XiaJimei

Agood language teacher can be judged by how he/she deals with his/her learners.A language teacher , by my understanding of the language acquisition theory, isa "processor" of learners‘ linguistic and communicative competencebecause language teaching is a dynamic process, a process of motivating,activating and triggering learners’ internal learning mechanisms. Dynamicprocess of language learning depends, to some extent, on the involvement of thelearners who are thinking beings, emotional beings and communicators instead ofknowledge receptacles. Let‘s look at the following examples observed andevaluated while I was pursuing ELT field work in the UK.

ObservationDate / Place: 22 November, 1995 in Eurocentre School of English

Teacher:Mr. Robert Matthews

Students:Overseas students at Level 7 FCE

Objectiveof the Lesson: To learn the structure of the subjunctive mood I wish / if only

ObservationFocus: Learners’ involvement

Activity1

Theteacher uses authentic materials such as TV collections of comedy, e.g.American Funniest Home Videos as stimuli.

Forexample:

Achef accidentally dropped a dish of ready-made food in the kitchen.

Studentsare stimulated to show regret by saying:

Ifonly he . . . (Key: If only he had been more careful.) I If only he . . . (Key:If only he had not dropped the dish.)

Ifonly . . . (Key: If only the dish had not been put there.)

Afterwatching several other different excerpts and expressing wishes that the eventsshould not have happened, the students can learn both the target structure andthe related vocabulary. As the events and situations are all funny, thestudents enjoy the learning process very much.

Activity2

Theteacher uses another authentic material, a well-selected taped song, to learnthe usage of I wish. The song goes repeatedly like this:

Iwish I had the wings of a dove.

Iwould fly, fly away.

Butsince I have no wings,

I‘mgoing to sing, sing, sing.

Whilelistening to the song, the students are dictating the words and noticing thedifferences between the indicative mood and the subjunctive mood. As the songis very pleasant, the students feel very relaxed while learning.

Activity3

Theteacher tries to build up some contexts to arouse the students’ imagination, sensationand experience concerning regretting. The contexts are frustrating backgroundstories related to the people of the students‘ age. Hint words are provided forthe construction of the target sentences.

Forexample:Context:

Mybest friend is in love with my boy friend. She met him at my party last week.

Question:

Howdo you feel and what do you do then?

GirlStudents: Find another one.

BoyStudents: Don’t worry. Go to bed.

TheTeacher: Use the expected structure I wish.

HintWords:

Iwish (but she is.)

(Key:I wish she weren‘t in love with my boy friend but she is. Against the presentfact)

Iwish (but she probably won’t.)

(Key:I wish she would find another one but she probably won‘t. Against the futurefact.)

Iwish (but she did.)

(Key:I wish she hadn’t come to my party, but she did. Against the past fact.)

Afterdoing many other exercises like this, the students learn to express wishesagainst the past facts, present facts, and the future facts. As the contextsare exactly what the students live through, they join in actively.

Comment:

Thelesson aims at learning the subjunctive mood , one of the difficult areas inEnglish learning in China, and the classroom activities serve the objectivevery effectively. The practice is carried out in a series of vivid contexts,involving the learners‘ thinking and feeling. The learning process is full ofprompts for action which is also a cognitive and noticing process. The teacheracts as a stimulator and a facilitator instead of an instructor, trying to besensible, considerate and helpful.

作者:Xia Jimei