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Abstract:The paper states the change of the learner’s role based on the analysis to 3P and 3T model. Some suggestions are provided on concerning with the practical situations.
Key words:3P；3T；Role change
Introduction
Language learning and teaching is closely related to psychological researches and linguistic discoveries. For many years, traditional language teaching follows a teacher-dominated 3P model. On teacher-learner relationship, it emphasizes teacher’s absolute control over the learner very much while the learner passively accepts what to learn and how to learn. Under this kind of teaching, the role a learner plays is nothing but an inculcated target.
However, nowadays 3P model faces challenges as modern linguistics claim that language teaching should stress communicative competence rather than linguistic competence only. So based on various teaching experiences, 3T model is put forward to encourage a learner’s active participation during the whole learning process. It tries to create a learner-centered atmosphere in which learners would manage their study cooperatively with the teacher’s assistance.
From 3P to 3T model, the roles the learner acts change a lot. With a purpose of guiding our teaching, it is necessary to study on the learner’s role change precisely.
The Transition from 3P to 3T Model
I. Analysis of 3P Model
i. Teaching with 3P model
Before 1970s, the influence of behaviorism and the structural linguistics was quite widespread and dominant. Skinner suggested language is also a form of behavior just like other physical skills. It can be learned the same way as an animal is trained to respond to stimuli.[1] While structuralists held the idea that language is an intricate rule-based system and learning a language should firstly know the grammatical rules. Influenced by the implicit assumption, language learning was considered nothing more than a process of behavioral change and habit formation by way of stimulus and response. In class, the teacher usually adopted a 3P model to organize his/her teaching.
As Skehan summarized, 3P stands for three individual but closely connected teaching stages: presentation, practice and production [2] Skehan, P. The first stage is generally focused on a single point of grammar which is presented by the teacher. This would necessarily aim at the learner’s basic understanding of the underlying rule. At the practice stage, designed activities will be given to automatize the newly grasped rule. During the process, the learner only works through exercises which provide ready-made meanings. These exercises would be direct so as to strengthen newly absorbed knowledge. And production stage comes in the end. At this stage, the degree of the teacher’s control and support would be reduced. The learner would be required to produce language spontaneously based on meanings he/she wants to express.
With 3P model in class, first of all, the teacher would probably introduce new words, expressions as well as key structures to the learner with help of the mother tongue. And enough examples are provided for comparing and distinguishing minor differences among meanings and usages. Secondly, on the basis of those language points presented just now, the learner is required to do a great amount of practice in order to memorize them. Moreover, he/she would apply what he/she got to read and translate. At the production stage, the teacher would lead his/her learners to speak and write with those newly grasped rule. However, since reading ability always attracts more attention in our teaching syllabus, this process is usually ignored in real-world teaching. Therefore, more explanations and practices symbolize 3P model.
ii. Limitations of 3P model
From the analysis above, it is well known that a learner is just an inculcated target in 3P-based teaching. As time goes on, limitations of 3P model have been challenged by modern linguistic and psychological research.
First, since it is characterized as more explanati ons and practice, the teacher should take responsibilities for explaining each language point meticulously. As a result, mother tongue is inevitably often used. On the contrary, the target language input to the learner reduces. According to Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, an important “condition for language acquisition to occur is that the acquirer understands input language that contains structure’a bit beyond’his or her current level of competence.”[3] Johnson, K. For our language teaching, the only way for a learner to get effective input is from the teacher. Thus, not only should the teacher provide enough input to the learner, but also more importantly he/she would try to make it comprehensible that the learner could understand most of it but still be challenged to make progress. While in 3P-oriented class, the learner comes into contact with little target language input, obviously it is not beneficial for language learning.
Next, over emphasis on grammatical forms and rules separates language from its basic functions. Language itself is “a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.” [4]The ultimate goal of learning is for fluent communication with the target language. In 3P model, language is taught compart- mentalized. Attentions are paid to grammar and structures. Teachers and learners think they could master the language through grasping its rules and practicing on it. However, understanding linguistic structures doesn’t mean the learner could use it in a real communicative situation. Because practices a learner does in class are decontextualized and mechanical, it is difficult to leave a deep impression in his/her mind. Therefore, no wonder that a learner with good linguistic knowledge couldn’t express his/her thoughts properly with the language.
