顾洁
【摘 要】基于主题意义开展的阅读活动有助于学生不断丰富有关主题语境的相关知识,深化对主题的认知与理解,提升自身的语言表达能力和思维能力。本文以译林版英语五年级下册Unit 7 Chinese festivals Story time板块的教学为例,阐述基于主题意义探究的小学英语阅读教学的具体做法,旨在帮助学生对主题内容形成全面深入的理解,从而形成积极的人生观、价值观,促进学生的成长。
【关键词】主题意义 语篇教学 教学实践
一、基于主题意义探究的语篇教学的意义
阅读教学中的语篇是教学的基础资源,赋予语言学习主题、情境和内容,语篇承载主题,是意义探究的切入点。它在表层上由语言构成,在深层里蕴含着特定的主题,传递着某种文化内涵、价值取向和思维方式。主题是指作者通过文本传达的主要内容,为学科育人提供话题和语境,也为语言学习提供范围和语境。主题意义是指主题呈现的核心思想或深层意义,往往与文化内涵和情感、态度、价值观相关。对主题意义的探究应是学生学习语言的最重要内容,直接影响学生语篇理解的程度、思维发展的水平和语言学习的成效,英语课程应该把对主题意义的探究视为教与学的核心任务。
现行英语教材中的语言材料包含的话题十分丰富,如做人与做事、健康与安全、自然与环境、科学与艺术等,且各单元主要以主题(话题)为引领,这些话题本身就是非常好的教育资源,因此,教师应根据主题内容和主题语境,带领学生深入探讨语篇所承载的主题意义。在语篇教学中,不仅要关注语篇本身的内容,还应深入围绕主题,发掘内容,进行深层意义的探究,落实学生“全人发展”的教育目标。
二、基于主题意义探究的语篇教学的实践
译林版英语五年级下册Unit 7 Chinese festivals Story time的语篇内容为:谈论中国的四个节日,即春节、端午节、中秋节和重阳节。主题语境是人与社会,主题涉及中国的四个传统节日。对五年级学生来说,他们已经有了一定的思辨意识,也有了一些语言基础,这有利于他们进行深层次的主题意义探究。笔者尝试在语篇教学中的读前、读中、读后三个阶段,以语篇为依托,从“确定主题—激活主题—丰富主题—升华主题”四个相互关联、逐层递进的主题理解层面展开对主题意义的探究。
1.研读语篇 ,确定主题
课前,教师进行文本解读是主题意义探究的重要前提。教师在研读语篇文本时,不仅要分析写了什么、用什么样的语言写、为什么写,还要从文本中寻找能促进学生对主题意义理解的关键句,来确定主题意义探究的落脚点,为学生开展主题意义探究设计合理的活动。对于Chinese festivals这一课,通过文本探究,我们确定了它的主题语境是人与社会,主题意义探究的落脚点是学生在理解学习四个中国传统节日的基础上,探究中国节日的优秀传统文化以及中外文化的异同,构建多元文化视角,树立正确的世界观、人生观和价值观,实现知行合一。
2.基于语篇,激活主题
Step 1. 想象有关中国节日的画面并交流。
T: Today were going to learn Chinese festivals. (呈现课题)
T:Talking about Chinese festivals, what picture comes up to your mind?
S1: The families get together and have a big dinner.
S2: Children can get red packets at Spring Festival.
S3: People watch the moon and eat moon cakes at Mid-Autumn Festival.
“激活主题”是课上进行基于主题意义探究的第一步,这一阶段的活动设计要求教师准确捕捉学生有关该主题的生活经验,适时创设情境,引导学生乐于表达,积极参与该主题意义的讨论。
3.深入语篇,丰富主题
“丰富主题”是进行基于主题意义探究的课堂教学的核心部分。激活主题之后,教师应分析、确定主题意义的探究内容,设计“精泛结合”的阅读活动以及相应的任务,提升学生的理解和表达能力。
这一阶段的学习活动应充分围绕主题意义,引导学生获取语篇大意,梳理相关细节信息,理解、补充、丰富并建构对主题的深层认知,建立新的知识架构。
Step 1. 第一遍快速读文本,找出四个节日名。
T: Read the story and find out the Chinese festivals.
S: Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival.
