InternetinEnglishTeachingandLearninginMiddleSchool因特网在中学英语教与学中的运用.doc

Internet in English Teaching and Learning in Middle School因特网在中学英语教与学中的运用 摘要：ICT的广泛应用给教育带来了新的机遇。就英语教学而言，因特网上有着浩如烟海的信息资源可供使用。本文主要讨论以输入、输出理论为依托，如何进行ICT与中学英语课程的整合。作者指出因特网可作为输入的资源以及输出的工具成为中学英语教与学不可或缺的一个补充部分，并探讨了如何通过因特网进行高中英语课本的教学，以此来改变传统的教学模式，实现中学英语教与学的新模式。Abstract: The wide application of Information and Communication Technologies offers great opportunities for education. There are varieties of resources on the Internet, which the teachers can use in their English curriculum. The present paper discusses how to integrate the ICT into the curriculum for English as a foreign language in middle schools. Supported by the Input and Output theory, the author points out that the Internet should become a necessary supplementary for English teaching and learning in middle schools as the input resources and the output tools.Key words: Internet; Input; Output; English Teaching and Learning; Task-based Approach; 1. IntroductionOur society is becoming an information society, in which information and communication technologies (ICT) have a great impact on society and education. With the wide application of the modern equipment and the Internet, more and more teachers are using the multimedia computers and the Internet for their teaching. Were experimenting to integrate the ICT into our curriculum for English as a foreign language. During the training course delivered by Mr. David Eastment, I was taught the importance of communicative language teaching and the student-centered classroom. We started our experimental course in our school last year, trying to help the senior middle school students to develop new types of learning mode, which is expected to be more suitable and workable in the current situation with modern information resources. Its important that learning to work with computers and understanding new technologies is assimilated into the curriculum and into teaching methods. But as for the moment being, we should see the Internet as a useful complement not replacement to conventional teaching. Students will improve their English speaking and writing by means of listening and reading practice with the help of the ICT. Supported by the input and output theories, the teachers and the students try to develop an authentic English-using environment, where students listen and read a lot of real communicative English and therefore develop their ability of English speaking and writing. The Internet is just the right place for both the teachers and the students to get in touch with the real-world English. If the teachers use it correctly and effectively, it will provide the students with lots of input resources and thus will improve the students output ability. 2. Internet in Practice2.1 Internet as Input Resources2.1.1 Internet as A Resource Storehouse The Internet provides us with authentic and real communicating English. Thats much better than those that are especially designed for textbooks. But for the first period of our experiment before the training course given by Mr. David Eastment, we simply used the Internet to collect the information, such as pictures, audio, video and articles, which are related to our texts in SEFC Students books and then we copy them and arrange them into our Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) courseware. For example, “Earthquakes” and “Abraham Lincoln” (SEFC Students Book 1A) are the topics for class. Each topic has one passage. Before class we were drowned into the sea of resources on the Internet. We browsed , copied, downloaded, picked out some pictures, audio, video and fixed them into our CAI courseware. Some software are used, such as the frontpage, word, powerpoint or authorware. Some of the websites we browsed for these two topics are as follows:Earthquakeshttp:/www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/index.htmlwhy an earthquake happen; 1906 San Francisco earthquake; Loma Prieta earthquake; building for the big earthquakes;Understanding EarthquakesGeneral earthquake resource displays common epicenter locations, explains how seismic activity occurs, and provides a history lesson.www.crustal.ucsb.edu USGS Earthquake Hazards Program - Earthquakes for KidsContaining educational activities and information about earthquakes, the USGS offers geophysical resources for students and teachers.earthquake.usgs.gov Further reading materialsPlate Tectonics: The Cause of EarthquakesAccess a University of Nevada, Reno lecture on plate tectonics. Includes a global earthquake map and a map of the Earth's solid surface.www.seismo.unr.edu FEMA FOR KIDS: EARTHQUAKESarthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth?s surface. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth?s crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. www.fema.gov http:/www.gps.caltech.edu/jing/earthquake_pictures/taiwan.htmlPictures of Taiwan EarthquakesAbraham LincolnLincoln, Abraham - History PlaceExamines Lincoln's historical role and his impact on US politics, with timeline, photos, and speeches.Lincoln, Abraham - Time-line for Young ReadersOffers an illustrated time-line and a gallery of drawings and writings depicting what children most admire about the president.www.berwickacademy.org Suitable for students learningLincoln, Abraham - For Primary ChildrenFeatures a quiz, picture gallery, and details of the Lincoln Boyhood Memorial Museum. Also offers an animation of state annexing.www.siec.k12.in.us http:/www.siec.k12.in.us/west/proj/lincoln/very easyLincoln, Abraham - White House BiographiesShort biographical sketch of the 16th President (1861-1865), outlining his background, political achievements, and assassination.www.whitehouse.gov A little bit difficultFurther reading materials:Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln General Information: Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace The Abraham Lincoln Association Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project Abraham Lincoln Research Site Abraham Lincoln The Man and His Hour Lincoln Documents in the Illinoiswww.holidays.bfn.orgAbraham Lincoln AssassinationComplete coverage of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln is provided by this web site including a research service. We use the multimedia PCs in class for reference, project work, or to follow up or prepare for classroom activities. With the multimedia computer, we present the students a combination of text, audio, pictures and video, which makes English learning class more lively and attractive. The students are motivated and interested.We have our tradition task, for example, vocabulary, grammatical rules, and sentence structures to cover. The objective goal that lies ahead of us is the college entrance exam. We cannot put the textbooks aside and just do whatever we like on the Internet. So, we also arrange the grammatical points in the CAI courseware.The teaching and learning mode were experimenting is as follows: (Present) (Comprehend)Teacher Language Function StudentsActivities Internet and CAI Courseware Language IntakeEvaluation CommunicationFrom the table above we can see that its quite different from the