A third limitation lies in that teacher-dominated atmosphere provides few chances for the learner to participate in the class so as to develop linguistic competence. As it has been mentioned, learner’s roles under 3P model are obviously passive. He/she is under the charge of the teacher and does what he/she is required following a fixed way. He/she could not act on his/her own initiative towards study. Dependency on teacher’s assistance prevents him/her from developing creative ability and individual thinking. This would affect both language acquisition and further personal development.
Therefore, when language acquisition is given priority to cultivate communicative competence, 3P model seems to be out of date.
II. Analysis of 3T Model
i. Teaching with 3T model
Based on new discoveries of modern linguistics and psychology, language teaching and learning gradually pay more attention to the learner’s involvement. Constructivism suggested learning is a process of knowledge gaining by the learner himself/herself through meaning construction with the help of materials, teachers and partners under a certain sociocultural circumstance. Influenced by the thought and with their own teaching experiences, some teachers from Hangzh ou Teachers College proposed a 3T model, which stands relatively opposite to the traditional 3P model.
3T is the abbreviation for Text-reconstruction Task-based Teamwork System [5]. This way of teaching aims at developing the learner’s communicative competence through increasing target language input, emphasizing linguistic content and encouraging the learner’s active participation in class. Teamwork indicates that learners would do cooperative learning on the text through group work instead of depending on the teacher’s presentation. What the teacher should do is to design learning tasks for leading their study. Ideas of each group on the specific task would be exchanged through presentations after learners finish their tasks. While text-reconstruction requires the lear ner to reconstruct or develop the text based on its previous model with linguistic materials available. It provides suitable learning tasks. Therefore, 3T is a clo sely related system.
With 3T model in class, the teacher should firstly consider how to divide the whole class into learning groups. A basic principle is to try to make each group work effectively. Secondly, proper tasks should be designed in advance. These tasks must contain those main points concerned with the learning materials and the elementary distribution to each member. And the task should “involve learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form.”[6] Nunan, D. What’s more, as a supervisor, the teacher would be ready for providing various resources in order to ensure the process of teamwork. Hence a cooperative study atmosph ere in the classroom.
ii. Advantages of 3T model
Compared with 3P model, an outstanding advantage of 3T model is that it advocates learning through fluent communication. This is in line with our ultimate teaching goals. In the class with 3T model, the learner could get in touch with an imitated authentic surrounding since all the activities, such as discussions, role play, argument…etc. are done by the target language. At the primary stage, he/she could speak with the help of materials in the text and later gradually express his/her own opinions freely. He/she would apply what he/she has got to practice and learn more from communication process. Thus, the learner’s linguistic competence could be strengthened as he/she develops communicative competence. Progresses are obvious.
Besides, 3T-oriented class offers a free atmosphere to language learning. The learner is no longer under the complete charge. No absolute orders have to be obeyed according to those requirements. On the contrary,in a team, he/she has own autonomy to choose the way to learn. Language learning becomes a personal affair to him/her and a common goal to the group instead of outside pressure and inculcation.So the learner would try his/her best with a purpose for competition.Initiative greatly increases and it motivates the learner to some extent. As is well known, it is inner factors that determine most while outside elements could only affect the development. With those emotional changes, the learner would probably be devoted to the study actively.
What’s more, 3T model gives full consideration to learner’s personal factors which are convinced to matter a lot. Together with teammates, the learner feels relatively relaxed and worries about mistakes, comments and results reduce. His/her contributions to the group are welcome. This gives more confidence to him/her. Teacher’s evaluation towards teamwork or learning results encourages him/her on one hand. On the other hand, the learner would think twice about his/her performance according to others’opinions and improve the way of learning. A sense of achievement and desire for more progress would promote the learner to go forward continuously.