Step 2. 再读文本,小组讨论,提取并归纳语篇中涉及节日的几个方面。
T: We have these four festivals in the story. But what aspects are talked about?
S1: The date.
S2: The food.
S3: The things that people do.
教師引导学生深入文本学习,加强对文本的整体建构, 抓住文本的关键信息,分别从时间、食物、活动这三个方面对中国节日进行意义探究,从而帮助学生获取并梳理事实性信息,进而围绕该重点开展后续的教学活动。
Step 3. 细读文本,开展“草裙”阅读活动,小组合作完成:找出文中关键信息,写在纸条上,展示交流并学习。
T: Now well have a grass skirt reading. Look at the steps here. (见图1)
Step 4. 按照时间、食物、活动的顺序揭晓答案,学习文本,联系生活实际,丰富主题。
①T: Lets look at the time first. When is the Spring Festival/ the Mid-Autumn Festival/ the Dragon Boat Festival/ the Double Ninth Festival? Please come up and stick it here.
學生上台贴与时间相关的词条,读出答案,全体学生再读出所有节日的相关时间。(见图2)
②Look, we had the Spring Festival in February in 2019, but this year, we had it in January. Look at the time of the festivals the last 2 years. Why are there no fixed dates? (见图3)
S1: Lunar Calendar.
T: Good, they are the Chinese festivals, so we use our own way to set the time.
③T: Now weve got the time. What about the food? What do people eat?
学生上前贴与食物相关的纸条,依次贴好,全班读单词。
T: We have different food for these festivals. At.., people eat...
学生按照以上句型,说完所有节日对应的食物。(见图4)
T: Among these food, which one do you like best?
S1: I like jiaozi.
T: Do you all eat jiaozi at Spring Festival?
S2: No. Some people eat jiaozi.
T: People from different places have different food. What else do you eat at Spring Festival?
S3: I eat spring rolls.
T: We have so much nice food! Look, tangyuan, jiaozi, spring rolls, New Year cakes, all these mean good wishes.
T: Do you know why people eat rice dumplings at Dragon Boat Festival?
S4: People miss Qu Yuan and want to remember him.
T: You know a lot about the history!
④T: Now weve got the time and the food, what about the activities? Lets do it one by one.
(第一个节日)学生上前贴纸条,并读出来,教师引导学生齐读相关句子。
T: Do you get together with your families? What else do you do at Spring Festival?
S1: We get red packets.
S2: We wear red clothes.
S3: We set off firecrackers.
T: Do you know why? Is there a story?
S: There was a monster called Nian. Nian destroyed the houses and killed people, so people set off firecrackers to drive it away.
T: Yes, people wanted to celebrate their victory and had good wishes for the new year.
⑤(第二个节日)学生上前贴纸条,并读出来,教师引导学生齐读相关句子。
T: Have you ever watched the dragon boat race? Some of you dont, let me show you a video.
T: How is it? Do you want to join the game or watch it by the side?
S1: Its too difficult for me. I just want to watch the race.
S2: I dont want to join the game, its dangerous!
T: Actually, in Xuanwu Lake and Jinniu Lake, you can go and watch the dragon boat races at Dragon Boat Festival.
⑥ T: Whats the next festival? What do people do?
(第三个节日)学生上前贴纸条,并读出来,教师引导学生齐读相关句子。
T: Do you like looking at the moon? How do you feel? What do people do in ancient times?
S: They write poems.
T: Do you know this poem? How do we say it in English? Let me read it for you. (见图5)
T: Now try to read it beautifully and emotionally.
T: Look at the moon. What do you want to say?
S1: Its so bright and beautiful.
S2: Its round and big.
T: What a wonderful night! Family members get together, eat moon cakes, read the poems and look at the moon in the sky.
⑦T: The last festival, Double Ninth Festival. What do people do?
(第四个节日)学生上前贴纸条,并读出来,教师引导学生齐读相关句子。
T: This is a festival for old people. What else can you do for them?
S1: We should look after our grandparents.
S2: We can help them.
T: Yes. This festival reminds you to love and respect old people always.
⑧T: Now weve learnt about these festivals, lets read the whole passage.
