高鴻雁
一、引言
詞匯對閱讀理解的重要性不言而喻。Wilkins說:“沒有語法,就不能很好地表達,而沒有詞匯,則什么也表達不了?!痹~匯是影響閱讀的第一要素,離開了詞匯,閱讀就等于紙上談兵?!陡咧杏⒄Z課程標準》(實驗稿)中語言知識目標的八級詞匯要求是:(1)運用詞匯理解和表達不同的功能、意圖和態(tài)度等;(2)在比較復雜的情況下,運用詞匯給事物命名、進行指稱、描述行為和特征、說明概念等;(3)學會使用3300個左右的單詞和400~500個習慣用語或固定搭配?!墩n程標準》中要求的詞匯“量”大,在“質(zhì)”上不僅要求我們掌握詞匯的音、形、義,更要掌握詞匯在具體語境中的運用。
高中閱讀課詞匯教學普遍存在兩個極端:一是閱讀與詞匯教學割裂,甚至在閱讀的第一課時沒有詞匯教學,到第二課時的Language points才滿堂灌詞匯。二是在閱讀過程中,教師深入講解詞匯,脫離文本,對其所有用法進行拓展訓練,忽略語言在某種特定情境中的含義和用法。通過閱讀教學,學生應該在語篇中感知目標詞匯,在文本的不同語境中理解目標詞匯,在話題拓展中初步運用詞匯,讓詞匯在閱讀課堂內(nèi)得到有效實踐。筆者以Module1 Unit3的閱讀課堂為例,探討閱讀課中的詞匯有效教學。
二、閱讀課堂詞匯有效教學的實踐
(一)閱讀前——選擇和處理詞匯
在閱讀教學中,不要盲目地把文章中出現(xiàn)的所有生詞都當做重點詞匯處理。新版教材詞匯量的增加,主要是識記詞匯及專有名詞的增加,與語言輸出沒有必然聯(lián)系,沒有必要花大量時間。教師要根據(jù)課標,研讀文本和學情,對詞匯進行篩選和分類,在教學中有的放矢,重點突出。筆者把本單元的詞匯分為認讀詞匯和核心詞匯。
1.認讀詞匯處理要為閱讀掃清障礙,為理解和表達服務。
對篇章分析后發(fā)現(xiàn),文章的前兩段是敘述性段落,只要克服了語言上的問題,學生理解起來就不會太困難。第三段中滲透著跨學科、跨文化的語言信息,會引起學生的畏難情緒。筆者采用圖像、語言、問題等手段創(chuàng)設教學情境,使知識融于情境之中,掃除地理專業(yè)術語的詞匯障礙,把學生的注意力集中到語言表達和運用上。學生再讀第三段時,能將篇章的語言信息和腦海中的圖片信息有效結合起來,加深對文段的理解,口頭表述湄公河的相關信息。
What the atlas tells about the Mekong:
The Mekong River begins in a ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 on a Tibetan mountain.It becomes ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 as it passes through deep ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖,traveling across western Yunnan Province.Sometimes the river enters wide ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 and becomes a ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖.After it leaves China and the high Altitudes,the Mekong becomes wide,brown and warm.As it enters southeast Asia,it travels slowly(its pace slows)through hills and low ?搖?搖?搖 ?搖,and the ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 where rice grows.At last,the rivers ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 enters the South China Sea.
