Study on the cohesion and coherence in English teaching between junior middle school and vocational school

【摘 要】 English in junior middle school is the basis of English in vocational school. As the current situation of vocational school students' English is unsatisfactory after they graduate from junior middle school and the study on the cohesion and coherence in English teaching between junior middle school and vocational school is a little. According to the current situation， this paper aims to search the ways of connecting junior middle school English teaching and vocational school English teaching. We can find the relationship between junior middle school English teaching and vocational school English teaching and the ways to help the vocational school students learn English well.

【關鍵詞】English junior middle school English teaching vocational school English teaching

1 The current situation

1.1 The current situation of learning English in vocational school

With the development of the society， English， which as a kind of international language， become more and more important in the people's life and work. And the education departments begin to pay attention to English teaching in compulsory education. After students graduate from middle school， some of them will go to vocational school. Students in vocational school also need to learn English. However， the result of English teaching is unsatisfactory. Why？ To begin with， English is ignored in many vocational schools. Furthermore， many students are not interested in English. The last but not the least is that students， teachers， schools and even the society don't pay much attention to vocational school's English teaching. Do the students want to learn English well？ Undoubtedly the answer is yes. How to improve the students' English？

1.2 The background of study （on cohesion and coherence in English teaching between junior middle school and vocational school）

Many studies on this kind of problems focuses on the teaching methods， learning strategies and so on instead of focusing on the cohesion and coherence in English teaching between junior middle school and vocational school.

2 Analysis of the problem

2.1 The reasons of the incohesion and incoherence in English teaching between junior middle school and vocational school

2.1.1 Students

The English foundation of vocational school students is different. Most of them graduate from middle school， no matter they come from urban area or rural area. As is known to all the quality of teaching in urban area is better than in rural area. Therefore， the English of junior middle school graduates are different. There may be the students who graduate from other vocational school or senior high school. Thus， these students' English is better than junior middle school graduate students. For the pressure of enrolling new students， there may be the students who recognize the importance of study after they came to the society. When they go back to the campus， they are serious with their study， especially their professional courses. However， their English is poor for they lack of years' English learning. It is obvious that the students' different English make the teaching more difficult.

2.1.2 Teachers

English is not the professional course. Vocational school English teachers will not have the pressure of entering higher schools for the students goes to the society instead of entering higher schools. Therefore many vocational school teachers just pay attention to the language points of the text and don't make any teaching demands.

2.1.3 Schools Education departments

In the case of schools and education departments， English is often ignored. Schools and education departments hold contests of skills more than English. When vocational school students graduate， they are not required to pass some certain tests such as PETS1.

2.1.4 Textbooks

Different schools may choose different textbooks. For the students with a weak foundation in English are afraid of the content in the current teaching material. I have found one student who didn't know how to write a word when I give the student a dictation. I asked the student to recite the alphabet. I was shocked. A junior middle school graduate couldn't recite the alphabet completely. I was puzzled over English teaching in junior middle school and vocational school.

2.2 The relationship between junior middle school English and vocational school English

The emphasis of junior middle school English teaching is to cultivate the students' interest in English and focus on the skills of listening， speaking， reading and writing. There is no doubt that most of the junior middle school teachers pay attention to examination points of the senior high school entrance examination. However， in vocational schools， the emphasis should be focus on the use of English and make the students form the ability of resourceful in workplaces.

3 The ways of the cohesion and coherence in English teaching between junior middle school and vocational school

All the students in vocational schools must have been learned English no matter the foundation of English is poor or not. We can say that they continue to learn English in another environment. The similarity of the former environment and the current environment is that they learn it in school and a teacher is guided their study. However， the differences are the aspects that we vocational school English teachers must pay attention to and solve.

Below are some ways that may help to solve the ways of the cohesion and coherence in English teaching between junior middle school and vocational school.

3.1 Cohesion and coherence in learning

3.1.1 Correct study attitude

Attitude is a key for everything. Students must take a correct attitude towards English learning. Do not be afraid of others' English even though they are better than you. You must trust yourselves.

Although most of the vocational school students are going to the society instead of entering higher schools. But it is well—known that English is an international language. Therefore， students should keep the attitude that they learn English in order to communicate with others and lay a foundation for their future development rather than pass the final tests or entrance examinations only. Many students would face the promotion in their career and one of the demands would need to take the Professional Rank English Test for National Technicians. And students want to get a college diploma after they graduate. The must take part in Adult college entrance examination. Undoubtedly， English is to be tested in the examination. Now it is time for you to learn English and lay a good foundation for your future development.

