英國語言學家D.A.Wilkins說過:“沒有語法,能夠表達的內容很少;沒有詞匯,則根本沒有可表達的內容?!?因此詞匯學習是外語學習者在習得語言時最重要的環節之一。詞匯是語言的載體,沒有詞匯,語言就失去了實際意義。
對于高中生詞匯學習態度、策略及效果,筆者做過調查。調查對象是某普高高二學生,調查結論如下:詞匯是學英語的難點,學生花費較多時間精力,但收效不佳,相當多的英語教師在詞匯教學時,依據單詞表講解詞義和用法,脫離語境進行詞匯教學。
基于此,筆者在探索高中詞匯教學上做了一些實踐。
理論依據:
(1)語義場理論
語義場理論是德國學者特雷爾提出的。他認為,詞語不是孤零零地存在于詞匯體系中,而是相互聯系,相互依存。每個詞都身處其親屬概念之間。這些詞相互之間構成一個自成系統的整體,具有它們共有的語義成分,體現了它們的核心概念。
(2)新課標強調學生應在語境中理解詞匯的意義和詞匯的表意功能,而不是單純學習和記憶詞匯本身的含義;用“學會使用”代替以往的“掌握”。
基于上述理論并結合諸多高中英語教師的經驗,筆者在圍繞單元話題進行詞匯整體教學上做了探討。即圍繞某一主題,把原來孤立的詞匯關聯起來。每單元從句、篇層面設計單詞拼寫、選詞填空、完成句子、翻譯句子等。這樣做的好處是,一案在手,什么都有。單詞記了,完形,閱讀,語法填空練了,寫作滲透了。
以下是“生物與自然”主題詞匯的部分學案:
(1)頭腦風暴
植物:Branch, fiber, harvest, sow...;動物:insect, dinosaur, worm, pest...
肢體部位:horn, nail, organ, tail...;生物保護:endangered, extinct, survive, die out...
自然地貌:canal, desert, jungle, valley...;相關詞匯:attack, feed, give out, take in...
(2)綜合訓練
1. 單詞正確形式填空
1) When an animal is under ? ? ? ? ? , it can run away or fight back.
2) I think the birds must have eaten all the seeds I ? ? ? ? ? ?last month!
3) The plants may not ? ? ? ? ? ?the frost.
4) Over-fishing is harmful to the ? ? ? ? ? ?of the sea.
5) The Panama ? ? ? ? ? ?joins the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.
2. 短語正確形式填空
1) Dinosaurs ? ? ? ? ? ?suddenly about 65 million years ago.
2) Trees ? ? ? ? ? ?carbon dioxide and give out oxygen.
3) During drought, desert elephants are unlikely to? ? ? ? ? ?their young.?
4) Many animals and plants are ? ? ? ? ? ?disappearing forever.
5) Laws were established to ? ? ? ? ? ?the wolves? ? ? ? ? ?people who catch the animals for their fun.
3. 完成短文
Within a nation, mountain ranges become natural resources for settlement areas. In the U.S., major mountain ranges are the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains.
Fresh water sources also ? ?1 ? ?where people settle. Throughout history, people have ? ?2 ? ?near fresh water. Living near a water source helps ? ?3 ? ?that people have the water they need. There was an added bonus, too. Water could be used as a travel route for people and goods. Many people live near popular water sources, such as the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.
Mountains and ? ?4 ? ?have been settled by fewer people. However, they have ? ?5 ? ?resources of their own.
在上述層層遞進的學練中,通過適當的語言環境和語言實踐的機會,學生自己體驗、感知、實踐、參與和交流,清楚了詞匯的意義,明白了恰當使用這些語言形式的時機。這不僅有助于他們掌握詞匯,而且能較好地解決遺忘的問題。
作者簡介:柴欣(1979-),女,漢族,山東青島人,本科學歷,青島西海岸新區第五高級中學,中學教師,研究方向:高中英語教學。
(作者單位:山東省青島西海岸新區第五高級中學)