[說明}教師作為整合教材的主導,要非常清楚學生的已有水平、情感動機、思維特征、認知規(guī)律。依據(jù)教學需要調(diào)整教學順序,根本目的在于促進學生有效學習。所填詞匯只要求認讀即可,重點放在文化意識目標的實現(xiàn)上。
2.核心詞匯要為文本解讀服務,為語言輸出做準備。
核心詞匯對文本理解起關鍵作用,不僅要識記音、形、義,還要掌握其用法。在本節(jié)課學生的語言輸出活動中,所需要用到的詞匯為核心詞匯,在教學設計中要給予充分關注,并適時穿插于各個語言輸入環(huán)節(jié)的學習中,以實現(xiàn)有效教學。以下為本堂閱讀課要掌握的核心詞匯:dream,ever since,persuade,get sb interested in cycling,graduate,finally,schedule,be fond of,stubborn,insist,organize,detail,determine,make up ones mind,give in。其中dream和detail雖不是本文的生詞,卻是理解文章的關鍵詞,get sb interested in cycling和insist的語言特性也是學生要掌握的,故列為課堂閱讀核心詞匯。
3.讀前核心詞匯的初步感知。
確定好核心詞匯后,教師要采取不同方法凸顯核心和話題詞匯,以提高課堂教學效率。
(1)Free talk語境中導學新詞。
Free talk不是天馬行空地任意發(fā)揮,教師要圍繞閱讀話題,結合生活實踐,創(chuàng)造性地創(chuàng)設教學情境,綜合運用多種詞匯教學策略,盡量把核心詞匯及其用法展示給學生,幫助學生理解、記憶、運用詞匯。
T:When I was in middle school,I was fond of travelling.I liked it so much that being a guide became my dream.To be a guide,one must pass many tests,including a face-to-face interview.So I tried to persuade my best friend to do it together.But I couldnt get her interested in travelling because she was determined to(made up her mind)be a teacher.As a person of great determination,she is not easy to be persuaded.Instead,she persuaded me to work hard to be a teacher in the future.Finally,I gave in.I had a tight schedule.I was so busy that I did not get the chance to realize my dream.And as you see,after graduating from college,I became a teacher instead of a guide.Ever since my graduation from college,I have dreamed about it for 13years.
[說明]筆者在依托語境導入核心詞匯時,側重新詞教學策略的多元化設計,如用同義詞like it so much替換解釋be fond of;用work hard to be a teacher,I was so busy的語境幫學生理解had a tight schedule;構詞法,如派生graduate/graduation,determined/determination,如轉化dream作為名詞和動詞的用法搭配;例句補充如a person of great determination is not easy to be persuaded.教師要采取有效的詞匯學習策略,幫助學生掌握有效的詞匯學習和記憶方法。
(2)插圖談論中激趣增知。
教材插圖是穿插在課文中為文章提供背景信息的圖片,隱含很多知識點。教師不能滿堂灌,應引導學生自主發(fā)掘,充分調(diào)動學生的主動性和積極性。在問答中適時引入新詞,激發(fā)學生閱讀期待。
T:Look at the map and we can see that Mekong River flows through.China,Laos,Thailand,Cambodia,Burma,Vietnam.
改進后:
T:Look at the map and what information can you get?
S:The river goes through China,Laos,Thailand,Cambodia,Burma,Vietnam.
T:It flows so many countries.
S:Two rivers are mentioned.
T:One or two? Find the proof in the passage?
S:In China it is called Lancang River.
T:Are you satisfied with the information.Boys and girls,read and try to find more details about it.
S:It starts in Qinghai Province at an altitude of more than 5,000meters.
T:Yes.The source is Qinghai.So can you understand the word“down”in the title?
S:From a high altitude to some place low.
T:Very good.Lets start our journey down the Mekong.
在筆者的引導下,學生積極挖掘圖片信息,并主動通過快讀閱讀獲取更多信息。結合之前plains平原的信息,就很容易理解標題,激發(fā)進一步閱讀的興趣。
(3)英語釋義尋找生詞。
挑選一些新詞匯,要求學生根據(jù)英文釋義和提示,從課文中找出生詞。用學生學過的詞匯解釋新詞,有利于詞的記憶和提取,為文本閱讀進一步掃清障礙。
cycle,schedule,be fond of,shortcoming,altitude,pace,bend
①to travel by bicycle.
②a plan that lists all the work that you have to do and when you must do each thing.
③have a great love for sb or sth.
④a fault in ones character.
⑤the height above the sea level.
⑥a speed sth runs or moves.
⑦to change direction to form a curve or an angle.
