浅谈英语谚语的来源、功能及其修辞 25页

浅谈英语谚语的来源、功能及其修辞［Abstract］Proverbs,incolorfulandvividlanguage,reflectimportanttypicalculturalvaluesofeveryculture.Simpleandpopular,conciseandpithy,theyarepassedonfromgengerationtogenerationinthereadableoralformandhavegraduallybecomeacomponentindispensabletothedominantcultureofthatnation.Thispapercontainsthreeparts: thesourcesofEnglishproverbs、thefunctionsofEnglishproverbsandtherhetoricaldevicesofEnglishproverbs.Firstly,itintroducesthesourcesofEnglishproverbs.Proverbshavealonghistory. Theyarebriefandwell-polishedexpressionsembeddedinphilosophicalideasconcerningdifferentaspectsoflife.Theyarethesummaryofpeopleexperienceineverydaylife,sotheyoriginatedfrompeople’sdailylifeandexperience.Tobespecific,theycomefromfolklife,religion,mythology,literaryworks,otherlanguages,famouswriters’wisdom,anation’shistoryandsoon.Secondly,itmentionsthefunctionofEnglishproverbs.ItsfunctionistoteachandadvisepeoplewhattheyseeinthEirlives.ManyEnglishproverbsguidepeopletoadoptacorrectattitudetowardslifeandtotakeaproperwaytogetalongwellwithothers.Someotherproverbstellpeoplewhattodoandhowtodoit,sotheproverbsguidepeople’sdailylife.Fromthem,peoplemaybroadenthEIrknowledgeandoutlook. Thirdly,itdescribestheirrhetoricaldevices.Englishproverbsarerichandcolorful.WithregardtotheeverlastingcharmoftheEnglishproverbs,therearemanydifferentreasons.Themostimportantoneistheextensiveuseofrhetoricaldevicesandrhythmaticalways,sotheirlanguageisfullofimageandvividnessandhasastrongartisticbeautyandpower.［KeyWords］Englishproverbs；sources；functions；rhetoricaldevices【摘要】 谚语丰富多彩，生动隽永，反映了每个民族追崇的重要而独特的文化价值观。谚语简单通俗，精辟凝练，尤其以朗朗的口语形态承传沿用，渐渐成为民族主流文化不可缺少的一部分。这篇论文包含三个部分： 英语 谚语的来源，英语谚语的功能及其修辞。第一部分是介绍英语谚语的来源，英语谚语源远流长，是人类日常生活经验的结晶。它来源于日常生活与经验，确切地说，来源于民间生活，宗教，神话，文学著作，其他语言，名人名言以及国家历史等。第二部分是介绍英语谚语的功能，谚语的功能是 教育  和指导人们在日常生活中所遇到的情况，同时它们引导人们采取正确的态度对待生活。从谚语中，人们可以拓宽自己的知识面，避免出错，具有敏锐的观察力的人从中受益非浅。第三部分是介绍英语谚语的修辞：英语谚语丰富多彩，具有永恒的魅力，其原因之一就是 应用 了大量的修辞格和押韵方法，这就使谚语更形象，生动并具有强烈的 艺术 美和感染力。【关键词】英语谚语；来源；功能；修辞格1.IntroductionProverbsareshortsayingsoffolkwisdomofwell-knownfactsortruthscompendiousexpressedandinawaythatmakesthemeasytoremember.Becausetheproverbsaresobrief,theyhaveuniversalappeal.Manypeoplelovetopickupproverbs.Theuseofoneortwointheoriginallanguageisoftenaminorvictoryforthebeginningforeignlanguagelearners.Proverbsmayprovideinterestinglittleglimpsesorcluestoapeople’sgeography,history,socialorganization,socialviews,andattitudes.Peoplewholivealongseacoastsandwhoselivelihoodisdependentontheseawillhaveproverbsaboutsailing,aboutbravingtheweather,aboutfishandfishing.Incultureswhereoldageisrevered,therewillbeproverbsaboutthewisdomoftheelders.Andinsocietieswherewomen’sstatusislow,therewillbeanumberofsayingsdemeaningthem.Proverbstellmuchaboutapeople"straditionalwaysofexperiencingreality,abouttheproperorexpectedwaysofdoingthings,aboutvaluesandwarnings,andrulesandwisdomstheelderswanttoimpressonthemindsoftheiryoung.Theimportantcharacterofproverbs‘theshorterthebetter’makesiteasytocommitthemtomemoryforreadyrecallwhentheoccasioncallsforseriousorhumorouscommentorwarning.Createdbypeopleinhighandlowstatus,humblefolkandgreatauthors,borrowedfromancientorneighboringcultures,proverbshavebeenaccumulatingovermanycenturies.Someareonlylocallyknown;manyaresharedaroundtheworld.IfonewantstohavebetterknowledgeofEnglishculture，heshouldbefamiliarwiththesourcesandfunctionsofEnglishproverbs.2. ThesourcesofEnglishproverbs2.1OriginatingfromfolklifeProverbsarethesummaryofpeopleexperienceintheireverydaylife.Thesummarizedexperienceandreasonareabstractedfromthepracticeofpeople’slifeandwork.Theyexpresspeople’ssimpleandhealthythoughts,feelingsandsentiments.Moreoftenthannot,itrevealsauniversaltruthfromaparticularpointsoastoenlightenpeople.Agreatnumberofproverbswerecreatedbyworkingpeoplesuchasseamen,hunters