The Application Of "Learning By Doing" To Intensive English In Higher Vocational College

"Learning by Doing" approach originates in American, and it advocates that languages and behavior should get linked, allowing students to participate in practical "Doing" to learn foreign languages and to focus on the interaction pattern in language learning. Since students learn English better in a relaxing circumstance, while nervous and irritable moods are bad for learning, the teachers should try their best to create a favorable condition. For this purpose, students can acquire, summarize and conclude new knowledge from "Doing" it by themselves, all of which aim to realize the purpose of "Learning." In China,"Learning by Doing" teaching approach has been developed in2001. It carries out the "Doing" for learning. During the "Doing" process, students can learn how to do the participation, communication and cooperation."Learning by Doing" approach holds that learning should be student-centered, thus helps to develop students’cooperative learning and improves their comprehensive language proficiency and it especially recognizes and accepts by the linguists and foreign language teachers.Participants of the study are non-English major sophomores at Shaanxi College of Communication Technology.50are selected in Class One, which is taken as the experimental class and50are selected in Class Two, which form the controlled class. Present study aims to address the following questions:Is "Learning by Doing" helpful for learning English? What is the impact of "Learning by Doing" on five-year Higher Vocational English course? How to appropriately apply the approach of "Learning by Doing" to higher vocational English classroom teaching? This thesis illustrates "Learning by Doing" approach for English classroom teaching, providing suggestions on how to improve the traditional Five-year Higher Vocational College English teaching in classroom and to upgrade students’English proficiency.This study confirms the results of the previous theoretical and empirical studies, further discusses how to take advantage of "Doing" to cultivate learner autonomy and emphasizes that Five-year Higher Vocational College English teachers should attach importance to the improvement of students’ independent learning ability and instruction of learning strategies, thus enhancing learning efficiency, promoting English teaching and innovation in the institutions of higher learning and eventually achieving the goal of shifting from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning. Based on the results of investigations and interviews, the following suggestions are made:First, teachers should change the teaching belief and attitude and understand ’’Learning by Doing" approach comprehensively and correctly. Second, teachers should improve their qualities and the abilities of designing and operating "Doing" to ensure the effective implementation of "Learning by Doing" approach. Third, teachers should encourage students to express their views frequently and confidently and guide the students to complete the assigned tasks so as to improve the students’ integrated language skills.