Phonological Awareness Training in Primary Schools in China
Wang Duqin（王笃勤）
This program approached design of phonological awareness training from the perspective of multiple intelligence to cater for the diverse needs of different young learners. The program lasted for six months. A post-test was administered to assess learners’ ability to pronounce words and write words, and their reading comprehension. It is found that the learners could read what they saw and write down what they heard after the program. A comparative test was issued in another primary school with learners who did not receive phonological training. Statistics from the study shows that training not only cultivated the learners’ phonological awareness, but also proved the high coefficiency between the learners’ phonological awareness and reading comprehension.
The Reflection and Countermeasures on the Current State of English Pronunciation Teaching in Chinese Primary Schools
Chu Jinli（褚金丽）
Pronunciation teaching in China, especially in primary schools has not been attached importance to ever since the teaching of English language in China. In recent years, Pronunciation teaching has regained international attention in the world of English teaching, and is required to be given careful consideration in the ESL curriculum design, however, the current state of pronunciation teaching in Chinese primary schools is still unsatisfactory and worrying This paper, based on the Pronunciation learning goal of Level Two set up by the New English Curriculum Criterion, tends to make a general reflection on the current state of English Pronunciation Teaching in Chinese Primary Schools, and expatiate the significance of learning pronunciation and the significance of raising students’ awareness of pronunciation in English learning. It also suggests for primary school teachers some teaching strategies on the efficient ways of helping students develop sufficient pronunciation learning strategies both in and outside class.
Principles of Effective English Teaching in Primary Schools
Chu Xianhua（褚献华）
In facilitating pupils learning English in primary schools, teachers are in a passionate pursuit of effective teaching, which calls for certain principles and strategies. Based on instructional theories and practice, this paper offers nine principles which should help teachers to improve the quality of their teaching English in primary schools. The initial letters of these principles make up the key word EFFECTIVE: Engaging every learner; Foster learner confidence; Focusing on objectives; Eliciting learner performance; Connecting prior learning; Teaching explicitly; Integrating four skills; Varying learning activities; Encouraging peer assistance.
To teach or not to teach-phonetic alphabets in primary English classroom
Chen Li（陈力）
This article considers the teaching of phonetic alphabets in EFL classroom in primary schools in China, which has lately become a problem troubling both teachers and teacher trainers, as the national curriculum standard and most newly-published textbooks do not support phonetic alphabet teaching while many teachers argue that it’s especially helpful in their teaching. In the article we hold that there is no simple answer to this teach-or-not question, and that teaching of phonetic alphabets in Chinese primary schools should depend on the needs of particular learners in different EFL context.
Major Problems with ELT after Seven-Year Curriculum Innovation
Wang Caiqin（王彩琴）
New Curriculum Innovation for Compulsury Education of China has been going on since 2001. Great changes have been taking place all aound China: English teachers have been trying out various tasks and classroom activities to make their teaching interesting and meaningful sothat the students’ competence in using English can be enhanced; textbooks have been revised again and again in order to cater for the development of the society and new technology; testing system has been constantly improved so that the individual differrences can be included. However, new problems arise, esp. with ELT in primary schools. The major problems are about classroom teaching, and teachers’ professional development, which can hardly be solved alone by school authorities.
English Vocabulary Learning Strategy
Yuan Changhuan（袁昌寰）
The paper is to consider a number of issues related to the English vocabulary learning strategies including English vocabulary learning, English vocabulary learning strategies and the guidance of English vocabulary learning strategy. First, the part of English vocabulary learning provides the information of requirement, the reason of vocabulary learning and what kind of vocabulary and to what degree should the pupil learn. The part of English vocabulary strategy presents the strategies like using context clues, word association, pictures and images, classification, synonyms and antonyms, formation of words and using dictionary,etc. In addition, some principles and techniques which will help the teachers to train pupils’ vocabulary learning strategies are introduced.
YL Speaking Tests: What do they test and how they test it?
Zhang Min（张敏）
It will discuss what young learners can do and will consider some of the issues connected with speaking skills in the tests, such as topics, tasks, communication, language and setting. The presentation will also look at how pictures can be used to stimulate candidates to produce spoken language. In addition, it will outline what the YL Speaking tests aim to test and how they test it. It will outline the theoretical principles behind young learner speaking tests, and help teachers turn theory into effective classroom practice.
Problems of English phonetics learning and their countermeasures in training in-service English teachers from rural primary schools
Wu Shuhua（巫淑华） Tan Weimin（谭伟民）
In the process of implementing basic education reforms, training in-service English teachers from rural primary schools has long been a grave concern in achieving harmonious development of rural and urban areas. English phonetics learning is considered to be the core of the training program. Based on the analysis of the problems of the trainees in learning phonetics, focusing on the training items, training mode and methods, training context and follow-up support, effective strategies in line with the situations of the trainees and their cognitive features can be adopted to facilitate the grasp of phonetic knowledge and the development of phonetic awareness.