(二)閱讀中——理解核心詞匯
對文本的理解是閱讀課堂中詞匯教學的有效前提,貫穿閱讀過程的詞匯教學應有效促進學生對文本的理解。閱讀設計過程中要自覺強化核心詞匯意識,設計任務時要考慮語言輸出,通過任務的解決,實現(xiàn)詞匯目標。在活動設計中,體現(xiàn)足夠的對新學語言的“凸顯性”(salience)和“復現(xiàn)率”(frequency),通過活動使學生對語言形式產(chǎn)生猛然的醒悟作用或者反復的再現(xiàn)與關注。
1.Skimming。
標題解讀能幫助學生預測內(nèi)容,迅速獲取文章的結構圖式和內(nèi)容圖式,讓學生更清晰、準確地理解文本。
T:Look at the title “Journey down the Mekong” and predict what it is about.
S:Who?Why travel?
T:What else?
S:Route?Where?What to see?When?How?
T:These are what is called schedule.
T:Look at the subtitle.Part1:the dream and the plan.Go through the three paragraphs quickly to check your former guess and find the main idea.
S:Para.1:Wang Kun and Wang Weis dream.Para.2:Wang Weis plan.Para.3:Preparations for their trip.
從標題預測到快速閱讀進行核實,學生的注意力高度集中,且思維被積極調(diào)動。在預測階段再次理解schedule的含義,在核實階段涉及眾多核心詞匯。
2.Scanning。
第三段在讀前已做處理,此階段主要圍繞dream和plan(preparations),就一二兩段進行細節(jié)閱讀和理解。設計的問題和任務既要幫助學生理解文章內(nèi)容,又必須再現(xiàn)之前呈現(xiàn)的核心詞匯。
Para1:考查學生細節(jié),問答均再現(xiàn)核心詞匯,促進對新詞匯的理解。
(1)What was their dream?
(2)What was their plan?
(3)When did they realize their dream?
(4)Who suggested the trip and who planned the trip to the Mekong?
答案如下:
(1)They dreamed about taking a great bike trip.
(2)To cycle along the entire Mekong River from where it begins to where it ends.
(3)After graduating from college,they finally got the chance.
(4)It was Wang Wei who first had the idea and she planned the schedule.
T: So they are scheduled to cycle. The journey is scheduled after graduation.The scheduled journey covers the whole river.
Para2:要求學生閱讀Wang Kun旅行日志中的描述,除了顯而易見的stubborn外,總結出描寫Wang Wei性格的adjs。在核對中既出現(xiàn)了核心詞匯,又深入理解了文本信息。結合旅行日志這一文體特征,讓學生為Wang Wei辯護,再次研讀文本,體會作者的措辭。
T:Is it a difficult journey along the Mekong River?
S:Yes.The journey begins at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters,where it is hard to breathe and very cold.
T:What kind of person is Wang Wei according to Wang Kuns description? Read and find adjs.
T:Do you think Wang Kun is fair in his description of Wang Wei? For example,Wang Wei insisted that they start the journey from the source although Wang Kun insisted that it would be a difficult journey. We can say Wang Wei is stubborn or she is a person with great determination. Do you think Wang Wei would agree with his description of her? What is your idea about Wang Wei?
(三)閱讀后——鞏固運用詞匯
學生至少需要與詞匯接觸5~16次,才有可能真正掌握一個詞匯(Nation,1990)。判斷學生掌握詞匯的主要依據(jù)在于能否準確、得體地運用詞匯。教師要設計多種讀后任務,增加詞匯鞏固的環(huán)節(jié),提高核心詞匯的復現(xiàn)率,以幫助學生理解并靈活運用所學詞匯。
讀后活動設計要以學生的語言發(fā)展為中心,體現(xiàn)目標語言、話題語言的運用。通過在一定的語境下重組閱讀文本的語言,鞏固和運用閱讀材料中的新學詞匯和語言結構。筆者設計歸納了以下活動,可根據(jù)學生和教學實際有選擇地使用。
1. 課文語境下的核心詞匯鞏固。
以課文內(nèi)容為情景語境,能加深對課文的記憶和理解,讓學生更有信心鞏固核心詞匯。
(1)補全重點詞挖空的課文縮寫。
Wang Wei and I had ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 about taking a great bike trip ever ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 middle school.After ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 from college,we ?搖 ?搖?搖?搖 got the chance to make our come true. Wang Wei was very ?搖 ?搖?搖?搖.Once she had made up her mind,nothing could change it.She ?搖 ?搖?搖?搖 that we find the source of the river and begin our ?搖 ?搖?搖?搖 there.
