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[外语] 新概念英语学习之旅:自学和啃读(5月23日全天俞老师进行新概念英语暑假班测试)

回复 148#jyuntoku 的帖子

将来选择四册老师时,关注一下老师的能力;找不到,就自己家里跟着光盘和辅导书先学一轮。.

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呼呼!高手云集呀!我也是新概念忠实fans,想当年新概念三册90分的高分愣是让我这个没半张证书的普通学生进入professor法眼,涌进高手如云的英语专业班,呵呵!终身受益无穷啊!.

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回复 152#cryraindrop 的帖子

新三90分?也是高手哦 !.

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回复 153#H爸 的帖子

哈哈!学生时代的事了!现在只剩辅导孩子的这点东东了.

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回复 154#cryraindrop 的帖子

自己辅导孩子,质量把握得住,省得老是在坛子上发帖跟帖打探——SBS那家学校哪位老师教得好?四星口语哪家学校有好老师?.

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呵呵!想问一下这些好玩的图标哪弄的,羡慕好久罗!.

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【转贴】《新概念英语》作者-亚历山大谈英语学习

浏览昂立网站,看到一组好文章:L.G.Alexander谈英语学习,转贴过来。.

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L.G.Alexander谈英语学习1

L.G.Alexander谈英语学习1
发布日期:2007-10-17   编辑:RoB  

在中国学生中没有学过《新概念英语》(New Concept English)的人恐怕是少之又少了,而这套经典教材的作者L. G. Alexander也是世界著名的英语语言教学专家,对英语学习有着独到的见解和丰富的经验。
下面就是Alexander先生回答中国学生有关学习英语口语中的问题的精选,希望朋友们能从中找到困惑你的问题的答案。

1. 当我听一段很长的英语时,很容易忘记刚才听到的内容。您能告诉我如何做笔记吗?

1)做到真正地用心听,全神贯注。不必担心个别听不懂的词,尽量抓住全文的意思。
2)确定所听内容的中心思想,并以笔记的形式记录下来。这就是你定的标题。
3)确定哪几个要点与中心意思有关。在标题下面以笔记的形式记录下来。
4)当谈话的议题转换时,重复这一过程。比如:假设你正在听一段有关现代化都市交通阻塞的讨论:导致这一问题的原因是什么?这一问题如何补救?你写下"交通阻塞"作为你的中心议题。在这一标题下,你列举出"原因"和可能的"解决方案"。记住,在做笔记时,集中记录动词和名词,而不记冠词。运用破折号充当联系前后的纽带。例如: 禁止交通阻塞--市中心 改善公共交通--增加投资 鼓励车多载人,等等。

2. 我经常可以在英语考试中获得高分,但我的英语交流水平却不行。怎能否给我提一些建议?

这是个常见现象。顺利通过英语考试与熟练地使用英语是两码事儿。为什么呢?这是因为通过考试意味着掌握了应试技巧(准确的翻译及回答问题、按时完成测试内容,等等)和做了许多针对性的训练(如多项选择题、有关惯用法的问题,等等)。所以你可能陶醉于这些“成就”中,可一旦把它付诸实际运用,你就会发现你的交流水平捉襟见肘了。
其实,考试的目的和应试的技巧并不总与我们提高交流技能的需要相吻合。在现实生活中,我们什么时候需要多项选择?从来不需要!这个问题只能这样解决:考试委员会要求学生们掌握的技巧或多或少地与交流所要求掌握的技巧相吻合。但目前朝这一方向的进展却相当缓慢。 那么你该怎么办呢?一旦你考试通过,你必须集中精力提高和培养自己的感受技巧(听和读)与创造技巧(说和写),以此来帮助你进行交流。

3. 我的老师用英语给我们讲故事时,有些词很耳熟,但我不记得中文意思了。我该怎么办?

你的头脑中不要想中文。在听英语时,你应该带着英语思维听,不要试图给你听到的每个英语单词都找到一个中文的对等词。如果你顽固坚持,就会完全听不懂意思,也就听不到什么英语。不要拘泥于单个的词,应集中精力努力弄懂整个词组、句子和段落的意思。听到不理解的地方,努力从上下文中推导含义。听完一篇英语后,(用英语)回忆一下它讲的是什么,考考自己。.

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L.G.Alexander谈英语学习2

L.G.Alexander谈英语学习2
发布日期:2007-10-17   编辑:RoB  

1. 讲英语时犯了错误怎么办?还有:讲英语时对于我们犯的错该怎么处理?

错误只有在严重影响交流的时候才构成问题。如果与你交谈的人理解你所说的大部分,那你做得很好,犯了多少错误没有多大关系。如果你愿意,可以请英语水平比你高的人替你纠正,但这样通常很乏味,而且干扰交流。如果与你交谈的人能理解你说的意思,那就很好,完全不应该担心错误。

2. 讲英语时,我总是先想中文句予,然后再译成英语。我如何避免"中国式英语"? 另一个类似的问题:很多学英语的人都听过"用英语思考"的教导,我如何才能做得好? 另一个问题:如何流利地讲英语?

你之所以老是把中文译成英语,是因为你的口语技巧尚未达到让你自信的水平。你在参加交谈前需掌握四项技巧.它们是:理解、回答、问和说。因此你要集中提高这些技巧:训练自己理解英语口语,训练自己问问题,训练自己回答问题,最终说英语。你在掌握了前三项技巧后,就可以水到渠成地掌握最后(也是最难的)一项:“说”。

3.我觉得理解别人要比让别人理解自己容易,因为我对很多词的印象很模糊,在书中见到我能理解,但我想表达自己的思想时又记不住了。要改变这种状况怎样做最好?

你说得对:理解口语或文章要比让别人理解你说或写的东西容易。这是因为理解是一种接受性的技巧,而说和写是创造性技巧。我们能理解的远远多于我们能表达的,我们在使用母语时也是这样。你接受了这个现实之后,应该训练自己使用那些你能马上回想起的语言表达思想。你找不到恰当的词汇的时候(见到或听到时可能能理解,但需要时却用不上),你不得不用别的词来表达你的意思。坚持听英语,尽量多地阅读。长此以往,这将提高你说和写的水平。

4. 听英语广播时,我有时可以听懂,但不能写下完整的句子。

如果你在听广播的话,为什么非要写下一个完整句子呢?广播的播音通常是段英语口语,它并不是听写。我想你所说的是你没有抓住单个单词的意思。我的建议是:在听广播时,不要试图抓住个别单词的意思,要集中注意力听完整的句子,尽力抓住全文的意思。也就是说你一定要根据上下文判断新单词的意思。要训练自己为理解文章的意思而听广播,而不是为个别单词而听广播。

5. 听美国之音体育报道,对词的理解有困难。您能介绍一些窍门吗?

一门外国语最难掌握的一项技巧就是听懂母语讲话人用正常速度所说的自然语言的能力。另外,在体育报道中语速通常是快的。听一场赛马或汽车比赛的评论,你会发现评论员几乎都跟不上自己的速度,因为他要努力跟上他所看到的项目的进行速度。你可以通过几个方法来训练自己听懂母语讲话者说话的能力。一种办法是使用"有声读物"。这些读物以录音带、CD或录像带的形式出版。它们主要包括著名演员朗读的小说或传记,这些读物是面向那些不想亲自读故事而想听别人读的母语讲话者的。

你可以:
购买有声读物及其配书(根据你自己的喜好选择美国英语或美国英语)。
播放一小部分有声读物,集中精力听。每次限制在两分钟内。尽量多地理解。你可能会发现要"跟上朗读人" 有困难。
重复播放有声读物,看着配书听。根据上下文猜测意思,只有那些对理解意思起关键作用的词才去查词典。
再把磁带的同一部分播放一遍,不要看书。集中精力听。这次你会发现要"跟上朗读人"就容易多了。
坚持做下去,直到你觉得能够应付母语的讲话为止。当然,这不是体育评论。这种做法能为你提供实用的练习,使你听懂正常语速英语母语讲话。.

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回复 151#H爸 的帖子

不过有些文章真要讲清楚,还的确不容易。第一次会遇到的往往是那篇有名的beauty的第二段,会困惑很多学生和老师。还有最后的讲死刑的那篇也很难。
现在的光盘教程,我总觉得有点生硬,没有那种感情的交流和思想的接触。
还有,其实有很多论文(发表在专业的杂志期刊上的)题目选的就是对于新概念英语的翻译译文的分析和批评。.

