欣賞、體會高中英語新教材語言之美
【摘要】本文主要分析了高中英語新教材的語言特點,并依據(jù)相關教學理論和筆者的教學實踐,提出了在教學實踐中如何讓學生欣賞、體會這些優(yōu)美語言的有效途徑。
【關鍵詞】高中英語新教材 語言特點 欣賞 體會
于2003年9月開始試用的高中英語新教材是一套圖文并茂、內(nèi)容新穎、編排科學、有利于培養(yǎng)學生的創(chuàng)新精神和實踐能力的好教材。而筆者以為其最顯著持點之一則是閱讀材料中那些生動、鮮活、耐人尋味的語言。它們或優(yōu)美、或表達地道、或結(jié)構嚴謹、或有一定的哲理性而富干感染力。因此,筆者以為,教師在通過新教材的閱讀材料對學生進行閱讀訓練的同時,應該引導學生去體會、欣賞新教材富有特色的語言。精美的語言如同美妙的音樂,體會、欣賞的過程可以讓學生獲得美的享受,給他們帶來感情的愉悅,更重要的是可以激發(fā)他們學習英語的興趣,提高其綜合英語素質(zhì)。基于以上想法,筆者棄進行閱讀教學時有意識地引導學生去用心體會、欣賞閱讀材料中的語言美。通過對新教材前三冊的教學,筆者認為其閱讀材料中的語言主要有如下特點:
1結(jié)構嚴謹,用詞簡練、精彩
如:The birth of a festival ( Book 1 B,Unitl4)中就有許多結(jié)構對稱,意義深刻的句子,現(xiàn)舉幾例:... many African一Americans families get together to greet the new year and think about the past . We must remember our past and build our future. Festivals help us understand who we are,remember where we come from,and share our hopes for a happy future ..As we celebrate them,we make new history and develop our culture…對仗工整,用詞簡單卻含義深刻,讀起來朗朗上口。又如:He collected information,studied it,did experiments and learnt from the experiences of farmers(Book 1 B,Unit 19,F(xiàn)arming and gardening)劃線部分動詞的使用簡練而又恰當,絲毫不拖泥帶水,卻把賈思勰對他所從事的農(nóng)業(yè)科學研究的執(zhí)著與熱愛淋漓盡致地表現(xiàn)出來。這是值得學生學習借鑒的寫作表達方法。
2包含著人生哲理、含義深刻
新教材前三冊閱讀材料中包含人生哲理的句子比比皆是,可能是編寫者有意讓學生在學習課文的過程中潛移默化地得到一些人生啟示、悟出一些人生道理吧。如Where someone is born and what a person looks like is not as important as what he or she grows up to be. (Book 1A, Unitl2,Harry Potter)A smile can help us get through difficult situations and find friends in a world of strangers.(Book IB, Unit 21,Body talk)Everyone has his or her special skills and interests,and only by discovering what we do best can we hope to reach our goals and truly make a difference.(Book 2A, unit 1,Making a difference) Living with cancer has made me realized how
precious life is and how important it is for us to take every chance to live life to the fullest.(Book 2A .Unit 7,Diagnosed with cancer)這里就不再一一列舉了。當學生大聲誦讀這些句子時,很自然地,他們會有所感悟、有所啟迪。和老師簡單的說教相比,筆者以為現(xiàn)在的高中生更容易接受和認可這種書面的教育形式。
3介紹西方風土人情、對比中外文化
如:When you see two spoons,the big one is for the soup and the small one for the dessert .At table,you should try to speak quietly and smile a lot,but do not laugh all the time .The custom of toasting in some parts of China is to finish the drink at once,but Westerners usual-1y take only a sip (Book 1 A,Unit 6, Table manners at a dinner party)又如:The thumbs up gesture,meaning "great" or “good job" in the US,is rude in Nigeria but in Germany and Japan it means the number one.(Book 1 B , Unit21, Body talk)這樣的句子可以讓學生對西方的風俗文化以及東西方文化的異同有所了解,以此增加他們學英語的興趣并且也擴大了其知識面。教師還可在此基礎上,趁熱打鐵,給學生介紹更多的相關西方文化風俗方面的知識。
4運用多種修辭手法
新教材有不少閱讀材料運用了明喻、暗喻或擬人等修辭手法,使句子生動、形象,啟發(fā)了學生的聯(lián)想并加深了他們的印象。如下面是含有明喻(simile)的句子:He talks to him and treats him as a friend.(Book I A,Unit 1 , Chuck’s friend)They are like bright and warm colours in the middle of greys and shades.(Book 2A, U-nit 4,Songs and poems)I now think of my cancer as a gift.(Book 2A, Unit 7,Diagnosed with cancer)It looked as if she were dead(Book 2A,Unit 8,DR ABC)…以下是包含暗喻的句子:There she saw a wall of water that was quickly advancing towards her(Book 1 A , U-nit 4, The rescue)Knowledge is power.(Book2A, Unit 1,Making a difference) They tied pillows on top of their heads as protection against the shower of rocks.(Book 1A, Unit 10, Under the volcano)…下面則是運用了擬人的修辭手法:The sight of it awoke the scientist in my uncle to go and see it from closer at hand(Book 2.A, Unit 10, Under the volcano) Something told Captain Mac Whirr that the Nanshan was lost .The hurricane...had found
