效地表明，学生的单词认读能力通过图片教学的方法得到更有效的培养和提高。本课题研究成果，可提供给小学教师一条提高学生单词认读能力的有效途径，使不同程度的学生在短时间内在单词认读能力方面都能有相应的提高，进而养成正确的朗读、记忆单词。关键词：兴趣 图片教学方法 认读能力Abstract Word recognition tasks are extremely important in the primary language classroom. This paper presents a detailed report of a project whose objective is to solve the problem that young learners have in listening. All students in this project implementation are Grade Three and Five students in a primary school. The results show that the way of word recognition has helped the students find a better way to make their understanding and mastering words easier and more enjoyable through watching pictures.The project hypothesis is that students word recognition ability can be better enhanced through picture practice, because it is an interesting approach which can help the students to focus on the general ideas first and then the specific information next. The specific activity lesson plan, which is relevant to various real life topics and activities for young learners, can help students build the skills for what to know and how to read because these pictures meet students needs and interests. During implementation, three research tools are used, which include teachers reflection notes, questionnaire and the student interview. The data produced are collected and analyzed to testify the hypothesis.The results of data analysis are consistent with the initial hypothesis: showing pictures is a better way for young learners to enhance their word recognition ability as compared with the traditional method.It proves to be a practical way for students to improve their word recognition.Key words: interest the teaching method of showing pictures word recognitionTable of ContentsPages1. Introduction .1.1 Project Background.112. Objective and Hypothesis . 2.1 Project objective . 2.2 Project hypothesis .2223. Rationale .33.1 Characters of primary school students.33.2 Importance of vocabulary learning.3.2.1For English reading or speaking344. Research Design . 3.1 Research method 3.2 Activity design.3.2.1 Activity 1: Presenting new words by showing pictures 3.2.2 Activity 2: Guessing meaning from action and pictures .45. Data Description . 5.1 Data collection procedures.5.2 Data analysis.6. Results and Discussion 6.1 Students self-evaluation in the questionnaire . 6.2 Findings from the interview . 6.3 Findings from Teaching Notes . 6.4 Unsolved problems .Bibliography.Appendix I: Two series of pictures Used in the Project .Appendix II: Word recognition Lesson Plan .Appendix III: Teachers Reflection Notes .Appendix IV: QuestionnaireEnhancing Young Learners word recognition Ability through pictures1. Introduction1.1 Project Background It is said that the best age for the children to learn English is 10 to 12. So English is a popular foreign language to be taught in primary school nowadays. In fact, the children are required to learn English when they are only 8 or even younger in some experimental schools or bilingual schools. Children at this age are lack of self-consciousness. Why do we learn English? Maybe they are not very clear about the answer. So at the beginning, most of them are very curious about the subject. But as the day passed, more they learned, more they feel bored. As everyone knows, the classroom teaching is one of the most important ways that the students learn English. As far as the English teaching in the primary schools is concerned, teachers have to arouse the students' interest so that they may learn better and longer. In recent years, the importance of word recognition skill is widely recognized by English language teachers. They believe that if their students can develop their word recognition skills they can begin to read by themselves, which is to say, they can become autonomous and learn in the way many native speakers learn their first language through words.Interest is the best teacher. When learning a foreign language, students experience so much practice and repetition. Without interest, what a boring job it will be! Michel de Montaiple said: “In the education of children there is nothing like alluring the interest and affection; otherwise you only make so many asses laden with books.” So, for the children just beginning their schooldays, it is very important for them to be interested in what they are learning. It is our teachers main task to arouse and cultivate the childrens interest, give them encouragement and help them set up self-confidence, improve the childrens four skills of listening, speaking, and reading and writing, make sure that they all have fun learning English. So they can learn it more effectively. As a primary school teacher, the researcher has some opportunities to observe the lessons of different teachers. The same idea surfaced when the researcher was observing the primary school English classroom. It seemed that listening, reading and repeating most young learners used in word recognition practice was not effective. A careful analysis showed that their problems in word recognition were caused by the lack of motivation and background knowledge. To solve this problem, a four-week experiment, featured by showing pictures, was designed and carried out with two groups of primary school students. All students in this project were Grade Three and Grade Five students in a public primary school in Suzhou. The project hypothesis is that using pictures, which can get the students to know the general ideas first and the specific information next, will enhance students word recognition. The two kinds of series of pictures selected for the project were not only in line with the school curriculum but also relevant to students real life experience so as not to arouse their interest without interfering with their normal daily study. The elements in the picture included animal, school life, and sports pictures, which could be very attractive and interesting for the young learners of their age. The specific activities designed for each picture intended to let students build the skills for what to know and how to read. They were highly practical for young learners than their traditional repeating exercises.The whole project was designed the by the researcher, and she can teach the students by herself who carried out the whole experimental lesson plan to the class. However, the researcher managed to come to the classroom from time to time to supervise and observe the pedagogical activities and also to interview the students in the Target class. Objective and Hyhothesis 2.1 Project ObjectiveThe project aims to enhance young learners word recognition ability.2.2 Project HypothesisIt is hypothesized that showing pictures