Section 3 English Teaching in Schools

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课程论与教学论

I. Brainstorming

Read the Case Reflection. Do you agree with this point of view? Why or why not?

II. English Education

1.English education

1) From the perspective of its content, English education is language education, as well as culture education. Given that English is a language, it seems reasonable to assume that English education is about the language. In most cases, language education aims at developing a student's ability to use the language.

2) English language education in China is based on the teaching of knowledge about English language, the ultimate goal is to develop students' ability to use English communicatively. English education in schools, therefore, should be ability-oriented rather than knowledge-centered. In this way, English education, as language education, is essentially the formation process of students' ability to use English.

2.Why is English education both language education and culture education from the perspective of its content?

Answer:

English, however, is not only a language；it is also an important part of the culture of specific human groups who speak English as their mother language, national language, or working language. In addition to being a carrier of their culture, the English language is an important carrier of world culture. English education is also culture education.

For school students in China, the cultures of English speaking countries are distinctly different from those in China, and to address this difference we need to emphasize intercultural education in English education. The purpose of intercultural education is to set up open and rational attitudes, value systems and behavioral patterns to study, understand and selectively assimilate foreign cultures. Therefore, as cultural education, English education, in essence, should help students formulate open and rational intercultural attitudes, values, and behaviors that can facilitate cognition, understanding, and selective assimilation of the cultures of those countries.

3. The overall objectives of school English education in China

In essence, the overall objectives of school English education in China should be, through the education of English language knowledge, language skills and culture knowledge, to develop students' basic skills in using English in communication and self-expression; to stimulate students' development of an open and rational intercultural awareness, emotional attitudes and values；and at the same time, to facilitate the development of more comprehensive qualities, including thinking ability, innovative spirit, and skills in life-long learning.

III. School English Teaching and English Pedagogy

1.Features of English teaching in school:

(1) Foundationality. School education, serving as a keystone in lifelong learning, should lay a solid foundation for the many aspects of human lifelong development. Therefore, the language knowledge, skills and overall language proficiency covered by school English education should be the fundamentals of English education.

(2) Futurity. Targeting students' future development requires that learnt knowledge, acquired skills and developed qualities should be prepared for further progress in the future. To this effect, the formulation of study strategies should be stressed so students know how to learn English in their future.

(3) Comprehensiveness. Since all-round development of students is an important objective of school education, English education activities should foster the students' over-all development of both English language quality and comprehensive qualities. Nonetheless, English as a subject should mainly focus on the cultivation of English language competence.

School education, as described above, is to guide the comprehensive development of students' basic and future-oriented English use, and other fundamental abilities. Its purpose is to set a direction for school students' instruction and development in both English language ability and other comprehensive skills. English pedagogy, therefore, which studies school English education activities, should focus on how to achieve this goal through English education.

2.The essence of English pedagogy

English pedagogy is a principle that studies the basic principles, general rules, and major methods in the study of the teaching goals, teaching contents, teaching objectives, teaching procedures, teaching principles, teaching methods, teaching models, teaching evaluation, and research of school English teaching so as to fully develop students' English language proficiency and comprehensive abilities in a foundational sense. English pedagogy is primarily the applied discipline of Professional Education to the subject of English, and specifically for the stage(s) of elementary and middle school. Based on its properties, English pedagogy is both a theoretical subject and an applied subject. It explains basic principles, studies general rules, and explores specific methods of English education and teaching in schools in order to advance the development of school English education and teaching.

In terms of the characteristics of the subject, English pedagogy is an interdisciplinary field of Education and linguistics. On the one hand, it has the main characteristics of Education, including educational philosophy, educational principles, curriculum, pedagogy, educational evaluation, educational sociology, education policy, educational psychology and learning psychology, and foreign language education. On the other hand, it also shares the features of linguistics, namely philosophy of language, applied linguistics, language planning and language policy, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics.

The objects of English pedagogy are mainly elementary and middle school students, English teachers, education administrators, and researchers. From the analysis of these objects, English pedagogy should provide elementary and middle school teachers with English education theories, as well as methods, skills and tools for teaching practice；it should produce methods, skills and tools of management and evaluation for administrators of elementary and middle school English education and teaching；and it should present research methods of elementary and middle school English education and teaching to researchers.

Elementary and middle school English pedagogy has the characteristics of English pedagogy and the characteristics of elementary and middle school pedagogy.

【Practice Analysis】

Please analyse the teaching activity in Table 1-2 according to the features of elementary and middle school English teaching.

Table 1-2 Episodes of an English teaching activity

IV. Chapter Summary

1.Education and teaching

Education is a kind of human practice that guides people to develop. To understand the meaning of education, we must consider its two most basic elements: “guide” and “develop”.

Teaching as a form of education is a series of well-planned and systematic activities（according to specific content, based on certain objectives and assisted by certain methods and technologies）through which teachers guide students to know the world, learn knowledge, master skills, and become fully developed.

Pedagogy studies the fundamental principles, general rules, and major methods in teaching activities. It aims to enhance teaching efficiency and effectiveness, including the study of teaching goals, teaching content, teaching objectives, teaching procedures, teaching principles, teaching methods, teaching models, teaching evaluation, teaching research, and so on.

2.Language and language teaching

Language learning as a learning activity refers to the process through which individual language practice leads to changes in an individual's existing language knowledge, language behavior or behavior potential, relevant emotional attitudes and values under the influence of both internal and external factors.

The purpose of English teaching is, through the education of English language knowledge, language skills and culture knowledge, to develop students' basic skills in using English in communication and self-expression, to enable students to form open and rational intercultural awareness, emotional attitudes and values.

English pedagogy, in essence, is a collection of basic principles, general rules, and major methods that can be applied in the study of the teaching goals, teaching contents, teaching objectives, teaching procedures, teaching principles, teaching methods, teaching models, teaching evaluation, and research of school English teaching so as to fully develop students' English language proficiency and comprehensive abilities in a foundational sense.