On Middle School Students’ Psychological Barrier of

850030　Tibet+Vocation+Technical+College　Tibet　Lhasa　Tsamlag

Abstract：In the middle school of English teaching, teacher always focus on the process of English learning without caring about students idea. Students have serious problems on their psychology so they cant have a good result on the English learning. We should refer to the problems that students have on their psychology to solve these problems and give some suggestion for the student. Based on the problems revealed during our investigation, the thesis here is trying to overcome the physiological barriers on English Leaning and putting forward some suggestions to solve the problems.

This paper points out the how psychological barriers influence students English learning. The causes for the psychological barriers are analyzed and, countermeasures to solve the problem put forward. This paper gives some suggests that English teachers should understand Tibetan students psychological problems on leaning English and that measures to help students break down the barriers should be taken. It as well as gives detailed measures on creating a fun and relaxing classroom atmosphere to improve English teaching.

Key words：English teaching；English learning psychological Barrier；English leaning

I The Problems of Psychological Barriers

1.1 The Problem of Interest in Learning English

Most students in our region have already started learning English from primary school, but many of them have many psychological barriers. They are not interested in English. Junior high school and primary school textbooks are different. When beginning to study in middle school, the students often do not adapt to the new teaching and learning environment. Among the reasons causing the student lost their interest in English learning, teacher is one of major reasons. The age of students in grade six in primary school is close to that of the first year in middle school. Their psychological characteristics contain both the characteristics of the primary school stage, and the junior secondary students. While time goes, in the first year of junior school, in a certain degree, students will change physiologically. The desire to express themselves is not as strong as the primary school students and their interest in learning English is also gradually declining.

And the English education in primary schools is not taken important as in junior high school. Primary school students are in the classroom of more positive atmosphere. However, after entering the junior middle school, the students are less positive in speaking English in the class and the atmosphere becomes more boring.endprint

1.2The Problem of Basic English Ability

Every course has a coherent discipline. There are many primary school students do not learn English well. They dont have a good English foundation. A lot of the junior high school students neither understand English, nor say a few English words. Those students do not understand what in the English textbook, let alone reading and writing. Many students cant pass the final examination only because of the failure on English. Many students Basic English ability is limited. The contents of junior high school textbooks are more difficult, more complex than that of the primary school. The more the students learn, the more difficult they feel. Learning English well becomes psychological pressuret.

II. Factor Causing the Psychologi

-cal Barriers

2.1 Backward Teaching Equipment

In resent years, China has invested much on basic education. The conditions of school in Tibet becomes better and better. The local teachers salary has been increased, teacher resource arrangement becomes more reasonable, and the teaching attachment becomes better. But in the Tibets basic education, teacher resource is so limited. The ability of teachers is not balance. There are still so many of teachers teaching method are too out of date. At the same time, because of lack of funds the local teaching attachments are so bad. So teachers are not able to make the class good with the help of advanced teaching attachments.

2.2 Language Environment

English language learning environment is very important. But the languages we use are totally different from English. So the students dont get touch in English out of class. As what shows in my research, I found most of English teachers always teach English in Chinese or Tibetan. It makes the students have little chance to speak English. Student can not study English well. This is one of factors that influences middle school students English learning. The phenomenon exists in most middle schools.

2.3The Present Situation of Teachers

The quality of English teacher in middle school decides the effect of investment on education. But the present situation of English teach in Tibet is bad. Only one third of English teachers are majoring in English. There are so many English teachers who havent been trained formally. They lack of Basic English knowledge and related teaching regulars. As in Tibet the policy for graduates is that there is no job arrangement any more, but they cant pass a special exam, and then become civil servants or teachers. As a result, most of graduates who are not majoring teaching become teachers. Though they dont know how to teach well, they get the job of teaching only after three months of training.endprint

III. Solution

3.1 Increasing Students Interest

The most important thing is that teachers should help students maintain and build interest before starting to learn English. It is necessary let all the students be aware of the importance and necessity of learning English. This is an important step in English learning. Here the object of learning must be mentioned. Because some students are not clear of the goal of learning English, they learn just for the sake of learning. Some students think they learn it just for their parents and teachers. They even think that they study and do exercises just because their parents and teachers want them to do so. And they should get high scores in order that their teachers and parents could consider them to be top students. The above-mentioned situation is the passive mentality in English learning. Of course, they do not share the happiness in learning English indeed.

The proverb says the habit is the second nature. A good habit is hard to obtain and easy to lose, but a bad habit is easy to get and it is hard to get rid of. In English learning, students should have good habits. They do not put off what can be done today till tomorrow. They should be careful to do their homework and listen attentively and be active in class. However, some students do not have good habits. They dont want to take time to preview their lessons before class and review them after class. They dont listen to the teacher's lessons carefully in class, and they do not have good habits of taking notes in class. Teachers should let students know that once the habit is formed, and soon it will be very helpful and useful to students.

3.2To Improve the Teaching Conditions

The development of science and technology has pushed forward Modern Teaching Technology and caused the deep change of the educational idea. Practice has proved that there is incomparable advantage of teaching approach in the multimedia compared with traditional methods. English teaching popularizes more and more at present.

The new tools are enabling educators to become developers. Noting how multimedia is used to enable individuals to create course material, that once required teams of specialists, individuals can now produce multimedia desktop video productions.

3.3 Creating Language Environment

Language environment plays a crucial role in exporting and importing language; so the teacher should lay stress on creating language situations in language teaching, to stimulating students effectively, and to create much more opportunities for students speaking English,. For example, map comic-strip, puzzlement, picture on the wall, English songs. Match scene with correct language. These activities can be concerned with the content of teaching, and can be written words, pictures or sing. They can memorize the words from Sunday to Monday consol idly, then they will speak fluently, and bravely and also the pupils like the song “What Do you Have for Lunch” very much in this song. They can know many delicious dishes. Just like eggplant, mutton, pork, cabbage, and so on. The pupils are interested in so many kinds of food. These can arouse their enthusiasm and interests towards English. But the creations, which should correspond to students psychological features, should be humorous and interesting. The teacher also ought to change their forms regularly, to make student feel fresh. These activities make them use proper English language materials to do them. Then they prefer to speak English in a positive attitude, and their speaking can be promoted in teaching. So it is very important to create English language environment in English teaching.endprint

3.4 Strengthen the Average Level of Teachers

The teacher should be an excellent organizer. The success of many activities depends on good organization that can stimulate students enthusiasm and potential.The organization of an activity and the instructions the teacher gives are of vital importance since if the students have not understood clearly what they are to do, they will not perform their task satisfactorily.

Generally speaking, the organization of an activity can be divided into three main parts. In the first, the teacher gives a lead-in. The teacher and students may briefly discuss the topic in order to start to thinking about it. The teachers lead-in might be very simple, e.g. “you are going to test your artist powers by drawing a picture. The idea of this exercise is to see how well you can talk about a picture and give instructions.”

When the lead-in stage has been accomplished the teacher instructs. This is where he explains exactly what the students should do. He may tell students they are going to work in pairs and the designate one member of each pair as A and the other as B. At this stage, particularly in a monolingual class, it may be a good idea to get a translation of these instructions to make sure the students have understood.

References:

[1]Zhou,Aiming.Tibetan Education. Trans. Wang Guozhen. Beijing:China Intercontinental, Press,2004endprint