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L.G.Alexander谈英语学习3

L.G.Alexander谈英语学习3
来源:新概念项目部    发布日期:2007-10-24   编辑:RoB  

1. 人们常说,要想提高英语口语,你就应该多多练习。但每当我遇见外国人,我经常抓不住这样的机会。我担心我没有什么可说。我所担心的是该谈什么主题。我该怎么办呢?

不错,平时多练习以提高你的英语口语,但不要指望遇见外国人(我想你所指的是来自说英语的国家的人)这个办法。如果这样的话,你练习说英语的机会就少多了。
首先,经常遇见外国人是不容易的;其次,他们可能不愿被你用来练英语;再者,如果你与一位外国人交谈,你可能会对自己的英语水平不甚清楚,无法表达自己的思想(就像你所提的事例一样)。
那么,你该怎么办呢?你可以给你自己创造机会。你可以找与你有相同的文化背景、面临类似问题的人练习英语口头表达能力。你可以定期参加英语会话课,在老师的监督下练习,也可以和与你情况相当的朋友聚会,共同敲定一个谈话的主题。可以选一些你们讲中文时了解或愿意聊的话题。当你心中感到言之有物的时候,你就会找到你所需要用的词来表达你的思想,这是个自明之理。

2. 在听收音机的同时,我还读一些有关如何提高听力的书。但仍然进步缓慢。我该如何提高呢?

练习语言听力的方法是要采取积极主动而非被动的方式。如果老师在介绍一篇课文时稍加一个短评,并且提出一个问题,学生们就会积极主动地聆听。例如,老师说:“今天我准备给你们读一则讲述一个意外事件的故事。读完之后,我要问你们这件事是如何发生的。”这会鼓励学生们积极认真地听,以求找到问题的答案。如果老师只是说:“请听这个故事。”学生们则没有聆听的重点。他们的双眼可能是睁着的,但头脑确是封闭的。
在此,我给你提供一些建议,供参考:
为汲取特定的信息而听;不要担心个别词的意思。
如果你所说的听力课本中的课文有录音,首先听录音,尽量在第一次听时多听懂些,然后再听一遍,同时你可以默读。之后,你可以再听第三遍(可以不读课文了)。
可以试着与一个朋友或几个朋友一起进行听力训练,这样你们可以集思广益,互相借鉴。.

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L.G.Alexander谈英语学习4

L.G.Alexander谈英语学习4
来源:新概念项目组    发布日期:2007-10-24   编辑:RoB  

1. 如何才能说流利的英语?

说外语时,我们主要应做到四件事:
理解--回答--提问--口头表达
你只要自我训练这四项基本技能(或找一位可以训练你的老师),就会说一口流利的英语。

2. 在与讲英语的外国人谈话时,我的舌头经常变得笨起来,我觉得很不自在。如何克服?

在陌生人面前你觉得胆怯,对自己的英语没有自信,为什么呢?因为你怕被人嘲笑。这种情况尤其会影响讲外语的成年人(越年轻就越没有顾忌!)。你该怎么办呢?
你可以先说服自己讲别人的语言出了错误并不是件丢人的事。设想将情景反过来,外国人在努力与你讲中文。你会怎么办?你会嘲笑他们的语病,还是会去帮助他们呢?许多以英语为母语的人,尤其是那些长期在国外的,了解学英语的人努力讲英语的情形,一般都会有耐心、宽容地提供帮助。了解到这一点,你就可以试着与外国人交谈。
仔细听,大体弄懂他们谈的是什么?“轮到”你说话的时候你可以发表自己的意见。你认为自己可能误解的地方,可以请与你交谈的人解释,你 也可以请他们纠正一两个关键的错误。这样你会慢慢建立起信心。

3. 在练习听力过程中,大多数词我站理解,但我却抓不到全文的大意,这是为什么呢?

这是因为你把精力放在听单词上,而不是理解意思上。这使我想起我的1981年的北京之行。当时陪同我的译员不停地抱怨这个问题。她常说“我跟不上你说的话”,经常就完全译不下去了。我当时给她的建议与现在给你的建议一样:不要听单个的单词,然后就试图把它们译成汉语,应该听懂全文的意思。
听英语时,要排除汉语干扰。这正是优秀译员所要具备的:他们先要弄懂一段语言的意思,然后把它译成另一种语言,以便听者可以听懂说话的大意。

4. 我说英语时经常时断时续。您能否告诉我如何练习能连贯表达的回话技巧?

我想你所提的“时断时续”(说英语)可能是指突然迸发式的说话方式。首先,你必须明白,大多数口头表达是与他人交往的产物。我们很少发表长篇大论,这就是说我们必须培养我们自己理解别人讲话的能力,然后根据我们所听到 的内容作出回答。会话的性质不同,要求的技巧也自然不同。
例如:
交流信息:这是我们每天最常见的交流形式。你的朋友告诉你他在业余时间所喜欢做的事。你仔细听,然后告诉他你在业余时间所想做的事。你就如此这般回答。在这种交流中,你一般会大量使用一般现在时。
叙述:你的朋友用过去时告诉你一段经历(他/她如何误车,然后上班迟到,老板说些什么,等等)。你仔细听,然后讲述你自己的经历。在这种交流中,你一般会使用一般过去时或过去进行时。按时间顺序讲述一个故事较为容 易:某事开始于……,然后叙述正文,最后结束讲述。
交流看法和观点:你的朋友告诉你他/她对某事的看法, 他/她先描述一段场景,然后发表他/她的意见,并给出理由。你仔细听,然后以同样的方式作出回答。你有可能陈述事实(你从报纸上读到的东西),给出一个或几个例子,然后说明你的看法。你很可能用些诸如In my opinion…,I think…,I agree with what you say,but…和 I"m afraid I disagree.I think…等短语。.

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亚历山大的夫人访问过昂立学院,也有一次对话和问答,我找到后,再转贴过来。.

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老H转了很好一个贴,把学习英语,学好英语的关键点都点出来了,特别是对第二语言的学习者.应该深刻领会其中的要点..

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回复 164#peteryang 的帖子

找到了昂立网站上的专题《新概念主编夫人Julia昂立行》:
http://www.onlycollege.com.cn/Thematic/nce/
内容很丰富,大家慢慢看,如果有需要,我转帖过来,看起来方便些。.

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【转帖】亚历山大夫人阐述《新概念英语》精髓

亚历山大夫人阐述《新概念英语》精髓
发布日期:2007-09-12   
亚历山大夫人莅临昂立指点《新概念英语》教学法的精髓
     9月11日,“《新概念英语》教学法的精髓”全国巡讲抵沪举行,此次巡讲邀请了朗文全球教师培训师和教学方法顾问——《新概念英语》英方作者亚历山大先生的夫人朱莉娅女士,特别莅临昂立学院,就《新概念英语》所采用的交际教学法理念、教学模式设计进行了系统的介绍,并与参会的昂立教师们交流了实际教学中常见的问题和采用的教学方法。
外研社组织的这次巡讲将在全国五个城市举行,包括西安、长春、上海、福州和北京。昂立作为沪上著名的新概念培训基地以其每年巨大的培训规模及享誉沪上的极佳口碑成为此次沪上巡讲的惟一培训机构,昂立新概念老师们有幸聆听了讲座,并与亚历山大夫人进行了交流与探讨。

《新概念英语》——英语学习的经典
  几十年来,享誉全球的《新概念英语》以其严密的体系性、严谨的科学性、精湛的实用性、浓郁的趣味性深受广大英语学习者的青睐,影响了几代中国人。新版《新概念英语》,这一作者专为中国学习者修订的全球唯一新版,一经外研社推出就受到了千万英语学习者的喜爱。在一个喜欢通过诵读学习而又缺乏英语环境的国家,《新概念英语》以其特质天然地成为了英语学习的经典。各行各业、不同年龄的人们都喜欢书中短小精悍却又妙趣横生的小故事,但可能不知道这些故事差不多都是亚历山大先生亲手写的。教师们狂热地追捧它,却往往不能完全领会它的编写意图和教学理念。此次由外语教学与研究出版社主办、上海市昂立进修学院承办的教师培训,目的就是让沪上的老师掌握《新概念英语》交际教学法的精髓。

