English Abstracts

Research on the Process of Integrating “Out-of-date” Teaching Materials into “Upto-date” Learning Materials in Primary School English Classes Based on the National New Curriculum Standards

Zhang Hongli..................................................................................3

The English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2022 Edition) has been promulgated into public. But it will take more than four years for the new textbooks to replace the“current” ones. It is urgent for researchers to consider how to adapt the “current textbooks” to coincide with the new curriculum standard concept. This paper puts forward the basic process of transforming“current textbooks” into “most recent learning materials”. First, clarifying the quality orientation of English course, establishing the holistic teaching concept based on unit. Second, studying the text deeply and pay attention to exploring the theme meaning. Teachers should find out the “new meaning”of a text from different perspectives. In addition, designing a learning plan to provide students with available learning materials and to promote the integration of teaching, learning and assessment.

An Analysis of Pragmatics Activities in Senior High School English Textbooks

Guo Gongwei & Liu Honggang.............................................................................................................10

English teachers are faced with the important undertaking of how to improve formal instruction of pragmatics in classrooms. Textbooks play a key role in English curriculum implementation and

pedagogical practice. This article reports on the finding of a study which analyzes and evaluates the

pragmatic-oriented pedagogic activities in a widely adopted series of textbooks intended for use in senior high schools. The analysis reveals that the activities in the examined textbooks cover a number of common speech acts, but their distribution across the textbooks seems patchy and unsystematic;realization forms and strategies presented in the activities do not seem to match what previous research has found about the speech acts in question, and neither is necessary contextual and metapragmatic information adequately provided to facilitate the effective learning and teaching of these speech acts. These findings have implications for English textbooks development and teachers’ classroom instruction of pragmatics.

Exploring the Writing and Publishing Experiences of Female English Teacher Researchers

Gu Haibo & Wang Siyi...............................................................................................18

To explore the writing and publishing experience of female English teacher researchers, this study invited three female English teacher researchers as participants and adopted the method of case study.It drew a conclusion that these teachers’ research articles were generated from their lesson planning,combined with teaching reflection and thematic reading of journals and theoretical books. They also learned academic writing by reading extensively, revised their articles repeatedly and balanced the relationship between family and paper writing. They not only benefited from their personal characteristics, including a sense of purpose and self-motivated, active self-reflection, good logical thinking ability and efficient time management ability, but also from the environmental support of their workplace, mentors and families.

A Study of English Learning Activity Concept Based on Embodied-Cognitive View:Construction, Significance and Practical Implications

Zhang Jinglong & Zhang Zhiyi..........27

Both Embodied-cognitive Linguistics and English learning activity concept are the products of Chinese localization with Chinese characteristics in recent years. Based on the source and concept of the two, the essence and connotation of the two happen to be the same, and there are many similarities. So the construction of English learning activity concept based on embodied-cognitive view can highlight the interactive experience and cognitive processing in English teaching. From the perspective of the relationship between the view of language and the view of language teaching,localized Embodied-Cognitive Linguistics can be taken as the theoretical basis of English learning activity concept with Chinese characteristics, and the integration of two has profound significance to English teaching in China. More importantly, the construction of English learning activity concept based on embodied-cognitive view is of great value to the basic English teaching practice in the new era. Therefore, there are the following suggestions for teachers’ reference and reflection: construct embodied and cognitive English teaching system; establish flexible English teaching framework; create practical activity situations; develop the English teaching with characteristics of relevance; reflect the comprehensive and integrated development of English; ensure the correct value guidance.

A Survey of English Pragmatic Competence of Senior High School Students

He Huaqing & Zhang Xutong................................................................................................................36

This article selects 266 students from four classes, two of senior one and two senior two, in a senior high school in Sichuan to investigate their pragmatic competence from the perspectives of selfassessment and practical test, employing the Self-assessment scale for English pragmatic ability from the China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) and pragmatic competence test papers. The major findings are as follows: (1) senior high school students’ self-assessment of English pragmatic ability is roughly between CSE 3 and CSE4, which basically meets the requirements of CSE for senior high school students' English pragmatic competence. (2) The average pragmatic competence of senior high school students is approximately in the pass level. (3) Senior one students’ self-assessment of English pragmatic competence is slightly lower than that of senior two students, but their actual pragmatic competence is higher than that of senior two students. In light of the above findings, this paper puts suggestions of how to cultivate high school students’ pragmatic competence which have pedagogical implications for English teaching in middle schools.

A Study on the Characteristics of Global Competence, Foreign Language Learning Needs and Education Planning for the Primary and Secondary School Students in China

Li Fangfei & Wang Xuemei....................................................................................................43

Taking Shanghai public primary and secondary schools as a research site, this study, using interview and thematic analysis, explores the characteristics of global competence and foreign language learning needs of 17 pupils and 6 middle-school students. It found that the characteristics of the students’ global competence are 1) intense love for home and country, but relatively lack of global vision; 2) higher order cognitive ability increased with age; 3) cultural cognition is multifaceted but superficial, and communication channels are comparatively limited; 4) being aware of international governance but with limited practical action. The foreign language learning needs expressed by the students reflected their desire to understand the world and their learning awareness of global competence, and this motivation and thirst for knowledge are important conditions for improving their global competence.

