Suggestions on cultivating students’ abilities of independent English study.doc

suggestions on cultivating students abilities of independent english study摘要：mcdevvit指出：“教育最终结果是培养出一个具备自主学习能力的学习者”，“而培养学习者的独立和自主则是教师和教育家追求和探索的最终目的”（li ming,1999:7）。在语言的学习中，促进学习者独立学习的能力与信息全球化以及日益增长的国际交流的需求是紧密相连的，并在各学校中普及。本文通过对自主学习的作用和意义的叙述，让读者了解激发学生自主学习的必要性。本文给出了一些关于如何开发学生英语自主学习能力的建议。关键词：自主学习，自学abstract：mcdevvit(1997:34) points out, “ the end product of education is an independent learner”, “ and that cultivating a learners independence or autonomy should be regarded as the end goal that teachers or educators try to pursue”(li ming,1999:7). the promotion of learner independence in language learning has links to the globalization and the increasing demand for international communication, and increases in the school and university population. by the discussion of the function and significance of independent study, this paper aims at getting learners to know that it is essential to excite this ability. this paper gives some suggestions on how to cultivate students ability of english independent study.key words: independent study, self-studysuggestions on cultivating students abilities of independent english study1. introductionin china, it is common to ignore the initiative of students study. students play little part during the teaching practice in the past. the spoon-feed teaching mode which regard teachers as the center of teaching often pays attention to the teachers “ teaching” excessively, ignores the students “ study”, which pays too much attention to the teaching of knowledge excessively, but ignores the students requirements and the students individual character; and which pays too much attention to teachers leading role in the teaching activity excessively, but ignores the students consciousness and ability of independent study. this traditional teaching mode is so deeply rooted that students lack of consciousness and ability of independent study. they usually depend on teachers. they are accustomed to accepting everything such as answers, analysis etc. that teachers give them. if it goes on like this, it will hinder the students creativity and development of characteristics. so it should be reformed. the modern society needs the people that not only master the knowledge, but also know how to study well. the global village has already taken shape in 21st century. languages are exchanged and internationalized day by day. so learning to master a foreign language is imperative. english has already become the students required course as a world language. during concrete english study, its a problem for teachers that how to use the scientific teaching method and how to find the harmonious english study environment to make the students come into english world relaxingly and happily. this is the problem that is urgent to be resolved. cultivating students ability of independent study can be the best approach. 2. definition of independent studyindependent study, as its name suggests, is that the students depend on their own efforts to obtain knowledge actively and consciously. the ability of independent study is a kind of integration capability that students show in study activity. the students with this kind of ability have strong curiosity and are good at using the scientific learning method to arrange their own study activity rationally. during the study process, they will show intense exploration and the spirit of keeping forging ahead.but they are two different concepts, independent study and self-study. so-called self-study is the way of study without any external help. but independent study is not isolated study. it is to study on ones own initiative. but it doesnt let students drift. it aims at taking the initiative habit of study under the guidance of teachers. initiative study is the key content of independent study.( 吴艳红2000年)3. the significances and functions of independent studyit is a request for the quality-oriented education to cultivate students ability of independent study. it is the need of all-around development and 21st century, too. training this kind of ability is not merely favorable to students future study, and can optimize the classroom instruction. meanwhile, it will improve teaching efficiency.1) through the initiative research of teaching content, students master subject more consciously and deeply and improve their independent ability 2) independent study develops students potential specialty of their characteristics fully.3) independent study excites students initiative enthusiasm for study and forsters students good study attitude and psychology.from this, we know that cultivating students ability of independent study can enhance chinas english teaching. but how to cultivate it, thats a problem that we should solve firstly.4. suggestions on cultivating students abilities of independent english study4.1 changing the role of teachersgenerally speaking, in formal educational contexts, learners do not automatically accept responsibility for their learning. teachers must help them to do so: they will not necessarily find it easy to reflect critically on the learning process. teachers must first provided them with appropriate tools and with opportunities to practise using them, i. e. teachers have to bring about the change. the presupposition here is that teachers are willing to change and shift their role in the classroom from information providers to facilitators. little (1995) points out that learner autonomy depends on teacher autonomy. this recognition of the role change is the basis for teachers independence. teachers have to prepare to accept their new roles-facilitators in classrooms.features of facilitator:1) helping learners raise their awareness of responsibility and motivation.2) helping learners plan and carry out their independent learning task.3) helping learners monitor and evaluate their learning.4) helping learners acquire skills and