英語教育dissertation：An analysis on which English-teaching method is more appropriate for China

Abstract (in English) ……………..………………………………………….....II
I. Introduction …………………………………….…...………………………..1
II. Literature review...……………………………………………………….......1
     2.1 Studies on Humor……………………………………… ………..……..……......2
     2.2 Linguistic competence and communicative competence ……………………......3
     2.3 The theory of the grammar-translation method…….……………...………….....4
     2.4 The theory of the communicative approach……………………………………..5
III. Evaluations on the two English-teaching methods………………….............6
3.1 The grammar translation method………………………………………………...6
3.1.1 The importance of the grammar translation method...………………........6
3.1.2 The disadvantages of the grammar translation method……......................7
3.2 The communicative approach………………………………………….................9
3.2.1 The advantages of the communicative approach ………………...............9
3.2.2 Accuracy and fluency……………………………………….…................11
IV. To reconcile the communicative approach with traditional teaching structure…………………………………………………………………….12
4.1 Three obstacles to the application of the communicative approach…………….12
4.1.1 Learners still used to the grammar-translation method………………….12#p#分頁標題#e#
         4.1.2 Teachers not ready for the communicative approach……………............13
4.1.3 The test-oriented educational system………………………………….....13
     4.2 The importance of reconciling…………………………………...........................14
     4.3 Reconciling strategies…………………………………………………………....15
V. Conclusion ……………………………………………................................16
References…………..……………………………….………………………...17

Abstract
With the growing communication of China with the rest of world, it is becoming increasingly evident that Chinese are deficient in the communicative ability of English. Therefore, in order to figure out an English-teaching method that can meet the requirements posed by the current English education, this paper, first of all, makes an introduction about the two major theories for teaching English in the world, the traditional grammar-translation method and the currently-prevalent communicative approach, both of which are, subsequently, analyzed and compared in detail. At last, the author puts forward the suggestion that the communicative approach reconciled with the traditional teaching structure should be a more appropriate method for the current stage of development of China.

Key words: English-teaching method; the grammar-translation method; the communicative approach; communicative competence  

I. Introduction

For many years, China had been sticking to adopting the grammar-translation method as the only teaching method in its national English education. However, with the increasing need of Chinese people for English communicative competence, in the early 80s a new English teaching method, the communicative approach that is aimed to develop students’ communicative competence was introduced into China and started to be experimented in some schools by both Chinese and foreign English teachers. However, the theory of the communicative approach is quite different from China’s English teaching traditions, so it failed to reach the result expected and required by its theory. As a result, there has been the debate on which teaching method is more appropriate for China. Some educators support the communicative approach, highlighting the value of adopting it. Some focus on the importance of the grammar-translation method. However, most of people emphasize that the communicative approach should be reconciled with the real situation of China’s English education. Therefore, this article will discuss and evaluate the two English teaching methods and the different opinions involved to suggest a more appropriate English teaching method for China. #p#分頁標題#e#

II. Literature review

2.1 The background for English teaching methods in China

Before the 1980s, China had been exclusively employing the grammar-translation method in its national English education for many years. In the late 70s, China began to carry up the open up policy, opening its door to the outside world, which needed China to communicative with the rest of the world. However, with more and more communication with other counties, Chinese people felt the difficulty in clearly expressing themselves and understanding others because of the lack of communicative competence. Therefore, in the early 80s, a new teaching method, the communicative approach which is aimed to improve learners’ communicative competence was introduced into China.

2.2 Linguistic competence and communicative competence
   
In many literatures, when it comes to linguistic competence, it is always associated with communicative competence. The reason is that linguistic competence is one component of communicative competence. Hymes (1972) gives his definition of communicative competence, which is widely accepted and the basis of many further developed theory about communicative competence. He thinks that communicative competence requires learners not only to master the grammatical rules of a language but also to appropriately use the language to the right person in the right place.

2.3 The theory of the grammar-translation method 

“Grammar-translation, as its name suggests, took grammar as the starting point for instruction” (Thornbury, 1999: 21).  It is characterized by the following: (1) it first exposes students to the explanation of detailed grammar rules and asks students to remember them, and then involves students in the exercises of translating sentences and texts into and out of the target language.

China has been employing the grammar-translation method in its national English education and how the method is used in China fully represents its characteristics motioned above. After teaching English in China for a period of time, foreign English educator Harvey (1985: 183) briefly summarized the features of the grammar-translation method in China as following:  

 “……a concentration on intensive reading as a basis for language study; a preoccupation with the careful , painstaking examination of grammatical structure and a corresponding lack of attention to more communicative skills; the use of memorization and rote learning as a basic acquisition technique; a strong emphasis on the correction of mistakes, both written and oral; a view of literature and reverence for the printed word which tends to lead to the teaching of non-existing skills; the use of translation as both a teaching and a learning strategy”.

2.4 The theory of the communicative approach

The communicative approach in language teaching is based on a theory of language as communication. It is modeled on how language is used as a communicative tool to achieve the goal of language teaching and is aimed to develop students’ communicative competence (Richards & Rodgers, 2001).#p#分頁標題#e#

III. Evaluations on the two English-teaching methods 

3.1 The grammar-translation method

3.1.1 The importance of the grammar-translation method  

The characteristics of the grammar-translation method tell us that it is designed and created for developing learners’ linguistic competence. In China, when using this method to teach English, teachers require students to remember the grammar rules and to produce the correct and exact language form, and are very sensitive to any mistake students make on language form. The teacher and examinations are very strict and critical to whether students have produced correct language form. Therefore, students are forced to be very good at grammatical rules and have a very detailed knowledge of language form. 

