摘要: 本文旨在介紹作者在教學(xué)過程中所采取的三種提高學(xué)生聽力理解能力的策略:為把握整體意思的聽(Global Listening)、為了解某些具體意思的聽(Selective Listening),以及為學(xué)習(xí)所聽內(nèi)容的精聽(Intensive Listening)。而對于不同策略的選擇則是基于三個不同的因素:學(xué)生的實際水平、教材以及教學(xué)目標。
關(guān)鍵詞: 提高 聽力理解 能力 策略
一、引言
聽,與其它四項基本技能(說、讀、寫、譯)一樣,是學(xué)習(xí)英語的一個重要方法,同時在實際交流的過程中起著舉足輕重的作用。有些時候,英語學(xué)習(xí)者會發(fā)現(xiàn),要確切地理解談話對象所說的話還是存在著一定困難的,這也從另外一個層面反映出提高英語學(xué)習(xí)者聽力能力的必要性。
但是,在中國,聽力教學(xué)曾經(jīng)在很長一段時間內(nèi)被忽視,而即使存在聽力教學(xué)的課堂,也顯得方式方法過于簡單——教師播放錄音,然后核對答案。當然,有些教師也試圖幫助學(xué)生更好地理解所聽到的內(nèi)容,但是所采取的方式方法——不停地中斷錄音,重復(fù),逐詞進行解釋卻值得商榷。事實上,聽力是一個非常復(fù)雜的活動。它要求聽者能夠在聽的過程中跟上對方說話的語速,理解那些特定的細節(jié),以及推斷出說話者的意圖。
聽力理解會受到來自內(nèi)部和外部不同因素的影響。內(nèi)部因素可包括聽者的性格特點、語言的熟練程度、記憶、年齡、背景知識、態(tài)度、動機、心理、生理等。而外部因素則可包括聽的過程中語言的輸入、目標任務(wù)及語境等。
二、在提高學(xué)生聽力理解能力過程中的策略運用
在聽力訓(xùn)練的過程中筆者通常會利用到三種主要的策略:為把握整體意思的聽(Global Listening)、為了解某些具體意思的聽(Selective Listening),以及為學(xué)習(xí)所聽內(nèi)容的精聽(Intensive Listening)。為把握整體意思的聽(Global Listening)指的是將聽的重點放在把握聽力材料的整體意思上;為了解某些具體意思的聽(Selective Listening)指的是將聽的重點放在理解聽力材料的某些具體信息上;為學(xué)習(xí)所聽內(nèi)容的精聽(Intensive Listening)指的是將聽的重點放在聽力材料的細節(jié)上。當然,根據(jù)學(xué)生的實際水平、不同的聽力材料及不同的教學(xué)目標,可以在教學(xué)過程中采取不同的策略。此外,對于策略的靈活選擇不僅可以活躍課堂氣氛,還可以激發(fā)學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)的興趣,有利于幫助他們建立自信心,使他們更多地參與到課堂教學(xué)的過程中來。換句話說,可以達到更好的教學(xué)效果。
2.1為把握整體意思的聽(Global Listening)
為把握整體意思的聽(Global Listening)指的是將聽的重點放在把握聽力材料的整體意思上。采用此策略的關(guān)鍵在于聽力理解練習(xí)題的設(shè)計。設(shè)計應(yīng)遵循以下三個原則:
1.要求學(xué)生做好聽前預(yù)測工作;
2.幫助學(xué)生將聽力重點集中在關(guān)鍵詞、句上;
3.引導(dǎo)學(xué)生利用已知線索克服聽力過程中的困難,實現(xiàn)有效預(yù)測、聯(lián)系和判斷的目標。
例如下面一段聽力材料:
It was a Saturday morning in May.When Mrs.Edward opened her curtains and looked out,she smiled and said,“It’s going to be a beautiful day.”She woke her small son up at eight-thirty and said to him,“Get up,Teddy.We’re going to the zoo today.Wash your hands and face,brush your teeth and eat your breakfast quickly.We’re going to New York by train.”