knowledge needed to implement the above.4.2 exciting the study interestenglish is an important communicative language in the united nations term and indispensable communicative language for diplomat. under chinese new form of successful accession to the wto, its extremely urgent to train out the talent in this respect. how to excite students interest to study english? it becomes the central issue that every english teacher discusses.the characteristics of middle school students are talkative, active and lacks of self-restraint and self-control. if these characteristics are ignored in teaching, teachers continue to use the traditional teaching method to explain questions mechanically and regard students as containers of knowledge. teachers spoon-feed students grammar and vocabulary which are dull for them. they are not interested, let alone have enthusiasm and initiative of study. at present, english teaching quality of the middle school is not good. it may be a main reason. study needs interest, especially english study. but how to cultivate students study interest, keep it and make it become motive force of their study? it is exactly a starting point of english teaching.einstein said : “ interest is the best teacher ”. so the key to make teaching interestingly is to create a harmonious relationship between teachers and students, relaxed and happy study environment and adopt the flexible and changeable teaching method. let students learn from doing, and use through learning. thus teachers can excite the interest and raise the efficiency of study.4.2.1 creating the harmonious and concordant teacher-student relationship.teachers should penetrate into students and know the students interest, hobby, the change of anger, happiness, grief, joy and mood well. teachers should care for student everywhere, cherish students, respect students and help students with a definite target in view. it will make you not merely be their respected teacher but be their affable, intimate friends in their eyes. certainly, it doesnt mean you cant criticize them because of shortcomings. but criticism and praise are both for the purpose of cherishing them. therefore the way of criticism is more important than criticism itself. teachers couldnt injure their self-respect and insult their personality. let them feel that the teachers criticism is the sincere love in their hearts. only in this way, teachers and students could have harmonious relationship. students will study with intense interest.4.2.2 creating relaxing and happy environment for study.traditional english teaching classroom is always teachers show. the teachers always inculcate to the students in the classroom. the students were in passive positions of study, let alone study relaxedly and happily, therefore, there is no interest to talk about. those hard-working students only regard themselves as the memory machine. they study for nothing but mark. as for majority, because of lacking interest, they give up english study gradually. it leads to polarization and bad teaching quality.the environment of the classroom has great influence on the study interest. the teachers responsibilities lie in creating happy and light study environment for students. in order to accomplish this, it demands teachers of yeasty ardor. teachers should put into the classroom instruction wholeheartedly. the appearance should be free and easy, spirit should be high, expression should be light and happy, attitude should be affable, manner should be elegant, speech should be unadulterated and fluent, writing on the blackboard should be standard and beautiful, and the layout should rational and strikingly.you can set up suspense according to the content of courses in order to draw the attention of the students. you can put forward a question to make students think deeply. you can also start from teaching aid and demonstration. during the teaching, teachers cant parrot a text and ask students to repeat and repeat. is it so-called teaching? no. teachers should be good at using audiovisual aids, such as picture, wall map or setting up the scene. language is always connected with the scene and used in the scene. there is no language that does not have the scene. in the scene, students make sound, shape and meaning combined organically so that they have deep impression. in this way, students study interestingly and master language exactly.4.2.3 auxiliary teaching activities do benefit to improving the study interest.the teaching scene of classroom helps to foster students interest to study english. but the auxiliary teaching activities can improve the study interest inside and outside the lesson. the teaching scene of the classroom can give free rein to the role of students subject. the auxiliary teaching activities inside and outside lesson is an important means to improve the interest. auxiliary activities include interesting games, daily greeting, taking or returning things, teaching english songs and some activities in the english corner etc. through these activities, students apply the knowledge that they have learnt to actual life, but also centralize thought highly, start the brain and think actively in the classroom. students obtain knowledge in the relaxed atmosphere and get the best teaching result. these activities keep the interest of students study and improve it even more.4.2.4 classroom competition mechanism does benefit to developing and keeping the interest.teachers can use mark to assess students in classroom competition mechanism. its purpose lies in fully arousing students enthusiasm to participate in the classroom instruction actively. it gives chances to show and develop students individual characters and abilities. it also creates the best condition for their self-expression, such as: teachers make a competition about listening performance, retelling the text etc. every student is glad to participate in it. this kind of state permeates every