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作者簡介：石丰玮（1992—），男，黑龙江省牡丹江市人，大连民族学院在读学生，网络工程专业2010级学生
Abstract
In the course of English teaching in the university, some students always keep silence during others participate in activities of classroom interactions. And it’s badly blocking the development of students’ English speaking level. This essay has studied from students, teachers and the social culture. It lets us know the phenomenon of silence, and its impact on the development of spoken English. The objective and significance of this thesis is to find the appropriate solution so that silence in class can be broken out and English teaching can be improved.
Key words：College Englishsilence in classreasonsolution
1 Silence in English Class in the University and Analysis
1.1 Definition about Silence in Class
Saville-Troike (1985) said, “The definition of silence must be vague and may be misunderstood except in some specific conditions”. ① In the same way, the definition of students’ silence in class is ambiguous. Silence in class is divided into positive silence and negative silence. Thus, students’ silence in class may be connected with classroom teaching, while it may has no relation with it.②
In this thesis, we mainly discuss the negative silence phenomenon in spoken English in the university.
1.2 Factors Which Lead to Silence in English Class
1.2.1 Students’ factors
As a student, whether he can make a success or not, his character is a very important element. Extroverts are good at communication. They are active and optimistic. But introverts don’t do well in communication. They are taciturn. So extroverts are more willing to join interactive activities in spoken English class than introverts. Some students think scrambling to answer questions is very naïve, and students in the university should be calm. So then keep silence in class.
1.2.2 Teachers’ Factors
Teachers’ guidance and students’ participation decide whether English Classroom Teaching can get a good result. English Classroom Teaching is a process that needs teachers and students’ interaction. In the specific teaching process, if the content in class is boring or profound, students will hate to study. In a way students are not willing to participate in the practice of classroom.
1.2.3 The Factors of Culture
The phenomenon of silence in spoken English has some relations with the traditional culture in our country. First, face perception is one of factors which have an effect on the interaction in spoken English class. Students only speak after they have prepared certain answers. They are worried about errors for those uncertain answers, so they keep silence in order to avoid losing face. Second, Chinese think modesty is virtue. In class, students regard keeping silence as a kind of modest expression. Finally, from the point of the traditional education methods in China, students ought to be quiet and listen to the teacher in class. Teachers’ position of authority and the thought of respecting teachers and their teaching cause students dare not query teachers and they can only obey them.
2Ways of Solving Silence in Spoken English
2.1 From the Perspective of Students
2.1.1 Undergraduates Should Strengthen Study Motivation and Correct Their Attitude towards Study
Undergraduates should correct their attitude towards study. The attitude towards study is formed from education, surroundings, learners’ subjective factor and so on. Undergraduates should turn their negative attitude into the positive one.
2.2 From the Perspective of Teachers
2.2.1 Optimize Classroom Questioning Strategies and Design Classroom Questions Effectively
First, classroom questions should contain enlightenment and thought. Enlightenment is a kind of guiding strategies when students’ thinking is blocked. There are many enlightening methods, such as demonstration, analogy, comparison and contrast and so on. But these methods should be combined with specific questioning situations. Second, complexity of questions should be adapted to suit students who are in different levels. Students, whether they are excellent students or common ones, ought to have equal chance to take part in classroom discussions. Third, teachers should give students enough time to think after questions are asked. Silence caused by thinking is a common phenomenon in class and the best way to solve it is to wait. From thinking to drawing a conclusion, students need time. In fact, teachers’ proper waiting is to believe students’ ability. Directly or indirectly, students can strengthen their self-confidence. Finally, teachers ought to give positive feedback after students answered questions. Meanwhile, teachers should give more praise and encouragement than criticism and negative evaluation.
2.3 From the Perspective of Social Culture
Update educational concepts and eliminate the adverse effects which traditional culture remained. If we want to change the status that undergraduates keep silence in class, we should do the following:
2.4 Summary
Thought silence in class is mainly caused by students, teachers and the traditional culture we should study and find out corresponding solutions to break out the silence in spoken English in the university.
Conclusion
Silence in spoken English in the university is a kind of negative behavior in language-learning course. It goes against with the improvement of undergraduates’ comprehensive abilities. Meanwhile, it doesn’t confirm to the learner-centered concept of education in modern English teaching. Thus, it’s an important project every educator should take into consideration that how to change the silence phenomenon and improve English teaching quality. Only the learner-centered concept of education is offered, can students love English from the deep of their hearts, and can it be more easily to break out silence in spoken English in the university. Only the model of teaching that teachers are mentors and students are protagonists is put into effect, can English teaching be optimized.
Reference
[1]Bernard Spolsky. Conditions for Second Language Learning [M]. Shanghai Foreige Language Education Press, 2002.
