刘森
摘 要:词汇学习在语言学习中尤为重要。以话题为载体的词汇呈现,“语言包”得以形成。若能适当操练,便能自由解码,进而无拘无束释放、顺畅输出。
关键词:话题词汇;储备;运用
本文试图以北师大版高中英语教材为例,在话题词汇学习方面做些许探究。此版教材每单元以一个主话题为中心展开,而后衍生出数个与之相关的子话题。词汇布局的这种连锁性,不仅有利于“语言包”的形成与储备,而且极大提高了学生对语言的整合和运用能力。
一、语言的话题性分类储备
单元主、子话题的展开,在词汇的结构设置上体现很强的脉络感。话题关键词的动感嵌入增强了学习者语言输入的自然流畅感和驾驭信心。以必修一第一单元Lifestyles话题为例:主话题the main topic: Lifestyles. 在warm-up中,谈论人们的生活方式时所列关键词(部分)有:active/boring/busy/free/interesting/lazy//relaxing/stressful.另配有例句:I think my life is busy and stressful, but maybe it is quite interesting sometimes.
这其实让学生对主话题Lifestyles 有一个大致的语境熟悉,也把与生活方式相关的一些形容词以打包的形式呈现给学生。如此,学习者在未接触本单元具体内容之前对话题就有了基本的了解。然后又通过例句展示来教会学生怎样使用新呈现的词汇,通过替换结构中的同类词汇的方式,轻松地去大致描述一个人的生活方式。当然授课当中也可以拓展以丰满主话题词汇的输入:如使用favorite/fun-filled/healthy/ideal/traditional/meaningful/ modern等词.
由主话题延伸的子话题sub-topics,每单元都会有好几个。他们都围绕主话题展开,不过比较具体,领域词汇也逐渐丰富且变得类指性较强。
二、语言的运用
学习者在话题词汇储备之后,为进一步锻炼其输出能力,增强向语言应用能力的转化,我们还必须引导学生做一些读写操练,以期达到其应用能力的培养。譬如可以让学生以本单元的词汇为积淀,写一篇话题作文,鼓励多用本单元的已学词汇。笔者以本单元话题词汇为主仿写短文如下:
I live in a medium-sized city, which is not that crowded and noisy. I am a teacher. Despite the fact that my life isboringand I have no time to relax,I find it very interesting sometimes. I like being busy.Iget boredif there is nothing to do.
I normally rise at five. ImmediatelyI hear my alarm clock, I jump out of my bed. It takes me less than ten minutes to reachmy school. I am always the first to get tothe office.During the daytime,I am busy giving lessons. Seconds count. The students work very hard preparing themselves for the coming college entrance examination.I bring back students papers to mark from the office in the evenings. Giving lessons and marking papers take upa large part of the day.
I am so busy that I seldomhave time for fun and hobbies though walking my dogand watching TV seriesare all my favorites. I never take a weekend break in the countryside.I only spend most of the evenings enjoyingthe filmsand surfing the internet to keep myself informed of what is going on in the world at weekends. More exercise must be done for mein my free/spare time, which can help reduceworking stress.When taking exercise,I feel more relaxed, thus contributing a lot to my health and working efficiency.
I dont get the chance toaccompany my wife for shopping and she often complains aboutthat.
不難看出,用已储备的词汇仿写一篇文章,既能使学习者轻松掌握了分类词汇,又能在适当情境中运用语言[3],有效防止了语言输出障碍现象的发生。而后也可以找来如“低碳生活(low-carbon life)”等相关话题的文章来加深学生对生活方式的理解,让其不仅因此而增加了词汇量,而且还从书本走向了现实生活。
话题词汇学习不仅给词汇的呈现找到了载体,而且让学习者也得以“打包下载”了分类词汇,奠定了其语言输出的词汇准备、板块储备。只要再配以适当的运用、合理的拓展、有条不紊的梳理,那么,这个“语言包”就会随时解码,语言也能活境活用,变得流畅平滑、自由而得体。
参考文献:
[1]王蔷.Michael Harris普通高中课程标准实验教科书[M].北京:北师大出版社,2004(07).
[2]廖美珍.语言学教程(修订版)精读精解[M].成都:西南交通大学出版社,2005(12).
[3]廖美珍.语言学教程(修订版)精读精解[M].成都:西南交通大学出版社,2005.
(作者单位 河南省许昌市第二高级中学)
?誗编辑 蔚建超