“做中学”的教育思想及其在英语教学中的运用

Abstract: This paper introduces a famous educational thought “Learning by Doing” which was brought up by American educator John Dewey. History has witnessed this thought’s development and its influence in the world, especially its guidance to the English teaching in China. We learn English by speaking, by writing, by doing, by playing games and other things in English teaching. Then the paper also gives readers some examples of the application of “Learning by Doing”, such as TPR method, PBI model and communicative approach in English teaching. All of these are helpful and we should study this thought and put it into practice according to our own conditions. Only by these ways can we make our teaching effective to the best.

Key words:  Learning by Doing; John Dewey; English teaching; Applications
                              
摘  要：本文介绍了由美国教育学家杜威提出来的“做中学”的教育思想。历史见证了这一思想的发展以及其在教育界的影响。特别是它对中国英语教学的引导和启示，我们从做中学习英语，说英语，练英语，从游戏中体会学英语的乐趣等等。同时，本文还给出了不少这一思想应用的范例，如英语教学中的TPR的教学方法，PBI的教学模式，交际法。这些方法对我国的英语教学启示很大，值得我们学习和借鉴。我们应当根据中国的实际情况将“做中学”的思想付诸于实践，只有这样才能使教学效果最优化。
                               
关键词：“做中学”； 杜威；英语教学；应用

Introduction
English, as a foreign language which is a major subject from primary schools to the university plays a very important role in China. It’s an essential stage for children in primary schools to acquire pronunciation and memorize basic vocabularies. Many young learners know nothing about English when they begin to learn it in schools. English learning can take them to a broader world and this means something special to the children both in ways and in mind. So many teachers try their best to find appropriate way to help students to learn English well. “Learning by Doing” is a famous education thought which was first made systemic by American educator John Dewey. Many countries’ education reforms have benefited a lot from this thought.
This paper will give a brief introduction about “Learning by Doing” from several aspects. The value of “Learning by Doing” which gives much guidance to the English teaching is very significant. Students learn English by doing from many ways, such as by speaking by writing by playing games. The application of this thought to the English teaching also is very successful. For example, the TPR teaching method, the PBI Model of teaching and the communicative approach are all good ways to teach English. Total Physical Response (TPR) is a language learning method based on the coordination of speech and action. TPR classroom, teacher always combine with expressions, gesture and English to rise students’ interesting and make them confident to do what been learned in the class. PBI Model of teaching in primary and middle schools, which will quite fit for our Chinese English teaching and will give many benefits to the practice abilities of students；The Communicative language teaching makes use of real-life situations that necessitate communication. It is quite different from the traditional Chinese English classroom. Those teaching concepts take a great advantage of the spirit of “Learning by Doing”. What’s more, the most important is how we can applicant to this “Learning by Doing” thought to make the great efficient in English teaching in our China. Also some suggestions go between to this paper to the schools and teachers, students about how to apply this thought effectively. They should change the role of them, for it quite different from the traditional education. The great educator Confucius said “Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude”. He believe that learning should be a process of exploring and understanding of one’s own gift, so it is very important for the students to learn English by themselves. So let’s see the “Learning by Doing” applied in English teaching.

1 Introduction of “Learning by Doing”
As an old Chinese proverb says that “I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand.” Learning something by doing it is easier and less forgettable. When the theory “Learning by Doing” was introduced to China, it got many scholars’ attention. This theory was first made systemic by John Dewey, who was an American psychologist, philosopher, educator, social critic and political activist. “Learning by Doing”, from its literal meaning it means learning something by the way of doing. There has always been a great deal of extension meanings of “Learning by Doing”. In fact, Dewey remarked in 1916 in his book “Democracy and Education” that “ The education is not an affair of “teaching” and being told, but an active constructive process, is an principle almost as generally violated in practice as conceded in theory…”[1] In this book he gave the key point of  “Learning by Doing”. However, to be frank Dewey himself didn’t give a clear definition of “Learning by Doing”, actually it is hard to definite. 转贴于 酷文网-论文下载中心 http://www.coolwen.net