3.1.2 The disadvantages of the grammar-translation method

In spite of the value and importance of the grammar-translation method, its inborn disadvantage has made many Chinese people lack the ability to appropriately use English in real life. The “book-centred” and “teacher-centred” (Anderson, 1993: 472) method don’t give students opportunities to be exposed in the situations where English is really used, but only require them to memorize the grammar rules based on the teacher’s instructions and the text book which is not for communicative purpose. Therefore, the learners only know the usage of English, but don't know how to use English in real communication, which is the real objective of communicative competence. 

3.2 The communicative approach

3.2.1 The advantages of the communicative approach

According to the presented theory of the communicative approach, it can be easily found that what this teaching approach does is to make learners learn English through really using it. It employs communicative activities and “communicative model of language use” (Richards & Rodgers, 2001: 166) to involve learners in the situations of how English is really used by native speakers and expose them in the real English as much as possible, in order to help them acquire the ability to appropriately use English to communicate in real life. (略)                                                         

3.2.2 Accuracy and fluency

There is no doubt that both accuracy and fluency are essential in language learning. The characteristics of grammar-translation method tell us it emphasizes accuracy more than fluency. Therefore, we want to employ the communicative approach to improve Chinese people’s English fluency. However, what we have noticed is that in the communicative approach, the teacher is asked to reduce or even avoid error-correction when students are doing communicative activities. Therefore, if we use the communicative approach, will students make more mistakes than they do in the grammar-translation method? This is a question some educators have asked. (略)#p#分頁標題#e#

IV. To reconcile the communicative approach with traditional teaching structure

Although the described advantages of the communicative approach have told us that it can improve Chinese people’s English communicative competence and help solve the problems the traditional English teaching method can’t do, it still meets with many obstacles which are from China’s traditional English education structures. (略)  

4.1 Three obstacles to the application of the communicative approach

4.1.1 Learners still used to the grammar-translation method
During the early period of time of the communicative approach’s expedition in China in the 1980s, it was not welcomed by Chinese students. Due to the fact that they were firmly accustomed to the traditional teaching method, which is quite different from the communicative approach, the Chinese students were always perplexed and confused by the “strange approach”. Therefore, their responses to the new teaching approach demonstrated a strong resisting attitude. (略) 

4.1.2 Teachers not prepared for the communicative approach

Another factor affecting the popularization of the communicative approach is the Chinese English teachers, which are not qualified and equipped to teach English communicatively. (略) 

4.1.3 The test-oriented educational system

China’s educational system is another obstacle to the wider application of the communicative approach in China. The test-oriented educational system forces students to learn knowledge for the examinations. The textbooks and classroom activities are all designed to prepare students for the examinations. (略)

4.2 The importance of reconciling

Facing the obstacles to the application of the communicative approach in China, many English educators came up with the idea that that communicative approach should be reconciled with the real situation of China’s English education. (略)

4.3 Reconciling strategies 
An adapted version of the communicative approach which incorporates the advantage of the traditional method and is compatible with the real situation of China’s English education should be a more appropriate English teaching method for China. (略)
 

V. Conclusion

After analyzing and evaluating the two English teaching methods and the different opinions involved, what we can conclude is that the communicative approach really can help Chinese people improve their English communicative competence. However, we also have to face those conflicts between the communicative approach and the real situation of China’s English education and have to value the importance of the traditional teaching method. Therefore, an adapted version of the communicative approach which incorporates the advantage of the traditional method and is compatible with the real situation of China’s English education should be a more appropriate English teaching method for China. (略)  #p#分頁標題#e#

References

Billows, F. L. 1961. The Techniques of Language Teaching. London: Longman. (Book)

Byrne, D. 1981. ‘Integrating skills.’ In John, K. & Morrow, K. (eds.), Communication in the classroom: Applications and Methods for a Communicative Approach. London: Longman.
(Chapter in book)

Canale, M. & Swain, M. 1980. ‘Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing.’ Applied Linguistics, 1, 1-47.
(Journal article)

Ventura, J. 1978. ‘Criteria and practice effects in facial metaconstruct.’ Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, La Fonto, August.
(Conference Paper)

Xiao, A. L. 1998. An Academic or a More Practical Approach. Retrieved on 08/12/2009, at (On-line sources)

Zekulin, I. (1930) Quoted in James, E.C. (1945) Artifacts in Behavioural Research, New York: Academic press, pp. 35-36.
(Reference which you have not checked but are taking from another citation)

References cited in the text

Non-integral citations

The communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language (James, 1985).

The communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language (James & Jefferson, 1985).

The communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language (James & Jefferson, 1985, 1990).

The communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language (James, 1985; Jefferson, 1990).

“The communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language” (James, 1985: 50).
Integral citations

James (1985) claims that the communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language.
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James (1985, cited by Jefferson 1990) claims that the communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language.
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According to James (1985), the communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language. #p#分頁標題#e#
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