Examining Two Senior High School EFL Teachers’ Practical Knowledge on Teaching English Novels

Xu Huiqi & Yang Luxin.........................................................................................52

Taking a qualitative case study approach, this study examined two EFL teachers’ practical knowledge (TPK) on teaching English novels. Data analysis shows that teachers’ practical knowledge on teaching novels could be classified into four categories. The first category is knowledge of teaching subject, including knowledge of English novels, knowledge of novel teaching curriculum,knowledge of novel-teaching design, and knowledge of assessing teaching novels. The second category is knowledge of teachers, including teacher’s identity, teacher’s belief, teacher’s background and competence, and teacher’s experience of teaching novels. The third category refers to knowledge of students, including knowledge about students’ basic information, students’ English competence,learning attitude, learning problems, and performance in class. The last category, knowledge of context,could be divided into three sub-categories: knowledge of school; knowledge of parents; and knowledge of educational system. In addition, the four categories of TPK on novel teaching can be regarded as a unified entity that makes the activity of teaching novels move forward smoothly. This study explores the concrete embodiment of teachers’ practical knowledge in English novel reading courses, aiming to provide reference materials for senior high school English teachers to understand and implement novel teaching, and provide enlightenment for the growth of novice teachers.

Practice and Reflection of KWLS Model in the Cultivation of Independent Reading Ability in Senior High School English Classes

Yu Tengfei...................................................63

In view of the lack of trust in the ability of learners in the current high school English classroom teaching, teachers still adopt the teaching model of indoctrination and informing. Combined with the teaching case, this paper discusses the application of KWLS model in the teaching of independent reading in high school English classes, providing students with opportunities and platforms to read independently, ask questions independently, solve questions independently and explore independently.Thus, it cultivates students’ independent reading ability in class, improves students’ higher-order thinking ability, and practices the new curriculum concept of student subjectivity, class generation and deep learning.

Exploring Strategies for Developing Senior High School Students’ Reader Awareness in EFL Writing Instruction

Gao Fang & Zhu Wuhan...........................................72

Reader awareness directly affects students’ writing abilities. However, EFL teachers do not cultivate students’ reader awareness sufficiently during their writing instructions. And the writing assessment criteria lack the dimension of reader awareness. To address these problems, this article proposes four strategies for developing students’ reader awareness: (1) creating authentic contexts; (2)implementing heuristic teaching; (3) promoting diversified assessment; and (4) improving students’metacognition. Furtherly, an EFL writing lesson plan focusing on raising reader awareness is designed to illustrate how to apply these four strategies in the classroom.

Teaching Practice of High School English Storybook Reading Guided by Thematic Meaning

Zheng Xiaozhen................................................................................................................80

There is a phenomenon of “sketchiness” existing in the current teaching of storybook reading teaching. The principles of “self-determining reading with the guidance of the teacher” and “overall shaping with partial intensive reading” in the teaching practice of storybook reading have been put forward in this article. In order to achieve an ideal result, three steps with the case-elaboration have been employed, including implementing guidance before reading to learn the thematic meaning,focusing on parts extensive reading to explore the thematic implication and relating expansion reading to sublimate the thematic topic.

Student-Centered Language Focus Practice in Senior High School Reading Teaching

Lv Yuke...................................................................................................................................................87

In light of the prevailing tendency to overlook language teaching and students’ language needs in senior high school reading classes, the author proposes a student-centric approach towards language focus. This approach encourages students to create and share mind maps concentrating on theme-based language. Additionally, students pose questions about the text and indulge in discussions to analyze its linguistic features, and also write passages to apply their acquired language knowledge. This pedagogical strategy can effectively address students’ language challenges and needs, enhance their cognizance of language dynamics, and optimize their autonomous learning capabilities.

A Review ofTeachers into Researchers:A Practical Guide

Zhu Yueying,Li Hongyu &Xie Bing..................................................................................................................................................95

Teacher research is intentional and systematic investigations carried out by teachers to solve problems emerging in teaching practice. It serves as a channel for teachers to gain insights into school curriculum and classroom instruction. Additionally, it paves a way for teachers’ professional development. To guide English teachers to actively participate in research and grow from a practitioner into a researcher, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press publishedTeachers into Researchers:A Practical Guidewritten by Richard Kiely in 2021. This paper briefly introduces the main content of each chapter of the book and summarizes its primary features. Reading suggestions are provided to help English teachers in the field of elementary or secondary education benefit from teacher research after reading the book.

A Review onTeaching and Learning Writing in ESL/EFL

Chen Ziru,Xie Bing &Zhao Xinyi............................................................................................................................................100

One of the challenges that the English language teaching faces is the reading and writing crisis in this new developmental phase. In order to improve the effectiveness of writing instruction and equip English teachers with up-to-date solutions to the problems, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press publishedTeaching and Learning Writing in ESL/EFLwritten by Rachael Ruegg in 2021. This book illustrates the theories and strategies of English writing teaching and proposes practical teaching approaches with examples. This paper summaries the key content of each chapter and the merits of this book. Some reading suggestions are given so as to provide useful reference for in-service and preservice English teachers.