Interpreting English Learning Strategy Of Recitation In A Junior School From The Cultural Perspective: A Case Study

In the new round of English curriculum innovation, to guide and instruct the learners to use appropriate learning strategies, which is one of the five English learning goals, was raised explicitly in The English Curriculum Standards for General Senior High Schools (experimental edition) (China Ministry of Education:2001). And for decades, in foreign language teaching and learning aspects, many western foreign language learning and teaching theories, such as second language acquisition theories and communication language teaching approaches, etc. were introduced to China. According to these theories, to achieve the communicative function of language, it is necessary to learn a foreign language by the strategies of "acquisition" and communication, which are thought to be "nontraditional" and focus on language meanings. While in English language teaching and learning practice in Chinese high schools, as one of the language learning strategies, recitation, which stresses language forms and is considered traditional, is still regarded as precious treasure for the Chinese to learn languages and used widely in the process of English language learning.For this, the paper attempts to analyze and interpret the cultural meanings underlying the selection of recitation strategy from the Chinese local cultural perspective. More concretely, the paper is intended to explore the following two research questions:1. To what extent do Chinese traditional beliefs and theories on education and learning influence the target learners'selection of English language learning strategies? 2. What Chinese cultural characteristics does recitation embody? This case study was conducted in Class 1, Grade 8 in a junior school in the city of Pingdingshan, Henan Province. The sample selected includes the English teacher and all her learners in the target class. To facilitate this study, several research methods were adopted, such as questionnaire, interview and classroom observation. It lasted for about five months, across the learners'late first and early second school year in their junior high. Plenty of detailed data were collected at the meantime.1. People's common beliefs and theories on education and learning, which are deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, decide the target learners'selection of their English learning strategies to the greatest extent. For instance, affected by the target learners'perceptions to teachers'functions and the role a teacher plays in learners'learning according to traditional Chinese culture, and moreover, influenced by the traditional Chinese language learning contents theory, i.e., "To take classics as examples, forms priority, and to apply knowledge into practice", the learning strategy of recitation is widely accepted. These learners'English language learning practice proves that English language knowledge accumulated by recitation could greatly promote their language practice skills, such as their English writing, their spoken English, etc. It is a strategy that accords with the Chinese learners'own language learning habits and could be selected as their main English learning strategy;2. The long-established national qualities of the Chinese people since ancient time in China, i.e., hard-working and industrious, decide that the target learners were more willing to invest much effort and time in their English recitation, so that their English could be learned well, even though the strategy of recitation is criticized to be time-consuming and laborious by some people. That is another reason why recitation was approved and selected as one of their English learning strategies;3. The long and massive Chinese history built up the Chinese people the strong national identity and the sense of national pride. Just because of such national qualities, to a large degree, the target English learners would disapprove, and even reject those foreign language learning strategies that are rooted into the foreign cultures when learning English. Thus conflicts between Chinese culture and foreign cultures emerge in the aspects of education and learning styles. Therefore, the target learners preferred more to the English learning strategies that are rooted into the Chinese culture, such as recitation, to the strategies such as communicative approaches, and the task-based language teaching and learning models, which are developed from the former.Nowadays, the whole nation is working at realizing great rejuvenation of China. To be the soul of Chinese nation, Chinese culture should be greatly promoted. As a part of Chinese cultural activities, to learn a language, including a foreign language, those traditional learning strategies that are reasonable and effective are also worth inheriting and developing. Because of the tremendous differences between Chinese culture and foreign cultures, especially the western cultures, in the learning theories and ideas that are rooted into foreign cultures, it is inappropriate to accept blindly and completely. It is appropriate to have a necessary selection, taking traditional Chinese culture into consideration.This study ventures to provide a cultural way of understanding the conflicts underlying selections of English language learning strategies during the course of English curriculum implementation in high schools. Meanwhile, it may illuminate the means for future English curriculum innovation and implementation.