《新概念英语》的编写理念
  首先,亚历山大夫人阐述了“新概念”的含义,揭示了《新概念英语》这部英语教学经典的精髓及其历久弥新的原因所在。她指出,“新概念”之新体现在它遵循语言习得的规律,将“听”置于首要的位置。因为我们的大脑是通过接收和整理声音信号来理解“意义”的,所以《新概念英语》的每篇课文都从听力理解开始,充分地利用学习者与生俱来的语言认知能力。亚历山大夫人还指出,科学的课程设计也是“新概念”的重要特征。语言材料经过分级整理,由易到难,便于学生在教师的引导下逐步提高语言能力和自信。

《新概念英语》的教学模式
  在阐释了教材的编写理念之后,亚历山大夫人分析了《新概念英语》的详细教学过程和目标。她将每篇课文的教学分为五个步骤,并且为在场的教师进行了实际的教学示范,展示每个阶段的授课内容和方法。在教学过程中,她强调教师要重视听力理解的重要性,善于利用学生固有的语言学习机制,将声音与意义相结合,为学生提供完整语境下的语言输入。她建议教师在课堂上只充当组织者、引导者的角色,努力从灌输信息转变为鼓励学生去主动地破解语言信号,通过提问等方式引导学生发现语言内在的规律。
  针对中国教师的一些传统教学模式,亚历山大夫人也提出了诚恳的建议。她认为,不恰当的教学步骤会打乱学习者固有的认知模式,影响语言学习的效果。例如,她反复强调,开篇就讲解词汇的做法实际上就不利于学生发挥自身的学习能力,妨碍了学生对篇章含义的理解。她还指出,在教授初、中级英语学习者时,教师应该避免逐字逐句或过多的进行翻译的做法,因为这同样会阻碍大脑的自然学习过程,影响英语的流畅性。

座谈热烈收获丰硕
  完成了细致的教学示范之后,亚历山大夫人为在场的教师布置了模拟教学任务,让他们分组演练特定的课堂教学步骤。昂立教师们认真准备,积极参与,现场气氛热烈。会后大家纷纷表示,这次培训让自己体会到了《新概念英语》交际法教学的精髓,以及作者在写作和选择文章上的独具匠心,对今后自己实现教材所设计的教学目标大有帮助。
  如同朱莉娅所介绍的,《新概念英语》吸引人们的不仅是它严谨科学的教学体系,还有文中所传达的英式幽默等共通的人性:善良、宽容和天真质朴,这也许是它历久弥新的魅力所在。.

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【转帖】授人以渔,亦有新意——新概念教学法

授人以渔,亦有新意——新概念教学法  
来源:昂立进修学院    发布日期:2007-09-12   编辑:RoB  
2007年9月11日,《新概念英语》教材主编L. G. Alexander的夫人Julia Alexander,由《新概念英语》的出版单位――外研社综合英语分社社长宋薇薇陪同,应邀莅临上海市昂立进修学院访问,就新概念英语教学法同众多昂立的专兼职教师交流、座谈。

在上午举行的新概念英语教学法的讲座中,Julia女士首先从语言的功能性与人的听觉系统谈起,重点强调了以口语与听力为基础的新概念英语中训练学生听力的重要性;继而讲到本次讲座的核心内容――“课堂教学5步法”,即“听力理解-诱导对话-模仿练习-文法词汇及写作练习-复述内容”。Julia女士亲身展示了新概念教学法的完整教学过程,供在座的教师参考,并在经过短时间的准备后请部分老师上台试讲。理论讲解,实践操作相结合,一气呵成。

讲座要点摘录
NCE: The teacher as enabler
1. “people are designed by nature to learn languages.” For students, they are ready when they come to learn a language, i.e. their attitudes and equipments are well prepared when they are in the classroom. All languages-learning begins with listening.
2. the product of successful language-learning is “rule-bound creativity”, the teacher’s task is to enable a kind of learning that students create new expressions which based on patterns that are learned deep within the brain-and-body system.
3. the most effective way to learn a language is learning the language with “graded materials and a teacher”, grading organizes the learning task in a series of “manageable chunks”, from superficial to complicated. The teacher’s task is to communicate one chunk at a time, in a way that respects and induces the natural ability of pattern-seeking of the students.
4. the structure of a lesson

There are 5 Teaching Phases in an NCE Lesson
1 Phase Lesson activity Focus of study
1 Listening and Understanding complete context, presenting new language, as sound and meaning, in connected sentences
2 Guided Conversation context-based activation of new language elements, in affirmative, negative, interrogative patterns
3 Pattern Practice 'generalisation': the new structure is presented and practised formally, and the available vocabulary extended; this shows how the pattern can be applied in other situations/contexts
4 Grammar and Word Study; Written Exercises analysis of words and structures; conscious formulation of 'rules'; detailed practice at sound/spelling, word, phrase and sentence level.
5 'Tell the story', etc. and 'Transfer' Exercises oral/written reconstruction; recombination and invention exercises: 'towards rule-bound creativity'

Listening and understanding (9 steps)
A.      Introduce the story: in this step so that the students have an idea of what the story is about and they don’t have to guess.
B.      understand the situation: teachers ask students to say what they think is happening in the picture
C.      Set a listening objective: ask the students a question which they must try to find the answer by listening that may helps the students “tune in to the whole of what they hear”.
D.     Play the audio or read the text: make sure that the students listen to the audio without interruption so as to discover the answer to the question in step C.
E.      Answer the question: train the students not to shout out the answer but to answer teacher’s questions one by one which may be help them think about the agreement or the disagreement between his own opinion and that of others. In this way, the teachers keep all the students thinking and involved.
F.      Intensive reading: in this part the most important thing is to make the students think about the meaning which is worked out all by themselves.
G.     Play the recording or read the story again: this time, students should understand it without difficulty.
H.      Repetition: “make this phase lively and cheerful” so that every student feels fun in joining in the lesson.
I.        Read aloud: ask the students to take turns at reading around the class

Guided conversation
“Grammar in English is expressed through word order. It’s impossible to master the regular and irregular verb system by reading about it in theory. Regular practice is essential”

Pattern practice
It is an important part of the learning sequence. “The principle to use the drills is: give students a clear example and demonstrate it with one or more dependable students, and the conduct the exercise round the class”

Grammar and word study
In this part, 3 comments about teaching listing as follows:
“We don’t’ need to talk much about language to help students use it. Language commentary should be the answer to the question”
“If you need to point out that sth is incorrect, say what the correct form is, so that the wrong version is simply discounted.”
“Translation is not a learning tool. Ask students not to read the translation or memorise the word list for new lesson.”

Synthesis and transfer
This part is a progression from retelling and paraphrasing the story towards “rule-bound creativity” to develop the ability and confidence to be themselves in English.


附:How to understand the main topic the teacher as enabler?
“The teacher offers and explains the model. He/She guides and supports the student through progressive tasks, based on the model, from understanding, practising and developing the model, to the first steps in using the learning creatively, as a new expression of the learner's personality. The teacher is always benign, always positive, always 'safe'. The analogy is with being a parent: we teach our 'children' to be confident in understanding and using the 'map' of English - but in the end, the 'territory' is theirs, and they go on without us.”.

