Research On Selection And Compilation Of Modern Poems In Middle School Chinese Language Textbooks Published By People’s Education Press

As a product of the New Culture Movement at the time of May 4th Movement,modern poetry had freed itself from the shackles of the old format of rhymed verse,and inherited from ancient poetry the beauty of being concise and rhythmic,meanwhile,possessed the quality of unchained freedom.Being the crystallization of arts in Chinese culture and an important part of Chinese Language teaching and study in middle schools,the study of the masterpieces of modern poetry can help students improve their capability in deployment of the language and words,aesthetics and innovation,thus cultivate their core literacy in Chinese Language and enhance their overall competency.But currently,teaching and study of modern poetry has little room for optimism,as nowadays,the teaching and study of poetry is in a status of “preference of ancient poems over modern ones”.Furthermore,from the perspective of viewing poetry as a genre of literature,more emphasis is attached to classic poetry,while modern poetry receives little attention,no matter it is selection and compilation of textbooks or methodology of teaching and study.In consideration of this background,this essay herein conducts researches on selection and compilation of modern poems in middle school Chinese Language textbooks,in an effort to discovering its trend and the reasons behind,and coming out with some corresponding proposals on teaching and study.I sincerely hope that my humble work can be of some contribution to the teaching and study of modern poetry.The essay is consisted of five parts,as follows.The first part is to introduce in details the circumstance behind and the effects of the research,to pin-point the objective of the research,to expound on current status of selection and compilation of modern poetry,as well as its teaching and study,to define the definition of modern poetry,and to explain the methodology of the research.The second part is Chapter One,to classify and sort up modern poems which have been included in those five People’s Education Press’ versions of Chinese Language textbooks used in middle schools since the founding of the New China,to present the changes of articles,quantity,themes and specific period of selected modern poems all through those five editions of textbooks,and to demonstrate the evolution of compilation of modern poems from the aspect of type of article,reading assistance system,practice system and writing requirements.The third part is Chapter Two,to sum up the trend of modern poetry selection and compilation in middle school Chinese Language textbooks based on Chapter One.Five main trends are listed as follows: 1.Return to classics.2.Emphasis on diversity.3.Accommodation to characteristics of the times,highlighting the education of aesthetics.4.Addressing the practical needs of students by attaching importance to correlation between reading and writing.5.Improving guidance on teaching and study,with stress on fostering self-study ability.Besides,cause analysis done for the evolution of modern poems compilation through those five editions.There are four of them,namely,tight linkage with characteristics of the times,compliance to the Syllabus and standard requirements on curriculums,addressing the needs for development of students,and adaption to evolution of modern poetry.The fourth part is Chapter Three,to put out four suggestions on teaching and study according to the trend of modern poems compilation in middle school textbooks.Firstly,we should focus on aesthetic value of modern poetry,and enhance teachers’ competence in teaching and study.Secondly,textbooks and curriculum standards should be studied in details,objectives of teaching and study should be clearly defined.Teachers should not only define the objectives of teaching and study of modern poetry in curriculum standards,but also sort out the graded objectives of modern poetry in textbooks.Thirdly,students should be guided to appreciate modern poems and learn the methods of assessing them,mainly through the following methods: reading the poems loudly and repeatedly to feel the sentiments;getting familiar with specific symbols and images to understand poetic language;using associated thinking and imagination to appreciate the wonderland spun by poems;tasting the rhyme and beauty of poems through comparative study;constructing poetic spaces and creating poems with bold imagination.Lastly,the intention of textbook compilers should be fully understood,and students’ self-study ability should be cultivated.Teachers should put into full play the advantage of article-reading by students themselves,and help students to put into practice what they have learned in the Unit of “Activities &Exploration”.The fifth part is the Conclusion,for summary of and reflection on the research done in this essay,and show prospects of possible future researches on this essay.