link of each lesson, and students will have successful and positive behavior and development in every link and measure of the course. the purpose of this method is to impel students to develop themselves. through offering students chance of self-expression, it helps them to find their own shining point and value of existence. thus students establish self-confidence and develop themselves positively in order to develop and keep english study interest.4.2.5 the method should be flexible and full of temperament and interest.the single teaching method is dull. although it is a good way, it will lose the glamour because of using frequently. in order to excite, keep and consolidate the students interest, the teacher should study the teaching material intensively. according to the different teaching content, teachers should use different way. this will demand teachers of paying painstaking care and pursuing constantly. take teaching letters for an example, 26 letters are very easy, but if you really want to teach accurate and well, make students study interestingly, its not very easy for every teacher either. some parrot the letters, then ask students to repeat and repeat. its really boring. but some others who make letter cards and use games to excite the observation ability, sensitive ability and collective spirit of students. two kinds of method have two kinds of results. the former is flat and insipid; the latter is happy and harmonious.4.3 developing a good learning methodit is the important part that the students form the learning ability to grasp the scientific learning method. there was a sociologist in britain, who had investigated dozens of the nobel prize winners. he found most winners think that the most important thing in learning is a good learning method. mr. jiang nanxiang has made vivid metaphor about this. he said: “ when a hunter goes to a forest to hunt, he should prepares shotguns and solid food. if a student only knows how to accumulate knowledge, but he doesnt know the way of acquiring knowledge, then entering into the work position is just like a hunter goes to the forest, he who goes to hunt without shotgun, only takes solid food, will exhaust finally. if there is a shotgun, you can apply it skillfully, will you have no food?”(wei da2003) these words are meaningful and prove that how important the learning method is.4.3.1 psychological preparationspsychological preparations include helping learners become willing to take responsibility for their learning and build their self-confidence in working independently by teachers. the core task is to raise awareness and change attitudes of learners.as we all know, learners bring with them their previous learning experiences, habits and expectations into the learning process. due to social, cultural and educational reasons, many chinese students know they must study hard, but they may not know how. yet, their active involvement in learning would lead to better results.therefore, as the starting point of psychological preparations, learners should realize the importance of their own role in language learning and understand that learners initiatives in learning will increase learning effectiveness.if students are aware of and willing to take responsibility, their motivation will increase. dickinson (1995) suggests: “motivation can be enhanced through encouraging learners to exert personal control over their learning and to take responsibility for it.” (cao rong ping 2002) responsibility also contributes to the development of self-confidence. the effect works as follows: a feeling of responsibility increases motivation, which leads to success in learning; success in learning makes learners more confident of their own independent learning potential.4.3.2 having a good study habit 1) establish your goals. what is it you want to do? what is it you want to become? why is it important to you? without specific goals how do you know where you are going or when you get there? the goals you set will provide meaning and direction to your studies. list the most important goals first and make sure they are specific and realistic. then, reward yourself as you make progress toward your goals.a. try making short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals. make goals for one course. make goals for one year in school. make goals for three years in the future. b. state your goals clearly and positively. c. make your goals specific and observable/measurable. d. set a time frame for your goal. this helps you keep moving and working. e. aim high. a challenging goal will be much more rewarding than one that takes little effort. f write your goals down. post them on the refrigerator or bulletin board. make them visible. g. compare your goals with the goals the instructor has for the course, and the goals the interpreter training program has. do these goals match? dovetail? or conflict? if you notice that your goals and the instructors or the programs, are not the same, make an appointment with the instructor or program advisor to discuss the differences. h. periodically review your goals. they may have been accomplished, they may have changed, they may need revision, or they may no longer be necessary. (cao rong ping2002)2) making a weekly schedule each student has a different learning style. some people like to work on difficult tasks first to get them over with. some people like to start with easy problems to build up their confidence. some like to work for several hours and then take a break. others like to break their work into smaller chunks of time. think about your own preferences; then record how long it takes you to complete the first lesson or two. you can use this information to prepare your own study plan for completing the entire course.in the schedules, students just list their daily activities in very rough outline, there is no specific time allotment to each activity and what specific tasks the