Before the trip we found a large atlas in the library,from which they knew clearly about the Mekong River. We planned our ?搖?搖 ?搖?搖 according to the atlas.
(dreamed;since;graduating/graduation;finally;stubborn;insisted;journey;schedule)
(2)提供詞和框架改寫課文。
Retell the passage in the third person referring to the chart.
給出清晰的文章框架,讓學生根據(jù)所提供的關鍵詞和短語,用自己的話復述課文。這是一個很好的幫助學生回憶課文內(nèi)容的形式,也是一個提高學生運用語言能力的方法。
(3)發(fā)揮想象,設計情景對話。
Imagine that you are Wang Kun and Wang Wei. Make up a dialogue using information in the first two paragraphs.
以課文一二段為題材創(chuàng)造對話環(huán)境,學生必須重新組織語言。對話不是對文本內(nèi)容的簡單重復,而是對文本內(nèi)容的衍生和拓展??蓸O大地激發(fā)學生用英語的熱情,鞏固和活用本堂課的核心詞匯。
2.讀后寫作中的詞匯運用。
(1)詞匯分類后進行寫作運用。
對詞匯進行分類,有助于學生更好地理解這些詞匯運用的情景。筆者在讀后環(huán)節(jié)要求學生分組討論,按所給要求找出文中新學的詞,在討論中實現(xiàn)目標詞匯的運用和提升。在寫作輸出時能運用目標詞匯,真正運用所學語言知識。
Activity1:Find out new words and expressions and categorize them into the following groups.
New words indicating “say”:persuade; insist.
New words indicating “attitude”:be fond of; care about; change ones mind; make up ones mind; give in.
New words describing peoples personality:stubborn; determined.
New words indicating “geography”:altitude;valley; glacier; rapids; waterfall; delta; meander.
New words indicating “preparation”:schedule;organize.
Activity2:Choose some words to finish your own travel journal.
說明:對詞匯的分類任務,可以按需要安排在閱讀的各個階段。如在閱讀前,先解決文章重點部分語言問題,也可以安排在閱讀教學過程中。教師只提供分類標準,標準的制定與學情密切相關,如針對學生輕視詞性的學情,按詞性對生詞進行分類。
(2)深化讀中任務進行文體寫作。
學生在閱讀文本后,能從謀篇布局、作者的遣詞造句、人物刻畫、行文中的字句斟酌等角度挖掘文本的深度。寫作內(nèi)容基于讀中討論和文本,側重于新詞的運用。
T: This passage is written as a personal entry in a travel journal. So it is informal but informative.What do you think of the purpose of the passage?
If you were Wang Wei,what would you write in your journal?
[學生作展]My name is Wang Wei.My brother Wang Kun and I have dreamed about taking a great bike trip.After graduation,we decided to cycle along the Mekong River.Although I didnt know the best way of getting to places,I insisted I organize the trip properly. When I knew that the journey would begin at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters,I seemed to be excited about it.When I was told the air there would be cold and hard to breathe,I thought it would be an interesting experience.Once I have made up my mind,nothing can change it. So Wang Kun had to give in.Because I wouldnt change my mind,someone says I am a little stubborn,but I think I am just a person with great determination.
點評:很開心學生能在讀后輸出環(huán)節(jié)有意識地運用本課所學新詞(畫線),并能恰當運用詞匯的形式,如graduation和determination。
三、結語
閱讀課堂的詞匯教學要立足扎根于文本,通過設計相關問題、圖表、話題等搭建支架,引導學生深入推進自主認知活動,在閱讀各環(huán)節(jié)始終做到閱讀教學和詞匯教學的有機融合。教師要充分挖掘?qū)W生已有的認知經(jīng)驗和生活經(jīng)驗,并最終回歸現(xiàn)實生活,讓學生在語境中學習詞匯,在語篇中理解詞義,在實踐中提高語用能力。要采取有效的詞匯教學策略,幫助學生掌握有效的詞匯學習和記憶方法,真正激發(fā)學生的學習興趣,促進詞匯的有效習得,加深對文本的理解。
參考文獻:
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