Individual-Oriented Teaching Method: An Introduction And Extension Of Theory X-Y For English Education In The Chinese Context

Many researches intended to diagnose the problems of much-criticized English education in China lead to the recognition of a large class size as one of the hampering factors. However, lack of qualified English teachers and the increasing enrollment in colleges and universities make it impossible, at least in the near future, to deliver lessons in small classes. Hence a more realistic solution is the one that minimizes the harm of a large class size to English education. A closer scrutiny on a small language class revealing that the advantage of a small class lies in the individualization of instruction indicates that the solution is that individualized instruction should be provided in a large class. This thesis is an effort in this direction.To individualize instruction involves a full understanding of individual learning differences. The lack of an integration of different theoretical models produced by the previous researches prevents, instead of helping, us from identifying, measuring, managing, and supporting the variability in individual learning in classroom teaching by making the whole picture more complicated. Through introducing Theory X-Y into the English education context, this thesis uses X-Y as a comprehensive learner variable since it represents major learner variables identified in the previous researches. On the basis of a large-scale survey, it is found that learners in a large class can be roughly slotted to four categories: X Learner, GX Learner, GY Learner and Y Learner. Each category of learners have their own characteristics and demand differentiated instruction from the teacher. Based on this finding, the thesis proposes a new teaching method — Individual-Oriented Teaching Method, together with its principles in material selection, classroom management, assessment and so on. The main objectives of the teaching method are to individualize instruction to different learner categories and to empower learners. The teaching method was applied in actual teaching to find out if it is effective. The practice lasted for one year and the statistics of both experimental class and control class were obtained and analyzed. The result reveals significant improvement in English achievement and great progress toward learner empowerment in the experimental class compared with the control class. In the experimental class all categories of learners made significant progress while in the control class GY Learners benefited most. The findings give evidence that X-Y variable helps educators understand, predict, and support the variability of learning. The Individual-Oriented Teaching Method can serve the purpose of matching instruction with individual learners in a large class.