Improve English communication skills and build an English teaching and training system

Abstract: The author of this article analyzes the current situation that students’ English communicative ability is generally weak, analyzes the causes of this situation, and proposes to build English teaching that combines in-class and out-of-class English communicative ability as the core training system, and clarifies the specific implementation methods and the issues that teachers should pay attention to in the process of building this system.

Keywords: communicative ability; listening and speaking ability; second classroom; English teaching reform

The famous sociolinguist H.D. Hymes pointed out that “a language learner For a person, his speech ability is not only whether he makes grammatical sentences, but also includes his ability to use language appropriately." He proposed the famous concept of communicative competence. With my country's accession to the WTO, people are paying more and more attention to the social communicative nature of the English language. All aspects of society have put forward higher requirements for the foreign language application ability of college students. Being able to listen and speak is an important manifestation of foreign language application ability. The Ministry of Education has also regarded the English teaching reform aimed at improving students' English communicative skills as one of the four major projects to ensure and improve the quality of undergraduate teaching. The teaching purpose part of the latest revised "College English Teaching Syllabus" clearly stipulates: "The purpose of college English teaching is to cultivate students with strong reading ability and certain listening, speaking, writing and translation abilities, so that they can use English "Exchange information." In the "Several Opinions on Further Strengthening Undergraduate Teaching in Colleges and Universities" at the Second National Undergraduate Teaching Work Conference, it was clearly required to "use the reform of college English teaching as a breakthrough to improve the international communication and cooperation capabilities of college students." Establish a personalized teaching system to effectively improve college students' comprehensive English application ability, especially their listening and speaking abilities. "

Currently, students' English communication skills are relatively weak, mainly in their listening and speaking abilities. There are many reasons for this situation, which can be mainly attributed to the following aspects:

1. The previous CET-4 and CET-6 exams focused on examining students’ reading ability and grammatical knowledge, which led us to The question types for the final exams of each semester are also mainly designed to examine these two aspects. Therefore, in the process of teaching teaching materials, the focus is on explaining grammar knowledge points and word usage, and relatively neglecting the cultivation of students' listening and speaking abilities. . The CET-4 exam is about to undergo major adjustments, and listening and speaking abilities will become the primary content of the examination. Under such circumstances, students' listening and speaking abilities need to be improved urgently.

2. Restricted by teaching conditions, the current class type is too large for English teaching, and students’ knowledge levels vary, making it difficult for teachers to do more than explain the text in just a few dozen minutes. The basic knowledge in the course must be fully mobilized to fully mobilize the enthusiasm of each student to participate. Therefore, after one semester, some students basically do not have many opportunities to practice.

3. Students have too few opportunities to practice. The new words and sentence patterns they have learned have no use and will be forgotten quickly. It is difficult to expand their vocabulary and master new sentence structures, which directly affects them. listening and speaking abilities.

4. Lack of vivid and real language environment.

5. Lack of teachers’ patience, meticulous and accurate guidance and correction.

In view of the current relatively weak situation of students’ English communicative ability, we should start by focusing on cultivating students’ listening and speaking abilities to help students improve their English communicative ability so that they can use the language knowledge they have learned and the skills they have gradually established. Solid language skills enable effective and appropriate communication with different audiences on different occasions. It is also a response to the major reform of the College English Test Band 4 that focuses on listening and speaking abilities.

So, what methods should we take?

The latest revision of the "College English Teaching Syllabus" clearly states that "creating a good language environment and making full use of modern teaching methods" and "carrying out a variety of English extracurricular activities will help improve students' ability to learn English." Interest and enthusiasm. "To comprehensively improve students' English communicative ability, only four hours of class per week is far from enough, which is neither in line with the rules of learning nor the rules of education.

Therefore, we have designed classroom teaching as the main line, while opening up a second classroom to create an ideal learning environment for students to improve their English communicative abilities, so that in-class teaching and out-of-class training can be combined to form a complete and mutually supporting system. scientific circulation system.