The Study of How to Set the Scene for Communication in English Class in Primary School
Liu Yuan（刘媛）
Primary school is the initial stage for most of Chinese children to learn English. It is the first task for every English teacher to arouse children’s interest in English study. And it is absolutely essential that the real communicative scene should be set for children in English class. To set the real communicative scene can provide children with more opportunities to use English., help them acquire English naturally and improve their comprehensive ability of the use of English. English teachers meet lots of problems in the teaching process. In this paper under the analysis I put forward the requirements of how to set the scene, and provide the solution to some common problems in teaching.
Vocabulary learning and teaching in primary school- a research based on word association test
Qiao Shaomin（乔少敏）
Vocabulary is very important in primary English learning. Based on the word association test, a lot of phonetic and word--form reactions are found to be produced by those Grade five primary school students, which shows that sound and form of words play the leading role in netting the second language internal lexicon, yet different from the native speaker’s semantic network. The implication in vocabulary teaching is that attention should be paid to set up foreigner—like semantic network , and the influence of Chinese on building the semantic network can’t be ignored at the primary school stage.
Discussion on Story Teaching from the Prospective of Text Linguistics
Bai Wei（白薇）
The article discusses the relevant theory about cohesion and coherence and its influence on story teaching in primary school. It analyzes the cohesion and coherence in the story Three Bears and its application in the teaching.
Findings and Effective Practices: The USA National Reading Panel
Rhea Ashmore
In 1997, the US Congress convened a national panel to assess research-based knowledge about reading, including the effectiveness of approaches to teaching children to read. The findings have impacted how reading is taught in the US today. This presentation summarizes the findings and identifies instructional strategies in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension for ELT professionals to best teach reading.
The problem of junction between primary and secondary schools in English teaching – A Survey Based on Jinjiang District
Shi Chunrong （石春蓉）
This survey is based on Jinjiang District, Chen Duo City, Si Chuan Province. Some of the primary students can’t get used to teaching and learning circumstance of English in junior schools soon. One of the reason is the inefficient junction between primary and secondary in English teaching. The paper is based on an investigation aiming to find the effective way on transition between primary and secondary in English teaching, trying to answer the questions: What can be done to help primary school students get ready to study in secondary school before they graduate? What are the essential competencies in English learning that the primary students should have? Etc.
A Study on In-service Education of Primary School English Teachers in Xinxiang
Li Jie（李洁）
As the linguistic and language teaching theories develop rapidly, the in-service education of primary school English teachers is becoming a key issue in the curriculum development of teacher education. According to the requirements on teachers and its teaching methods, the basic framework of teacher training program is discussed from the aspects of its contents, curriculum and operation.
Study and Practice of the mode of interest in English teaching in primary schools
Xie Aimin（谢爱民）
Learning interest is an inherent motive power for pupils, which can stimulate pupils to work harder on English. The teaching method serves as an external motive power. Teachers should pay attention to two points: 1. They should be aware of disposition, mentality, developmental stages and recognition abilities of pupils. 2. Proper method should be applied in teaching process, to enable students to learn English from related entertainment activities, gradually improving their English proficiency. Through years of teaching, the author of this paper has proposed some practical teaching methods aimed to boost students ’ interest in learning English, e.g. praising students for any minor progress they have made to strengthen their confidence, singing English songs, telling English stories, playing games in English, and using pictures and CAI in English class. In a word, these teaching methods aim to trigger students’ interest in English, and encourage them to speak English.
Released" and " Restriction " of Primary School Classroom English Teaching
Zhang Hongli（张宏丽）
By means of activities, advocacy of experience to participate is the basic idea of the new curriculum. Based on this concept, during the six years of basic curriculum reform, English teaching in primary school has experienced different stages which are from "static" to "restless" and then to the rational "action". According to a profound understanding of English curriculum standard and the classroom teaching analysis, we begin to aware that only we follow the principle which "restriction" and "release" there are harmony, the students will be able to focus throughout the classroom And also classroom teaching will be able to attract the students maximally and play its inestimable effect.
Too often the ESL focus in Hong Kong kindergartens is to expose their pupils to the written form, thus beginning the habit of second language learning with the eye. The alternative for 0-3 years old pupils is to train the ear, as will be demonstrated in a case study.
Take advantage of all kinds of resources, pay attention to the generation of dynamic state in class
Wu Xia
Teaching procedure in class is a kind of procedure formed gradually in dynamic state. The rich and lively teaching resources originate from the class filled with the cooperation of teacher and students and the cooperation, dialogue and communications between the students themselves. If these resources in dynamic state are used by the teachers efficiently, the traditional class will be vivid and energetic. Then it’s a problem for the teachers, which is needed of being solved, how to take advantage of all kinds of resources efficiently in order to enrich the teaching activities in class and promote the students’ full development.