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【转帖】Julia Alexander谈语法听力(1)

Julia Alexander谈语法听力(1)
发布日期:2007-09-07   编辑:RoB  

第一部分
The role of Grammar in English Language Teaching
Copyright: Julia Alexander - Beijing August 2006

1 Why do we teach grammar?
Changing reasons: Academic theories and applications change, but practice is slow to change. How much of what we used to do is still suitable in the communicative classroom? Grammar study began in Ancient Greece two and a half thousand years ago. The principle was to promote good style, grace and accuracy: a standard model of good usage. These days, the model is outdated, and the reasons have changed.
2 How did we teach grammar?
Till recently, grammar study and language learning were the same thing:
Phase One textbooks contained a series of Chapters, called ‘Lessons’, each with a grammatical heading. Grammar tables with notes, listing, for example, the whole of the verb have. Then, some exercises: single-sentences, fill-in-the-blanks. Then a text. The text was not graded. Teachers read the Lesson with the class, and commented on it: ‘grammar-translation’: based on talking about the language, not on using it. The aim was knowledge, not fluency. Very few learners became fluent.
Phase 2: From early 20th Century, - several attempts to simplify the reading texts. The teaching style did not change much. Pupils still studied lists and tables. They still filled in the blanks in single sentences. It was still ‘grammar-translation’. There was no attempt to teach language skills.
Phase 3: 1967, New Concept English appeared. New Concept English changed the way English was taught all over the world.
- It was the first course in which the method is included in the material.
- New language is presented piece by piece in easy stages and in context.
- Basing the lessons on graded texts allows the learner to listen, to pay attention, and to use the language immediately.
- Grammar is the control system, not the objective of the course. Many learners become fluent through this method.
Phase 3a: American linguistic politics in the 1970’s and 80’s: a side-alley: most US language teaching based on B.F. Skinner’s Behaviourism. Learners in language laboratories repeated pattern sentences. Noam Chomsky’s Aspects of a Theory of Syntax (1965) was picked up by language teachers, and Transformational Grammar, combined with language-laboratory drills, dominated US language teaching through the 70’s and into the 80’s: single sentences, learned in terms of form. No connected discourse, either between speakers, or across a sequence of sentences. The communicative value of language was ignored, and there was no skills development: raw grammar, without the commentary.
Phase 4: In Europe in 1970’s, applied linguists began to look at language as communication. The Council of Europe committee published The Threshold Level. It looked quite different from the syllabuses we knew: list of ‘language acts’ - what we do with language. It did have a list of structures and vocabulary, but they were a by-product of taking part in the various communicative acts. Complete reversal: Communication was now the master, and grammar was the servant.
Some problems with grading – no hierarchy of language functions. ‘No grammar’ means phrasebook English. Fluency requires us to operate the grammatical system. Also, no use being able to say things if you can’t understand the answer. Listening and reading are the essence of language learning, because we cannot control or predict what we will hear or read. We want to teach for communication, but we must not lose sight of good syllabus design and development of all four skills.
Phase Five: teachers, and the materials they use, fall into two categories:
- One group likes a ‘source book’ approach: lessons are based on a ‘theme’ or ‘topic’. Language structures are graded within the topic, but the grading is fairly flexible. Teachers take material from newspapers and radio programmes. Students meet a lot of material, and choose their own path through it. This can work - but it often means doing a lot of old-fashioned single-sentence exercises, so as to cover the grammar.
- The other group uses ‘the enriched structural syllabus’. This language syllabus is much the same as in New Concept English, but with some additions at the lower levels. As in New Concept English, lessons are partitioned into separate activities. Students expect to learn everything in the book.
Both approaches use ‘situationalised structure’. Language is presented in context, and there is a determined effort to develop the 4 skills in life-like uses. The principle is that we teach for communication. That is where we are now.

So why do we teach grammar, if we teach for communication?
In the past, the focus was on accuracy. Grammar was studied for its own sake. The focus now is on fluency, and grammar is the support system. Five reasons for teaching grammar:
- because it provides a short-cut to understanding.
- because we can’t avoid it.
- because we must.
- because the students expect us to.
- ‘Consciousness raising’.

How do we teach grammar?
Grammar provides the rationale – the why and how - of language.
- Relevance: Grammar practice books are still with us. Why are they so like the 1950’s grammars? – Because drills became unfashionable, and learners still need to practice low-level skills before they can take part in an open-ended conversation. Are these written grammar practice exercises more ‘communicative’ than oral drills? No. Are they as useful as oral drills? No.
- Clarity: serious problem in English Language Teaching with confusing and inaccurate rules. Two myths: one, that English has no grammar, and two, that English is full of exceptions. This is nonsense. English is as consistent as any other language. There are no exceptions. There are only larger and smaller categories.
- Accurate information is simple information. When we find that our explanations are not simple, we must look deeper, until we get at the truth.

What do we teach?
There are 2 aspects of content: Topics, and Sequencing.
There are 16 topics. They are:
1 Nouns
2 Articles
3 Pronouns
4 Quantity
5 Adjectives
6 Adverbs
7 Prepositions and adverb particles
8 Verbs, verb tenses, imperatives
9 Be, Have, Do
10 Modal auxiliaries and related verbs
11 The passive and the causative
12 Questions, answers, negatives
13 Conditional sentences
14 Direct and Indirect speech
15 The infinitive and the –ing form
16 The sentence
Some important facts:
1 The sentence: English grammar is expressed through word order. The rules of word order are extremely rigid.
- We don’t separate a verb from its object. I passed the money across the table – (Not I passed across the table the money.)
- Every sentence must have a subject. It’s very hot today, (Not Is very hot today.)
- Some verbs, such as like, want, have and enjoy, always have an object:
Do you like this? – Yes, I like it. (Not, Yes, I like.)

2 Nouns: A noun may be a single word, such as lesson, or teacher. But it may be made up of than one word. When it is, the first word limits or defines the second word; and the first word is always singular in form. Compound nouns are just nouns. They should be treated as single words, since they are ‘the exact name’ for something. There is no gain for the student in learning the meanings of each element in a compound noun, as if they were separate vocabulary items:
- adjective + noun; adjective + noun + noun; noun + noun + noun; gerund + noun; noun + gerund: noun + noun. These combinations are sometimes written as one word, sometimes two, sometimes hyphenated – but they are still one ‘word’, ‘the name of the thing’, and the first element is a noun, not an adjective. The best way to learn these is in context. Categories will emerge in the student’s consciousness over time.

3 The article
We use the article in English to express two notions: defining and classifying:
Every use of a/an, the and ‘zero’ belongs to one of these categories.
A/an classifies a singular countable noun. ‘Zero’ classifies a plural countable noun, and an uncountable noun.
The defines a singular countable noun, a plural countable noun, ‘a quantity/an amount of’ an uncountable noun.
(The plural of a/an = ‘more than one of that class’ is some. It refers to quantity.)

4 Pronouns: English pronouns change according to number, case and gender: I, me, mine, you, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, we, us, ours, they, them, theirs, who, whom. It is of the first importance to teach pronouns in context, not in lists.
- a pronoun stands in place of a noun. Students should be trained to identify which noun.

4 Quantity
- Countable and uncountable nouns govern the use of quantifiers. We use some/any/a lot with plural countable nouns (apples) and with uncountable nouns (bread).
- We use (a) few and (not) many only with plural countables. We use (a) little and (not) much only with uncountables.
- We use all and both with plural countables: (all the people, both children, they all, they both).
- We use each and every with singular countables. Each means ‘separately’: each child, each one; every means ‘all together’: Every moment was different.
- We use other with plural countables: There are other possibilities.
We use another with singular countables: another place.

5 Adjectives
- An adjective describes the person, thing, etc. that a noun or pronoun refers to. We use an adjective in front of the noun it describes (Those are big cabbages); or it comes after the verb and describe the subject of the sentence. (Those cabbages are big).
- We can’t use an adjective as if it were a noun: She’s young. She’s a young woman; NOT He’s a young.
- We often use the + adjective to refer to ‘the group as a whole’: These things are popular with the young.
- We prefer to describe a person’s nationality with an adjective rather than a noun: A Chinese friend told me …. NOT A Chinese told me ….
- We use adjective complements after the verbs be, seem and become. We also use them after a wide number of other verbs. These verbs have their first ‘dictionary meaning’ when the following word is not an adjective, (get a new job – ‘obtain’); but with an adjective complement, their underlying meaning is always either be or become, and the adjective describes the subject of the verb:
= ‘be/seem’: appear capable, hang free, look good, feel right, taste horrible, smell bad;
= ‘become’: break free, cut loose, get tired, fall ill, grow old, turn red, set fair, run clear.
- There is an extension of this category with adjectives used after a verb + object. In these examples, the verb contains a causative idea (‘make it become’), and the adjective describes the object: cut (it) fine/close/short; find (it) hard/easy; get it right/wrong; make (it) good; see (it) clear; sell (it) cheap; wear (it) long/short/tight/thin.
- Most adjectives are ‘gradable’: we can intensify them with very and we can weaken them with slightly. Some adjectives are ‘ungradable’: they refer to absolute states, e.g. unique, pregnant, dead. We cannot normally use very or slightly with ungradable adjectives. We can emphasise them with an –ly adverb that means ‘completely’.
- There is a class of adjectives beginning with a- that mean ‘in a state of being ….’ that are always predicative: awake, asleep, afraid, alone, etc. are ungradable. We can intensify them with –ly adverbs that mean ‘completely’, but otherwise, they do not normally combine with intensifiers or adverbs of degree.

