如何激发学生英语学习兴趣

牛　蕾

中文摘要:作为一门广泛使用的语言,英语在我们的生活中发挥着越来越重要的作用。作为英语教师,我们有必要就如何激发学生对英语学习的兴趣进行探讨,因为俗话说“兴趣是最好的老师”。在本篇论文中,我提出四种激发学生英语学习兴趣的方法。

关键词:学生;兴趣;动机;英语教学

AbstractAs a widely used language, English plays more and more important part in our lives. As English teachers, it is necessary for us to discuss how to motivate students interest in English learning. Because interest is the best teacher. In this essay, I listed four kinds of methods to arouse students interest on English.

Key Words: Middle school students; interest; motivation; English teaching and learning.

1. Introduction

As a widely used language, English plays a more and more important part in our lives. So people put more attention on English learning and teaching now than before. English learning in junior middle school is fundamental because it is a crucial period for students development and it has an effect on their future English learning. English teachers always try their best and they hope that their students can learn English well. However, the result is often not the same as they expect. Most students are tired of learning English, in fact some of them even hate studying English. They find it boring and difficult. Teachers try their best but students still dislike English. Why? In middle school, examinations are the only way to verify if students learn their subjects well. Final marks are very important for both students and teachers. So in order to achieve teaching goals in the classroom, teachers ignore students interests and as a result fail to motivate them.

“In language learning, it is quite evident that strong positive or negative emotions are involved in the success or failure of the target language learned. The affective factors create the first filter for the language input and have a decisive impact on the learner in the language learning” (Wang, 2000, p.156).

In this essay, I gave out four kinds of methods to motivate students interest on English. Some of these methods are from many former researchers while some are from my practice teaching in junior middle school. This essay was just a surface discussion of how to arouse junior middle school students interest in English learning. It needs to be developed.

2. Methods to arouse students interests

2.1 Building a good relationship with students

The traditional relationship between teachers and students is that teachers are authority and students should obey teachers. But today most modern educators thought that the nature of human beings is active and full of potential of growing and improving. Therefore the aims of education are to exploit the potential and promote students general development. The traditional authoritative relationship will no doubt kill students imagination and initiative. So we must build a new relationship with students.

“Students need to cooperate with their teachers more, with it students can learn more about suitable subject” (Kotevska, 2006, p.78). The cooperative relationship asks teachers not to regard themselves as teachers and not to force students to do things they dislike. Because forcible education will make students revoltive. But it doesnt mean that when students made mistakes, teachers should let them alone. Instead teachers should pay more attention to those students and help them know their mistakes. In this way students will realize that they were cared and respected by teachers, they will want to get along well with teachers and they will try their best to learn their subjects. In the past, the educational opinions are “You can not study, I will teach you to study; you are unwilling to study, I will force you to study” (Lv, 2001, p.40). But today educational opinions has changed, “You can not study, I will teach you to study; you are unwilling to study, I will attract you to study” (Lv, 2001, p.40). It means that we need to make students study willingly, make them study happily. As long as students like studying, they can learn anything well. So the key to build the cooperative relationship is that teachers should realize we are in the equal position as students and we shouldnt force students.

2.2 Making English classes lively and interesting

Middle school students are usually lively, they are curious to everything and eager for knowledge. As English teachers, we can not give students too much pressure because that will put out their enthusiasm. Instead we should create a relax atmosphere in classes and encourage them to think actively and to speak out their thoughts bravely. While they made mistakes teachers should correct them patiently. Traditionally, the most time of classes was taken up by teachers. Students just listened to teachers passively. They are more like memorising machines, theres no interest at all. In recent years, English experts have emphasized that English must be learned within a kind of relaxing and pleasant atmosphere. “There are three factors influence students study: mood, strategy and content” (Johnson, 2002, p.21). Mood refers to students state of studying, it is the most important factor of three. Strategy refers to teachers teaching method. Content of course means knowledge that teachers teach to students. In traditional class, the most important factor mood has been ignored. So it is hard to have a good teaching effect.

In order to improve the efficiency of classes, we must change our mind. First of all, we should bear in mind that teachers in the class are just conductors. Students are masters of the class, teachers just need to give them guidance. Then teachers should teach with full passion, behave in a decent way. Teachers language should be brief and fluent, teachers writing on blackboard should be clear and standard. In this way, students will like having the class.

2.3 Using various teaching methods

The guarantee for most effective English-learning is the adoption of varied teaching methods, which will stimulate the junior middle school students English-learning interest and enhance their consciousness of participation in class. In order to arouse and maintain students interest, teachers need to study the book carefully before the class. Different methods can be used according to the different content.

