語言文化論文-TheUseofBodyLanguageinMiddleSchoolsAuthor:ZhnagLeiSupervisor:DongChunzhiForeignLanguageDepartmentHankouBranchofHuazhongUniversityofScienceandTechnology【Thesis】:Withthecontinualreformoflanguageteachingandlearningmethods,teachersareingreatdemandtoorganizetheclassesinEnglishandcreateEnglish-learningcircumstances.However,withthelimitationofstudentsvocabulary,teachershavetosimplifytheirteachinglanguagewiththehelpoffacialexpressionsandbodymovements.Inthisarticle,thepossibilityandtheeffectofusingbodylanguageinlistening,speaking,readingandwritingwillbefurtherdiscussed.【Keywords】:Englishteachinginmiddleschools,bodylanguageI.IntroductionAseveryoneknows,theclassroomteachingisoneofthemostimportantwaysthatthestudentslearnEnglish.AsfarastheEnglishteachinginthemiddleschoolsisconcerned,teachershavetoarousethestudentsinterestsothattheymaylearnbetter.Therearemanywaystoarousethestudentsinterestandhelpthemtolearnbetter,bodylanguageusedinEnglishteachingisoneofthem.Bodylanguageisanimportantmediathroughwhichpeoplecommunicatewitheachother.Itreferstothepatternsoffacialexpressionsandgesturesthatpeopleusetoexpresstheirfeelingsincommunication.Thespecialistonbodylanguageresearch,Fen.Lafle.Angles,oncesaid:Onceitwaslost,ababycouldnthavegrownintoanormalperson.Itsalsotruetothejuveniles.Inschooleducation,bodylanguageplaysapositiveroleincultivatingthestudentscharacters.For,teachersareusuallyrespected,andfactually,whatorhowtheteacherssayanddowillbepossiblyimitatedbythestudents(sometimessubconsciously).Inaword,teachersgracefulbodylanguagehelpstoimprovethestudentsartistic-appreciationandmoralcharacter.Ifthestudentsdevelopawonderfulbodylanguage,whichwillpossiblyleadsthemtoformanoptimisticandactivefeelings,theywillsurelyhaveamoresmoothinterpersonalrelation.Theaffectionofteachersbodylanguageonthestudentsisreflectednotonlybyestablishingagoodexample,butalsoshorteningtheteacher-studentestrangementbywhichamoreharmoniousstudyingatmosphereiscreated.Asamatteroffact,teachersfriendlyappearancecangreatlyencouragethestudentsstudyingenthusiasm.Furthermore,thecharacteristicsoftheoreticandabstractionofknowledgealsorequiresthevivid,dramaticandanaccessiblegesturestomakeitspecificandfigurative.Asaresult,thestudentsinterestismotivatedandtheeffectofteachingisgreatlyimproved.II.ThenecessityandimportanceofusingbodylanguageinEnglishteachingEnglishteachingisakeypartoftheschooleducation.WiththeEnglishteachingmethodsreform,moreandmoreEnglishteachersorganizetheteachingprocessinEnglishsothattheymayrealizetheCommunicatedEnglish.TheCommunicatedEnglishmeansthatteachersinstructthestudentsandexplainquestionsbasicallyinEnglish,andthestudentsarealsorequiredtouseEnglishinclass.Contemporarily,however,thestudentsinthemiddleschoolcantspeakverywell；neithercantheyunderstandwhytheyshouldusedifferenttonesindifferenttimeorsituation；theirvocabularyandexpressiveabilityarelimitedtoo.TheselimitationsmadeitdifficulttorealizetheCommunicatedEnglishintheclasses.Accordingtothestudentspresentlevelandpracticalsituation,bodylanguageisrequired.Forexample,whenateachergivesaninstruction:Youtwo,pleasecometotheblackboard.Thestudentscaneasilyunderstanditiftheteacherlooksat(orpointsto)sometwostudents