5 Adverbs
Placing adverbs correctly in the sentence is a matter of identifying what kind of adverb they are – that is, which word or words they are modifying, and thus precisely what they mean.
There are 10 classes of adverb. 6 of them usually add to (‘modify’) the meaning of the verb: manner (how?), place (where?), time (when?), duration (how long?), frequency (how often?), degree (to what extent?). The other 4 classes modify other words in the sentence: intensifiers (strengthen the meaning of adjectives – very good, very well - prepositional phrases – completely out of order - and other adverbs – terribly quickly); focus (draw attention, usually to the next word in the sentence – it was only yesterday – though also, too and as well come after the word or words they modify); viewpoint (sometimes called ‘sentence adverbs’, express the speaker’s attitude to what he/she is saying – Honestly, you surprise me); connectives (show the relationship between one phrase or clause and another – because, as a result).

6 Prepositions and adverb particles
We use different prepositions for direction and position:
- to school/at school; to bed/in bed
- into the box/in the box
We say at a place or event for the normal purpose associated with that location: at home, at the airport, at a party. We say in an area or space for no specified purpose: in the house, in China, in Oxford Street.
We use different prepositions to refer to time:
- at an exact time: at 7 o’clock; at night; at breakfast time
- on days of the week/dates: on Monday; on 3rd November
- in periods of time: parts of the day/months/seasons/years/centuries: in the morning, in May, in 2006, in spring, in the last century

- We use phrasal verbs wherever possible, in preference to single word verbs. There are 4 types of phrasal verb. Not all phrasal verbs are idiomatic, though many of them are:
- Type 1: verb + preposition (transitive) – lend something to someone
- Type 2: verb + particle (transitive) – put something on
- Type 3: verb + particle (intransitive) – (idiomatic) – chip in, turn off
- Type 4: verb + particle + preposition – (idiomatic) – get down to (work)

7 Verbs and Verb Tenses
- Simple and progressive verb forms are used in different ways. Many verbs have simple and progressive forms:
I often listen to music. (simple tense: ‘habit’)
I’m listening to the radio. (progressive tense: action going on now)
- some verbs have different simple and progressive meanings:
I think I’ll go by bus. (simple: ‘that’s my belief’)
Don’t talk to me now. I’m thinking. (progressive: ‘using my brain’)
- Some verbs can never be used in a progressive tense because they refer to involuntary states, not to deliberate actions.
Most parents love their children. (Not are loving)
- There is only one rule for the Present Perfect – we use it for actions that began in the past and continue into the present.
- In Indirect Speech, the tense of the verb and the time references reflect the speaker’s point of view.
- The Active and the Passive lead lives of their own..
- Modal verbs have two main uses:
i) In their first use, they express ideas like ability, necessity and permission, and they refer to present or future. I must go now/tomorrow.
To refer to the past, we have to use another verb: I had to go at the end of that week.
ii) In their second use, all of them except shall express varying degrees of certainty and uncertainty, and they have only 2 forms:
She must be here. She must have been here.

Sequencing:
Q. When do we teach grammar?
A. When it is appropriate.
Q. When is it appropriate?
A. When it assists the students to make connections with what they already know.
Q. Why is this important?
A. Because grammatical understanding is a process of putting words into categories: singular, plural, uncountable, attributive, predicative, past, present, future, stative, dynamic, general reference, specific reference, classifying, defining. The understanding of these categories is built up slowly. Grammatical insights develop slowly, along with the language items the student has learned. One thing is essential: students must be able to classify what we ask them to learn in relation to what they already know. ‘He must take knowledge with him who would bring knowledge home.’ (Dr. Samuel Johnson)
It is pointless to teach everything the students need to know about a grammatical category at once. It is the wrong kind of learning. It belongs to the ‘talking about language’, the ‘grammar translation’ tradition.
Teaching grammar for communication means giving enough information about the items of study so that the student sees that there is a pattern, and what that pattern is. That’s it. The process of giving that information should always be subordinate to the process of getting students to do things with language.

Washback
We should not allow the patterns of exam papers to take over what we do in the classroom. Teaching and testing are 2 different activities altogether. True, have to live with the realities of exam requirements. We can try to influence the examiners, to make the exams less separate from real language use. And we can allocate a small proportion of our contact time with the students to specific exam preparation, while making our language teaching as lucid as possible..

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【转帖】Julia Alexander谈语法与听力(2)

Julia Alexander谈语法与听力(2)
发布日期:2007-09-07   编辑:RoB  
The importance of Listening in second language learning

Julia Alexander: Beijing, August 2006

Key words :
neuro-biology, neuron, neural activity
acoustic (of sound ), phoneme (individual speech sound), phonetic (of speech sounds)
cognitive, language cognition (the mental processes that convert phonological data into meaning)
phonological processing (perceiving/discriminating acoustic input and processing the data into categories)
working memory, coded information
pitch, rhythm, frequency, tone
sensory, (of the 5 senses) articulatory (of the motor system – e.g. pronunciation)
statistical/computational
lexical (of words), syntactical (of grammar)

- Research into hearing and learning suggests that listening is the most important activity for language learning.
- ‘Working memory’ : Phonological processing + language cognition = working memory:
1 Professor David Baddeley 2001 – writing about deafened and hearing-impaired people:.
‘Working memory is a cognitive system adapted for the storage and processing of information during a short period of time, and is similar to phonological processing, a central processing component in most cognitive activities relating to the processing of spoken and written languages. How do working memory performance in general and the components of the working memory system in particular relate to speech understanding? The working memory is the same in deaf and hearing subjects. They have the same sensitivity to manipulations of word-length, poor articulation and phonological familiarity. … ‘The missing parts of the signal that are absent or distorted must be filled in by verbal inference and disambiguation. This depends on an individual’s capacity to store and process verbal information over a short period of time. A large working memory allows connexions and inferences with previous parts of the same context.’
2 A large working memory goes with good conversational and communicative skills. Studies in Sweden show that working memory becomes smaller when we can’t ‘hear’ well. Phonological processing is the most basic brain activity for all language tasks.
Listening is central to all learning.

- Phonological categories 3 come from learning our native language. The brains of new born babies respond to every sound. During the first year of life, the neural response to sound becomes specialised in favour of the sounds of the mother-tongue. By 12 months, a child can separate familiar words from unknown words, 4 spoken by different voices, at different speeds, in different contexts. He or she does this by making categories.
Our brains are shaped by the native language, and they remain so lifelong. 5 When we hear a phoneme that is similar to one in our first language, the neurons fire as if it were the same: The ‘perceptual magnet’ effect makes it hard to ‘hear’ sounds in a second language.
- 6 In order to ‘hear’ a foreign language, our brains must overcome the ‘magnet’ effect. Our brains can adapt throughout life. 7 The adaptation will not change the first language phonological map. But it will reactivate the learning pathways created when we were babies.
- Verbal processing in the adult brain is mainly in the left hemisphere. In children, parts of the right hemisphere are involved as well. The same is true of people who are learning a foreign language. For adults to learn a foreign language, their brains must be actively engaged in 3 ways: sensory processing, articulatory-motor perception, cognitive engagement.
- 7 3 kinds of learning, each in a different brain area
- unsupervised learning, - in the cortex - where we make categories by finding patterns in the input,
- supervised learning with error feedback - in the cerebellum - includes motor/articulatory learning, as well as cognitive processing,
- supervised learning with a reward for success - in the basal ganglia – ‘language as communication’. 3
We know that learners learn when:
- they can understand the input,
- when the input is structured
- when they have feedback about success or failure;
- and when they are rewarded for being successful.

- Rhythm: the way that sound is organised in time. Languages are said to be either ‘stress timed’ or syllable timed. In a syllable timed language, each syllable occupies more or less the same time as the syllable next to it.

8 Les parents se sont approchés de l’enfant sans faire de bruit.
Cette boulangerie fabrique les meilleurs gateaux de tout le quartier.
Les banques ferment particulièrement t?t le vendredi soir.