2.3.1 Making good use of material objects

Making use of material objects is an intuitional method in teaching English. By using material objects, there will be a deep impression of words in students mind. For example, when teachers teach the word “football”, they can show a real football to students. While the teacher hold up a football and ask: “Whats this?” Students may know its a football in Chinese, but they may not know how to say in English. Then teacher can tell them: “Its a football.” And then repeat the word “football” for several times. Students will learn and remember this word easily. We can do the same in teaching other words, such as “pen”, “book”, “car”, “jeep”, etc. For those things that we can not bring the real things we can use pictures, like “car” and “jeep”. Teachers can ask students to make those pictures by themselves. On the one hand, most students like drawing pictures, so they will interest in it. On the other hand, once their pictures were used, they will be encouraged and full of confidence. That will be the result we expect.

2.3.2Teaching with games

A great educator Ye Shengtao has ever said: “The source of interest is the appliance.” “Game teaching is a kind of teaching activity in which game is involved in real classroom teaching” (Li, 2003, p.11). In recent years, games are carried out as important means to motivate students interest in learning English. The games should be of effectiveness, creativity and variety. Game teaching emphasises the participation of students. Teachers must make sure that everyone takes part in the game. For example, in teaching words of animals, we can play “act and guess” game. First, teachers ask one student to act the action of an animal, and then let other students guess what animal that students act. For instance, the animal “monkey” and “tiger”. They are easy to guess. Or teachers can ask one student to describe characteristics of an animal, then let other students guess. While students act, describe or guess, they will remember the word. This is an effective way to teach English.

2.3.4 Creating situation, making mini drama

The essential of English is communicating with others. For English is a widely used language in the world. So the purpose of English teaching is to let students communicate with English speakers. “Teaching is of communication, by communication and for communication” (Chen, 2006, p.61)

In order to improve students communicative ability, we should make them practise more in the class. For example, when teachers teach students how to ask the way from others and how to point the way for others, it can be finished by making a drama. Teachers can give students some sentence structures like “Excuse me, wheres (the nearest)…?”, “I lost my way, can you tell me the way to…?” or “Go straight this road and then…”, “Go down the street, turn right/left at…”. In this way, students learned to ask the way and point the way. Once they met foreigners in authentic situation, and when they were asked to point the way for foreigners, they can use the language fluently. Because it is useful, students will eager to practise. This is also an effect way in English teaching.

2.4 Making students study actively and consciously

Today English teachers task are not only teaching students English, but also teaching students how to learn English. “Students are learning English not from teachers but with teachers” (Chen, 2006, p.61). Now students play the main part in the class. Teachers roles are just conductors, advisers and helpers.

Teachers should encourage students to study actively and consciously, give students more freedom. Students play the main part in the class means that students are the master of the class, they are the center of the teaching activities. Teachers just lead them going in a correct way. In fact, students are studying by themselves. When they come across the obstacle, they can consult to teachers. An English saying says that: “You may take a horse to the water, but you can not make him drink.” So as English teachers, we must make students know that they are the master of their study. At the same time, teachers need to give students direction. In the class, teachers must well design the questions. For example, teachers should ask some questions that can develop students thinking ability, like “What have you learned from…?”, “How do you know that? Why?”, “Is there any other reason? Could you tell us the differences between A and B?”. These questions make students think in their own way, not only find answers from books. In the class, teachers also should plan some meaningful and effective activities. For instance, when we learned the text “Thomas Edison”, we can make a interview. Teachers ask several students to role play Thomas Edison, Edisons father and mother, Edisons teacher and the doctor who saved Edisons mother. Other students will be reporters, they can interview these students and ask them any questions. In this way, every student can take part in the activity. Teachers can give them help while necessary. The theory of the second language acquisition thought that “English can not be taught. It must be learned”. So teachers should taught students the method to learn English not just English. As long as students can study English by themselves, they can learn English well.

3. Conclusion

Anyway, interest is the best teacher in English learning. Junior English is so crucial that it will influence students future English studying. So as an English teacher in junior middle school, our task to motivate students interest is great. We should try our best to make classes interesting and make students like studying English. And we must always bear in mind that our teaching goals are to teach students how to learn English not only teach them English.

It is said that “Practice is the only standard to check the truth”. As a future English teacher, I hope I can get more experience from my teaching to improve my research.

References

Chen, Zedan. (2005). On How to Make Students Played the Main Part in English Classes. JiangSu: JiangSu Mudu Senior Middle School.

Johnson, E. (2002). Actuality of the Second Language Acquisition Cognition Research. BeiJing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

Kotevska. (2006). Foreign Language Teaching Psychology. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.

Li, Jianhua. (2003). Influence of Interest on Junior English Learning. ShangHai: HuaZhong Teachers College.

Lv, Fanghong. (2001). On Motivating and Keeping Students English Learning Interest. HuNan: HuNan ZhuZhou Junior Middle School.

Najdovska. (2006). Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Press.

Wang, Lifei. (2000). A Survey of Modern Second Language Learning and Teaching. Shanghai: Shanghai Education Press.