创设情景，挖掘潜能，提高学生运用英语的能力

本文于1999年3月发表于《江门教育》

创设教学情景，就是在教学过程中，教师出于教学目的需要，依据一定的教学内容，创造出师生情感、欲望、求知探索精神的高度统一，融洽和步调一致的情绪氛围。

英语教学是听、说、读、写的实践课。曾有专家说过，“熟练掌握一种外语不取决于教师讲解和说明，而取决于想方设法让学生作练习，多实践。”这话不无道理。特别是处于当今改革实践的年代，受教育者的参与欲比任何时候都强烈，循着这一思路，为学生提供和创造真切的语境(外语环境)，让他们主动地、创造性地去学习并运用语言，以达到学以致用的目的。

一、利用课文内容，创设教学情景。

义务教育新编教材题材多样，有问题、道歉、建议、描述人物和行为等。如：Talking about ways of transportation; Needs and direction; Likes and dislikes and talking about past experience etc. 但如蜻蜓点水，重现率不高。如果要把书本的知识变成熟练的技能，施教者必须想方设法创造真切的交流情景，以大量和不懈的实践，甚至让受教育教育近乎自动化的去操作。但原可能想逃开传统的窠臼却不免使受教育者陷入丧失兴奋的语言实践中去，因而外语教学一开始要因材(包括课文的深度、受教育者的知识水平)施教之余，还要恰在此时当的设置障碍，创设教学情景，启动思维，让受教育者跨过一道道障碍，能动地接受语言知识。

1．直观演示。

初中的教学，宜采用直观性，如若加上一定的情景，课堂的结构会出现波浪起伏，更有利于调动学生的学习积极性。如教授“Shopping”,我一开始就设计了一个情景，我想向学生借学习用具(笔、字典等)，他们都说：“Sorry”。我只好去买，并和一学生表演买东西的过程，将“Can I help you ?”、“I would like…?”、“What does it sell ?”、“How much is it ?”等重点句子显示出来。把一些实物(如文具、手表、书包等)及图片(如衣服、鞋、袜等)展示出来，组成一间临时商店。学生以四人小组纷纷上台表演，学生在不知不觉的实践中掌握了知识。他们的手、脑、口、眼、耳都派用上场。

2．变换体裁。

对于一些难以采用直观性教学的课文，把之变成对话，或将对话改为叙述性的短文。体裁的变换，实际上是创设了新情景。如：第二册The Seasons of the Year，整个单元讲述了一年四季及天气，一课配以插图，一课以信的形式出现，我采用播放录像，让学生对全单元有一个初步整体的了解。在此基础上再听录音，边听边做听写。接着变换体裁，用实物投影机把预先准备好的一年中美丽的四季图片显示出来，以问答的形式师生互问，学生互答谈论四季，很自然课文便分解成问答式的对话了。我还采用分组竞赛式，鼓励学生运用多种类型的问句(包括一般问句、特殊问句、选择问句、反意问句等来表达)。学生置身于情景之中，在自觉和不自觉的状态中去看、去听、去说，他们即堂能用hot，good，busy，cold四个形容词的不同级别分别概括出每个季节的特点，并能概括课文的中心(make a summary)。既训练了学生的理解能力，又训练了概括能力。达到掌握和运用语言的目的。

3．质疑问难。

所谓质疑问难，就是教师通过有目的地设置疑问，创造问题情境，吸引学生积极动脑，主动学习。如在Find the Right Place ! 这个单元中，我首先创设了问题情境：我刚到了这个城市，想到邮局、车站、书店等地方，该怎样问题？围绕这个问题，学生开口“帮”我了，分别说出：

a．Excuse me, where is the nearest post office, please ?

b．Is there a station near here ?

c．Can you tell me the way to the park ?

d．Please tell me how I can get to the bookshop ?

e．Excuse me, which is the way to the library ?

当然不止上述五种，学生能从课文的 Where is … ? 和 Is there … ? 的旧句型中引出其它新句型。这样，学生既能以旧引新，以新复旧，新旧结合，且能掌握了本单元的重点——日常生活中的问题及指点方向。

二、挖掘潜能，启迪悟性。

夸美纽斯说过“耐心去打开潜伏在学生身上的知识泉源。”某种程度愉快的随心所欲是某种意义上打开了学生的知识源泉。学应为主体，知识的掌握、技能与技巧的培养，归根到底是要启迪悟性。学生在初步接触新知识后让其处于一个既熟悉又陌生的情境中，激起他们对当堂课的学习内容产生浓厚的兴趣，从而调动他们的主观能动性。我把课外的一些活动作为课堂教学的延伸。如某些故事性较强的课文，就让他们排课文剧；举办演讲比赛等。我还每两个单元腾出一节课，作为学生运用、实践语言的时间，要求他们运用本单元所学的句型，自编自演对话或小品。

在Book Ⅱ You Mustn’t play on the Rood ! 主要内容是Prohibitions and Warnings (禁止和警告)，是有关自觉遵守交通规则，培养社会公德心的。学生主动自备道具，扮演“家长、学生、司机、医生”等角色，辑录现场马路喧哗声的录音，自编了如下的情节与情景的会话：几个好朋友相约去打球，想抢先占住场，在道上绿灯没亮就冲过马路，其中一个被撞伤，他们急忙问路把伤者送往医院，结果球也打不成了。他们就此事告诫大家。会话不仅自然生动活泼，具有一定的教育意义，而且突出了本单元的重点，运用学过的有关问路及指点方向的知识。

