An Action Research On "Debate-Oriented Classroom Teaching"

College English Curriculum Requirements has been drawn up to provide colleges and universities with the guidance for English instruction to non-English majors. It pointes out that the teaching objectives of College English is to cultivate the students'comprehensive abilities, especially the speaking ability and listening abilities so that they can communicate with others effectively in their future work and social communication. It is a guided document for College English teaching in China. Therefore, improving the students'listening comprehension and oral English is the requirement of the new synopsis. How to improve the students listening and speaking abilities is of critical importance to the successful reform in College English teaching.Since 1947 when Kurt Lewin initiates the concept of action research, there has been a general belief in education field that action research is an effective way for teacher development, which serves as a bridge combining theory with practice. Stenhouse (1979:243) advocates the notion of"teacher-researcher", and thinks that action research differs from traditional research or qualitative research in teachers'participation in research.. After a systematic and comprehensive research about action research in China from 1996 to 2007, the author finds out that the focus of action research in China is mainly on the introduction to the theory and little is done(especially in the field of oral English teaching) in practice.Therefore, from September 10, 2007 to January 11, 2008, the author implements an action research project among Logistics Majors enrolled in 2007 in a military academy in Ningbo city. The purpose of the project is to solve the following two problems in the teaching practice: Is the"debate-oriented classroom teaching"really helpful to the students'oral and listening ability? If yes, to what degree? What are the effective ways to improve the"debate-oriented classroom teaching"?A seven-step sequential model of action research is adopted for the present research project. These seven steps are: 1) problem identification 2) preliminary investigation 3) restatement of the problem 4) actions plan; 5) fine-tuning of the plan in the middle of the project 6) reporting the results; 7) reflections. By analyzing the data collected at the beginning of the semester, it is found that there are some problems that affect the efficacy of the"debate-oriented classroom teaching": non-interesting topics of the debate; students'poor preparations; the teacher's poor organization; the students'role. The author has made a systematic and detailed action plan that lasts 15 weeks during which a general debate introduction and some debate skills and strategies are introduced and some practical debate trainings are also offered step by step.Based on both qualitative and quantitative research approach, data are obtained from questionnaires, interviews, teacher's log, students'logs, classroom observations, examinations etc. It is indicated that the"debate-oriented classroom teaching"is helpful to the College Oral English teaching and thus further illustrates its practicality and feasibility under the guidance of the action research. The demonstration of the Action Research is effective not only in improving the author's self-awareness and self renewal in teaching practice, but has achieved the aim of doing research in teaching practice ,to the teaching practice ,and for the teaching practice.