在语篇教学过程中,教师通过多模态的形式拓展学生的学习渠道,对于四个中国节日的教学,不只是停留在文本中的几个句子,还通过看图片、视频、吟诵小诗等多种形式的主题信息输入,带领学生紧密围绕主题意义多感官参与学习,通过听、说、读、观看等方式整合学习,同步发展。此外,教师的提问不仅仅只有when、 what等表层事实性信息设计的问题,还适时使用how、why 等进行追问,促使学生主动思考探索,从而对主题意义有更深刻的理解。
4.超越语篇,升华主题
Step 1. 拓展:还知道哪些中国节日。
T: Today we talked about these four Chinese festivals. Do you know any others?
S1: Qingming Festival.
S2: Qixi Festival.
S3: Lantern Festival.
T: See, there are many Chinese festivals in a year.
Step 2. 选择一个喜欢的中国节日,并介绍。
T: You can talk about the time, food, activities and other things, like the stories. And you can also use more sentences. (见图6)
Step 3. 外国朋友会喜欢我们的节日吗?会把中国节日带到他们的家乡吗?(播放视频)
T: What festivals do the foreigners like and why?
S1: They like Dragon Boat Festival. The dragon boat races are exciting.
S2: They like Chinese New Year. Theres a lot of cultural things going on.
T: Will they import any of these festivals back to their hometown?
S3: Yes, most of them.
Step 4. 深入思考, 总结升华节日意义。
T: Why do we have festivals?
S1: Festivals can bring us joy.
S2: We can have a long holiday and we can have a good rest.
S3: We can get together with our family.
T: We have these festivals every year. They become a part of our culture. And Chinese culture has won hearts all over the world.
“升华主题”是进行基于主题意义探究的课堂教学的高潮,这一阶段的学习活动聚焦语篇所承载的深层文化内涵和价值取向。因此,在课的结尾教师提出:为什么我们有节日?因为节日带给我们欢乐与欢聚,节日是我们中国文化的一部分,同时,我们的文化也被外国人认同,他们也想要把中国节日带到他们家乡。我们有责任保护和传承民族文化精髓,发扬优秀传统文化。这样的主题意义探究能提升学生的文化自信品格,并促进中外文化交流。这样的主题意义的升华能鼓励学生联系实际生活理性表达个人观点,有助于学生对主题内容和自我产生新的认识,实现基于主题意义探究的课堂教学的育人价值。
三、基于主题意义探究的语篇教学的思考
关注语篇的事实性内容,帮助学生了解文章主题大意和主要内容,形成文本的概念意义。教师要有分析语篇价值的意识,注意分析语篇是否适合开展对主题意义的探究,并思考如何调动学生已有的基于该主题的经验, 从而使学生与文本产生共鸣,主动思考。
关注语篇的组织结构,帮助学生理解语篇意义并丰富主题意义。教师要引导学生从文本阅读中探究主题意义,并正确表达对主题意义的理解。但需注意的是,对语篇的探究也需基于学生的语言能力水平,脱离语言能力发展的主题意义探究会流于形式。正如在学习四个中国传统节日时,学生是在理解语篇意义的基础上,学习并运用语篇中相关的句型来介绍节日和相关文化知识的。
关注语篇的写作意图,帮助学生理解语篇所传递的意义。教师应通过一系列具有关联性的语言活动和思维活动,推动学生对主题的深度学习,帮助他们构建新概念,丰富思维方式。 教师在布置输出任务时,要从主题范围、语言形式等方面进行思考,使学生在完成输出任务的过程中,实现对主题意义理解的内化、吸收和迁移。
总之,基于主题意义探究的英语教学设计,是以语篇为基本学习材料,以语篇的内容和主题为中轴,辅之以聚焦语言知识学习的英语教学思路。学生在语篇学习过程中,通过意义探究,发掘特定主题所承载的文化信息,运用外語进行理解、交流、表达,认识世界,开阔视野,丰富人生经历,构建多元文化视角。
还需强调的是,对主题意义的探究应立足于学生对语篇的理解之上,应在学生充分阅读的基础上,探究其深层意义,教师不可操之过急,不可将个人的见解强加给学生,更不可无限拔高主题意义。
【参考文献】
[1]陈新忠. 高中英语教学中语篇的主题与主题意义 [J]. 英语学习,2018 (11).
[2]程晓堂. 基于主题意义探究的英语教学理念与实践[J].中小学外语教学(中学篇),2018 (10).