.Then,theteacherpointstotheblackboard.Thestudentswillcarryouttheorderwithoutobstacleeveniftheydonthearthekeywordsblackboardclearly.Furthermore,teachersusuallyhavetoexplainsomelanguagepoints,andatthistime,theyhavetodifferentiatetheclassroomexpressionsandtheexamples.Takeitforexample,weoughttousetheformhavedonesuchasHaveyoufinishedthatjobjet?Tomakethestudentsunderstandclearly,ateacherhaslotsofways.Todoitbyspeed,heusesacommonspeedwhenreadingweoughttousetheformhavedone,andreadsslowlywhengivingexamples；hecanalsogettheeffectbyrepeatingtheexampleHaveyoufinishedthatjobjet；amorefrequentwayistousegesturestolayemphasisonthekeypointswhenhesaidhavedone(emphasizingitinvoiceatthesametime),hereachesouthisindexfinger,pausesintheair,andthengivesouttheexample.Thisactionwillusuallygivethestudentsadeepimpression.Fromtheabovewecanlearn,theuseofbodylanguageinEnglishteachingisnecessaryandpractical.IntheEnglishteachinginmiddleschools,bodylanguageisfrequentlyusedtoimprovetheteachingeffectandthestudentsability.III.Theconcreteapplicationofthebodylanguageinlistening,speaking,readingandwriting1.BodylanguagehelpstoimprovelisteningTheGreekphilosopherEpictetuseverwittilysaid:Naturehasgivenmanonetongueandtwoearsthathemayheartwiceasmuchashespeaks.Fromthesayingwecanlearnhowimportantthelisteningisinourdailylife.TounderstandothersisabasicpurposeinEnglishteaching,andteachersoftentrainthestudentslisteningaccordingly.Inthisprocess,ifthebodylanguageisused,theeffectwillbebetter.Whenbeginninganewlesson,theteachernarratesthestoryoutlineinEnglish.Thebodylanguagemayhelp.Forexample,ateachercanstretchhisarmsslowlywhenhesaysSheisinaverybigroom；hecanopenhiseyeswidelywithmouthopenedwhenhesaysSheissobeautifulalady.Asaresult,thestudentswillhavesuchanimpression:Sheisverybeautifulindeed；ateacherwhoimitatesthecryingorthemovementoftheanimalsunderthepremiseofteachingorderwillsurelyachieveabettereffect.2.BodylanguagehelpstoimprovespeakingThespokenlanguageisoneoftheimportantwaystocommunicate,soweshouldtrytodevelopthestudentsabilityofspeaking.Factuallytheyarehelpedtoreachtheaiminacertaindegreebytheirteachersbodylanguage.ThecontemporaryemphasisisgraduallylaidonspokenEnglishteaching.ThefirstlessonofeveryunitinSeniorEnglishbeginswithdialogue.TheteachingprogramsrequiretheteacherstoorganizetheclasstopracticeEnglishaccordingtothecharacteristicsofdialogue.Generallyspeaking,thebodylanguagecanarouseandsustainthestudentsinterestoflearningandusingEnglish.IntheEnglishclass,theteachersshouldnotonlyusebodylanguagesthemselves,butalsoaskthestudentstousethemaccordingtothedifferentsituation.Takeitforexample,thefirstlessoninUnitone,Bookoneisaboutthetimewhenthenewstudentsfirstmeet,andtheydontknoweachother.Soateachercanintroducehimselffirst,suchas:Hello,everyone,nicetomeetyouhere.NowIllintroducemyselftoyou.MynameisArthur.Ilikeplayingbasketball,for,itmakesmemuchstronger；Ilikeplayingchess,for,itmakesmemoreclever；andIlikereadingbooks,for,readingmakesoneperfect.Duringtheintroduction,theteachershouldusethenewvocabulariesandsentencestructurestogetherwithavividexpressionandmatinggesturesaspossiblyashecan.Hesmileswhenhesayshellototheclass；heshakeshandswithsomestudentssayingNicetomeetyou；hewritesnamedownontheblackboard；heimitatestheactionofdribblingandshootingatthebasketball,playingchessandturningpagestoexplainhishobby.Afterhisintroduction,theteachercancreateacircumstanceforthestudentstopractice:MaryandJackarenewclassmates.Theyarewalkingtogetherinthestreet,andtheymeetoneofJacksoldfriends,Yangpei.ThenYangpeiandMaryareintroducedtoeachotherbyJack.Afterthestudentspracticethedialogueisintroducednaturallyfromit.Usually,theapplicationofbodylanguageindifferentsituationswillresultinanattractingandsuccessfullesson.3.BodylanguagehelpstoimprovereadingThepurposeofSeniorEnglishteachingistotrainthestudentspreliminaryabilityofusingspokenandwrittenEnglish.Intheseniorschool,welayemphasisonethereadingabilitythatservesthestudentsfurtherstudy.Herewemainlymentionthehelpfulnessforreadingaloud(朗讀).Readingaloudhelpsthestudentstogetacorrectpronunciationandintonationandtodevelopthecombinationofvocabulariespronunciation,spellingandmeaning.Furthermoreitalsohelpsthestudentstofindoutthearticlesinternalfeelingsandappreciatethebeautyofthelanguage.Alinguisteversaid:Apoemisnotapoemuntilitisread.Readingaloudisbasicinthemiddleschool,andtheteachersshouldmakefulluseofbodylanguagetodevelopthestudentsabilityofreadingaloud.Whenreadingthesentences,attentionshouldbepaidtowheretospeaksoftly,emphasize,andraiseorlowerourtone.Tomakeitclear,wecanimitatethestrongorsoftpatsthatareusedinmusicteaching,whichmeanstousethearcstorepresentdifferenttones.Generallyspeaking,weusefallingtonesindeclarativeandspecialinterrogativesentence,firstrisingtonesandthenfallingtonesinthechoosinginterrogativesentence.Thestudentsinthemiddleschoolarenotoftenaccustomedtoandalwaysconfusethem,however,withthehelpofbodylanguage,theycansolvetheproblemmuchmoreeasily.Forexample,theyusegestures.Astheyreadthechoosinginterrogativesentence,theyraisetheirhandsinrisingtonesandlowerinfallingtones.Aftertrainingforsometimes,assoonastheyreadthesentences,theywillremindthemselvesofthegestures.Asaresult,therewillbenoproblemsinrightlyreadingthesentencesatall.Inaword,thevividgesturetogetherwiththefluentEnglishcancreateagoodcircumstanceoflearning,whichwillsurelyplayanactivepartinimprovingthestudentsreadingability.4.Bodylanguagehelpstoimprovewriting.Writingisoneofthefourbasicskillsoflearninglanguage,anditissoimportantaskillthatwecanevensaywithoutit,peoplecantcommunicatewithothers.NotonlyshouldthestudentsgetsomeEnglishknowledgeandvocabularies,butalsotheabilitytocommunicateinspokenandwrittenEnglishaswhatismentionedintheteachingprograms.Tosomeextent,writingismuchmoreimportantthanspeaking,foritcanspreadwithoutthelimitationofspaceandtime.SincethestudentslearnEnglishasamediaforcommunication,theyshouldhavetheabilityofwriting.Togetridofthestudentsfeelingsofbeingdullandtiring,anEnglishteacherhastouseeverypossiblemethod.Thisisthesametothewriting.Teachersusedifferentmethodinordertoimprovethestudentsabilityofwriting,amongwhich,theapplicationofbodylanguagecandeepentheobjectimpression,suchismagnificentindevelopingthestudentswritingability.ThelinguistFranklineversaid,Tellme,Illforget；teachme,Illremember；involvemeandIlllearn.Ifweaskedthestudentstowriteanunfamiliarcomposition,theywouldprobablybeunabletoandfeeldisc