在我國,隨著啞巴式英語學習的困境逐漸解除,寫作環(huán)節(jié)的問題日益凸顯。學生在寫作中要么無話可寫,要么有話表達不好。寫作老師們變得無所適從,學生因早早面對各種英語考試中的寫作而心急如焚;老師們決心扔掉國內(nèi)教材而與國際接軌時,又發(fā)現(xiàn)英文原版教材的很多話題存在明顯的水土不服問題;谝陨侠Ь常镀胀ǜ叩冉逃笆晃濉眹壹壱(guī)劃教材·21世紀英語專業(yè)系列教材·英語寫作教程:以內(nèi)容為依托(上)》編委在寫作教學改革與實踐基礎上,試圖結合中西寫作教材的優(yōu)勢,以編寫新教材為牽引帶動寫作教學模式的革新。
《普通高等教育“十一五”國家級規(guī)劃教材·21世紀英語專業(yè)系列教材·英語寫作教程:以內(nèi)容為依托(上)》編寫理念為以內(nèi)容為依托的教學法(content-based instruction,簡稱CBI)。不過,這里的“內(nèi)容”不是某個專門的學科知識,而是適應于基礎寫作教學需求、讓學生感覺親切而有表達興趣的話題。
在我國,隨著啞巴式英語學習的困境逐漸解除,寫作環(huán)節(jié)的問題日益凸顯。學生在寫作中要么無話可寫,要么有話表達不好。那一份份內(nèi)容空洞、錯誤頻出的英語畢業(yè)論文,也許是對寫作問題的最好見證。寫作老師們變得無所適從,當他們耐心地從詞句段篇按步驟分學期講解時,學生因早早面對各種英語考試中的寫作而心急如焚;當部分老師痛下決心扔掉國內(nèi)教材而與國際接軌時,又發(fā)現(xiàn)英文原版教材的很多話題存在明顯的水土不服問題。市面上針對考試或特殊用途的寫作教材數(shù)量繁多,卻并不適于基礎階段的寫作教學。基于以上困境,本書編委在寫作教學改革與實踐基礎上,試圖結合中西寫作教材的優(yōu)勢,以編寫新教材為牽引帶動寫作教學模式的革新。
本書編寫理念為以內(nèi)容為依托的教學法(content-based instruction,簡稱CBI)。不過,這里的“內(nèi)容”不是某個專門的學科知識,而是適應于基礎寫作教學需求、讓學生感覺親切而有表達興趣的話題。CBI教學法在本教材中體現(xiàn)在以下三個方面:其一,本教材擯棄以寫作技巧為綱的傳統(tǒng)編寫模式,而是通過廣泛的問卷調查,選取與學生學習生活密切相關的十大話題為編寫框架,以盡可能激起學生討論和寫作的興趣,讓其產(chǎn)生表達的沖動和欲望;
其二,每章精選三篇范文,在文章內(nèi)容及問題設計上盡可能體現(xiàn)跨文化視野(注意中西文化差異對比)和時代意識(注意傳統(tǒng)與當下的對比),兼顧范文的語言質量(語言地道)與思想高度(富有啟發(fā)性),以便真正激發(fā)學生的討論興趣并便于寫作模仿。
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序言
Introduction to Writing Process and Writing Techniques
Chapter One Life Wisdom
Text A The Handsome and Deformed Leg
Text B What I Have Lived for
Text C Half a Sheet of Paper
Corpus-based Exercises (1)
Chapter Two Love
Text A Beauty
Text B Going Home
Text C Cyber Love: What Is Real & What Is Virtual
Corpus-based Exercises (2)
Chapter Three Fanuly
Text A The Lost Art ofFamily Traditions
Text B Building a Happy, Healthy Family
Text C Of Parents and Children
Corpus-based Exercises (3)
Chapter Four Friendship
Text A Philia
Text B On Friendship
Text C For Immediate Release
Corpus-based Exercises (4)
Chapter Five Education
Text A Experience and Education
Text B Why I Teach
Text C Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior
Corpus-based Exercises (5)
Paragraph 1 points out that friendship arise from companionship. A example about ancient hunters or warriors are referred to as evidence that friendship comes into being when companions are on the same route for the same goal.
Paragraph 2 asserts that unlike lovers, friends do not seek for privacy as much. (Pay attention here, this paragraph seems irrelevant in this position. The reason is that this is a selected part and this paragraph continues with the issues discussed previously which is not selected in Text 1.)
Paragraph 3 carries on the discussion in paragraph 1 by using examples of more contemporary settings.
Paragraph 4 identifies the subtle difference between friendship and companionship.
Paragraph 5 provides a deduction based on the analysis made before, that is, a possible explanation of some people's friendlessness.
Part Two (Paragraph 6-8):
A further introduction of the relationship between friendship and erotic love, namely, how the first evolves into the latter and how the latter infiuences the first.
Paragraph 6 indicates how friendship, which is originated from companionship between different sexes can transform into erotic love and also how erotic love also leads to friendslup between the lovers.
Paragraph 7 provides an insight for modern people to realize the significance ofthe concept that friendship and erotic love exist at the same time.
Paragraph 8 is a complementary section to the previous paragraph.
Part Three (Paragraph 9-11):
The comment or the reflection of the previously-made assertion about the relationship between friendship and companionship.
Paragraph 9 brings forth people's common sense that friendship, which comes from companionship, is beneficial.
Paragraph 10 puts forward a possible controversy of the claim in paragraph 7 by doubting the "survival value" of friendship.
Paragraph 11 responses to such controversy by approaching the notion of "ally".
4.3 Working out an outline:
Please work out an outline on the topic "Can two people become friends if one person has more money than the other?" You may resort to the "Writing Process" in the Introduction of this book. Your writing plan should address at least the following questions:
1) How many parts and paragraphs do you plan to write?
2) What is the main idea for each paragraph?
3) What kind of examples will you use to illustrate the typical features of these two types of people?
1. Defamiliarization
Defamiliarization is the artistic technique of forcing the audience to see common things in an unfamiliar way, in order to enhance perception of the familiar. The term "defamiliarization" was first coined in 1917 by Viktor Shklovsky, who invented the term as a means to distinguish poetic from practical language on the basis of the former's perceptibility. For a long time, poetic language is believed as being fundamentally different from ordinary speech. The author adopts such a technique in this text to formulate an extremely serious tone in approach such metaphysical and idealist concepts as friendship, companionship and erotic love. Please study the language in the following sentence:
It is when two such persons discover one another when, whether with immense difficulties and semi-articulate fumblings or with what would seem to us amazing and elliptical speed, they share their vision it is then that Friendship is born.
Analysis: This sentence can be put into simple language like this: "If two persons, after long time of searching difficultly or easily, find that they share much in common, they can become friends." But such an expression is way too plain and simple. Through defamiliarization the words and expressions used by the author, such as "fumbling", "elliptical" and the sentence pattern such as "...what seem to us..." give rise to a unfamiliar and philosophical tone, which is apt for describing the essence of some abstract events and processes.
2. Figures of speech
In paragraph 10, some figures of speech are used. Please find them out and discuss them with your partners.
There is something in this. But nearly every reader would probably think some of these movements good for society and some bad. The whole list, if accepted, would tend to show, at best, that Friendship is both a possible benefactor and a possible danger to the community. And even as a benefactor it would have, not so much survival value, as what we may call "civilisation value"; would be something (in Aristotelian phrase) which helps the community not to live but to live well. Survival value and civilisation value coincide at some periods and in some circumstances, but not in all. What at any rate seems certain is that when Friendship bears fruit which the community can use it has to do so accidentally, as a byproduct.
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