To sum up, language teaching based on 3T model has many advantages. It emphasizes the learner’s autonomy to study under the teacher’s guidance. Especially nowadays, learners expect to get more chances to train communicative skills, traditional method could not meet the needs while 3T model offers a suitable way.
The Change of the Learner’s Roles
‘Role’ refers to the part that learners and teachers are expected to play in carrying out learning tasks as well as the social and interpersonal relationships between the participants. [6] Nunan, D.
I. Learner’s roles in 3P model
A typical characteristic for traditional 3P teaching model is the teacher absolutely controls everything while what the learner should do is just to follow the teacher’s instructions. Therefore, the learner just acts as a recipient of outside stimuli.
To teacher’s explanations, he/she is a sheer listener. No matter what kind of information offered by the teacher, the learner would simply accept it without much consideration. Take the presentation stage for example. The teacher would discriminate various grammatical concepts and explain them in detail according to the teaching plan. So there is no need for the learner worrying about anything. Instead, his/her devotion to the teacher’s words is highly expected and considered a kind of behavior showing respect towards the teacher’s hard work. The learner has no opportunities to choose the content of learning but to listen to the teacher’s explanations. Otherwise, he/she would probably fail in those exams designed and carried out based on the teacher’s speeches.
Besides, the learner could be seen as a mechanical note-taker. Since 3P model stresses language learning through the mastery of grammatical structures and rules, accurate linguistic forms are greatly expected and errors in class are corrected immediately. As a result, the teacher’s understandings to the teaching materials are thought absolutely correct. Therefore, in the class, the learner usually hurries to write down the main idea, important points, outline, or summary of information presented orally or in writing without discrimination. And notebook is treated as priceless treasure because what it contains comes from the authoritative teacher. Over attention to mechanical note taking causes the learner’s ignorance towards the teacher’s instructions which help to assimilate and consolidate the knowledge.
At the same time, the learner is also a loyal performer to the teacher’s orders and requirements. He/she reacts to those directions under the monitoring of the teacher. Especially during the practice process, the learner is required to repeat what the teacher presented, make sentences with newly grasped expressions and patterns, translate materials prepared by the teacher…etc. In a word, he/she imitates what the teacher did and does what he/she is asked to do. Learning becomes a kind of reinforcement on specific language points through consolidating practice.
II. Learner’s roles in 3T model
3T model is based on teamwork while teamwork itself is a joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group. Therefore, group members become active masters who work together towards the same goal.
First of all, the learner performs as a planner rather than a listener. In 3T-based class, the teacher does not “teach” anything directly any more. He/she would just guide the teaching and provide help. Instead, learners in the same group possess autonomy to organize the study on the specific task given by the teacher. With an attempt to complete the task, they would fully consider every resource available in the group, distribute and make use of it. Some of them are responsible for collecting and summarizing information. Others would focus on difficult points which matter alot. And discussions with target language are carried out. In a word, everybody does his own job but walks to wards a common goal. He/she would draw upon qualities of language learning, plan for and manage the study.
Secondly, the learner is an absolute participant. Different from a performer, a participant acts on his own will rather than subject to requirements. Since every member in a learning group takes responsibility for part of the task and his/her behavior directly influences the whole effect, a sense of belonging would drive him/her to join in. Under this condition, the learner could feel his/her value to others because he/she is believed to be excellent in some aspects and encouraged to make it full play. As a result, he/she would certainly play an important role firstly for his/her part in the team and ultimately for the team in the whole class. During this process, the learner should try to solve problems through discussions with teammates, share his/her understandings with classmates even exchange ideas with the teacher. He/she becomes an independe nt member who is capable of giving as well as taking.
Another role the learner plays is a resource-provider. The teacher no longer charges strictly over the class and passes on knowledge. Dependency on his/her assistance reduces. While different knowledge constructions form an information gap among different members. Therefore, every learner is actually an implicit resource-provider to others. Through discussions and idea exchanging, on one hand, the learner could get useful information from each other for study. On the other hand, his/her contribution would bring a sen se of self-approval to him/her and motivate more active participant towards teamwork. As a result, it is beneficial for successful cooperation.
