英语本科集中实践环节项目报告范文.docVIP

Page - 27 - of 27Project Title:Tasks Design & Learners Oral Proficiency ImprovementInvestigatorWang YanNingxia TV UniversitySubmitted on 30th April 2005In fulfillment of the coursePractical Project DesignAbstractIt is now believed that Foreign Language Teaching in the classroom is not a one-way flow of information but an interactive process between teachers and students. Oral classes aim at fostering students speaking competence. Various effective activities in Oral English Teaching make the teaching approach diversified. This paper presents a detailed report of a project implemented to improve students oral proficiency through task-based learning with the factual situations of Senior English teaching in the first year. Based on the assumption that tasks design can improve the students oral proficiency, a three-week program was adopted. Data were collected through questionnaires, analysis and discussion of which shows that task-based learning really contributes to students language proficiency in language learning.Methodologically, four methods are used, and they are analytic method, cause analysis, questionnaire survey, and brainstorming activation.Key words: Task Design Oral Proficiency Classroom ActivityAcknowledgmentI am mostly grateful to supervisor Professor Yang Dianyi for his continuous support to my practical project design.I am also grateful to my colleagues Zhu Meifang, Wu Yunxia for their time spent on brainstorming and panel discussions with me.No amount of thanks will be adequate for the students without whose willing participation in the project implementation it would have remained on paper.Last but not least, big thanks to my mother-in-law, my husband and my daughter who have shared with me my worries, frustrations, and hopefully my ultimate happiness in eventually finishing this project.Main Headings of the Project Report1 Introduction2 Summary of the Preliminary Research2.1 Problem2.2 Problem analysis2.3 Project objective2.4 Project hypothesis2.5 Possible solutions3 Full-Scaled Implementation of the Solutions3.1 Designing interesting task-based teaching 3.2 Employing interesting classroom activities 3.3 Creating the atmosphere and a good relationship 3.4 Prompt them to perform3.5 Give evaluation on the learners performance 4 Task design5 Data Analysis5.1 Students general impression of the project5.2 Check if the new designed tasks are helpful to the students in learning English.6. Problems Unsolved7. ConclusionReferencesAppendix A The timetable for problem analysisAppendix B Pre questionnaire, Post questionnaireAppendix C Teaching notesAppendix D DiariesAppendix E Recording tape1. Introduction I am now teaching senior grade one students. After one semester, I found that most of my students dislike expressing their mind in English in class. Based on some approaches that I have learned from “English Language Teaching Methodology”, and considering the characteristics of my students, I decided to employ new designed task in my lessons to motivate the learners, and help them improve their oral proficiency.2. Summary of the Preliminary ResearchThis part of my study was conducted during January 25, 2005 February 2, 2005.2.1 ProblemThe problem I have in my teaching is that most of my students can not speak what I want them to express in English successfully in class.2.2 Problem analysis Teaching which appeals to learners needs can facilitate learning. It is necessary to investigate why most of my students can not speak what I want them to express in English successfully in class. My preliminary research confirmed that there were three main reasons that accounted for students expressing their mind in English not fluently in class.Firstly, those poor learners reported that, due to their lack of vocabulary，cannot follow the teacher in class, and many times can not complete the tasks. Secondly, some good students felt that they were absent-minded occasionally, so they also cannot follow the teacher. Thirdly, most students are afraid of being criticized and thus stammer in classroom activities.The Problem had been troubling me for a long time and now I was determined to find a solution to the problem. In my study, I used four methods of analysis.2.2.1 Analytic methodThrough careful analysis, I was led to a series of questions: For instance, I found a majority of my students always seem to be a stammer when they speak English in class. I wanted to know why it should be the case and whether they thought it important and necessary to practice oral English or not? If they thought it important and necessary, the problem was actually caused by myself, not by my students. Probably the task I assigned my students to do was poorly organized.2.2.2 Cause analysisIn this situation, I asked myself a series of questions and tried to provide some answers to them.Why did most of my students not accomplish successfully what I assigned them to practice in class? In order to know more about this issue, I designed a cause exploration procedure like this.Questions AnswersIs it because they do not like English? Maybe.Is it because the oral tasks are poorly designed? Maybe.Is it because they are not motivated? Possibly yes.Is it because my instructions are not clear? Maybe.Is it because they do not think oral tasks are important Maybe.and necessary?Is it because they have some difficulties unsolved by Maybe.themselves?Is it because they are afraid that others would laugh at them? Maybe.Is it because they are not familiar with the topic? Maybe.Is it because I am not listening to them or is not there to Maybe.direct them.2.2.3 Questionnaire surveyI made a pilot investigation in this respect to know more about the situation. For this purpose, I designed a research procedure like the following. One morning, due to think that