1． In the second class, communicative activities are the main content to comprehensively strengthen the cultivation of students' listening and speaking abilities. Classroom activities can take the form of pair activities, group activities, role plays, short plays, storytelling, interviews, etc. Teachers are no longer just providers of knowledge, but play the role of managers, demonstrators, monitors, counselors, information providers and facilitators. They actively create a foreign language environment for students and try to cultivate students' interest in listening and speaking English. , let them see their continuous progress in English learning, know their ability to actually use English, constantly overcome shortcomings, make new progress, and further strengthen their self-confidence.

2． We also invite foreign teachers to enter the second classroom to provide detailed guidance and correction to students' pronunciation and language expression, and provide step-by-step and highly targeted training on students' listening, speaking, and writing abilities from the perspective of cultural differences. nourish.

3. Actively optimize the campus English learning environment, organize students to read English newspapers and periodicals, and be exposed to the latest English news; help students establish English broadcasts and English corners; organize various extracurricular activities such as English speeches and English communicative ability competitions, so that students have more opportunities Opportunities to be exposed to English.

4. Use modern teaching methods, such as audio, video, film, television, the Internet, and multimedia courseware to provide students with vivid learning materials and create a good learning environment.

5. Regularly test the formation and development of students' listening and speaking abilities in various forms, comment on the test results, continuously summarize and provide micro-guidance, so that students can see their achievements and shortcomings, constantly improve and make progress. Classes that carry out second classroom activities can be compared with classes that are taught according to previous teaching methods, and analysis data can be provided in the form of assessments.

Haims further explained that there are two important aspects in the process of people using language to communicate: first, what thoughts are expressed in language, that is, content; second, how to use language to express thoughts, that is, language expression form. Therefore, teachers should do the following in the teaching process:

1. First of all, clarify the purpose of English teaching - to teach students to develop the ability to use English for communication creatively and purposefully, so that students can Reorganize the language knowledge learned in new situations and creatively express students' own thoughts and emotions.

2. Make it clear that the communicative function is the most essential function of language. As a communication tool, English can be better mastered by students through English communication activities and interesting teaching activities.

3. It should be made clear that teaching must be based on the actual situation of students. Students are the main body of learning and the internal cause, and teachers are the external cause. The teacher's task is to create and provide students with real, realistic language communication environments and situations and opportunities to use language creatively, so that students can freely express their thoughts and emotions in the process of language use.

Judging from the situation across the country, English teaching has entered a situation where it has to change. In the past, the fourth and sixth level baton made students not have the corresponding language communication skills even if they passed the exam, which was contrary to the talent training goals determined by the country. We must actively encourage students to integrate English language practice into daily study and life, use English to communicate to the maximum extent, and truly and completely eradicate the problem that some Chinese people have difficulty in learning English because they are afraid of making mistakes and being laughed at. It is a common problem of "dumb English"; truly liberate the mind and use all available space and occasions to practice English language. Really realize that it is difficult for a Chinese with inaccurate pronunciation of English and poor listening and speaking skills to successfully use English as a tool for language communication. As Chinese descendants of Yan and Huang, the ultimate goal of learning British language and writing is to master and use this language tool that is commonly used internationally and has the widest range.

Using this tool, we, the Chinese nation, can conduct cultural and scientific exchanges with other nations in the world, build bridges of friendship, carry forward the excellent traditional culture of our Chinese nation, develop science and technology, and absorb the cultural and scientific essence of all nations, truly Let China always be prosperous, always stand like a giant in the east of the world, and always stand among the nations of the world. With the increasingly close international exchanges and cooperation, as talents in the new era, having excellent English communication skills is the general trend and an inevitable requirement for development. We should establish a scientific outlook on development, continuously strengthen our own construction, and regard improving English communication skills as one of the goals of learning. In future work practice, we will surely be more powerful than ever before.

(Author’s unit: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Section, Basic Department, China Criminal Police College)