Suggestions for Real-world Teaching Practice
Generally speaking, 3T model is more suitable than traditional 3P model in many aspects and nowadays teachers gradually pay attention to it. Therefore, for alanguage teacher, what should be specially focused on when he/she organizes the class with 3T model?
First of all, the teacher should carefully divide the learners into different groups since 3T model is based on cooperative learning. An effective team must have principled leadership. Thus, the teacher should firstly choose a leader who has higher spirit of initiative, excellent mastery of the target language as well as good leadership skills. He/she would lead the effort as a core organizer. Next, members in the same group would be considered on the collocation of both linguistic competence and initiative as well as sex difference. Active learners should be divided into different groups. First-rate learners would better work together with common ones. And a group must consist of both female and male learners. The purpose is to achieve harmonious cooperation and equal competition in which every learner could be motivated to join in. Besides, according to different progress made by different learners, the teacher would better reconstruct the groups after some time so that everybody could be active.
Secondly, the teacher should devote to task designing before the class as 3T model centers on the specific learning tasks. The teacher would carefully consider how to plan a natural interesting task connected with our text. Text-reconstruction helps to solve this pr oblem. At the beginning, in order to lead the learners to do primary study on the text, the teacher could design some simply repetitive tasks for each group, such as reciting wonderful sentences or paragraphs, translation, short-answer questions…etc. Group members would choose a proper way to complete it. Next, based on their understanding, the teacher would prepare so me reconstruction tasks like discussions on the content, oral summarization, debate, writing abstract, reorganizing the story, composing apaper and so on. Le arners are expected to cooperate well for performing these activities either in their groups or before the whole class. Moreover, the teacher could seek to encourage more free expressions on the text for further development. During the completion of those tasks, lea rners could both absorb new information and gain opportunities to communicate by the target language. So t ake text-reconstruction activities as learning task and try to vary due to different materials would promote learning efficiency.
A third point the teacher must pay special attention to lies in developing a genuine and friendly rapport with the learners. In 3T teaching model, it is the learner that plays the major part. Therefore, the teacher should try to understand the learner’s thought and respect his/her hard work. In class, the first role a teacher would like to act is as prompter of communicative process. He/she should walk around quietly and even p articipate in some activities together with group members instead of standing still on the platform and speaking unceasingly or keeping silent. No matter what unexpected thing happens, the teacher ought to encourage the learner’s participation through eye contact or positive feedback on his/her performance. Besides, t he teacher should keep in mind that a smile on the face or several incentive words helps to reduce the learner’s anxiety and make the class more interactive. A teacher should give them more smiles and encouragement. After class, if it is possible, the teacher could join in their life and know about their inner world, interests, and personalities and so on. This is beneficial for bridging the gap between them. Thus, aharmonious class will appear since the teacher and the learner can communicate with one another and a favorable learning climate is created.
Apart from these aspects, the teacher should also assure his/her influence in this case. 3T-based class would focus on creating a free learning atmosphere and leading the learners to do relatively independent study. It is still necessary for the teacher to act as animportant guide. Before the class, he/she should prepare various materials elaborately for both warming-up activities and leading tasks due to different contents. And during the teamwork, he/she must be ready for help at any time. After a task has been completed, as sessments would be given immediately and problems must be pointed out. In fact, the teacher should release the control but observe more carefully so that he/she could adjust the tasks flexibly on the basis of the learner’s performance and expect more effective learning.
Conclusion
Instead of previous teacher-dominated atmosphere, teaching with 3T model assures the learner’s central role and the teacher's assistance. The learner’s role change in the transition from 3P to 3T model is clear. Therefore, in real-world teaching practice, the teacher should pay attention to the point and adopt different methods flexibly as classes go on.
参考文献：
[1]王蔷，程晓堂. 英语教学法教程[M]. 高等教育出版社，2000: 5.
[2]Skehan, P. A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning [M]. Oxford University Press, 1998:93.
[3]Johnson, K. An Introduction to Foreign Language Learning and Teaching [M]. Pearson Education Limited, 2001: 92.
