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英语新闻涵盖了人们关心的热门话题,内容包罗万象,涉及社会生活的方方面面。在课堂教学中利用英语新闻,能激发学生的学习兴趣,使他们把握英美等西方国家的政治、经济、社会、历史、文化等方面的现状和发展潮流。其次,英语新闻给学生提供了第一手的语言素材,可以帮助学生学到课本上没有但却新颖而又常用的词汇以及地道的表达方法,这既丰富了学生的语言知识,又扩展了学生的阅历和视野。因此,教师在英语课堂教学中选择合适的英语新闻材料,既弥补教材内容单一、与时代脱节的缺陷,又满足了学生的求知欲。笔者结合自己的阅读经验和学生的认知能力,选择《21世纪中学生英文报》(高一、高二版)、《中国日报》(China Daily)、《纽约时报》(The New York Times)等几份报纸以及BBC、VOA的新闻材料作为辅助课堂教学的听读素材。
CHONGQING — The death ___ rose to 12 Monday in a chemical storage facility collapse after the last body was recovered in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality.
The accident occurred around 4 pm at a Jianfeng Chemical Co., Ltd. building which was ______ construction when the ceiling collapsed, said Tang Zongwei, government head of the Fuling District.
“There was no chemical leakage as the facility under construction has not been put _____ use,” Tang said.
An investigation ____ the accident was continuing.
(答案:toll; under; into; into)
Eliana Ramos, 18, collapsed six months after her sister Luisel had a heart attack during a fashion show and triggered an international debate over the use of size zero models on the catwalks.
新闻2New York restaurants with calorie information on their menus.
新闻32,000 Is Really Enough
Health officials in New York City call it fast-food sticker shock(对快餐业的冲击). Since last May, chain(连锁) restaurants in the city he been required to list the number of calories for every item on their menus.
According to a recent survey, more than 80 percent of those who saw the calorie count(数量) were “surprised”,even shocked, that an innocent-looking bran muffin(麦麸松饼) could contain 470 calories and a full-fledged Big Mac(巨无霸) attack(with soda and fries, of course) more than 1,200.
读完这些新闻后,学生对健康饮食有了更清晰的认识,也会控制高能量食品的摄入并远离垃圾食品。这些新闻的阅读对学生养成良好的饮食习惯起了积极的引导作用。
新闻1US President Barack Obama tours the Great Wall of China at Badaling on the outskirts of Beijing Wednesday afternoon.
提问1If Ms Chai had toured the Great Wall on the same day, what would he happened?
回答If Ms Chai had toured the Great Wall on the same day, she would he interviewed Barack Obama.
If Ms Chai had toured the Great Wall on the same day, she would he felt disappointed.
If Ms Chai had toured the Great Wall on the same day, she would he been arrested by the police.
…
新闻2US President Barack Obama visits the Forbidden City in Beijing November 17, 2009. He spends 50 minutes inside the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is closed to the public for Obama’s visit.
提问2If you were a journalist, what would you do/say?
回答If I were a journalist, I would interview him.
If I were a journalist, I would ask him what impressed him most in China.
If I were a journalist, I would invite him to visit my hometown.
…
提问3 If Obama should/were to visit Quzhou someday, what would you do?
回答If Obama were to visit Quzhou someday, I would take him on a tour of our campus.
If Obama should visit Quzhou someday, I would show him around the city.
If Obama should visit Quzhou someday, I would work as his interpreter.
…
教师在英语教学中有效利用新闻材料是课堂教学改革的积极尝试和创新,较好地解决了学生阅读面窄、阅读量小、英语学习与实际生活脱节等问题,也使学生在广泛涉猎的同时,不仅学到地道的语言表达,学会独立思考和判断,而且体会各国思维、文化、价值观的多样性,拓展了视野,从而树立成熟的世界观和价值观,培养国际情怀,增强思辨能力。作为英语教师,我们要在实践中不断改进教学,提高教学效益。
一、丰富学生的语言知识
教师收集一周来发生的国内外重大新闻(8~10条),在每周最后一节课进行新闻播报。新闻播报可采用以下几种形式。1. 听/读新闻,学词汇
听/读新闻,可以是学生听新闻音频,也可以是学生读书面的新闻材料。笔者要求学生每人准备一本新闻摘抄本,在听/读新闻的时候用于摘抄单词和短语以及个别实用的句式,以便课后复习巩固之用。要求摘抄的词句有已学过的但还比较生疏的,也有还没学到但考纲作要求的,并定期听写摘抄的,以此帮助学生扩大词汇量。笔者有时还要求学生摘抄与某个单词有关的短语。如在听了VOA Special English“Words and Stories”相似度检测绍与heart有关的短语后,笔者要求学生在听的过程中摘录关于heart的短语,并根据文中的英文解释写出所摘录短语的中文意思。这一形式不仅使学生明白听/读新闻的目的,也让他们学到了丰富的语言知识。2. 读新闻,做填空
在课前,教师对新闻进行适当处理,截去原文中的一些词汇让学生阅读后进行填空。这样的活动主要是让学生在了解新闻的同时,掌握一些常用词汇的常见用法。例如,在关于事故的报道中总会有对伤亡情况的介绍,常用的词有death toll,设计时可以拿掉toll供学生填空,也可以把文中重点固定短语的易混淆部分设计成填空题。以下是笔者对一则新闻的简单设计:CHONGQING — The death ___ rose to 12 Monday in a chemical storage facility collapse after the last body was recovered in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality.
The accident occurred around 4 pm at a Jianfeng Chemical Co., Ltd. building which was ______ construction when the ceiling collapsed, said Tang Zongwei, government head of the Fuling District.
“There was no chemical leakage as the facility under construction has not been put _____ use,” Tang said.