[2]Ken Petress. The Ethics of Student Classroom Silence [J]. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 2001,(6).
Abstract
In the course of English teaching in the university, some students always keep silence during others participate in activities of classroom interactions. And it’s badly blocking the development of students’ English speaking level. This essay has studied from students, teachers and the social culture. It lets us know the phenomenon of silence, and its impact on the development of spoken English. The objective and significance of this thesis is to find the appropriate solution so that silence in class can be broken out and English teaching can be improved.
Key words：College Englishsilence in classreasonsolution
1 Silence in English Class in the University and Analysis
1.1 Definition about Silence in Class
Saville-Troike (1985) said, “The definition of silence must be vague and may be misunderstood except in some specific conditions”. ① In the same way, the definition of students’ silence in class is ambiguous. Silence in class is divided into positive silence and negative silence. Thus, students’ silence in class may be connected with classroom teaching, while it may has no relation with it.②
In this thesis, we mainly discuss the negative silence phenomenon in spoken English in the university.
1.2 Factors Which Lead to Silence in English Class
1.2.1 Students’ factors
As a student, whether he can make a success or not, his character is a very important element. Extroverts are good at communication. They are active and optimistic. But introverts don’t do well in communication. They are taciturn. So extroverts are more willing to join interactive activities in spoken English class than introverts. Some students think scrambling to answer questions is very naïve, and students in the university should be calm. So then keep silence in class.
1.2.2 Teachers’ Factors
Teachers’ guidance and students’ participation decide whether English Classroom Teaching can get a good result. English Classroom Teaching is a process that needs teachers and students’ interaction. In the specific teaching process, if the content in class is boring or profound, students will hate to study. In a way students are not willing to participate in the practice of classroom.
1.2.3 The Factors of Culture
The phenomenon of silence in spoken English has some relations with the traditional culture in our country. First, face perception is one of factors which have an effect on the interaction in spoken English class. Students only speak after they have prepared certain answers. They are worried about errors for those uncertain answers, so they keep silence in order to avoid losing face. Second, Chinese think modesty is virtue. In class, students regard keeping silence as a kind of modest expression. Finally, from the point of the traditional education methods in China, students ought to be quiet and listen to the teacher in class. Teachers’ position of authority and the thought of respecting teachers and their teaching cause students dare not query teachers and they can only obey them.
2Ways of Solving Silence in Spoken English
2.1 From the Perspective of Students
2.1.1 Undergraduates Should Strengthen Study Motivation and Correct Their Attitude towards Study
Undergraduates should correct their attitude towards study. The attitude towards study is formed from education, surroundings, learners’ subjective factor and so on. Undergraduates should turn their negative attitude into the positive one.
2.2 From the Perspective of Teachers
2.2.1 Optimize Classroom Questioning Strategies and Design Classroom Questions Effectively
First, classroom questions should contain enlightenment and thought. Enlightenment is a kind of guiding strategies when students’ thinking is blocked. There are many enlightening methods, such as demonstration, analogy, comparison and contrast and so on. But these methods should be combined with specific questioning situations. Second, complexity of questions should be adapted to suit students who are in different levels. Students, whether they are excellent students or common ones, ought to have equal chance to take part in classroom discussions. Third, teachers should give students enough time to think after questions are asked. Silence caused by thinking is a common phenomenon in class and the best way to solve it is to wait. From thinking to drawing a conclusion, students need time. In fact, teachers’ proper waiting is to believe students’ ability. Directly or indirectly, students can strengthen their self-confidence. Finally, teachers ought to give positive feedback after students answered questions. Meanwhile, teachers should give more praise and encouragement than criticism and negative evaluation.
2.3 From the Perspective of Social Culture
Update educational concepts and eliminate the adverse effects which traditional culture remained. If we want to change the status that undergraduates keep silence in class, we should do the following:
2.4 Summary
Thought silence in class is mainly caused by students, teachers and the traditional culture we should study and find out corresponding solutions to break out the silence in spoken English in the university.
Conclusion
Silence in spoken English in the university is a kind of negative behavior in language-learning course. It goes against with the improvement of undergraduates’ comprehensive abilities. Meanwhile, it doesn’t confirm to the learner-centered concept of education in modern English teaching. Thus, it’s an important project every educator should take into consideration that how to change the silence phenomenon and improve English teaching quality. Only the learner-centered concept of education is offered, can students love English from the deep of their hearts, and can it be more easily to break out silence in spoken English in the university. Only the model of teaching that teachers are mentors and students are protagonists is put into effect, can English teaching be optimized.
Reference
[1]Bernard Spolsky. Conditions for Second Language Learning [M]. Shanghai Foreige Language Education Press, 2002.
[2]Ken Petress. The Ethics of Student Classroom Silence [J]. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 2001,(6).