[4]戴炜栋，何兆熊. 新编简明英语语言学教程[M]. 上海外语教育出版社，2002: 8.
[5]劳诚烈. 3T模式——-大学英语教学方法改革的设想[J]. 外语与外语教学，1998.4: 34-36.
[6]Nunan, D. Design Tasks for the Communicative Classroom[M].Cambridge University Press,1989:10, 79.
Key words:3P；3T；Role change
Introduction
Language learning and teaching is closely related to psychological researches and linguistic discoveries. For many years, traditional language teaching follows a teacher-dominated 3P model. On teacher-learner relationship, it emphasizes teacher’s absolute control over the learner very much while the learner passively accepts what to learn and how to learn. Under this kind of teaching, the role a learner plays is nothing but an inculcated target.
However, nowadays 3P model faces challenges as modern linguistics claim that language teaching should stress communicative competence rather than linguistic competence only. So based on various teaching experiences, 3T model is put forward to encourage a learner’s active participation during the whole learning process. It tries to create a learner-centered atmosphere in which learners would manage their study cooperatively with the teacher’s assistance.
From 3P to 3T model, the roles the learner acts change a lot. With a purpose of guiding our teaching, it is necessary to study on the learner’s role change precisely.
The Transition from 3P to 3T Model
I. Analysis of 3P Model
i. Teaching with 3P model
Before 1970s, the influence of behaviorism and the structural linguistics was quite widespread and dominant. Skinner suggested language is also a form of behavior just like other physical skills. It can be learned the same way as an animal is trained to respond to stimuli.[1] While structuralists held the idea that language is an intricate rule-based system and learning a language should firstly know the grammatical rules. Influenced by the implicit assumption, language learning was considered nothing more than a process of behavioral change and habit formation by way of stimulus and response. In class, the teacher usually adopted a 3P model to organize his/her teaching.
As Skehan summarized, 3P stands for three individual but closely connected teaching stages: presentation, practice and production [2] Skehan, P. The first stage is generally focused on a single point of grammar which is presented by the teacher. This would necessarily aim at the learner’s basic understanding of the underlying rule. At the practice stage, designed activities will be given to automatize the newly grasped rule. During the process, the learner only works through exercises which provide ready-made meanings. These exercises would be direct so as to strengthen newly absorbed knowledge. And production stage comes in the end. At this stage, the degree of the teacher’s control and support would be reduced. The learner would be required to produce language spontaneously based on meanings he/she wants to express.
With 3P model in class, first of all, the teacher would probably introduce new words, expressions as well as key structures to the learner with help of the mother tongue. And enough examples are provided for comparing and distinguishing minor differences among meanings and usages. Secondly, on the basis of those language points presented just now, the learner is required to do a great amount of practice in order to memorize them. Moreover, he/she would apply what he/she got to read and translate. At the production stage, the teacher would lead his/her learners to speak and write with those newly grasped rule. However, since reading ability always attracts more attention in our teaching syllabus, this process is usually ignored in real-world teaching. Therefore, more explanations and practices symbolize 3P model.
ii. Limitations of 3P model
From the analysis above, it is well known that a learner is just an inculcated target in 3P-based teaching. As time goes on, limitations of 3P model have been challenged by modern linguistic and psychological research.
First, since it is characterized as more explanati ons and practice, the teacher should take responsibilities for explaining each language point meticulously. As a result, mother tongue is inevitably often used. On the contrary, the target language input to the learner reduces. According to Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, an important “condition for language acquisition to occur is that the acquirer understands input language that contains structure’a bit beyond’his or her current level of competence.”[3] Johnson, K. For our language teaching, the only way for a learner to get effective input is from the teacher. Thus, not only should the teacher provide enough input to the learner, but also more importantly he/she would try to make it comprehensible that the learner could understand most of it but still be challenged to make progress. While in 3P-oriented class, the learner comes into contact with little target language input, obviously it is not beneficial for language learning.