学生从初期只能编写出3～5句的日常会话，提高到能编写小品、寓言小故事和包括5～6人参加的对话等，从初时简单的相互问候到现在运用外语能到某种程度的很乐意的“随心所欲”。如：想邀请别人参与活动，他们会冲口而出：I would like to play game. Why not go with us ? 积极性调动起来，悟性得到启迪，这如在一泓止水中荡出永恒的活流。学生不仅能在师生同学之间开展口语活动，还与外籍教师交流日常生活情况，合作默契，课余时间和外教一起郊游、拍照、烧烤、烹调等。外教所上的口语课，气氛异常活跃，被外教称为最喜爱的班。至今他们还和已离任的外教有书信来往。

学生的进步有目共睹了。但活流能永恒不是一件易事。当代的中学生不能同年同日而语，他们的参与欲或者说表演欲特强。从某种程度上说，意欲是学习的动力。它使学生把日常生活和同班同学日常的简单对话通过这种“欲意”缀合起来。以下是初二学生编的对话。

(旁白) Today is National Day. Jenny and her parents are going to have supper at the Capital Hotel.

Now it’s 7:00 in the morning. Ivene and Jenny meet on the way to school.

J：Good morning. Ivene.

I：Good morning Jenny.

J：Are you free tonight ?

I：Yes, why ?

J：I’m going to have supper with my parents at the Capital Hotel. Would you like to come with us ?

I：Yes, I would love to.

J：OK. See you at 7:00 outside the gate of the Capital Hotel.

I：All right.

M：Hello. What are you talking ?

I：Nothing much. We are going to have supper at the Capital Hotel tonight.

M：Could I come to ?

J：Yes, of course.

M：That’s great. Thank you. Where and when shall we meet ?

J：At 7:00 outside the gate of the Capital Hotel.

M：OK.

(旁白) It’s 7:00 in the evening. Jenny, Ivene and Mary are all outside the gate of the Capital Hotel.

M：Happy National Day ! We have something for you.

J：Oh, thank you. My parents are waiting for us. Let’s go.

M & I：Ok.

这种能结合日常生活、对话人数的扩充，日常用语的使用，人物均是学生的成功的知识运用，很难想象没有这种意欲动力能以如此积极的姿态投入到语言实践中去，这令授业者由衷喜悦受到鼓舞，教育的相得益彰从来没有象现在这样出现新的视点。但是实践不能毕其功于一役，这只是开始。

学生又写了不少的小品、短剧、如下列几篇：

1．Three Little Pigs (约300字)

2．A Little Red Hat (约500字)

3．The Fishman and Goldfish (分上下两大部分)

4．A Small Horse Passed the River (约500字)

不断实践随着智力年龄的提高，学生的视野更为开阔，到了高中时，他们以初三毕业的另一对话为蓝本，经过在“意欲”下的构思，把原来的简单对话改编为短小的英语剧，并且能运用课外阅读过的一些童话故事情节，自编自演，配备道具、音乐。以下是短剧摘录。

( A：Aside  C：Cinderella  S1：first  S2：second   M：Mother 

P：Prince S：Soldier  G：Good )

Scene 1 (Cinderella’s home)

Once upon a time there lived a rich man. His wife was sick. She thought that she couldn’t live any more. So she asked her daughter to come and said to her，“My lively child, if you are always honest and kind, the god will help you. I will also look after you.” After saying these words, the rich man’s wife died. The pitiable girl was very sad. She often went to her mother’s tomb. When spring came, the rich man got married with another woman that had already had two daughters. The stepmother and the stepsisters were very cruel to Cinderella .

M：Cinderella, clean my cases, sweep the floor, cook the supper, and water the flowers.

C：Yes, mum. Is that all ?

M：Wait, wash my clothes, feed the dog and pump some water. Remember to do all of them.

C：OK,(Go)Oh, so much work to do!

Scene 2 (Cinderella’s home)

The next day, a soldier arrived at Cinderella’s home.

S：Ladies and Gentlemen, the King will hold a ball in the palace. All the girls are invited to this ball. The Prince will choose one of the girls to be his wife.

S1：Great! I’m invited to dance with the Prince.

S2：So am I. I must go to buy some beautiful dress and some jewelry.

C：Mum, I also get the invitation. And I really want to go.

M：Oh, you? I put a bowl of beans into the ash. If you can pick them out in an hour, I’ll let you go.

Cinderella went to her mother’s tomb, asking for help. The god sent a bird to pick out the beans. Soon Cinderella finished her work and went back home.

C：Mum, I’ve finished the work. Can I go ?

M：Of course not, my girl. You haven’t got any beautiful dress; you’d better stay here.

After they left, Cinderella went to the tomb once more.

C：My dear god. I really want to go. But I can’t go without beautiful dress and jewelry.

G：My kind girl, let me help you. Now you can attend the ball, But you must offer one request: Leave at 12 o’clock at midnight.

C：Thank you, my god. I’ll be back on time.

Scene 3 (The Palace)

Cinderella reached the palace. The Prince saw her.

P：Oh, what a pretty girl. Since the second that I saw her, I know that she is my only love. My pretty girl, may I ?

S1：How beautiful the girl who is dancing with the Prince is !

……

以下还有Scene 4 (The Palace)、Scene 5 (The Palace) 和Scene 6 (Cinderella’s Home)等，此处不一而足。

在上述多达7人的表演中，能随意之所至，用活了表示建议的句型(主语＋had ＋ better ＋ V. )和感叹句How beautiful the girl who is dancing with the Prince is ! 等，使不同人物的神态及语气活灵活现。

现在我又要站上讲台了，面对一双双充满期待的眼睛，我知道给予他们生动可感的东西是我在外语教学面临的课题。