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How to improve audiolingual skill

湛江师范学院外国语学院

2010--2011学年第2 学期期末课程论文

《二语习得概论》

题目:How to Improve A udiolingual Skills

学号:2010154401 姓名:莫敏聪

班级:10英教四班专业:英语教育

成绩:

How to Improve Audiolingual Skills

Abstract: A useful aduiolingual skill is very necessary for people on the second language learning. Therefore, in this study we will focus on problems of listening and speaking during their L2 learning, aiming to find out the methods to overcome the difficulties after errors analyzing. Then suggestions on form-focused instruction and are given in order to improve learning strategies of listening and speaking so that people can communicate in the second language fluently.

Key words:form-focused instruction; comprehensive training; communication strategies

Language is a tool of communication and the ultimate goal of language teaching is to develop students’ written and oral communication. In order to achieve the goal it is demanded that students should balance development in listening, speaking, reading and writing. However, after learning English for many years, most of students still cannot communicate in English fluently, especially communicate with foreign experts, listen to the English reports or some English lectures. As professor Liu said, most L2 learners don’t study in the target language country, where they lack the language environment. Besides, they just acquire a part of knowledge about English in the limited class, which is not for real communication. For a long time of English teaching, the weakest link of it is audiolingual skills. Therefore, it’s necessary for students to improve learning strategies so as to strengthen their ability of listening and speaking.

Listening, speaking, reading and writing are the basic skills to learn any other languages, which the connection between listening and speaking is closely. Traditionally, language pedagogy has emphasized form-focused instruction. Teachers would pay more attention to listening practice of students, which students just write down the answers after playing the tape. However, this mechanical teaching is very difficult to arouse the enthusiasm of students. Even though they are forced to accept a lot of training like this, they still cannot improve their listening. We should go out of misunderstanding. First of all, we cannot emphasize the importance of form-focused instruction too much, but it’s suggested that teachers should choose a better kind of form-focused instruction. In the listening class, students are not only given the Listening Tasks, but also something speaking. It’s important to make students understand the whole passage, not the specific meaning of each word. Therefore, it will be better to add Speaking Tasks into the listening. To train students’ ability of expression, teachers can let them show their feelings after reading the passage. In addition, teachers should think about that most students lack the foundation of listening and speaking. Students can train their sense of language by reciting some passages or news, which can only rich their vocabulary, but widen their horizon.

Many students might get into troubles when hearing some words they are not really sure. Take ‘Can’t’as an example, which some student cannot make sure the meaning when they communicate with a foreigner. As a matter of fact, in American English, they pronounce /k?nt/,

which may mislead some students. That’s the reason why we emphasize the importance of form-focused instruction. At the listening, teachers can teach students to identify the difference between English and America pronunciation. However, it’s not enough for students to acquire knowledge from listening class only.

Do more comprehensive training. Some students may pay more attention to the meaning of each word in the passage while do the listening tasks. However, it’s usually that they know the word meaning but cannot understand the passage. So how can students change the situation? In fact, when listening to the passage, students should be taught to get some keywords from it so as to understand the whole passage easily. What’s more, it’s advised that students should combine intensive listening and extensive listening. They should listen again and again and try to understand each word, phrase and sentence. After they understand the passage completely, they would get a sense of pleasure on success, which can increase their confidences to improve listening ability. Different from intensive listening, extensive listening is focused the autonomic learning. In the extensive listening, they practice what they learned from intensive listening and strengthen their listening skills. Furthermore, teachers can demand that students retell the material, which can be a word, a sentence or a plot. According to retelling, students can learn to think positively, understand and acquire knowledge creatively so that they have a sense of success and confidence.

We all knew that people learn the second language is to communicate. On the contrary, many students cannot communicate in English fluently even though they have learned English for many years. They may don’t understand what other people said or they understand but they don’t know how to organize their words to express themselves. It’s because they do not have enough speaking training. There are English corners in many schools, but some students don’t make good use of it. Actually, they have no topics to talk, for they haven’t prepared anything for it. In this case, students need communication strategies. Before students go to the English corner, they should have done some preparation for it like what they want to talk about today and what vocabulary they need to know well. Facing the foreigner teachers, some students may be to shy to talk to them or just afraid to make any errors during the talking. Perhaps it’s not because they cannot speak, but

they lack practice. As is known to everybody, Crazy English is very popular in colleges or some middle school. Even though it’s not promoted by some teachers, it also tells students in another way that students do need to open their mouths to train their oral English. Therefore, some activities like morning reading Crazy English are one communication strategies to improve students’ speaking. Besides, it’s suggested that students communicate with each other in English everyday and even they make errors sometimes. As Selinker has pointed out, we might expect that the choice of communication strategies will reflect the learners’ stage of development. Diligence is the means by which one makes up for one’s dullness. Learning English is not a short duration of time, which need students spend more time on it.

In the daily life, there is no denying that we cannot communicate without ability of listening and speaking, especially in L2 study. That’s why we emphasize the improvement of audiolingual skills so much. Finally, we need to consider exactly what teachers and students need to change. A good form-focused instruction is helpful to students. However, i t’s not only the form-focused instruction need to update, but students should spare no efforts on their English study. Therefore, to improve audiolingual skills, the key is about form-focused instruction, comprehensive training, and communication strategies.

Reference:

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