Next, over emphasis on grammatical forms and rules separates language from its basic functions. Language itself is “a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.” [4]The ultimate goal of learning is for fluent communication with the target language. In 3P model, language is taught compart- mentalized. Attentions are paid to grammar and structures. Teachers and learners think they could master the language through grasping its rules and practicing on it. However, understanding linguistic structures doesn’t mean the learner could use it in a real communicative situation. Because practices a learner does in class are decontextualized and mechanical, it is difficult to leave a deep impression in his/her mind. Therefore, no wonder that a learner with good linguistic knowledge couldn’t express his/her thoughts properly with the language.
A third limitation lies in that teacher-dominated atmosphere provides few chances for the learner to participate in the class so as to develop linguistic competence. As it has been mentioned, learner’s roles under 3P model are obviously passive. He/she is under the charge of the teacher and does what he/she is required following a fixed way. He/she could not act on his/her own initiative towards study. Dependency on teacher’s assistance prevents him/her from developing creative ability and individual thinking. This would affect both language acquisition and further personal development.
Therefore, when language acquisition is given priority to cultivate communicative competence, 3P model seems to be out of date.
II. Analysis of 3T Model
i. Teaching with 3T model
Based on new discoveries of modern linguistics and psychology, language teaching and learning gradually pay more attention to the learner’s involvement. Constructivism suggested learning is a process of knowledge gaining by the learner himself/herself through meaning construction with the help of materials, teachers and partners under a certain sociocultural circumstance. Influenced by the thought and with their own teaching experiences, some teachers from Hangzh ou Teachers College proposed a 3T model, which stands relatively opposite to the traditional 3P model.
3T is the abbreviation for Text-reconstruction Task-based Teamwork System [5]. This way of teaching aims at developing the learner’s communicative competence through increasing target language input, emphasizing linguistic content and encouraging the learner’s active participation in class. Teamwork indicates that learners would do cooperative learning on the text through group work instead of depending on the teacher’s presentation. What the teacher should do is to design learning tasks for leading their study. Ideas of each group on the specific task would be exchanged through presentations after learners finish their tasks. While text-reconstruction requires the lear ner to reconstruct or develop the text based on its previous model with linguistic materials available. It provides suitable learning tasks. Therefore, 3T is a clo sely related system.
With 3T model in class, the teacher should firstly consider how to divide the whole class into learning groups. A basic principle is to try to make each group work effectively. Secondly, proper tasks should be designed in advance. These tasks must contain those main points concerned with the learning materials and the elementary distribution to each member. And the task should “involve learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form.”[6] Nunan, D. What’s more, as a supervisor, the teacher would be ready for providing various resources in order to ensure the process of teamwork. Hence a cooperative study atmosph ere in the classroom.
ii. Advantages of 3T model
Compared with 3P model, an outstanding advantage of 3T model is that it advocates learning through fluent communication. This is in line with our ultimate teaching goals. In the class with 3T model, the learner could get in touch with an imitated authentic surrounding since all the activities, such as discussions, role play, argument…etc. are done by the target language. At the primary stage, he/she could speak with the help of materials in the text and later gradually express his/her own opinions freely. He/she would apply what he/she has got to practice and learn more from communication process. Thus, the learner’s linguistic competence could be strengthened as he/she develops communicative competence. Progresses are obvious.
Besides, 3T-oriented class offers a free atmosphere to language learning. The learner is no longer under the complete charge. No absolute orders have to be obeyed according to those requirements. On the contrary,in a team, he/she has own autonomy to choose the way to learn. Language learning becomes a personal affair to him/her and a common goal to the group instead of outside pressure and inculcation.So the learner would try his/her best with a purpose for competition.Initiative greatly increases and it motivates the learner to some extent. As is well known, it is inner factors that determine most while outside elements could only affect the development. With those emotional changes, the learner would probably be devoted to the study actively.
What’s more, 3T model gives full consideration to learner’s personal factors which are convinced to matter a lot. Together with teammates, the learner feels relatively relaxed and worries about mistakes, comments and results reduce. His/her contributions to the group are welcome. This gives more confidence to him/her. Teacher’s evaluation towards teamwork or learning results encourages him/her on one hand. On the other hand, the learner would think twice about his/her performance according to others’opinions and improve the way of learning. A sense of achievement and desire for more progress would promote the learner to go forward continuously.