In a stress-timed language, like English syllables vary in length.
Les parents se sont approchés de l’enfant sans faire de bruit.
The parents crept over to the child without making a sound.
Cette boulangerie fabrique les meilleurs gateaux de tout le quartier.
This bakery makes the best cakes in the entire district.
Les banques ferment particulièrement t?t le vendredi soir.
The banks shut especially early on Sunday evenings.

There are 3 contrasting characteristics of each language.
- English has a lot of consonants. In French, more time is given to vowels.
- English consonants can be single, double and triple. French does not have many consonant pairs at all.
- The placement of consonants in English does not tell us much about word boundaries. In French, most words end in a vowel sound, and a consonant often marks the onset of a new word. Most consonant + consonant placements occur across a word boundary.
These contrasts are typical of stress timed versus syllable timed languages.

- Vowels in English vary in duration (timing), amplitude (db) and pitch (Hz), depending on whether they are stressed or unstressed. They are also affected by the timing of syllable-end consonants. Explicit teaching will have no cognitive effect, unless it comes after ‘statistical learning’ 3.

- ‘Statistical learning’: finding patterns in the speech stream of the ‘unsupervised learning environment’. Foreign language learners need to ‘be the audience’. People find statistical regularities in the speech around them, but they need to process the data in working memory. 1
- Language input is phonetic before it is phonological. That is, it is acoustic, not cognitive. Working memory fails when the learner is distracted. 2 Statistical learning is blocked by pre-teaching vocabulary, by translation before listening, by teachers explaining before the students have listened to the dialogue.
- Statistical learning e.g. of ‘permitted’ consonant + consonant pairs in word-initial/word-final placements; of trochaic word stress; of timing. The brain is interested in timing. 7 The right ear is specialised for tracking fast transitions in vowels and consonants. Vowels in stressed syllables can carry a glide.
- Tone changes, and changes in articulation, are picked up by the brain area that tracks consonant/vowel timings. 6 ‘Motherese’ 3 helps the child identify phonetic data, essential for organising phonological data, for both reception and production.
- Tone/pitch changes mark the status of key words. They also mark affirmative, negative and interrogative. They mark attitudes and emotions. Neither the speaker nor the listener is conscious of pitch changes: they are part of the language process. The learner must have an unconscious awareness of pitch variations before we give explanations.

- 9 Syntactic and lexical learning are also ‘statistical’, but the input also requires interaction, before we can assign meaning. Language is social. Our brains ‘frame’ the familiar word, which divides the words that come before it, from the words that come after. This process is repeated and repeated, segmenting/chunking down, until we can separate out other words too. This is how we acquire grammar.
-Acoustic perception + lexical coding + grammatical coding lead to segmentation: that is, identifying word boundaries. Phonological processing is all about segmentation. To understand, speak, read and write, we must be able to identify word boundaries.
- The whole process of language learning depends on listening.

References
(I am indebted to Dr. Jennifer Linden, Department of Research Neurology at the Ear Institute, University College, London, for her generous assistance with research references.)
1 Professor David Baddeley, Working Memory, Oxford, Clarendon Press 1986, and Is working memory still working? - American Psychologist 2001
2 Bjorn Lyxell, Ulf Anderssson, Erik Borg, Inga-Stina Ohlsson (Orebro University, Sweden): Working memory capacity and phonological processing in deafened adults and individuals with a severe hearing impairment – International Journal of Audiology 2003, (also 1994, 1996, 1998)
3 Patricia K. Kuhl, (Institute for Learning and Brain Science and the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA): Early Language Acquisition: cracking the speech code – Nature November 2004
4 Peter W. Jusczyk, (Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA) How infants begin to extract words from speech – Trends in Cognitive Sciences Vol 3, No. 9 1999
5 Bruce McCandliss and Julie A. Fiez et al. (Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburg, Pensylvania): Success and failure in teaching the /r/ -/l/ contrast to Japanese adults: tests of a Hebbian model of plasticity and stabilization in spoken language perception – Psychonomic Society 2002
6 Ann R. Bradlow and David Pisoni: (Speech research laboratory, Department of Psychology, Indiana University): Training Japanese listeners to identify English /r/ and /l/: some effects of perceptual learning on speech production - Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 1997
7 Daniel E. Callan, Keiichi Tajima, et al. (Human Information Science Laboratories, ATR International, Kyoto): Learning-induced neural plasticity associated with improved identification performance after training of a difficult second-language phonetic contrast. Academic Press 2003
8 Aniruddh Patel, John R. Iverson, and Jason C. Rosenburg (The Neurosciences Institute, San Diego, CA, USA) Comparing the rhythms of speech and music: the case of British English and French – Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 2006. And Aniruddh D. Patel (Neurosciences Institute, San Diego) - An Empirical Method for Comparing Pitch patterns in Spoken and Musical Notation – Empirical Musicology Review Vol 1 No 3 2006
9 Michael R. Brent (Johns Hopkins University): Speech segmentation and word discovery: a computational perspective – Trends in Cognitive Science Vol. 3 No. 8 1999
10 Ed Kaiser: The Structure of Spoken Language: Spectral cues - 1997.

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【转帖】新概念作者ALEXANDER访谈录

新概念作者ALEXANDER访谈录
发布日期:2007-09-07   编辑:RoB  

高等教育自学考试是一种对自学者进行以学历考试为主的国家考试,是个人自学、社会助学和国家考试相结合的新型的开放式的社会化教育形式。
 自学考试由国家授权的权威考试机构管理实施。在各级政府和教育行政部门领导下,从国家到地方有一个组织完整、运转协调的管理系统和工作系统。有一套科学严密的考试办法,因此它能保证国家考试的科学性、严密性和权威性。能通过国家考试有效地促进和指导广泛的个人自学和社会助学,并严格地检验应考者的知识水平和能力水平,具有覆盖全国的规模和巨大的容量。
 自学考试分为专科和本科两个层次,英语是自学考试每个层次每个专业必考的公共课。专科层次考英语(一),本科层次考自考英语(二),为全国统一大纲、统一考试、统一教材。
所以能否通过自考英语的考试对广大想要通过自学考试的学员来说就显得尤其重要了。笔者有幸见到了新概念英语的作者L.G.ALEXANDER,抓住机会向L.G.ALEXANDER请教了自考英语如何才能取得高分。现将访谈重点内容整理如下,以飨读者:

   问:学习英语或任何外语的最基本的方法是什么或怎样才能高效率的学习英语?
   答:是熟练或熟习。想想我们的母语,你就会明白, 我们从小并未特意学习却能进行自由的交流靠的就是不断的听别人说和模仿而自然获得的一种技能。这种技能已经深深扎根于我们的大脑之中,成为我们的天性。因此,对于母语,我们不需太多的学习,不需刻意去听就能听的懂,不用分析就能明白那些高难的句子,就是因为母语已经成为我们的一种习惯,可以即听即懂,可以 随意发挥,随心所欲。对于学习外语也同样是这样,需要把陌生的单词片语和句型不断的熟悉和熟练,使之成为我们的一种习惯,把她变成我们的第二天性。这样你就可以比较自由的驾驭一门外语了。因此,重复重复再重复,熟练熟练再熟练,是掌握一门外语的不二法门。

   问:怎样或用什么方法才能最大程度的熟练或熟习英语?
   答: 这个问题可能因人而异。因为有人对听敏感一些,而有些人则对阅读更感兴趣。就我的经验来看,多听可能是比较现实的一种方法。因为说和写是一种对语言的再创造,是一种输出。他们需要有大量的输入,即听和读来做为基础。而听可以增加我们对语音的熟悉程度,增强语感,减少记忆的难度。我们在学习母语时往往已知道一个词的发音和词义,而不知如何拼写。学外语则不同,这三方面我们往往都不知道,需要逐一记忆。这也是我们学习外语比学习母语困难的一大原因。所以从听入手可以减少语音方面的记忆困难,集中精力对付词义和拼写。另一方面随身听,MP3等也为随时听外语提供了方便条件。平常可以进行泛听,有时间就要把泛听中没听懂的逐一找出,进行必要的记忆。对于那些看文本认识,却未听出的地方,就是你听力方面的薄弱环节,要定期总结归纳吸取教训。看是由于自己发音不准,还是短语句型不熟造成的。针对弱点要集中予以克服。

