Conducting Composition Teaching By The Dialogue View Of Chinese Language Education

Chinese language education in ancient times was purely moral indoctrination, and composition lessons were nothing but training of "simultaneous interpretation" for those classic words by sages. In modern times, Chinese language teaching becomes acquisition of the knowledge of Chinese language, and composition practice is to train students into "proficient operators" led by composition knowledge. What we want to do is to transform these indoctrination-type or training-type educations into dialogue-type teaching. Dialogue is the meeting of the visions of two persons based on the fact that they can be equal with each other, listen attentively to each other, be open with each other and accept each other. In this sense it is the spirit or consciousness dedicated to understanding each other, cooperating with each other, inspiring each other and creating new things together. Education is dialogue. Listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in Chinese language education can all be considered dialogues. Looking at composition teaching from the perspectives of dialogue, we can find composition is dialogue. The external purpose of composition is a dialogue between the writer and the readers, but if we look at the coming into being of language, we find it is a dialogue with oneself. Writing is to listen to one's own heart and use one's own language to talk to oneself. A student can find himself, identify himself, promote himself and develop himself by this type of self-self dialogue ("self" in reality—"self" in reflective thinking). It is a must for students to develop their self-dialogue in order to improve writing (dialogue) capability. Students need to learn to find words and put them well. "Brainstorming" and "free writing" are two feasible training ways in composition teaching.