試論讀者反應(yīng)法在英美文學(xué)教學(xué)中的運用

[摘要]英美文學(xué)教學(xué)一直是中國大學(xué)英語教育所研究的一個重要話題。本著尋找一種適合中國英美文學(xué)教學(xué)的方法的目的，這篇文章討論了語言與文學(xué)的關(guān)系，提出把單純的語言學(xué)習(xí)與文學(xué)欣賞結(jié)合起來進(jìn)行英美文學(xué)教學(xué)，并就如何通過這種教學(xué)方法以提高學(xué)生的閱讀積極性，從而提高英美文學(xué)教學(xué)的質(zhì)量進(jìn)行了討論。

[關(guān)鍵詞]英美文學(xué)教學(xué) 語言學(xué)習(xí) 讀者反應(yīng)

A Language-based Reader-response Approach in English Literature Teaching

1.Introduction

In China， literature has played a very important role in people's lives. As for children， its two main functions are to stimulate children's imagination and to expand their linguistic awareness on words; while in middle school， literature functions mainly as a tool for moral training. At a tertiary level， for English course， most teachers are used to treating literature course as something supplementary for English teaching. Such a negative perception should be challenged: how to value English literature and how to take advantage of English literature to promote language teaching should become the main concern of all the discussion on English teaching in an EFL (English as a foreign language) context like China.

2.Literature and language

Vincent and Carter (1986: 209) have discussed that English literature is \"widely considered the greatest achievement of English-speaking people\". Literature is language in use and can therefore be exploited for language-learning purposes. Literary texts often contain a number of different varieties of English. Complex themes and fresh， unexpected uses of language in literary works can often broaden students' experiences both in life and language learning. By asking students to explore such sophisticated uses of language， we are also encouraging them to think about the norms of language use， \"involving them in the process of discovering more generalisable features of language\" (Lazar， 1993:19).

3. A combination of language-based approach and reader-response approach

A language-based approach essentially promotes the study of the language of the literary text. The focus is on \"how to use literature for language practice\" (Lazar， 1993:27) and seeking to \"integrated language and literature study\" (Carter， 1996:2). In this approach， students are trying to use their knowledge of English to develop a response to literature through examining the linguistic evidence in the text， and gradually improve their knowledge of the language.

Robertson Davies， a renowned Canadian writer， has ever said， \"whatever subconscious intent or conscious meaning that had entered the work as he(the writer) wrote it no longer existed when the book reached the hand of readers\" (Straw and Bogdan， 1993: 39). Considering this idea， the focus of teaching literature to non-native speakers should be seeking to develop reader's response. Reader-response approach has been popularly used in EFL literature teaching in the past decade. According to the Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory， the central tenets of reader-response theory are that meaning is not something that is contained within a text， meaning is produced by readers. In this approach more attention is paid to students and students' thinking ability development is one of the main concerns of teacher's.

In a class with both language-based approach and reader-response approach as its main principles， reading， responding and group work would become the three essential elements in classroom practice. Language and literature would be well integrated with each other under such circumstances.

4. Activate students' motivation for a better reading

Chinese students are used to listening to others and thinking by themselves. Readability is an important factor need to be considered when choosing teaching materials in a Chinese EFL context. Pre-activity provides students topics to speak in the in-class-group discussion; the group discussion activity offers students more opportunities to shape their own ideas. Thus pre-activity can be served as the first step in a language-based reader-response lesson.What is more important is that， in classroom， it must be permissible for students to \"dislike texts that other people like and be bored by texts that other people find exciting\" (Thomson， 1993:133). Using the textbooks， teachers are not meant to tell students what authority is， but to create the conditions for successful learning. Taken these three factors in consideration， using literature text can absolutely activate Chinese students' motivation in language learning and help them really benefit from this great achievement of language use.

5. Conclusion

A combination of language-based approach and reader-response approach urges students to pay an in-depth study on text and make them whole-heartedly absorb in the course. We can give the students confidence to work with these materials whilst at the same time developing their linguistic competence in the target language (McRae， 1996). This integrated approach is still a great challenge for the teacher-dominated Chinese education. The biggest obstacle may be the students' speaking problem for their comparatively low oral English competence. The teacher's transaction from a lecture to a facilitator also greatly challenges the teacher-centered notion in the traditional approach.

References：

［1］Carter，R.1996.Looking into both ways before crossing:Developments in the language and literature classroom.In Carter，R.and McRae，J.(eds) Language，Literature and the Learner(pp.1-15).Essex，UK:Addison，Wesley，Longman.

［2］Lazar，G.1993.Literature and Language Teaching. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.

［3］McRae，J.1996.Representational language learning:From language awareness to text awareness.In Carter，R.and McRae，J.(eds) Language，Literature and the Learner(pp.16-40).Essex，UK:Addison，Wesley，Longman.

［4］Straw，S.and Bogdan，D.1993.Constructive Reading:Teaching Beyond Communication.Portsmouth，NH:Boynton/Cook.

［5］Thomson，J.1993.Helping students control texts:Contemporary literary theory into classroom practice.In Straw，S.and Bogdan，D.1993.Constructive Reading:Teaching Beyond Communication(pp.130-154).Portsmouth，NH:Boynton/Cook.

（作者單位：云南大理學(xué)院）