 问:背诵对于学习英语必要吗?
 答: 很有必要。因为背诵是一种对语言最大的熟练方式,只不过由于背诵往往是一种短期的,记忆时间稍长就会忘记。虽然背过的内容我们可能忘记,但对英语的句型和习惯用法则不会彻底忘记。通过背诵,会潜移默化的影响我们对语言习惯的认同。只要时常对背过的文章听一听读一读,把短期记忆转化成长期,记忆效果会更佳。

 问:如何背诵课文呢
 答:一般宜分二步来进行。
 首先,应对要背诵的材料进行精听,可以一边听一边跟着念,直到不看书也能顺利的跟读下来为止。这样可以最大限度的减少背诵的难度。具体背时又分三种方法:
 一、关键词提示背诵法:即把课文中的关键词写下来做为提示进行背诵以减少背诵的难度
 二、翻译背诵法:即先把课文翻译成汉语,再根据汉语倒议回英语。这种方法对于理解英汉差异,自觉避免中国式英语以及英汉互译能力都会有很大的帮助
 三、关键句背诵法:即将所学课文中的好的、漂亮的、难以掌握的句子予以摘录进行背诵。这种方法可以最大的节省时间,高效的进行学习,是时间紧张者学习英语的好方法。
 
 问:有必要一次研究一个单词的20 或更多个词义吗
 答: 我曾经走过这样的弯路,就是集中一段时间对几个单词的不同词义进行研究。结果过一段时间后,他们就又统统忘掉了。这样形成一种恶性循环,就是成批地记,结果却成批的忘,因此坚决的反对这种劳民伤财的做法。为克服以上缺点就需要我们扩大阅读量,在不断的阅读当中,词汇的不同用法和不同词义都会碰到。这样更容易记住他们,并且会不断的巩固已学的用法和词义。

 问:有必要专门花时间学习俚俗语吗
 答:没必要,这其实是一件很危险的事。我们在学外语时希望确切了解以此为母语的人是怎么说话的,俚语一般是粗鲁和无礼的,做为一个初学者你不知道粗俗和无礼的程度。在与以英语为母语的人说话时,你要是使用这些俚俗语他们可能会很震惊。现代词典把某些词或词组明确标明为禁忌,说明在礼仪之社会使用这些词是粗俗和令人不快的,理解这些词是可以的,但切忌使用以免冒犯他人。

 问:有必要专门花时间记忆和学习类似it is raining cats and dogs the pot calling the kettle black to add insult to injury 这样的谚语吗?
 答:我的建议是完全不要理会这些成语,记住他们对你的英语水平没有丝毫益处,学会这些成语和掌握地道的英语完全是两回事。

 问:我是一个业余学习英语者时间有限应该怎样学习英语呢?如何做到听说读写齐头并进?
   答:对于大部分用业余时间来学习的人,白天要上八小时的班,下班后还要有其他事情处理,留给学英语的时间本不多。实践表明对于一个没有语言环境的学习者来说每天只学习一到二个小时,能保持原来的英语水平就不错了。因为每次学过的东西需要花数倍的时间来复习,才能把短期记忆转化为长期记忆。语言才能在我们的头脑中固化下来,因此要集中有限的时间以听读听写或阅读为突破点,先行发展争取在较短的时间突破单词和阅读关,然后以点带线以线带面去发展说写的能力。这样也比较符合语言的规律,即听和读是输入,是基础,有了大量的输入,才能有输出,即说和写。当然也可以针对一篇自学资料同时进行听写听读背诵复述写摘要等练习,使听说读写各方面都同时得以提高,但千万不要针对听说读写分别找四本教材一起来学。

 问:我的时间有限,如何能在最短的时间内学完一本教材?
   答:集中一段时间把整本书的生词查一遍,把不懂的语法现象都找出搞懂,然后把有生词的句子和难句、漂亮的句子一一摘抄下来,集中时间反复将他们背诵下来。这样可以在最短的时间内学完一本教程。我曾用此法在半个月的时间里学完一本三百多页的英语中级教程,李阳在大学里也用此法在几周内将国内很有名气的一本英语专业需四年才能完成的听力教程step by step搞定。充分说明此法威力的巨大,当然学完后进行强化复习以巩固所学的成果还是十分必要的。

 问:我很少有时间坐下来学习应该怎样学习英语呢?
 答:找一本适合自己水平的配有录音的教材,平常就利用空余时间反复听录音,有时间就坐下来对照文本将自己未听出的部分逐一解决掉,务求能够最终把录音一字不差的听懂。这样对自己的英文水平也是有提高作用的。

 问:我很少有机会使用英语,又不想放弃,辛辛苦苦已学过的那么多年的英语该如何办?
 答:你已过学了一段时间的英语了就说明你已有了一定词汇量要保持你原有的水平可以选择这样,一套录音带:
 1、包含四五千词汇量
 2、包含常用的句型和语法
 3、内容生动适合反复听
 有了它等于在你的周围营造了一个英语的小环境,时常听一听就可以温故而知新。同时平常再多看看英文报纸、电视、电影你的水平就可保持在原有的水准之上。

 问:读报纸和杂志对我的英语水平的提高会有作用吗?
 答:就覆盖面而言任何教材都是难以与报纸相比的。每天读点报纸上的文章,这会使你接触到用纯正的现代英语所写的题材广泛的文章,同时它也是巩固和扩大你的知识结构和词汇的好方法。因此我要说阅读报纸是你提高英语水平的最佳方式,但不要强迫自己读太多,要不然你会对学习英语失去兴趣的。当然你的旧教材也别扔掉,因为你的教材可以帮助提示你所遗忘的东西。

 问:我已学英语十多年了发现我现在的水平很难再提高了应该怎么办?
 答:当我们学习一门语言时迟早会达到一个极限的。就像我喜欢打乒乓球,但即使我花掉我的余生来练习它,我也达不到一个中国世界级选手的水平。多年前我的水平就以达到了极限,如果你也达到了这个极限,就应该接受这个现实毕竟只有极少数人才能达到接近母语的水平。但如果你觉得自己并未达到这个极限就应该:
  *尽量多听英语如BBC VOA
  *挑选适合自己水平的书尽量多的阅读
  *挑选自学练习书籍来检验自己的进度,如挑选我著的Longman Advanced English Grammar
  *利用一切机会说英语同以英语为母语的人说或同你一样希望练习技巧的人说。.

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【转帖】ALEXANDER谈口语学习

ALEXANDER谈口语学习
发布日期:2007-09-07   编辑:RoB  

在中国学生中没有学过《新概念英语》(NEW CONCEPT ENGLISH)的人恐怕是少之又少了,而这套经典教材的作者L. G. ALEXANDER也是世界著名的英语语言教学专家,对英语学习有着独到的见解和丰富的经验。下面就是ALEXANDER先生回答中国学生有关学习英语口语中的问题的精选,希望朋友们能从中找到困惑你的问题的答案。

  1.当我听一段很长的英语时,很容易忘记刚才听到的内容。您能告诉我如何做笔记吗?

  1)做到真正地用心听,全神贯注。不必担心个别听不懂的词,尽量抓住全文的意思。
  2)确定所听内容的中心思想,并以笔记的形式记录下来。这就是你定的标题。
  3)确定哪几个要点与中心意思有关。在标题下面以笔记的形式记录下来。
  4)当谈话的议题转换时,重复这一过程。比如:假设你正在听一段有关现代化都市交通阻塞的讨论:导致这一问题的原因是什么?这一问题如何补救?你写下"交通阻塞"作为你的中心议题。在这一标题下,你列举出"原因"和可能的"解决方案"。
  记住,在做笔记时,集中记录动词和名词,而不记冠词。运用破折号充当联系前后的纽带。例如:禁止交通阻塞--市中心改善公共交通--增加投资鼓励车多载人,等等。

  2.我经常可以在英语考试中获得高分,但我的英语交流水平却不行。怎能否给我提一些建议?这是个常见现象。

  顺利通过英语考试与熟练地使用英语是两码事儿。为什么呢?这是因为通过考试意味着掌握了应试技巧(准确的翻译及回答问题、按时完成测试内容,等等)和做了许多针对性的训练(如多项选择题、有关惯用法的问题,等等)。所以你可能陶醉于这些“成就”中,可一旦把它付诸实际运用,你就会发现你的交流水平捉襟见肘了。
  其实,考试的目的和应试的技巧并不总与我们提高交流技能的需要相吻合。在现实生活中,我们什么时候需要多项选择?从来不需要!这个问题只能这样解决:考试委员会要求学生们掌握的技巧或多或少地与交流所要求掌握的技巧相吻合。但目前朝这一方向的进展却相当缓慢。
  那么你该怎么办呢?一旦你考试通过,你必须集中精力提高和培养自己的感受技巧(听和读)与创造技巧(说和写),以此来帮助你进行交流。

  3.我的老师用英语给我们讲故事时,有些词很耳熟,但我不记得中文意思了。我该怎么办?

