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A Study Of Experiential Learning In College English Teaching

Posted on:2010-03-25Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:L F HongFull Text:PDF
GTID:2195360275467207Subject:English Language and Literature
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Obviously there are many problems in current college English teaching in China.First of all,a majority of the students in colleges or universities has poor integrative ability of applying language.The whole process of English learning is heavily influenced by examinations. Secondly,it is short of high-level and rich experienced teachers of English in colleges or universities.Many teachers lack teaching training.They do not have a thorough study on how to improve students' communicative competence,cultivate students' learning interest and autonomous learning.At last,in teaching practice the opportunity to cultivate students' communicative ability is few because classroom time is limited while the class size is big.Experiential learning emphasizes learning from direct experience,that is,learning through sensing experiences,emphasizes that the learners act on their autonomous learning;and emphasizes on the process of studying and changing what they have learned into their own knowledge and master the knowledge.It is a student-centered learning style in which students are engaged in experiencing to get new knowledge and skills.Nowadays many Chinese colleges have attempted to set their own experiential teaching models.However,those models do not emphasize the central role of experience.They do not solve the problem of how to experience to learn and learn to experience.The solution to this problem will improve the teaching quality greatly.Based on the above reasons,this research proposes that learning English from experiencing.It intends to apply "Experiential Learning" to college English teaching practice, and tries to set up a new experiential teaching model applicable to Chinese college English teaching.This thesis consists of seven chapters:Chapter one serves as an introduction,aiming at stating the current situation of the college English teaching in China and the purposes of this paper.Chapter two introduces the theories about experiential learning and teaching.Chapter three discusses the literature review of the experiential learning abroad and in China.Chapter four explains the theoretical base of model for college English experiential learning and teaching.It describes constructivism,humanism,experiential learning cycle models of different stages,and Kolb's model on experiential learning.Chapter five introduces model for college English experiential learning and teaching in China.First of all,models for college English experiential learning and teaching established by some colleges and universities are summarized.Then a new model for college English experiential learning and teaching(NMCEELT) is introduced in detail.It includes principles, framework,teaching approaches,teaching strategies and a teaching example.Finally changes in roles and structures are stated.Chapter six is an empirical study of the NMCEELT.A teaching experiment is conducted in Northeast Forestry University with two classes in Grade One.One is taken as the experimental class,and the other is taken as the control class.The whole experiment chapter is made up of four parts.Firstly,the pretest and posttest are conducted.Secondly,the writing performance in the posttest paper of the experimental class and control class is compared and analyzed.Thirdly,nearly at the end of the semester,a questionnaire is distributed to the students in experimental class and the results are analyzed.Finally,the students in the experimental class are chosen randomly to have an interview.Through the above four instruments the experimental results are eventually obtained.Chapter seven is the conclusion.The study of experiential learning conducted in the previous chapters is summed up.The findings of this thesis are introduced and the limitations of this paper are pointed out.This thesis proves that the new model for college English experiential learning teaching is of science,practicality,affectivity and applicability.It is undeniable that the NMCEELT will exert a positive influence on college English teaching and learning reform in China.In Chinese college English teaching practice,teachers should flexibly use teaching strategies to allow students experience so as to learn in experiencing and experience in learning according to various teaching objects and teaching materials.Only by doing so,can the NMCEELT work the most effectively in China.
Keywords/Search Tags:experiential learning, experiential learning cycle models, experiential teaching model, college English teaching
PDF Full Text Request
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