中国外语教学的十大神话Ten Myths of TEFL in China

2006年10月28至29日，江苏省教育学会外语教学专业委员会2006年年会在扬州市扬州中学召开。来自本省的120多位外语专业人士，以及扬州地区近100位外语教师出席了年会。会议由省教育学会外语教学专业委员会主办。国家基础教育实验中心外语教育研究中心秘书长、国际英语外语教师协会中国分会会长、英语辅导报社社长兼总编辑、英语“四位一体”教学法创始人包天仁教授也应邀出席了这届年会。

在第一天的大会上包天仁教授作了题为“中国外语教学的内涵”的报告，首次旗帜鲜明地批驳了当前我国英语外语教学中的十大神话。这十大神话是：

（一）交际能力是中国基础英语的教学目标。

（二）中国的英语教学类型是二语教学。

（三）交际法是最好的英语教学法。

（四）在中国的英语教学中输出型教学是最好的教学模式。

（五）课堂教学活动应该是以学习者为中心。

（六）在中国英语可以自然习得。

（七）在中国排除汉语的课堂是最佳英语课堂。

（八）在中国双语教育是学习英语的最佳途径。

（九）全球化的英语教材适用于中国英语教学。

（十）在英语教学中纠错是没有必要的。

包天仁教授在肯定了我国英语教学改革和推进素质教育所取得的成绩同时，从理论的高度分析了我国中小学英语教学领域所存在的种种弊端，指出我国的英语教学类型是外语教学（TEFL），其教学方法虽然可以从母语教学和二语教学方法中借鉴，但因其教学环境的特殊性，不能完全照搬国外所谓的先进理念和时髦教学法。我国的英语教学应该因地制宜，走自己的语言教学道路。

随着英语教学改革的进一步深入，广大英语教师仍然有许多困惑需要解决。这些困惑有理论层面的，也有操作层面的。包天仁教授批驳的当前我国英语外语教学中的十大神话，从理论和实践两个方面对中国的外语教学实际做出了精辟的分析，不仅指明了我国英语外语教学的发展战略，为广大英语教师解答了诸多困惑，而且为广大教师提供了理论依据，使他们可以根据本地的教学实际，以戳穿“十大神话”为教学科研课题，端正方向，走出误区，有针对性地开展英语“四位一体”教学法实验，扎扎实实打好“双基”，循序渐进培养能力、提高素质，切实提高我国英语教学效率。

下面刊登的是包天仁教授的报告英文提纲。

（全国英语“四位一体”教学法研究所供稿）

Ten Myths of TEFL in China

Bao Tianren

(28/10/06 Yangzhou)

I. “English communicative competence” is the aim of China's basic English teaching and learning

    ●Communicative competence is only listening and speaking．

    ●Listening and speaking are more important than reading and writing．

    ●An authentic English environment can be created in China.

II. The type of ELT in China is TESL

    ● No distinction between TESL and TEFL．

    ● TEFL in China is the same as the TEFL in other countries．

    ● The theories of TESL can be adopted in China．

III. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is the best approach to China's ELT

    ● The Chinese Non-NESTs are capable of using CLT．

    ● TBLT should be promoted in China.

    ● TBLT can be used in the whole process of teaching and learning English．

    ● Tasks are better than controlled practice and exercises．

IV. Output-based instruction is the best teaching model in China’s English teaching

    ● Development of productive skills precedes (comes before) the receptive skills．

    ● Concentrated input is a waste of time．

    ● Doing (using) to learn is better than learning to use．

    ● Students need to use English and perform in English right after the presentation of new language.

V. The classroom activities should be learner-centred

    ● Teachers should be the guides, assistants of the large classes．

    ● Learners can monitor themselves in class．

    ● Discovering by students is real learning．

    ● Interest is the students’ first teacher．

VI. English can be acquired incidentally in China

    ● Inductive (implicit) teaching and learning should be more stressed than deductive (explicit) teaching and learning.

    ● Procedural knowledge (knowledge about how to use the language) is more important than declarative knowledge (knowledge of facts and rules).

    ● Learners can acquire English naturally by themselves．

    ● English rote-learning is a bad practice.

VII. English-English classes are the best classes in China

    ● Translation should be avoided in English teaching and learning.

    ● Translation is not essential in the teaching and evaluation process.

    ● English teaching and learning do not need the translation of one language to another or consideration of cultural differences.

    ● The use of the mother tongue in the classroom is a block to learning a foreign language.

VIII. Bilingual education is the best way to learn English in China

    ● Bilingual education can be more effective than monolingual

    ● Bilingual education can create a better English language environment

    ● Bilingual education can result in “one stone killing two birds”.

IX. Global textbooks can be used in China

    ● A structural-notional syllabus is better than a grammatical one.

    ● A multi-functional syllabus is the best.

    ● English textbooks should not necessarily be localized.

X. Correction is not necessary in English teaching and learning

    ● Fluency is more important than accuracy

    ● Correction can interfere with fluency.

    ● Students can self-correct their mistakes or errors during the process of learning.