陜西 南美蘭
那些課本里暗示我們的詞匯記憶法
陜西 南美蘭
在多年的教學(xué)中,筆者發(fā)現(xiàn)很多同學(xué)都知道詞匯記憶是英語學(xué)習(xí)的核心組成,至關(guān)重要,只是學(xué)不得法。他們孤立地死記硬背單詞,機(jī)械地重復(fù),不找規(guī)律,也找不到規(guī)律,所記的單詞猶如一盤散沙,很難在頭腦里儲存和再現(xiàn)。
由此可見,掌握科學(xué)的方法來提高單詞學(xué)習(xí)記憶效率,從而較高質(zhì)量地?cái)U(kuò)大詞匯量,就顯得尤為重要。那么,有沒有記憶詞匯的高效方法呢?筆者在多年的課堂教學(xué)互動中發(fā)現(xiàn),只要熟悉并深挖課本,英語詞匯記憶方法悟來全不費(fèi)工夫。下面,就讓筆者來扒一扒那些課本上暗示我們的詞匯記憶法,以期對同學(xué)們的學(xué)習(xí)有所幫助。
仔細(xì)翻看高中課本,在“Learning about Language”部分,第一個練習(xí)題都是“Find the word or expression for each of the following meanings from the text”,這一練習(xí)題旨在培養(yǎng)同學(xué)們用簡單的英語解釋單詞和短語的意思的能力,使同學(xué)們養(yǎng)成勤查詞典的習(xí)慣。同學(xué)們?nèi)裟荏w會編者苦心,用心感悟,多多運(yùn)用,那就會一舉多得。例如必修一Unit 1中的練習(xí)1:
outdoors:not inside a building
upset:feeling disturbed
be concerned about:to be worried about
loose:free,not tied up
go through:to experience something
ignore:to take no notice of
face to face:staying close to and looking at somebody
calm down:to become quiet after nervous activity
curtain:piece of material hung to cover a window
series:number of things that happen one after another
通過對這些練習(xí)中的paraphrase的反復(fù)研讀,同學(xué)們不僅全面到位地理解了這幾個重點(diǎn)單詞和短語,還擴(kuò)大了詞匯量,學(xué)到了過去分詞、定語從句,如若再能翻查詞典,體悟這些詞下面的例句,并且摘記其他詞匯的英文解釋,長此以往,養(yǎng)成習(xí)慣,那么,同學(xué)們的英語語感、英語水平都會有很大的提高!
眾所周知,英語構(gòu)詞法是識記單詞最有效的途徑之一。掌握了構(gòu)詞法,識記單詞就快得多,往往能以一帶十,事半功倍。這一點(diǎn),在課本中的“Learning about Language”部分也有體現(xiàn)。如必修一Unit 5中的練習(xí)二,同學(xué)們就可以通過后綴-ness,輕松學(xué)到kindness,calmness,selfishness,loneliness;通過后綴-ful,-less學(xué)到power,powerful,powerless等。若能再細(xì)聽老師的講解,加上自己的巧妙串記,那將更妙不可言,收獲多多。如:After he came to power,everyone said he was a powerful leader,but now he feels so powerless that he even can’t save his daughter。另外,轉(zhuǎn)化構(gòu)詞法也很重要,如必修一Unit 1里的“concern”一詞,作vt.用時(shí)是“擔(dān)憂,涉及,關(guān)系到”之意,作n.用時(shí)是“擔(dān)心,關(guān)注,(利害)關(guān)系”之意。這個詞出現(xiàn)的頻率很高,較難理解掌握。如若翻查詞典,例句串記(如:Our parents are concerned about our health. As far as I am concerned,we should talk with them and tell them our concerns),則該詞的詞義及用法馬上躍然紙上,活靈活現(xiàn)。
通過這樣的練習(xí),同學(xué)們會悟到構(gòu)詞法的強(qiáng)大,老師再順勢加以引導(dǎo),讓同學(xué)們自己觀察收集其他較小類的構(gòu)詞法,如:截短(截頭的telephone—phone,airplane—plane;去尾的mathematics—maths,examination—exam;截頭去尾的inf l uenza—f l u,refrigerator—fridge等),混合(breakfast lunch—brunch,television broadcast—telecast,Chinese English—Chinglish等),首字母縮略(TOEFL—Test of English as a Foreign Language,WTO—World Trade Organization等)。通過對這些構(gòu)詞法的觀察、收集,同學(xué)們會學(xué)有所獲,學(xué)有所用,對英語的興趣會有很大的增強(qiáng)。