Teddy was six years old.He was very happy now,because he liked going to the zoo very much,and he also liked going by train.He said,“I dreamed about the zoo last night,Mommy.”
His mother was in a hurry,but she stopped and smiled at her small son.“You did,Teddy?”She said.“And what did you do in the zoo in your dream?”
Teddy laughed and answered,“You know,Mommy!You were there in my dream too.”
根據(jù)此項策略的要求,教師可以給出以下三個問題讓學(xué)生進行預(yù)測練習(xí):
Q1.Where was Mrs.Edward going to take her son on Saturday morning?
Q2.What did her son dream about last night?
Q3.Why did her son laugh when Mrs.Edward asked what he did in his dream?
這些問題可以幫助學(xué)生為接下來的聽力活動做好準備。Q1提供了一些關(guān)鍵詞:Mrs.Edward,her son和Saturday morning。這些詞可以讓學(xué)生熟悉事件當中的人物和事件發(fā)生的時間。Q2可以使學(xué)生知道所發(fā)生的事情——做夢。Q3可以幫助學(xué)生對于發(fā)生在母子之間的對話內(nèi)容進行預(yù)測。如此一來,學(xué)生在真正開始聽的時候就會覺得容易多了。
即使是一般水平的學(xué)生,只要經(jīng)過準備,是完全可以找出Q1和Q2的答案的。而對于水平較高的學(xué)生來說,找出Q3的答案也應(yīng)該不成問題。
2.2為了解某些具體意思的聽(Selective Listening)
此項策略的目的是提高學(xué)生在聽的過程中抓取某些特定信息的能力,特別是從那些難度稍高于他們實際水平的材料中抓取特定信息的能力。在運用此項策略設(shè)計練習(xí)題的時候,應(yīng)注意以下三個原則:
1.要求學(xué)生在預(yù)測文章內(nèi)容的同時,對文章的結(jié)構(gòu)也應(yīng)給予同樣的關(guān)注。
2.明確任務(wù)、目標以及學(xué)生在聽的過程中所扮演的角色。
3.給學(xué)生提供必要的線索,幫助他們克服聽力過程中的困難并抓住重要的信息。
例如下面一段聽力材料:
Good morning everybody.My topic for today is“Early Money”.I’m going to tell you something about money used in the early days.To be honest,we know little about how early people came to use money,but we do know some of the things which have been used as money.In early times in some European countries,salt was very difficult to get. It was used as money.The American Indians used nuts and other things.Perhaps the most common money of all was an animal of some kind.In some places today,cows are still used as a kind of money.So you see,things highly valued by everybody may serve as money.
The Chinese were the first people to use coins as money.Oh,sorry,you don’t know the word?Well it is spelled C-O-I- N.Here are some coins of the past.You can come over and have a look.
要想成功地運用此策略,教師應(yīng)該設(shè)計一些問題來幫助學(xué)生進行預(yù)測,并且將注意力集中在關(guān)鍵的詞句上。例如:
Q1.What is today’s topic?
Q2.Was salt used as money in some European countries in early times?
Q3.What was used as money in some parts of Asia?
Q4.What are still used as money in some places today?
Q5.Were the Chinese the first people to use coins as money?
