The Reference-book-based Adjustment Of English Text Teaching Strategies For Non-English Majors

Traditional English text teaching is taught in a structuralist way, adopting mainly the strategy of explaining elaborately. And the classroom teaching procedure is usually "pre- while- and post-reading", a typical trilogy. Classroom teaching mainly consists of the analysis of the text, especially the explanation of words and sentences, usually a bottom-up way. Undoubtedly, this teaching model works well in fostering students' language knowledge. But at present, it is quite all-pervading that, in English classes, students have reference books in hand besides their textbooks. In reference books, students can easily find plenty of information concerning the text: the explanation of words, phrases and sentences, and keys to all the exercises in the textbook, including the answers to the comprehensive questions about the text. It will influence the teaching effect if English teachers still stick to old teaching strategies, neglecting the fact that students have reference books in class. On the other hand, not all students can use their reference books properly. If students do not use their reference books in a proper way, it will go against the formation of students' good habit of thinking and ability of the English language, and it will have a negative influence on the effect of the teacher's classroom teaching as well.In allusion to this phenomenon, and on the basis of the theory of constructivism, this thesis discusses the adjustment of text teaching strategies for non-English majors in the situation where students have reference books attached to the textbook. Namely, creating student-centered classes by adjusting the teaching strategies to lead students in making full and effective use of reference books and making meaningful construction of knowledge actively, at the same time, developing the abilities of autonomous learning and using the knowledge learned in practice. As the strategies of questioning, vocabulary teaching andreading teaching are closely concerned with students' using reference books, we are to discuss the adjustment of the three types of strategies.This research is mainly a case study.The whole thesis is made up of six parts.Hie following information is provided in the introduction: the background of the research, current researches done on this issue, the purposes and stages of the research.Chapter One introduces the theoretical basis for the research, i.e. the theory of constructivism, which emphasizes student-centered classes, autonomous learning, and the meaningful construction of knowledge, and which regards interaction and collaboration as most important factors in classroom teaching.In order to learn about how students were using their reference books, a survey was carried out. That is the content of Chapter Two. In the survey we found that when using the reference book, many students had neglected the cultural background knowledge of the text. Most students only used the reference book as a source of answers to the teacher's questions or a key book to the exercises. Thus they did not use the reference book effectively.Chapter Three is the main body of the thesis, which discusses the adjustment of teaching strategies of English texts, namely, the strategies of questioning, vocabulary and reading teaching, which are closely related to the situation where students use reference books.Chapter Four is the application of the adjusted strategies to the teaching process. A teaching model fitting the teaching strategies is created. Another survey to students is carried out to learn about the effect of the adjusted teaching strategies.Part Six is the conclusion of this thesis. It is a retrospection of the whole research and the orientation of further study.