The Application Of Problem-based Learning In Middle School English Class

With the development of global economy, China is in a phase of industrial, scientific and commercial expansion that would make it the world's largest economy in the near future. As a result of this development, English has become an important subject at school, especially in the middle school. However, the present situation of English teaching in China is not satisfying. There exist in students such problems as Severe Polarization, Lack of Interest in English, and High Forgetting Rate. In order to solve those problems, this thesis analyzes the elements that affect the learning interest and memory of the students, and try to find a tentative English teaching method to develop the interest and the ability of middle school students in learning English.Through the study and comparison of pedagogy, psychology and other educational theories as well as linguistics and the foreign languages' teaching approaches and methods at home and abroad, and the analysis of the English language-teaching situation, the author put problem-based learning method into practice with the teaching design of 3-steps in middle school English class. The "3-step" in this thesis means Question Accumulation, Question Solving, and Practice and Reinforcement. The purpose of the-research is to develop the students' learning interest and reinforce their competence of English, and finally to improve the students' listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities efficiently.The 3-step English teaching design aims at intensive reading in middle school English class. Through the research and application of this method, the thesis shows that: 1. The scores of the students have been increased in different levels. 2. The students' language competence can also be primarily developed. 3. The students' learning interest can be motivated. 4. The students can learn actively by themselves. 5. The self-learning ability including learning strategy of the students has been cultivated.The thesis concludes that the 3-step English teaching under the guidance of problem-based learning method is effective, especially to increase the interest and to develop the self-learning ability of the students in the basic period of middle school English teaching.