英国语言学家D.A.Wilkins说过:“没有语法,能够表达的内容很少;没有词汇,则根本没有可表达的内容。” 因此词汇学习是外语学习者在习得语言时最重要的环节之一。词汇是语言的载体,没有词汇,语言就失去了实际意义。
对于高中生词汇学习态度、策略及效果,笔者做过调查。调查对象是某普高高二学生,调查结论如下:词汇是学英语的难点,学生花费较多时间精力,但收效不佳,相当多的英语教师在词汇教学时,依据单词表讲解词义和用法,脱离语境进行词汇教学。
基于此,笔者在探索高中词汇教学上做了一些实践。
理论依据:
(1)语义场理论
语义场理论是德国学者特雷尔提出的。他认为,词语不是孤零零地存在于词汇体系中,而是相互联系,相互依存。每个词都身处其亲属概念之间。这些词相互之间构成一个自成系统的整体,具有它们共有的语义成分,体现了它们的核心概念。
(2)新课标强调学生应在语境中理解词汇的意义和词汇的表意功能,而不是单纯学习和记忆词汇本身的含义;用“学会使用”代替以往的“掌握”。
基于上述理论并结合诸多高中英語教师的经验,笔者在围绕单元话题进行词汇整体教学上做了探讨。即围绕某一主题,把原来孤立的词汇关联起来。每单元从句、篇层面设计单词拼写、选词填空、完成句子、翻译句子等。这样做的好处是,一案在手,什么都有。单词记了,完形,阅读,语法填空练了,写作渗透了。
以下是“生物与自然”主题词汇的部分学案:
(1)头脑风暴
植物:Branch, fiber, harvest, sow...;动物:insect, dinosaur, worm, pest...
肢体部位:horn, nail, organ, tail...;生物保护:endangered, extinct, survive, die out...
自然地貌:canal, desert, jungle, valley...;相关词汇:attack, feed, give out, take in...
(2)综合训练
1. 单词正确形式填空
1) When an animal is under , it can run away or fight back.
2) I think the birds must have eaten all the seeds I last month!
3) The plants may not the frost.
4) Over-fishing is harmful to the of the sea.
5) The Panama joins the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.
2. 短语正确形式填空
1) Dinosaurs suddenly about 65 million years ago.
2) Trees carbon dioxide and give out oxygen.
3) During drought, desert elephants are unlikely to their young.
4) Many animals and plants are disappearing forever.
5) Laws were established to the wolves people who catch the animals for their fun.
3. 完成短文
Within a nation, mountain ranges become natural resources for settlement areas. In the U.S., major mountain ranges are the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains.
Fresh water sources also 1 where people settle. Throughout history, people have 2 near fresh water. Living near a water source helps 3 that people have the water they need. There was an added bonus, too. Water could be used as a travel route for people and goods. Many people live near popular water sources, such as the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.
Mountains and 4 have been settled by fewer people. However, they have 5 resources of their own.
在上述层层递进的学练中,通过适当的语言环境和语言实践的机会,学生自己体验、感知、实践、参与和交流,清楚了词汇的意义,明白了恰当使用这些语言形式的时机。这不仅有助于他们掌握词汇,而且能较好地解决遗忘的问题。
作者简介:柴欣(1979-),女,汉族,山东青岛人,本科学历,青岛西海岸新区第五高级中学,中学教师,研究方向:高中英语教学。
(作者单位:山东省青岛西海岸新区第五高级中学)