this little ship in its path.(Book 2A, Unit 10,Typhoon)這些課文中的句子,可以讓學生發(fā)現(xiàn)明喻、暗喻與擬人的特點(如:明喻是本體、喻體和喻詞三者同時出現(xiàn)的一種比喻,其常用的喻詞有as,like,as if , as though等;暗喻中本體和喻體直接結(jié)合,而不用喻詞做“搭橋”…等。)并分析它們出現(xiàn)在文章中有什么妙處,在此基礎上,讓他們試著運用在自己的書面表達中,給作文添加文采。
5包含語法知識
例如:It is on this arable land that farmers produce food for the whole population of China(Book 1 B , Unit 19)這一句是典型的強調(diào)句。Only in that way will we be ready for the challenges and opportunities in life. (Book 1B, Unit 13, We are what we eat)則是典型的倒裝句。而it is one thing to write a letter,another to write history,one thing to write to a friend,another to write for the public.(Book 2A,Unit 10)既包含一個固定結(jié)構(it is one thing to…,it is another thing to…),又是一個典型的省略句:another前省略了it is,其后省略了thing。至于含有定語從句、同位語從句、主語從句等高中階段重要語法項目的經(jīng)典句子在課文中更是隨處可見,教師可以在學生理解、欣賞這些句子的基礎上,再來講解語法知識,學生接受起來就容易多了。
那么如何讓學生有效地欣賞這些課文中具有特色的句子?這是一個循序漸進的過程,結(jié)合自己的教學實踐,下面是筆者認為較為有效的做法和途徑。
1.有效背誦,體會語言的優(yōu)美
筆者以為,欣賞這樣的好句子,僅僅是在課堂上讓學生聽一遍課文錄音,再翻譯一遍朗讀一遍是遠遠不夠的,更重要的是要求他們課后熟讀、背誦直至完全吸收,變成“我的語言、我的句子”,在口筆頭表達中靈活運用,這才是欣賞的最終目的。English poetry(Book2A,unit4)中的Reading poetry in English also opens the door to finding new ways of expressing yourself in Chinese. Finally, poems and literature can be bridges between the East and the West. They can help us to understand each other better, or as MuDan wrote: Quietly , we embrace In a word lit up by words.學生背誦后,不僅能深刻領會詩歌的優(yōu)美和作用,并能激發(fā)他們?nèi)チ私,閱讀英文詩歌,提高其詩歌修養(yǎng)。還有如Chuck's friend (Book 1A, unit 1)中的We need friends to share happiness and sorrow,and it is important to have someone to care about .Friendship helps us understand who we are,why we need each other and what we can do for each other,筆者要求學生熟讀、背誦,學生不僅能深刻體會對朋友和友誼的精湛描寫,在日常寫作中也能加以應用,增加文采。
2.媒體輔助,體會語言的精確
在教學中,借助CAI可以刺激學生的多種感官使他們的眼、耳、口等一起參與感知的活動,從而增加刺激的強度,讓他們通過動眼看、動耳聽、動口說、動腦想、動手做,進行觀察閱讀、討論、爭辯、質(zhì)疑,促進學生去感知、理解、分析語言文字,探究新知從而增強語感。如Typhoon(Book2A,unit10,intergrating skills)是一篇關于臺風的記敘文,里面對巨浪,海水的描寫都非常精確,如Captain MacWhirr saw a white tower of water, so high that he couldn’t believe his eyes, advancing towards them. It raced to meet the ship. The Nanshan jumped. With a tearing crash, tons of water fell upon the deck, as though the ship passed under a waterfall.還有風暴,如The hurricane , with its power to sink ships and to destroy strong walls, had found this little ship in its path. 但學生因為沒身臨其境,對此難以有切入體膚,滲入心田的體會。為此在學習此文前,筆者先讓學生觀看龍卷風中的電影片段,再呈現(xiàn)幾副颶風圖片,使學生切真切地感知到作者運用語言的精確。
3.創(chuàng)始情景,體會語言的內(nèi)涵
文章是作者將自己對生活的感受,進行思考后寫成的語言符號。這些文字本身沒有直接的可感性。因而,讀者要真正地理解作者通過文字表達的思想感情、深刻內(nèi)涵,那就必須通過想象。而創(chuàng)設情境為學生展開豐富的想象提供了很好的舞臺。Born dying(Book2A, unit7, reading),介紹的是艾滋病患者小華的故事。課文中描述了她如何積極面對AIDS的態(tài)度(My life may have to be short, but there’s no reason why it can’t be beautiful)以及她的心聲和愿望(If I were to live long enough to have a job, I would choose to be a doctor, helping these AIDS patients. 及If I were you, I would give an AIDS patient a hug. That is the best way to show that you care and that we don’t have to feel lonely.)所用語言非常貼切。學生因?qū)Π滩]多少了解,而且又遠離艾滋病,對小華的愿望并不能很好領會。碰巧學習這一單元正趕上世界艾滋病日,十二月一日,筆者讓學生在這一天通過各種渠道了解艾滋病患者生活的真實情境,然后四人一組,為艾滋病患者做一件事,在這樣的氛圍中,學生更易于發(fā)揮想象。有的寫倡議書,呼吁大家關愛患者;有的手工制作紅絲帶,有的表演艾滋病患者的夢想,通過這一系列活動,學生基本能深刻理解課文,將課文的主旨以及內(nèi)在的東西挖掘得更生動、更深刻。
4.擴大閱讀,體會語言的豐富
在讓學生學會欣賞,體會教材的語言之美后,鼓勵學生們擴大閱讀,能讓他們在大量的、真實的、反復的、漸進的過程中去閱讀、感悟名家名作和其他的優(yōu)秀文學作品,如牛津大學出版社奉獻給世界英語學習者的“書蟲”,一直是筆者推崇的課外讀物,從而讓他們體會語言的豐富。
參考文獻
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