3.1.2 Learning strategies

Learning strategies determine the approach for achieving the learning objectives and included in the pre—instructional activities， information presentation， learner activities， testing， and follow—through. The strategies are usually tied to the needs and interests of students to enhance learning and are based on many types of learning styles （Ekwensi， Moranski， Townsend—Sweet， 2006）. In junior middle school， students learn English always in the way of memorizing knowledge by frequency repetition （rote learning） and do practice for the senior middle school entrance examination. However， in vocational school， students should know the aim of learning English and the use of English in their career and choose the right learning strategy to learn. It is good for students to make good and timely summing up of the experiences and lessons and make appropriate evaluation.

3.2 Cohesion and coherence in teaching

3.2.1 Correct the attitudes towards teaching

Vocational school English teachers must take English teaching seriously. Do not teach for finishing the teaching program only. English teachers should be aimed at teaching the students how to use English.

3.2.2 Analyze the students and textbooks

To understand the students' English learning condition before teaching them. Teachers should pay attention to both language knowledge and language skills. Teachers could hold an examination or make a questionnaire survey to know the students' English learning condition after junior middle school's study. After understanding the information， teachers can design their teaching plan according to the situation. Therefore， teachers could adopt the right teaching strategy after they overall consideration of the teaching aims， teaching contents， and the needs of students and so on.

3.2.3 Teaching methods

According to the characteristics of the text， it is better to adopt flexible teaching methods rather than use task—based instruction only. It is absorbing that teachers give the students some kinds of feeling of freshness. Teachers can use teaching aids， gestures， including pictures of teaching， courseware etc. If conditions permit， multimedia teaching is a good choice in arousing students' interest. And we can combine the multimedia teaching with the traditional teaching organically. Only adopt these means can we acquire the effect of getting twice the result with half the effort.

In the case of the students' standard of English is poor it is necessary to add some basic knowledge such as phonics at the beginning of the first term. And try to use the knowledge of junior middle school to lead in. As the proverb goes， good beginning is half done. To design the leading—in smartly by using an interesting question， a game， a song， a riddle， a game etc. which would help teachers' teaching.

Classroom teaching must be lively， varied， and close to the scene of life. Language is the tool for communication. The communication of language is a multilateral activity. English teaching requires the students to take part in English practice. Moreover， language communication is carried on in the certain environment or situation. Without situation， the communication is difficult to realize. Setting situation is a good choice. It means that in the course of English teaching， according to the textbooks， the students' psychology， teaching conditions and teaching surroundings， the teachers can make contents clear and concrete. It can make the students feel as if they were in the real environment. The students may take an active part in the activities and grasp the contents nimbly in the reality.

3.3 Textbooks

Firstly， teachers should analyze the textbooks of junior middle school and vocational school and try to find the emphasis of teaching keys and difficulties according to the teaching program. Teachers may add or delete some units according to the students' condition.

Secondly， it is necessary to link the knowledge of the textbook with the employment positions.

Thirdly， to train the students whose English are poorer than the average level regularly. It is helpful to train them the basic knowledge of English in the textbook of junior middle school.

3.4 Schools Education departments

One the on hand， it is necessary to let the middles school students to take part in the nation—wide test or city—wide test before they go to vocational school. And the vocational schools enroll students according to the students' scores. Thus the level of the learning competencies is almost the same and the result of teaching will be better.

On the other hand， to establish a scientific and reasonable teaching evaluation mechanism is indispensable. It is necessary to establish some rules to ensure the effect of English teaching. For example， students can't get a graduation certificate until they pass the English test such as PETS1. To hold English competitions， such as English oral competition， English speech competition and so on， are important in arousing students' interest in learning English. And to set up organizations such as English club， English corner and English salon. For instance， it is nice to provide the students the chance of playing English drama. We can create a win—win situation because they enrich the campus culture when show their English. And it is helpful in arousing the students' interest. And the school can put notice board or billboard signs in bilingual languages. Consequently， the students may find that English is around us.

4 Conclusion

The cohesion and coherence in English teaching between junior middle school and Vocational school needs joint efforts of teachers，students and schools. As teachers we offer a kind of wide， relaxing and joyous study atmosphere， and merge teaching with interest. If the teachers can organize their classroom teaching nimbly by the above methods， they can achieve a great success in English teaching and learners' linguistic competence can be improved as well.