A Study On Oral English Teaching On Elementary Level Based On Behaviorist Learning Theory

With the development of science and technology, communication among countries and nations is booming. English, as the world language, plays a crucial role in modern society. In order to fulfill the aim of intercultural communication, English users need to acquire a good speech competence. Studies on oral English teaching have therefore become a field that draws wide concern. After 1980s, there has appeared a tendency that communication competence was over-emphasized and therefore the language form and structure were ignored. Especially with the rise of Communicative Approach combined with the influence of theories proposed by Krashen and Chomsky, traditional method which has been played an important guiding role in practical English teaching for years gradually fades out. However, the consequences are that students are seemingly more fluent but actually less accurate in both spoken and written expressions. Moreover, as their practice of English developing, students are more likely to find themselves in difficulties in adopting the proper language form or structure to express, which hence restrict and hinder the development of future communicative competence.To solve this problem, the writer believes that practice of grammar and language structure should be paid attention by teachers. English language teaching in China setting belongs to foreign language teaching but not second language. For oral English teaching, pure communicative method is not feasible. A thing with good beginning is half done. Excellent communicative competence needs solid linguistic knowledge as its foundation. In order to enhance the speaking ability of Chinese English learners, especially those on elementary level, and to lay a solid foundation for future development, the writer believes that the most suitable and feasible teaching method should be a method on the basis of behaviorist learning theory. The writer asserts that through pattern drills on language structure and grammar rules, elementary learners could reach a stage when they can use habitually and naturally what they have trained as well as with little grammatical or structural mistakes. We know that any method aiming at promoting speaking ability takes time to show their effectiveness. Ellis (1992) points out that grammar and form teaching do aid foreign language teaching, but not necessarily in the way in which teachers often think it does: they have a delayed rather than instant effect. Therefore the writer does not possess required sufficient time to carry out a pedagogical experiment. However, the writer does find two successful oral English teaching cases and analyzes the contributing elements to their success. The analysis finds that, from their adoption of instructional material to their major teaching methods and techniques employed during the class, the two cases show elements based on behaviorist learning theory and grammar and language form are given priority. In both cases, students' ability in oral English abilities have been successfully enhance, especially from the perspective of accuracy. Besides, their have gradually built up their confidence during the process. From the analysis of these two successful oral English teaching cases, we may say that teaching oral English on the basis of behaviorist learning theory, and with emphasis on grammar and language forms, can help to promote the speaking ability of learners at elementary level and hence lay a solid foundation for future development.