  你的头脑中不要想中文。在听英语时,你应该带着英语思维听,不要试图给你听到的每个英语单词都找到一个中文的对等词。如果你顽固坚持,就会完全听不懂意思,也就听不到什么英语。不要拘泥于单个的词,应集中精力努力弄懂整个词组、句子和段落的意思。听到不理解的地方,努力从上下文中推导含义。听完一篇英语后,(用英语)回忆一下它讲的是什么,考考自己。.

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收藏.

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回复 96#H爸 的帖子

"不知道3L的三册和四册是否有洪恩的光盘"
确实是很好的教材,可惜现在好像已经边缘化了,所以洪恩出了1,2册的教学光盘后就停止出3,4册的光盘了,所以3,4册没有洪恩的光盘.

至于上面有个妈妈提出3L"感觉进度慢了点(难度上升的斜率较小)。"是因为她肯定没有学全4册,其实如果认真学全四册,阅读理解难度也好涉及的语法范围也好不会小于"新2"的.

个人以为新概念确实是好教材,但是对于中小学生来说3 L更适合..

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回复 173#rei 的帖子

“个人以为新概念确实是好教材,但是对于中小学生来说3 L更适合.”同意这个说法。
可以在不同阶段穿插着学,进行教材组合。.

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女儿小二,目前在读国际音标和自然拼读法,老师说会开一个新概念的班,但是我不知道她读是否合适?还是3L对她比较合适一点?.

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儿子小二,目前在外语小学,在学自然拼读,请教H爸要不要去读英孚?.

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回复 175#chenshuyi 的帖子

小二,最好先读自然拼音,到了小四、小五再学国际音标。
小学要学汉语拼音,国际音标容易跟汉语拼音混在一起;到了小学高年级,汉语拼音巩固了,再学国际音标为好。
如果某家学校为小二孩子同时开出自然拼音和国际音标,我觉得学校的设置有问题;如果是家长自己的组合,我建议分开两个阶段。
小二,新概念一册是可以的,老师是否说清楚是哪一册?
3L一册可以的。用洪恩光盘,在外读和在家读都可以。.

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回复 176#qiaoqiao 的帖子

要不要读英孚,涉及两方面问题:
1、小学生要不要在课外选一家外教学校?
2、要选的话,是选英孚还是其他学校。
家长要有培养目标和就读预算,然后才谈得上学哪家学校。我有两张贴《外教英语启示录》,谈外教学校的选择和就读,主要思路和做法都在上面,可以浏览一下,再继续讨论。
1、【外教英语启示录】(1)选好外教课程,选对外教学校
http://ww123.net/baby/viewthread.php?tid=48062&highlight=
2、【外教英语启示录】(2)学好外教课程,锻炼运用能力
http://ww123.net/baby/viewthread.php?tid=49524&highlight=.

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回复 178#H爸 的帖子

把你的帖全部拜读过了,所以很佩服你在这方面的水平,想多请教,少走弯路,我是希望儿子在小学阶段有个好的外语基础,毕竟小学时学语言是个好时机,想选家外教学校提高口语,听说英孚还不错,不过说现在没以前好了,不知还有更好的没有。.

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回复 179#qiaoqiao 的帖子

放在几年前,我一般会推荐英孚,小H在那里读了四年——三、四、五、六年级,我对于外教课程的理解和认识主要来自于跟英孚学校、老师、教材、客服、同学、家长的接触。
现在离开英孚两年多了,没有直接感受了,听到WW上家长说好抱怨的都有。主要集中在两点:学费贵了,外教经常换且水平有下降。
其他外教学校,我没上过,也不大熟悉,看看网上其他帖子,包括对于英孚学校的评价。.

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回复 180#H爸 的帖子

谢谢回复,听下来也都差不多,大概一扩张都难保证质量,我再问问。.

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回复 181#qiaoqiao 的帖子

讲到底,老师的确很重要,如果选到一位好老师,不一定要是外籍教师,有过留学经历和教学经验的中国老师,一样可以教出很好的效果;还有就是孩子的学习精神,也就是《外教英语启示录》第二篇所讲的内容,.

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回复 182#H爸 的帖子

是这个道理,但好老师很难找,要撞的。.

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引用:
原帖由 greenjyz 于 2008-12-10 14:32 发表 \"\"
唉。。。还留着不少书。。。First Certificate就是当时在山东路买的。。。现在已快要翻破了。。。有点奇怪为什么这本教材现在不流行。。。
FIRST CERTIFICATE,很亲切的回忆
对啊,我也觉得这套书很好的,当时很花了翻功夫呢.

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回复 184#cathy312 的帖子

留着有用,孩子如果参加FCE考试,或者托福和雅思的预备班,估计用得着;既然当年花了功夫,就在家里自己执教吧,质量有保证。.

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回复 185#H爸 的帖子

同意,支持!.

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引用:
原帖由 H爸 于 2008-12-14 22:00 发表 \"\"
留着有用,孩子如果参加FCE考试,或者托福和雅思的预备班,估计用得着;既然当年花了功夫,就在家里自己执教吧,质量有保证。
H爸见解极是。

但是,本人虽在外企把英语当作工作语言用了好些年,听说读写交流没有任何问题,但是说到语法,心中仍是惴惴,每天写的那些邮件还真不敢保证语法全对呢。那本FIRST CERTIFICATE恐怕自己先需要回炉一下才能教女儿.

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回复 187#cathy312 的帖子

那就自己教听、说、读、写,把语法外包出去。.

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顶H爸  
老在H爸贴里偷艺   不好意思  给个好贴   谢谢H爸贴出那么多好文章.

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H爸,一直看你的帖子,感觉受益非浅.非常感谢您的经验分享!我儿子今年2年级,以前从未在外读过英语辅导班,现在上的是民办外国语小学,我感觉学的东西还可以,我希望他能增加点阅读就好了.请问他这个年级阶段有什么好的阅读材料可以帮忙推荐一下?另外小H有没有什么用过的但现在已不需要的书资料等可以转让的吗?
如果有什么说错的地方请谅解!.

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在H爸的正确指引下,小女将进入新2的学习。在看了新2的教材后,小女马上说:“啊·,好难呀!”谢谢H爸那么多的好帖。.

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回复 190#lindaqueit 的帖子

如果考虑增加阅读:
1、原版图书可以看看不二周助的帖子,有很多图书的介绍。引进版图书可以找找小学生的英语分级读物,可以带着孩子到外文书店和书城四楼逛逛,看孩子喜欢和程度合适的阅读册子。
2、可以增加一些原版动画片,以及英文歌曲,我原先给小H买过洪恩的八部动画片和五本童谣,回家找找看。.

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回复 191#JANNY的妈妈 的帖子

多大的孩子,觉得新二的课文难? 前半本还好,后半本难度上去了,还难在语法上。.

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回复 193#H爸 的帖子

小五。.

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回复 194#JANNY的妈妈 的帖子

那就到小升初以后再读也可以。.

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回复 195#H爸 的帖子

我们已经报好名,反正上半册,要读2009一整年,到预初下的时候,在读下册。给她点压力和动力,不然,太空,就看小说和电视。将看电视和上电脑的时间,留下给新2,我想一定是性价比高的。.

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回复 196#JANNY的妈妈 的帖子

看了N多WW贴,焦虑综合症。.

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回复 197#H爸 的帖子

好像有点。不过自认为还不严重。.

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很好的帖子,虽然我家宝宝还小,但是H爸的很多看法都太好了.

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回复 192#H爸 的帖子

再一次感谢您!.

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