An investigation ____ the accident was continuing.
(答案:toll; under; into; into)
3. 听/读新闻,给标题
随着学生与英语新闻的接触增多,教师可以适时地介绍新闻的写作特点,如新闻标题简洁的语言既能吸引读者眼球,又能概括新闻的内容,因此,可以结合阅读理解题中选标题的考查,让学生听/读新闻后给出标题。题型设计有选择、填空等。4. 看图片,说新闻
在学生熟悉了新闻的一些特点后,笔者将每次新闻播报课的最后一个环节设置成“新闻DIY”。笔者先展示新闻图片和新闻标题,并给出三个“key words”,请学生进行一两句话的新闻播报,之后给出新闻的原文让学生比较,接着作必要的指导。当然,做这类练习对学生来说难度较大,教师可在学生接触大量同类新闻的基础上再让学生进行尝试。二、对教材内容的扩充和升华
教材中的话题都较规范实用,但有些材料过于陈旧,学生的学习兴趣不高。而英语新闻因其时效性强等特点深受学生欢迎,正好可以弥补教科书的不足。教师在教学中可以选择合适的英语新闻作为教学素材,对教材中的教学任务作适当的拓展和延伸,这样既丰富了课堂教学的内容,拓展了学生英语学习的视野,也激发了学生的学习兴趣。1. 引用英语新闻介绍异域文化
语言有丰富的文化内涵,语言学习也离不开文化的阐释。学生对语言的学习与对文化的了解可以相互促进。如NSEFC Book 3 Unit 1的话题是节日,Using Language的内容是介绍中国的七夕节。上这个单元时刚好是西方情人节,笔者便选用BBC的“Take Away English”中关于情人节的介绍,把文字材料设计成听力填空练习,让学生听音频材料做填空练习。学生在做练习的过程中,不仅学习了语言知识,还对中西方的情人节有了更深的认识。2. 借助英语新闻贯彻教材思想
现行人教版高中英语教科书每单元都有一个主题,单元中所有听说读写的任务都是围绕这一主题展开的。然而教材中怎么写作主题的任务设定常常有些抽象,学生的认知与之存在信息差,因此学习过程中学生的思维碰撞不激烈,话题讲述收效也不好。例如,NSEFC Book 3摘自：毕业论文前言www.udooo.com
Unit 2的主题是健康饮食,告诉学生健康饮食知识和膳食平衡对身体健康的作用。教科书中讲述的是食品的分类和一个开餐馆的故事。笔者针对为保持身材而过度节食和暴饮暴食等极端现象补充了以下新闻来增强说服力,给学生以正确的引导。新闻1A teenage model whose sister starved herself to death has also died of suspected anorexia(厌食症).Eliana Ramos, 18, collapsed six months after her sister Luisel had a heart attack during a fashion show and triggered an international debate over the use of size zero models on the catwalks.
新闻2New York restaurants with calorie information on their menus.
新闻32,000 Is Really Enough
Health officials in New York City call it fast-food sticker shock(对快餐业的冲击). Since last May, chain(连锁) restaurants in the city he been required to list the number of calories for every item on their menus.
According to a recent survey, more than 80 percent of those who saw the calorie count(数量) were “surprised”,even shocked, that an innocent-looking bran muffin(麦麸松饼) could contain 470 calories and a full-fledged Big Mac(巨无霸) attack(with soda and fries, of course) more than 1,200.
读完这些新闻后,学生对健康饮食有了更清晰的认识,也会控制高能量食品的摄入并远离垃圾食品。这些新闻的阅读对学生养成良好的饮食习惯起了积极的引导作用。
3. 补充英语新闻,活学语法知识
语法课上往往讲授形式陈旧、气氛沉闷,语法课一直是让教师们颇为头疼的课型。教科书中的语法材料也无法满足学生的学习需要。语法课中引进新闻既可以使语法教学推陈出新,又可以让学生积极参与操练语法,使语法课达到良好的效果。笔者在教学虚拟语气的语法时就给学源于：毕业设计论文总结www.udooo.com
生呈现了几则英语新闻,为学生学习虚拟语气创设了情境。新闻1US President Barack Obama tours the Great Wall of China at Badaling on the outskirts of Beijing Wednesday afternoon.
提问1If Ms Chai had toured the Great Wall on the same day, what would he happened?
回答If Ms Chai had toured the Great Wall on the same day, she would he interviewed Barack Obama.
If Ms Chai had toured the Great Wall on the same day, she would he felt disappointed.
If Ms Chai had toured the Great Wall on the same day, she would he been arrested by the police.
…
新闻2US President Barack Obama visits the Forbidden City in Beijing November 17, 2009. He spends 50 minutes inside the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is closed to the public for Obama’s visit.
提问2If you were a journalist, what would you do/say?
回答If I were a journalist, I would interview him.
If I were a journalist, I would ask him what impressed him most in China.
If I were a journalist, I would invite him to visit my hometown.
…
提问3 If Obama should/were to visit Quzhou someday, what would you do?
回答If Obama were to visit Quzhou someday, I would take him on a tour of our campus.
If Obama should visit Quzhou someday, I would show him around the city.
If Obama should visit Quzhou someday, I would work as his interpreter.
…
教师在英语教学中有效利用新闻材料是课堂教学改革的积极尝试和创新,较好地解决了学生阅读面窄、阅读量小、英语学习与实际生活脱节等问题,也使学生在广泛涉猎的同时,不仅学到地道的语言表达,学会独立思考和判断,而且体会各国思维、文化、价值观的多样性,拓展了视野,从而树立成熟的世界观和价值观,培养国际情怀,增强思辨能力。作为英语教师,我们要在实践中不断改进教学,提高教学效益。