The Measures Of Teaching Science Fictions In Junior High School In Chinese

Influenced by Western science fiction, there appeared a small nationwide upsurge of science-fiction craze in mainland China in the early 20th century. In the following years, Chinese people have become more and more open-minded. With the improvement of their understanding, there have been more and more access to China's science fiction readers, especially the young people, although neither the study on literature styles nor the writing of novels have been supported as orthodox literature. As early as in 1953, Sam·Moscow Abramowitz, a professor of New York City College introduced science fiction into the university class teaching. In the 1970s, Britain, Japan and the former Soviet Union also offered a course as an introduction to science fiction novels in middle schools and universities, of which the teaching purposes, content as well as the methods was also studied in foreign countries. In 1991, an optional course to teach science fiction for undergraduate students was designed by Professor Wu Yan from Beijing Normal University, and what he did can be said as unprecedented in the history of science fiction teaching in China. With the development of educational reforms in middle schools, science fiction teaching came into being in their classrooms. Since 2003, several science fiction novels have been selected as reading texts in the current junior school experimental textbooks in China. Up to now the study of the science fiction has just been focused on literary theory, such as the cultural background, the feature of the development, the authors and their process of creating, the genre and analysis of science fiction and so on. As for the teaching of science fiction, especially the teaching in middle hasn't attracted much attention yet.This article is mainly aimed at the core issue - science fiction teaching method in middle schools. It includes not only preliminary statistics of the achievement in science fiction teaching at home and abroad, which is carried out by the related theory of science fiction, but also the results of a survey on the teaching of science fiction, the existing problems and their causes both in teaching and learning; the suggestions on resetting the content and purpose of science fiction teaching in the junior schools. Tentative explorations have been made to get rid of the traditional teaching model which is carried out from content to form, from paragraph to the theme of the novel. This article is developed by two parts:Part I:Analyze the present situation of science fiction teaching in junior schools--the existing problems and their causes. The complete new features areas follows:First, from a modern literature point of view re-examine the issue of novel teaching, trying to get out of the routine of traditional novel teaching. Second through detailed observation and induction expose the problems in the current science fiction teaching, revealing underlying causes of inefficient status.The basic content is divided into three:1. Analysis of the selected teaching materials. On basis of the definition and the characteristics of science fiction, the educational value of science fiction to middle school students has been made clear. The selected science fiction teaching materials in present junior school textbooks are sorted, and the features of which are analyzed.2. Outcome of the survey on the status of science fiction reading by the students. A recent survey on 127 students in the Middle School of Huazhong Agricultural University shows:Because of the lack of proper guidance, though the students show special preference to science fiction, they just enjoy the fantastical and exaggerated outward form of science fictions. The survey is conducted in two aspects, one is the students' interest in reading the text, and the other is the acceptance of the selected materials.3. Imperfections of present science fiction teaching and the causes. With the assistance of the representative teaching cases in science fiction teaching, bring the real facts to the readers - the generalization of the content, the dislocation of the goals, and the antiquated teaching methods, which are in connection with the professional quality of teachers and current educational system in China.Part II:Elaborate the primary exploration and practice in junior school science fiction teaching. Take the selection of William. Coues "Alien ET" in middle school Chinese textbooks of Hubei Province for example, two different methods are tried according to the characteristics of science fiction. They are:interest lead-in method and research-based learning method.1. Interest lead-in method. Establish a platform for reading on line so as to break the limitations of the selected reading materials in books and guide the students to read widely. With the guidance of the teachers, students are told to collect the information on the alien legend, alien-related film and TV plays, then exchange among themselves. Thus, their curiosity has fully been aroused, the result of which leads to their expansion of the imagination. That's a good foundation for next step.2. Research-based learning method. Divide the students into four groups to do the independent study, trying to let them have a clear understanding of the characteristics of the science fiction, the comparisons of alien visualization, the expansion of the alien theme and the exploration of the text works. Under the guidance of inquiry learning theory and methods, the students can develop their own opinions, and finally design their own works. This aims at breaking with tradition, helping students ignite the passion for learning, open their eyes to social cultural and enrich their imagination in order to make our course content meet the needs of students.The conclusion part of the article makes an appeal to teaching mode innovation to improve teaching means and methods, and ways of reading, take full advantage of science fiction fantasy features and its literary forms to create the imagination and creativity of the students. Hope to call enough attention to the teaching of science fiction and give colleagues some enlightenment.