英語單詞極為豐富,包羅萬象,但并不是沒有規(guī)律可循。如果我們把所學(xué)的單詞根據(jù)一定的依據(jù)進(jìn)行整理歸類,聯(lián)想記憶,效果就會大幅度提高。如必修二Unit 4 Wildlife protection中的“Learning about Language”部分中的exercise 3,就暗示了我們這種記詞匯的方法。
孤立地、機(jī)械地記憶詞匯非常困難。那樣既枯燥乏味,又遺忘得快。同學(xué)們?nèi)裟芟窭蠋煶=虒?dǎo)的“單詞短語化,短語句子化,句子情景化,情景生活化”那樣,有意識地用造句、填空等來記單詞和短語,并結(jié)合上下文來學(xué),這樣學(xué)起來就有趣味多了。正如必修一Unit 1里“Learning about Language”中的exercise 3一樣,給出了很好的語境讓同學(xué)們記憶curtains,dusty,entirely,in order to,set down,add up等單詞和短語。仔細(xì)揣摩這些例句,不光能記住這些單詞和短語,還會有新的收獲和啟發(fā)。如:
Please draw the curtains:the sunlight is too bright.(這句話中不僅記住了“curtain”,還記住了“draw the curtain”)
Although Tim and Mike come from entirely different backgrounds,they became close friends.(不僅記住了“entirely”的詞義,還體悟到了它的詞性——修飾形容詞,更學(xué)到了“background,close friend”等詞匯和好的表達(dá))
Good friends do not add up what they do for each other;instead they offer help when it is needed.(這句話中不光記住了“add up”的意思,而且還體會到“what they do for each other”是賓語從句,“when it is needed”是狀語從句,更明白了友誼的意義,做人的道理)
威廉·詹姆士指出:“事實(shí)在心中越是與其他事物發(fā)生聯(lián)想,就越能很好地記住,留在心中。”在學(xué)習(xí)英語的過程中,記憶單詞和短語時(shí),不要“只見樹木不見森林”,就像我們課本中每個單元的“Learning about Language”中都有一個練習(xí):“Complete this passage with the words and phrases below in their proper forms”,這種練習(xí)的編寫,體現(xiàn)了編者的良苦用心,即通過編這樣一個故事,或創(chuàng)設(shè)一個場景,讓同學(xué)們角色融入,設(shè)身處地地體會并運(yùn)用每個單元所學(xué)的單詞和短語,有趣又實(shí)用。例如必修二 Unit 5 Music這個單元的文章:
Susan and I loved jazz and we dreamed of becoming musicians. We decided to form a band so that we could earn some extra money by playing and singing in a pub. The regulars there were very kind to us. They suggested we go to record our songs in a studio. We wondered if they were playing a joke on us as they were often very humorous to each other. However,to our great surprise,everything was organized and we made our record. Imagine our excitement when we heard it broadcast on the radio for the first time! It was almost as exciting as later when we became millionaires. Now whenever we go to the pub,we play our songs and buy drinks for the regulars. Although we are famous,we still like to play in familiar places.
通過這個語篇填空,我們串記了本單元的這些詞匯:extra,millionaire,pub,humorous,studio,broadcast,dream of,familiar,play a joke on等,而且還學(xué)到了:so that,regulars,suggest sb. do sth.,to one’s surprise,hear sth. done等單詞和短語句型,真是一舉多得,何樂而不為呢?在每天的學(xué)習(xí)中,同學(xué)們也可以嘗試自己編故事、情景來擴(kuò)大自己的詞匯量。
以上是筆者所體悟,也反復(fù)給同學(xué)們滲透強(qiáng)化的,課本上暗示我們的英語詞匯記憶法。
總之,英語詞匯是學(xué)習(xí)英語的基礎(chǔ),記憶方法多種多樣,因人而異。但每種記憶詞匯的方法都不是孤立的,而是相互聯(lián)系,相互滲透的。同學(xué)們應(yīng)牢記老師的教誨:詞不離句,句不離文。在具體語境中,掌握其記憶規(guī)律,把各種方法結(jié)合起來,綜合運(yùn)用,詞匯記憶的效率才能最大化。
(作者單位:陜西省咸陽市實(shí)驗(yàn)中學(xué))