To sum up, language teaching based on 3T model has many advantages. It emphasizes the learner’s autonomy to study under the teacher’s guidance. Especially nowadays, learners expect to get more chances to train communicative skills, traditional method could not meet the needs while 3T model offers a suitable way.
The Change of the Learner’s Roles
‘Role’ refers to the part that learners and teachers are expected to play in carrying out learning tasks as well as the social and interpersonal relationships between the participants. [6] Nunan, D.
I. Learner’s roles in 3P model
A typical characteristic for traditional 3P teaching model is the teacher absolutely controls everything while what the learner should do is just to follow the teacher’s instructions. Therefore, the learner just acts as a recipient of outside stimuli.
To teacher’s explanations, he/she is a sheer listener. No matter what kind of information offered by the teacher, the learner would simply accept it without much consideration. Take the presentation stage for example. The teacher would discriminate various grammatical concepts and explain them in detail according to the teaching plan. So there is no need for the learner worrying about anything. Instead, his/her devotion to the teacher’s words is highly expected and considered a kind of behavior showing respect towards the teacher’s hard work. The learner has no opportunities to choose the content of learning but to listen to the teacher’s explanations. Otherwise, he/she would probably fail in those exams designed and carried out based on the teacher’s speeches.
Besides, the learner could be seen as a mechanical note-taker. Since 3P model stresses language learning through the mastery of grammatical structures and rules, accurate linguistic forms are greatly expected and errors in class are corrected immediately. As a result, the teacher’s understandings to the teaching materials are thought absolutely correct. Therefore, in the class, the learner usually hurries to write down the main idea, important points, outline, or summary of information presented orally or in writing without discrimination. And notebook is treated as priceless treasure because what it contains comes from the authoritative teacher. Over attention to mechanical note taking causes the learner’s ignorance towards the teacher’s instructions which help to assimilate and consolidate the knowledge.
At the same time, the learner is also a loyal performer to the teacher’s orders and requirements. He/she reacts to those directions under the monitoring of the teacher. Especially during the practice process, the learner is required to repeat what the teacher presented, make sentences with newly grasped expressions and patterns, translate materials prepared by the teacher…etc. In a word, he/she imitates what the teacher did and does what he/she is asked to do. Learning becomes a kind of reinforcement on specific language points through consolidating practice.
II. Learner’s roles in 3T model
3T model is based on teamwork while teamwork itself is a joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group. Therefore, group members become active masters who work together towards the same goal.
First of all, the learner performs as a planner rather than a listener. In 3T-based class, the teacher does not “teach” anything directly any more. He/she would just guide the teaching and provide help. Instead, learners in the same group possess autonomy to organize the study on the specific task given by the teacher. With an attempt to complete the task, they would fully consider every resource available in the group, distribute and make use of it. Some of them are responsible for collecting and summarizing information. Others would focus on difficult points which matter alot. And discussions with target language are carried out. In a word, everybody does his own job but walks to wards a common goal. He/she would draw upon qualities of language learning, plan for and manage the study.
Secondly, the learner is an absolute participant. Different from a performer, a participant acts on his own will rather than subject to requirements. Since every member in a learning group takes responsibility for part of the task and his/her behavior directly influences the whole effect, a sense of belonging would drive him/her to join in. Under this condition, the learner could feel his/her value to others because he/she is believed to be excellent in some aspects and encouraged to make it full play. As a result, he/she would certainly play an important role firstly for his/her part in the team and ultimately for the team in the whole class. During this process, the learner should try to solve problems through discussions with teammates, share his/her understandings with classmates even exchange ideas with the teacher. He/she becomes an independe nt member who is capable of giving as well as taking.