students know a lot about sports from everyday life and media, I arrange such a discussion (group of 4) at warming up stage. The topic was “What do you know about sports?”After 5 minutes, I got the following response:Only three students talked about the sports in English successfully.Two thirds of the total students would be a stammer. The rest kept silence.I want to find out why most of my students did not express their mind in English successfully, I designed a draft questionnaire and try it out with four students who were of different English levels first before I distribute it widely. In this way I got rid of some “bugs” and some faults. In order to find out my students genuine reason of bad oral proficiency, I revised version of the questionnaire (See Appendix B) and gave my pre-questionnaire to my students. After that I asked them to finish it at home and returned their questionnaires which were left anonymous next day.When all these data came in, I made some statistical evaluation. The results showed that over 82% of the students thought regularly English was very necessary for their future and that about 80% of them thought oral practice could improve their language proficiency. Therefore I thought the students were clear about the importance and necessity of oral practice. But they might run up against difficulties that they could not overcome, so they lost their confidence and interest.2.2.4 Brainstorming activation When I was engaged in the problem analysis, I consulted my thesis supervisor Mr.Yang Dianyi and often talked to my classmates about all the problems I met. They gave me a lot of advice and help so that I thought the problem more deeply and carefully.2.3 Project objectiveMy research objective is to develop my students oral proficiency.2.4 Project hypothesisIt is hypothesized that learners oral proficiency is increased by implementing better designed tasks.2.5 Possible solutionsWith these reasons in mind, I have correspondingly provided some possible solutions which are as follows.2.5.1. Designing interesting task-based teaching. 2.5.2 Employing interesting classroom activities.2.5.3 Creating atmosphere and a good relationship.2.5.4 Prompt them to perform.2.5.5 Give evaluation on the learners performance. 3. Full-Scaled Implementation of the Solutions.This part of my study was conducted during February 3, 2005April 10, 2005.3.1 Designing interesting task-based teaching. Designing of task is concerned as a useful stage in language teaching. The students are more easily attracted by the new things. They are excited and expectant. They look forward to having interesting lessons. For the levels of basic language knowledge are widely different. I should design tasks suit for them. I decide to let them learn from the tasks which are relating to the practical life closely.3.1.1 The designing of guessing tasksAlthough students need not to spend much time on the task, I think the students language using capacity can be fully developed and well advanced. And this kind of task is suit for every step of teaching and learning. For example, when teacher present some new words, the aim is to identify objects. In order to avoid the unreal inclination of “asking while knowing the answer”, so I adopt some guessing tasks to help students understand and grasp these words.l Covering the objects, the object which needs to be identified is covered by cloth before the students are asked to touch and guess. After answering the question “Whats this in English?”, the students should remove the cloth, and let all the class know the name of object.l Appearing parts of the object. The students guess the name through seeing some parts of the object. For example, While identifying “banana”, the student cannot see the whole banana, only see a part of it from a little mouth of the box which having the banana in.l Using the real objects. I can choose some real objects in the life which dont have conventional shapes, such as a cake which is made as a shape of an animal, and a pencil which has a cartoon model.l Guessing imaginatively. Seeing the picture of a part of a real object, and then students can guess what it is in English using their imaginary. Or I can draw some geometrical graphs and get students guess more things imaginatively. I also can get some students draw what they like to let other students guess.l Guessing in many ways. This is an original method which testing and studying imaginations of children by psychologists. The main steps are: draw a geometric figure, which can be continued drawing another figure of object A or B; then add some other figures and require students to guess. The method attracts students to ask and answer. Thus the classroom atmosphere seemed quite active. More students can study well and receive happiness and successful feeling in the guessing process. 3.1.2. The designing of imaginative tasksIn order to cause the real communication, I would not require students to recite the dialogues in the textbook; instead of that is dividing students into groups and getting them make dialogues by themselves based on the contents of the book and watching TV and some other life experiences. Moreover, students make dialogues also according to their classification. I would develop the capacity of myself, and give the tasks based on the factual level of student and social life, combine the contents of lessons and real-life. Students can learn from the practical life and express their own ideas more than before. 3.2 Employing interesting classroom activities3.2.1 Give the purpose of the task In order to create many situations of the discussion or the topic in a real condition, make speaking begins with the intention of the speaker, in this way, the speaker control by their selections of lexical and syntactic items. The oral expression in the classroom is more simplified or elaborated. 