ReflectiononTeacher-centeredstrategyincollegeEnglishClassroom-文档资料

1、Reflection on Teacher-centered strategy in college English Classroom: There is a strong argument between teacher-centered method and learned-centered method. Teacher-centered strategy has had its dominant position in English educational area for a long time. This article aims to review a quality and

2、 efficient teaching-learning way by exploring some main features, advantages, disadvantaged of teacher-centered strategy and some considerations during English teaching-learning process.1 IntroductionFor centuries, education and curriculum designers emphasized English curriculum on teacher-centered

3、learning. In recent years, although student-centered teaching method has been developed and been approached in real learning environment, the decisions such as selection of language contents, ways of learning, assessment and evaluation of learning outcomesare still being made by teachers or educator

4、s. While language artists suggest that the learner-centered teaching seems more suitable to language teaching. This essay aims to illustratelanguage learning and teaching styles in traditional collegeEnglish learning as well as some suggested features or styles for English teaching-learning in Chine

5、se college English classroom from authors learning and teaching experience.2 Reflection on teacher-centered method of English teaching-learning2.1Learning features of teacher-centered method As a language learner for me with a traditionalEnglish learning method in Chinese classroom, the aim to learn

6、 English is to follow the trend of social development and to satisfy the needs of communication and research purposes. In addition, according to College English Curriculum Requirements(for Trial Implementation,2003) the learning curriculum in Chinese classroom is a kind of proficiency-based curricul

7、um mixed with communicative-based syllabi and structural syllabi.Traditional teacher-centered teaching and learning was the main way how students learned and teachers taught when I was a student. Normally, in the initial stage of English study, learners learned new rules and some vocabularies firstl

8、y, and then during the period of the practicesimitation, learners practiced their pronunciation, exercised about the grammar, recitated vocabularies. And after some English structures have already been acquired, sentence patterns and grammatical features were acquired gradually.2.2 Teaching features

9、 of teacher-centered method Teacher-centered English learning environment inChinese classroom for me at each English lesson can be a picture of those teachers specifying class objectives, highlighting entry and learning behaviors, selecting and sequencing learning activities, and then evaluating the

10、 outcomes and behavior of students at the ending process. The activities which teachers choosing were general answering question, reading together with classmates, listening to tapes, dialogues study, playing and using flash cards. The teacher may barely used discussion and some student activities f

11、rom students sides. There also might be little interaction between students and the teacher and few group works in the classroom. The methods to assess and evaluate the language learning outcomes was the form of examination. The only role of a student was merely a listener. 2.3 Advantages of teacher

12、-centeredmethod:This traditional English teaching-learning method in Chinese classroom as a foreign language focuses on input of knowledge and structures of language itself and grammatical system. Ellis claims that language learners obtain explicit and useful knowledge of language almost beginning w

13、ith form of language to direct instruction and in the meantime this acquired information can develop the learners awareness of the existence of non-grammaticalforms during the process of the learning target language(Ellis,1990). To beginners of English learning or inexperienced learners, it is often

14、 necessary to begin by teachers instructing enough fundamental knowledge and making most of the decisions as the foundations of learning. Also learners from the teacher-centered English classroom may cover more topics during the same period and for teachers, they could achieve their objectives effic

15、iently and control the class effectively.2.4 Shortages of teacher-centered methodLearners who exposed in a long listening environment as listeners rather than participants will feel bored, fatigued, tired, undisciplined and sleepy.Teacher-centered English learning situations in Chinese classroom als

16、o are less tolerant toward the expressed students viewpoints, and it is more restrictive, critical in valuing the behavior and motives of the students. This will constrict the creativity of students and they will less bring forth new ideas. Besides, one of the aims for learners to learn another lang

17、uage is for social interaction (Long, 1981). Students need to gain language communicational skills, need to carry out real world tasks and what they do with the language. While teacher-centered English teaching-learning style may block and less focus on the development of students ability to listeni

18、ng and speaking in English.3 Elements may be considered during English teaching-learning process in college English classroom3.1 Somee lements considered by educators or linguists Researches show that learning a language is a cumulative, spiraling process requiring a great quantity of practice, repe

19、ated efficiency gains and uses, interactive actives and meaningful input (Schulz, 1991). Teachers could show a learning progress which belongs to learners and provide a natural, interesting learningcondition or surroundings which learners canget access to choose and to use it (Don Holdaway,1979). Br

20、ian Cambourne suggests some language learning conditions as Immersion,Demonstration,Engagement,Expectation, Responsibility, Use, Approximation, and Response (Cambourne, 1988).3.2 Considerations between students and teachersThe procedure of language teaching-learning can be accomplished as a collabor

21、ative process between students and teacher(Ramirez, J.D, Yuen, S.D, & Ramey, D.R.1991). Quality teaching-learning could need full cooperation as well as good effort between students and teachers.3.2.1 Considerations from learnersYalden (1983) argues that learners belong to socialbeing and what learn

22、ers would be interested in are that if they can use a second language, not that in the way how second-language speakers gain a second-language system. Consequently, learners needs should be focused on during learning process in classroom. If teachers give students power to choose topics and the cont

23、ents they are interested, the ways they preferred and activities they enjoy at each lesson, they will be more creative, stimulated and active in learning. They will have more chances to practice or apply their old experiences or input and gain new experience and knowledge meanwhile. They can realize

24、 the aims of the learning outcome during thinking and learning more effectively.Learners role in my classroom used to be that ofa negotiator between themselves and their learning process, and the subject of learning. This role interacts with their role of joint-negotiator with their groups and withi

25、n the classroom procedures and activities which groups undertakes. These learners communicate with each other frequently. They actively engaged in negotiating meaning and in trying to make themselves understood, even when their knowledge of the target language is incomplete.3.2.2 Considerations from

26、 teachersIn a Chinese classroom of which English as a foreign language, teachers have many roles to fulfill. The teachers instruction processing students learning (Vanpatten, B. and Teresa.1993) may be highlighted especially in a college classroom.To improve students oral English proficiency, the st

27、udents need to do most of the speaking, and frequently the scene of a classroomduring a communicative exercise should be active. Because the students performance is the goal, the teacher also needs to step back and observe, sometimes they may need to act as a referee and an adviser.I used to be a cl

28、assroom manager of activities in my classroom. I act as their advisor, answering studentsquestions and monitoring their performance and also I might be a co-communicator engaging in the communicative activity along with students.3.3 Activities in classroomTeachers need to provide a learning conditio

29、n to students in a natural learning classroom model such as Demonstration, Participation, Practice/Role Play, and Performance (Don Holdaway, 1979). Most likely they have an opinion of the topic, and a class discussion could follow in the target language, about their experiences and viewpoints.I ofte

30、n take the form of pair and group work which requiring negotiation and cooperation between learners, of fluency-based activities that encourage learners to develop their confidence, of self-making video, communicating patterns and pictures, discussion session, role-plays, in which students could bec

31、ome language users. In addition, to improve the integrating language skills I take the form of the giving oral presentations, project work role-plan and simulation. Activities such as Games, problem solving, simulation/ role play, personal responses and group work will be take in the speaking classroom.4