traditional teaching mode:Teacher Knowledge Teaching StudentsTraditional Teaching Media2.1.2 Internet as Teaching and Learning Media The second period started after the teachers training course by Mr. David Eastment. As I mentioned above, I was taught the importance of communicative language teaching and the student-centered classroom. So, during this period, were experimenting to integrate the ICT into our English class. Proper equipments have been bought in our school, which enables both the teachers and the students to access the Internet. As David Eastment puts it, teachers will become “the guide on the side, not the sage of the stage.” In such classes, teachers role is to help students manage their own learning, set up and facilitate activities and provide a framework within which language can be learnt, rather than merely taught. (David Eastment) We adopt the task-based approach in our English learning class, which can be illustrated as follows:Teaching and Learning Mode:Teacher Students InternetStudents StudentsTeaching and Learning Procedure:Task Setting up Problems Spotting Information Searching Knowledge Intake Language Grasping Problems SolvingCommunicating Task FulfillmentTake “Earthquakes” (SEFC Students Book 1A) for example, we prepare and have the classes in this way:Topic:Earthquakes (Lesson 28, SEFC Students Book 1A)Aims:What the students are expected to learn is: (1) to talk about earthquakes with passive voice where necessary;(2) to understand and interpret written and spoken English on earthquakes; (3) some basic knowledge about earthquakes.Time:two periods (80 minutes)Focus:Reading comprehension of the passage and words and expressions for talking about an earthquake;Media:one computer every 3 or 4 students; a multimedia computer for the teachersPre-class task:(1) Revise Lesson 26 and Lesson 27; (2) What earthquakes have you ever heard of or been in? How do you feel about them?(3) Why are there earthquakes?Procedure:(1) Revision: Revise the expressions and the passage in Lesson 26 and Lesson 27 and the passive voice;(2) Elicitation and presentation: Present ways of describing an earthquake, especially the expression in passive voice; Show the students how to search the information related to earthquakes online;(3) Group Tasks:a. Students go to the web site http:/www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/index.html read the articles and pictures about an earthquake; Students take down the key information and use them to prepare a brief report about an earthquake;b. Students go to the web site http:/www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/index.html read the articles and pictures about why an earthquake happens; Students take down the key information and use them to prepare a report about why an earthquake happens;(4) Classroom Activity:Form different groups and students exchange their reports;Students vote for the best report;(5) Summary:The winners read aloud their passage;Post-class task:Students write a short passage about either of the two topics according to the information they have got from the Internet.This kind of activity involves authentic language, authentic information, and the use of real-world skills in retrieving the information. The teacher is no longer presenting the language. She is setting up a situation in which students practice elements of language in a stable, but not predictable situation.The use of the Internet supports the shift from the traditional teacher-centered classroom to one in which the students are in the center. Students are motivated by using computers and talking live to others. Without being conscious of it, the students will no longer consider learning a language a boring enterprise. They will be encouraged to learn more. Also, students will learn social skills and as such the Internet can be seen as an agent for socialization. (Berge & Collins, 1995) 2.2 Internet as an Output ToolMr. David Eastment emphasizes that communication is one of the greatest advantages that the Internet has brought to us. So, in our plan for the coming period, we put communication the top priority in our experiments. a. The teachers can make a simple web page that can be accessed by the students and the teachers. The teachers then put materials connected with the textbooks there, including: related web sites, exercises, reference materials and assignments for the students.b. The teachers encourage the students to use the email. Both the teachers and the students will have a list of everyones email address the students will email their assignments to the teachers.If possible, the teachers encourage the students to communicate with people abroad on the Internet, for example, through ICQ or email.Thus, the Internet will act as output tools to help students practice their English language.2.3 Some Notes with the Internet UsingTherere problems of vocabulary for the senior middle school students. The students vocabulary is very limited. To help them understand the articles better, we have loaded the dictionary, Power Word, for example, in the computer and the students can read its Chinese or English explanation when they come across some very difficult words. Also, students computer-operating skills need improving and practicing. I still remember the first time I tried Internet in class. I had one task for the students. It took most of the students 20 minutes to finish it while its estimated consuming time is 10 minutes. Finally, teachers instructions should be clear and brief. Teachers should show the students one example about how to search the information and how to fulfill the task.3. ConclusionAs a result of the integration of the ICT into English curriculum, the students have more or less developed their skills of using English and have shown greater interest in English learning. In addition, they have done better in their exams, especially for the reading comprehension and short writing. Hopefully, the experiment with the Internet will help the students form their own effective learning mode.Now textbooks are updated more regularly than before, but it still takes a long time to get one set of textbooks published. By the time theyre published, they may already be a little old-fashioned. Besides, they are boring, incomplete and have an artificial style. At the same time, the Internet provides us with varieties of latest information, which is a very good supplementary to our English curriculum teaching and learning. The integration of Internet into English curriculum is inevitable. The teachers are worried about the college entrance exam. However, the college entrance exam is now changing. It now focuses more on testing the students ability of using the language for everyday communication.References: 1. David Eastments website, including some of his papers and a large collection of classified and (partly) annotated links2. Johan Grans, An Evaluation of the Usefulness of the Internet in EFL classroom, http:/home.plex.ne./jgraus/thesis/contents.htm3. 全日制义务教育普通高级中学英语课程标准（试验稿）Introduction:Zhou Wenxuan is an English teacher in Chaozhou Jinshan Middle School. She is one of the first coordinators of the English Teaching and Inter