3.2.2 Provide materialsIn order to provide for the needs of a special class, or simply for the sake of variety, I must prepare the lesson abundantly and carefully. Even with an excellent course book and a wide variety of other materials available, there comes a point at which many teachers find they have to make their own occasional materials such as work cards, pictures, slides and CD. I make materials that are suitable and personalized, answering the needs of the students. In interactive oral exercise, these prepared materials take more effort and time to produce, but they are also more attractive to look at and work on, and more close to real-life. I found that it was necessary to present these materials to the students in classroom, which the atmosphere would be active and concentrated. 3.2.3 Introduce the topic In order to make the task requirements clear, I introduce the topic through foregrounding form. Then I ask the students do a similar task. I found more students were activated and they engage in activities that either helps them to recall words and phrases that would be useful during the performance of the main task or to learn new words and phrases that are essential to the task.3.3 Creating the atmosphere and a good relationship.In order to involve the students in classroom activities, I might try to construct a relaxing, various and harmonious classroom atmosphere. It is the teachers job to provide the students with this learning environment. In the language class, the classroom must be a “performance” room, “talking” room, “debate” room or “interview” room. Whatever promotes student participation in a relaxed and enthusiastic atmosphere stimulates the interaction that is essential to successful language learning. In these informal atmospheres, students will be involved in practicing their oral English without much pressure. I would be a co-operator with the students. We should collect the materials together, confront with the difficulties together. I am also a participant in an organized activity such as debate or role play. In communicative activities, I should always leave room for the students to negotiate meaning, to discover ways of the learning process and important practice of communicative strategies necessary for real life communication. Even I should know my students temperament, hobby, speciality. Language learners often have similar feelings when trying to communicate in a new language. This is especially true when they have learned some structures and have a limited vocabulary. When called upon to speak, all attention is focused on them as if all spotlights were turned in their direction. I think I am in the classroom for the security of the students, not the reverse. I set up the exercise, but the students performance is the goal. 3.4 Prompt them to performI created chances for the students to act out their dialogues and debate. Most of students are willing to show their abilities before others. And most of students hope to be praised and encouraged by the teacher and other students. Therefore I challenged them to act out their own plays in class. I asked the students to elect the best “actor and actress”, the best debater. They looked very excited and anxious to act. Sometimes some students were so eager to correct the mistakes made by the players. Laughter could be heard now and then, thus classroom atmosphere seemed quite active. More students were very happy and earnest to act out in front of the class.3.5 Give evaluation on the learners performanceEvaluation on the learners performance may be appropriate. I decided to provide more learning opportunities to suit different types of learners. A balance should be kept between fluency, which is what the task provides, and accuracy, which is provided by task feedback.4. Task designMy hypothesis is that learners oral proficiency is improved by employing better designed task. Moreover, my new task should have a real information value so that students have a real purpose to communicate.I designed four activities to be tried out in four weeks. And these activities are reported as follows.Week 1 Activity 1 Sports Guessing This activity is based as in Senior English for China, Unit 8. “Sports”Purpose: to encourage students to think about sports and activate relevant vocabulary.Instruction: After the new words were presented, lets play a guessing game. Procedure: I had presented the new words. After that, I distributed some sports picture to students, which I classified into three aspects: Sports meet, Events of sports, Sport stars. Ask some Ss to come up to the front to tell what they have found while others guess what it is in English using their imaginary. I also provided model perform (foregrounding)and give them five minutes to discuss how to clearly express what they have found. At last I arranged them to perform. Most of the students lifted their hand, thus I nominated the spokesman of each group came to the front to tell what they have found. For students: The students had to work in group of four. Each group had to select one spokesman. Each spokesman had to say at least three sentences within one minute. Other members of each group must keep secret when their spokesman is speaking. Week 2 Activity 2 Discussion on sportsThis activity is based as in Senior English for Chinese, Unit 8. “Sports”Purpose: to have a further understanding about the Olympics.Instruction: At first do a pair work to discuss the topics which were written on the blackboard and you can choose whichever you are interested in. Then make a debate on “Hosting the Olympic Games is a great honor and a great responsibility. Since china has won the bidding of hosting the 2008 Olympics, what will the Olympics bring to Chin