語(yǔ)法教學(xué)是英語(yǔ)教學(xué)的重要組成部分,其成效在一定程度上影響著學(xué)生的英語(yǔ)水平。對(duì)許多教師而言,外語(yǔ)教學(xué)就是語(yǔ)法教學(xué),外語(yǔ)教學(xué)活動(dòng)基本上是圍繞著語(yǔ)法學(xué)習(xí)進(jìn)行的。但實(shí)踐證明,以語(yǔ)法為中心的外語(yǔ)教學(xué)并不能真正提高學(xué)生的英語(yǔ)交際能力,許多學(xué)生學(xué)了多年的語(yǔ)法,在真正運(yùn)用時(shí)卻依然是聾子和啞巴。那么,如何將傳統(tǒng)的語(yǔ)法講授課變成以學(xué)生為主體,以運(yùn)用語(yǔ)法進(jìn)行交際為目的的課程呢?語(yǔ)篇教學(xué)或許在這方面能給我們一些啟示。

功能語(yǔ)法與語(yǔ)篇教學(xué)

功能語(yǔ)法認(rèn)為語(yǔ)篇不僅有利于對(duì)語(yǔ)法意義的理解,有些語(yǔ)法項(xiàng)目根本就存在于語(yǔ)篇語(yǔ)境。下面這個(gè)例子就能清楚地說(shuō)明語(yǔ)篇對(duì)冠詞學(xué)習(xí)的重要性:

An old woman had a beautiful cat. One day she lost her cat, and could find it nowhere. She was very disappointed. Suddenly she saw a(the)cat lying by the roadside, almost dying. She was very happy and brought it home.

老婦人是否找到了她的貓,在語(yǔ)篇中不同的冠詞傳達(dá)的意思是不同的。如果用定冠詞“the”,說(shuō)明她找到了自己的貓;如果用不定冠詞“a”,則意味著她找到的是另一只貓。如果沒(méi)有上下文,單靠一些意義不關(guān)聯(lián)的句子是很難表達(dá)定冠詞和不定冠詞在意義上的差別。

再以時(shí)態(tài)為例。通過(guò)對(duì)下面這篇作文的改寫(xiě),我們不難發(fā)現(xiàn),語(yǔ)篇還是進(jìn)行“時(shí)態(tài)”與“連貫”教學(xué)的理想載體。

I don't know what to do for my vacation. It will start in three weeks. I saved enough money for a really nice trip. I already went to Hawaii. It will be too early to go to the mountains. I worked hard all year. I really need a break.

如果孤立地看每個(gè)句子,無(wú)論用詞還是時(shí)態(tài),都沒(méi)有大問(wèn)題,但是把它們放在一起構(gòu)成一個(gè)篇章,那么從篇章的連貫性、時(shí)態(tài)的一致性等方面看,問(wèn)題就很大。對(duì)文章進(jìn)行如下改動(dòng),時(shí)態(tài)就合理了,文章也更為連貫。

I don't know what to do for my vacation. It starts in three weeks. I have saved enough money for a really nice trip. I have already been to Hawaii. It is too early to go to the mountains. I have worked hard all year. I really need a break.

比較這兩篇文章,主要改動(dòng)的是時(shí)態(tài):用現(xiàn)在時(shí)代替將來(lái)時(shí)。這樣文章對(duì)所有動(dòng)作的陳述都統(tǒng)一在一個(gè)時(shí)間,從而使文章具有連貫性。由此可見(jiàn),語(yǔ)篇層面的語(yǔ)法教學(xué)是句子層面的語(yǔ)法教學(xué)所不能替代的。

利用語(yǔ)篇開(kāi)展語(yǔ)法教學(xué)

例如,教師給出以下情境:It's 5:30 in the afternoon now.I'm running out of my office for home. But, ...oops, I can't find my key, I don't remember where I put them.

然后學(xué)生根據(jù)內(nèi)容運(yùn)用“could have done”或“must have done”應(yīng)答,從而比較“could do sth”和“could have done”“must do sth”和“must have done”以及“could have done”的意義。

在采用書(shū)面語(yǔ)形式方面,對(duì)于不易掌握的語(yǔ)法項(xiàng)目,可以通過(guò)讀寫(xiě)練習(xí)進(jìn)行教學(xué)。美國(guó)研究語(yǔ)法教學(xué)的應(yīng)用語(yǔ)言學(xué)家戴安·拉森弗里曼(Diane Larsen-Freeman)列舉了一個(gè)較好的例子。她指出,在教被動(dòng)時(shí)態(tài)時(shí),教師在進(jìn)行了形式與意義的教學(xué)后,先讓學(xué)生閱讀一個(gè)小語(yǔ)段,然后要求他們根據(jù)上下文,從教師給出的分別含有主動(dòng)與被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)的兩個(gè)句子中選擇一個(gè)正確的句子連接上句:

Some of the Olympic athletes from the smaller countries, such as Korea and Romania, were truly remarkable. In fact, ________.

(1)the Romanians won three gold medals in gymnastics.

(2)three gold medals in gymnastics were won by Romanians.

正確答案是運(yùn)用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)的(1),因?yàn)樯弦痪渲饕獌?nèi)容是說(shuō)運(yùn)動(dòng)員,并已提到Romania,下句接著說(shuō)Romanians連貫性就較強(qiáng)。

在得出正確答案之后,為了進(jìn)一步挑戰(zhàn)學(xué)生運(yùn)用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)的能力,教師要求學(xué)生將這一段話用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)表達(dá)出來(lái),且意義要連貫。

這樣的練習(xí)能幫助學(xué)生不僅理解被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)的形式與意義,而且了解在何種場(chǎng)合運(yùn)用它們。

綜上所述,語(yǔ)法承擔(dān)語(yǔ)言形式教學(xué)的任務(wù),而聽(tīng)、說(shuō)、讀、寫(xiě)等技能的訓(xùn)練則負(fù)擔(dān)語(yǔ)言運(yùn)用職責(zé)。在語(yǔ)篇中進(jìn)行語(yǔ)法教學(xué)可以將兩者結(jié)合起來(lái),是值得嘗試的一種教學(xué)思路。

作者單位 西安市第六中學(xué)