其中的Q2和Q5為學(xué)生提供了文中的關(guān)鍵句,有助于降低文章的難度,也就能夠幫助學(xué)生更好地理解文章的意思。其實,此項策略的運用就是為了確保學(xué)生在聽的過程中不會遺漏任何重要的信息。
2.3為學(xué)習(xí)所聽內(nèi)容的精聽(Intensive Listening)
為學(xué)習(xí)所聽內(nèi)容的精聽(Intensive Listening)目的在于理解聽力材料的細節(jié)。重點在于把握其中所涉及到的語音、詞匯、語法及篇章結(jié)構(gòu)。具體目標是:
1.引導(dǎo)學(xué)生尋找和分析影響有效聽力活動進行的原因。
2.幫助學(xué)生充分利用聽力材料,學(xué)習(xí)和積累語音、詞匯、語法及篇章結(jié)構(gòu)方面的知識。
這兩點對于提高學(xué)生的聽力理解能力十分重要。而設(shè)計精聽練習(xí)的原則如下:
1.要求學(xué)生將重點放在對于語言點的理解上。
2.在理解的基礎(chǔ)上學(xué)習(xí)新單詞、新詞組以及篇章結(jié)構(gòu)。
例如下面一段聽力材料:
Mr.Grey was a biology professor,and he had a big collection of extremely rare bones which he was very proud of.Then one year he managed to get a new and better job at another university.Because Mr.Grey was very busy,his wife made the arrangements for all their possessions to be taken in a moving van to their new home while he was away at work.
The following week three men started taking the things out of Mr.Grey’s house and loading them into the van,when one of them brought out a large wooden box.He was just about to throw it into the van with all the other things when Mrs.Grey ran out of her house and said,“Please treat that box very gently!That one has all my husband’s bones in it.”
The man was so surprised that he nearly dropped the box on his feet.
確切地說,在處理這篇聽力材料的時候,適宜首先采取Selective Listening的策略。為了獲得更好的效果,教師可以事先給出下列八個句子,然后要求學(xué)生以小組討論的方式對即將聽到的文章內(nèi)容進行預(yù)測。
1.A moving van came to the door of Mr.Grey’s house.
2.Mr.Grey was busy at his office.
3.The man was going to throw it into the van.
4.Mrs.Grey watched while the men loaded the van.
5.Mr.Grey collected a lot of unusual bones.
6.Mrs.Grey stopped him,saying it contained her husband’s bones.
7.One of the men brought a big wooden box out of the house.
8.The man nearly dropped it on his feet.
此項活動可以降低聽力理解的難度,同時使學(xué)生做好聽的準備。即使仍然存在一些難點,學(xué)生也能夠根據(jù)這些信息找到其它一些必要的信息,從而對全文進行理解。
精聽練習(xí):
1.Listen and answer the following questions.
Q1.Why did Mr.Grey collect a lot of bones?
Q2.What did Mr.Grey do when his wife arranged some workers to move the boxes out of their home?
Q3.Had the worker thrown the box into the van when Mrs.Grey said,“Please treat that box very gently”?
Q4.Why was the man so surprised?Did he drop the box on his feet?
2.Listen and write down the phrases or words which mean the same as follows:collected a lot of unusual bones,was able to get,arranged some people to move their things,putting things into the van.
3.Read out the words and phrases you have noted down.And then listen again,paying special attention to the way they sound in the story.
4.Listen to the whole story to enjoy it,without looking at anything.
在練習(xí)1中,Q1的設(shè)計是為了讓學(xué)生注意到單詞“biology”。而Q2、Q3和Q4的設(shè)計則是為了讓學(xué)生注意到單詞或詞組:while,be just about to和nearly。至于練習(xí)2,目的則在于擴充學(xué)生的單詞量。練習(xí)3的目的是在理解這些單詞或詞組的基礎(chǔ)之上辨別它們的讀音。練習(xí)4的設(shè)計是為了讓學(xué)生更好地享受語言學(xué)習(xí)的過程。
三、結(jié)語
三種不同策略的側(cè)重點有所不同,目的在于提高學(xué)生不同方面的能力。教師可以根據(jù)學(xué)生的實際水平、不同的教材和教學(xué)目的在三種策略中進行靈活的選擇和利用。而選擇和利用的關(guān)鍵在于此種策略是否能激發(fā)學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)的興趣,使他們更加積極主動地參與到課堂的教學(xué)活動中來。而一旦學(xué)生擁有了這種主動性,聽力課堂的教學(xué)活動就能取得令人滿意的效果。
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