is a better way for young learners to enhance their word recognition ability than the traditional repeating method.3. Rationale3.1 Characters of primary school studentsChildren are naturally curious and active. They are full of enthusiasm and often show a lot of eagerness to participate. If children are happy, feel secure and in a threat-free environment they are more likely to enjoy learning. It is often said that children's attention span is short but we sometimes find small children can concentrate on one thing for fairly long time but not on other things. So it really depends on what they do. Children will not concentrate if you lecture them. This means we need to consider how to create a real desire for children to learn English; we need to provide opportunities for children to experience and experiment with the new language; we also need to provide a variety of opportunities for children to use the language in different contexts, and finally provide timely feedback for children to know how they are doing and what needs to be improved.3.2 Importance of word learningFor primary school students, learning new words is the main method for learning English. Most Chinese students would probably identify the acquisition of “new words” as their single greatest source of problems in learning English; learning English words is often perceived as time consuming and boring(Christine & Thorne, 1992:38) So vocabulary is one of the most important aspects of English learning (Zhang, 1996:42). For most students, their way of learning English words is still what we call “rote-learning”(Yue, 1991:60).Making some surveys among primary school students showed that many of them think that their greatest problem in learning English is vocabulary. Some children dont like English just because they are bored by learning new words and memorizing words every morning. Without vocabulary communication would be impossible even though a person may have a good knowledge of grammar. It may be argued that vocabulary is central to language learning. Therefore vocabulary is basic to language learning. The new Chinese National Plan for English Teaching in Primary School requires students to learn a vocabulary of 600 words and a considerable number of idiomatic phrases. Actually many schools are far from reaching this goal. The way out is how the words are taught and learned.3.2.1 For English reading or speakingThe word used in reading, and the word used in speaking, listening and writing.the gap between two vocabularies of native speakers is generally 2000 words. As for second language learners, the gap is wider, while the traditional exam-oriented teaching method in China ,which attaches too much attention to reading, makes this gap even wider! So word recognition ability is important for the children to get and much more important to learn English well.4. Research Design 3.1 Research methodPresenting new words can be made meaningful and communicative. Teachers can employ the following techniques: using real objects; miming or acting; using pictures.3.2 Activity designBased on the rationale, Some task-based activities are designed using the word lists from three units in Primary English for China Book 3A and 5A as the material. (Unit 1 Hello,; Book 5A Unit 6 At a PE lesson)Meaningful and communicative activities were to be designed in teaching vocabulary so that the students could learn English words more efficiently and get satisfactory results. Techniques and ways discussed above are to be used to achieve the aims.Week 1 Activity 1Presenting new wordsFor use with the word list of Book3A, Unit 1Purpose: to practise using different ways of presenting new words.Instructions: Students work together, in pairs or in groups to read out the word when the teacher shows a picture, mime an action.Procedure: The teacher tells the students to how to read the word . Then he/she shows pictures and mimes actions. After the teacher finishes the demonstration, he/she asks a volunteer student to act as the teacher and the rest to read out the words. After that the teacher gets the students to work in pairs or in groups. Each student should get a chance to act as the demonstrator. The teacher circulates and monitors the activity.Week 2 Activity 2Teaching different aspects of wordsFor use with the word list of Book 5A, Unit 6.Purpose: to practise using different techniques of learning different aspects of new words.Instructions: The teacher demonstrates how to use word fields, word chains and word formation to learn new words. The students work in pairs, in groups and then together to present their achievements.Procedure: The teacher shows the students the pictures and let them know how to understand the meaning of each word. They work in pairs and then in groups to present their achievements. Finally they work together with the teacher and demonstrate what they have discovered.Week 3 Activity 3Reviewing vocabulary For use with the word list of Book 3A, Unit 1.Purpose: revision activities of the words learned in unit1 to get the students revise the words efficiently.Instructions: Students work individually. They fill in a table with all the new words earned in unit 1 of their textbook according how well he/she has mastered the words. When they have filled in the table individually, ask them to get into pairs and discuss their table. When this is finished, this pair should join another pair and they should all exchange information. For the students: You will first work by yourself to fill in the above table to review the new words of the previous unit. Then work in pairs and discuss your table and help with each other. After that two pairs work together and exchange information and try to solve the problems. If necessary, ask the teacher for help.Week 4 Activity 4Testing vocabularyFor use with the word list of Book5A Unit 6.Purpose: to get the students create a quiz on the new words learned inUnit 6.3.2.1 Activity 1: Presenting new words by showing pictures 3.2.2 Activity 2: Guessing meaning from action and pictures5. Data Description 5.1 Data collection proceduresafter the project implementation another one was conducted to see if the design could prove the hypothesis. The second questionnaire had the same three questions as the first one so that comparisons could be made to see the changes in their difficulty, interest and the techniques they have used to memorize new words.(See appendix IV) There are the three questions picking out:1) What is your biggest problem in learning English?2) How do you like to learn the new words?3) How do you memorize new words or their meanings?A study of the results of the two ques