Another role the learner plays is a resource-provider. The teacher no longer charges strictly over the class and passes on knowledge. Dependency on his/her assistance reduces. While different knowledge constructions form an information gap among different members. Therefore, every learner is actually an implicit resource-provider to others. Through discussions and idea exchanging, on one hand, the learner could get useful information from each other for study. On the other hand, his/her contribution would bring a sen se of self-approval to him/her and motivate more active participant towards teamwork. As a result, it is beneficial for successful cooperation.
Suggestions for Real-world Teaching Practice
Generally speaking, 3T model is more suitable than traditional 3P model in many aspects and nowadays teachers gradually pay attention to it. Therefore, for alanguage teacher, what should be specially focused on when he/she organizes the class with 3T model?
First of all, the teacher should carefully divide the learners into different groups since 3T model is based on cooperative learning. An effective team must have principled leadership. Thus, the teacher should firstly choose a leader who has higher spirit of initiative, excellent mastery of the target language as well as good leadership skills. He/she would lead the effort as a core organizer. Next, members in the same group would be considered on the collocation of both linguistic competence and initiative as well as sex difference. Active learners should be divided into different groups. First-rate learners would better work together with common ones. And a group must consist of both female and male learners. The purpose is to achieve harmonious cooperation and equal competition in which every learner could be motivated to join in. Besides, according to different progress made by different learners, the teacher would better reconstruct the groups after some time so that everybody could be active.
Secondly, the teacher should devote to task designing before the class as 3T model centers on the specific learning tasks. The teacher would carefully consider how to plan a natural interesting task connected with our text. Text-reconstruction helps to solve this pr oblem. At the beginning, in order to lead the learners to do primary study on the text, the teacher could design some simply repetitive tasks for each group, such as reciting wonderful sentences or paragraphs, translation, short-answer questions…etc. Group members would choose a proper way to complete it. Next, based on their understanding, the teacher would prepare so me reconstruction tasks like discussions on the content, oral summarization, debate, writing abstract, reorganizing the story, composing apaper and so on. Le arners are expected to cooperate well for performing these activities either in their groups or before the whole class. Moreover, the teacher could seek to encourage more free expressions on the text for further development. During the completion of those tasks, lea rners could both absorb new information and gain opportunities to communicate by the target language. So t ake text-reconstruction activities as learning task and try to vary due to different materials would promote learning efficiency.
A third point the teacher must pay special attention to lies in developing a genuine and friendly rapport with the learners. In 3T teaching model, it is the learner that plays the major part. Therefore, the teacher should try to understand the learner’s thought and respect his/her hard work. In class, the first role a teacher would like to act is as prompter of communicative process. He/she should walk around quietly and even p articipate in some activities together with group members instead of standing still on the platform and speaking unceasingly or keeping silent. No matter what unexpected thing happens, the teacher ought to encourage the learner’s participation through eye contact or positive feedback on his/her performance. Besides, t he teacher should keep in mind that a smile on the face or several incentive words helps to reduce the learner’s anxiety and make the class more interactive. A teacher should give them more smiles and encouragement. After class, if it is possible, the teacher could join in their life and know about their inner world, interests, and personalities and so on. This is beneficial for bridging the gap between them. Thus, aharmonious class will appear since the teacher and the learner can communicate with one another and a favorable learning climate is created.
Apart from these aspects, the teacher should also assure his/her influence in this case. 3T-based class would focus on creating a free learning atmosphere and leading the learners to do relatively independent study. It is still necessary for the teacher to act as animportant guide. Before the class, he/she should prepare various materials elaborately for both warming-up activities and leading tasks due to different contents. And during the teamwork, he/she must be ready for help at any time. After a task has been completed, as sessments would be given immediately and problems must be pointed out. In fact, the teacher should release the control but observe more carefully so that he/she could adjust the tasks flexibly on the basis of the learner’s performance and expect more effective learning.
Conclusion
Instead of previous teacher-dominated atmosphere, teaching with 3T model assures the learner’s central role and the teacher's assistance. The learner’s role change in the transition from 3P to 3T model is clear. Therefore, in real-world teaching practice, the teacher should pay attention to the point and adopt different methods flexibly as classes go on.
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