,farmers,workmen,housewivesandcooksandsoon,usingfamiliartermsthatwereassociatedwiththeirowntradesandoccupations.Forexample,Livingwithouttheaimislikesailingwithoutacompasswasfirstusedbyseamen;Ifyourunaftertwohares,youwillcatchneitherbyhunters;Aprilrainsforcorn, May,forgrassbyfarmers;NewbroomsweepscleanbyhousewivesandToomanycooksspoilthebrothbycooks,etc.Suchexpressionswereallcolloquialandinformalandonceconfinedtoalimitedgroupofpeopleengagedinthesametradeoractivity.Buttheywereprovedtobevivid,andforcibleandstimulating,solatertheybrokeoutoftheirboundsandgraduallygainedwideacceptance.Asaresult,theirearlystylisticfeaturesfadedinsomewayandmanyhavecometobecomepartofthecommoncoreoflanguage,nowbeingusedindifferentoccasions.Someproverbsarerelatedtosomefolkpracticeandcustoms.Forexample,Goodwineneedsnobush.[1]ThisproverbisfromanancientpopularEnglishpractice.Inthepast,Englishwinemerchantstendedtohangsomeivybushesorapictureofivybushesontheirdoorsasasymbolofwineselling.Butsomemerchant’swinewassogoodthatitcan’tbeignoredwithoutsign. Thisinfactshowsthepastcommonpracticethatmerchantsofdifferenttradeswouldhangdifferentparticularthingsassignsfortheirgoods. Anotherexampleisinvolvedwithpeople’sweddingpractice.Englishpeoplebelievedthatiftheweatherwerefineandsunnyonagirl-weddingday,thegirlwouldmostprobablyenjoyahappymarriagelife.Otherwise,allsortsofmisfortunesandtragedieswouldbefallonher.Becauseofthiscustom,EnglishpeoplehavegotaproverbHappyisthebridethatsunshineson.[2]ThisproverboriginatedfromthecommonpracticeinancientChina.Inthepast,younggirlsdidn’thavetherighttodecidewhomtomarry.Theirparentshadthefinaldecisionintheirmarriage.Usually,theparentswouldaskamatchmakerforhelp.Thematchmakerwentbetweentwofamiliesandpassedonthemessages.Finally,thegirl’sparentsmadethefinaldecisionwhetherthegirlwouldmarrythechosenboyornot.Thisisknownasarrangedmarriage.Suchamarriage,moreoftenthannot,wouldleadthecoupletoanunhappylife.Becausetheyseldomorevenneversaweachotherbefore,theyknewevenlittleabouttheotherparty’sbehaviorormanners,letalonehis/herpersonalityorvirtues.Itwasoftenbeyondthecouple’shopestoenjoyahappymarriage.   Someproverbscamefromancientpeopledeeplyrootedbeliefssuchastheirsuperstitioustendencyandbelief.Inthepast,Englishpeoplebelievedthatifapersonspoiledsaltfromthesaltbottle,misfortuneandbadluckwouldfollow.Thenthispersonmustscatterthespoiledsaltfromtheirleftshoulderssoastodriveofftheirillluck.Inturn,EnglishpeoplehavegottheproverbHelpmetosaltandyouhelpmetosorrow.[3]Someproverbscomefrompeople’sdistinctionbetweensexessuchastheirdiscriminationagainstwomen.Itcomesfromadeeplyrootedtraditionalviewpoint.SuchasThreewomenandagoosemakeamarket;Longhairandshortwit;Themorewomenlookintheirglass，thelesstheylooktotheirhouse.2.2Originatingfromreligion BibleisessentialforBritishandAmericancultures.ItissaidthattheirculturesarenotintegratedwithoutBible.ItissafetosaythatBibleinfluenceseveryaspectofitsdisciples’life.Consequently,manysayingsandsentencesinBiblehavebeenpopularlyaccepted.Theyhavebeendeeplyrootedamongpeopleandpeoplefrequentlyusethemtociteatruthorexpresstheirideaswithoutpayinganyattentiontotheiroriginsanymore.ThesesayingsarenolongeronlyconfinedtoreligionandtheyhavebecomeproverbswhichreflectEnglishpeoplereligiousfaithsuchasEverymanmustcarryhisowncrossThisproverbisfromBible,Matthew,onthegroundsofMatthew,themainideaislikethis:“Asthesoldierswentout,theycameuponamanfromCyrenenamedSimon;theycompelledthismantocarryJesus’cross.AndwhentheycametoaplacecalledGolgotha(whichmeansPlaceofaskull),theyofferedJesuswinetodrink,mixedwithgall;butwhenhetastedit,hewouldnotdrinkit.Andwhentheyhadcrucifiedhim,theydividedhisclothesamongthemselvesbycastinglots;thentheysatdownthereandkeptwatchingoverhim.Overhisheadtheyputthechargeagainst,whichread,“ThisisJesus,thekingoftheJews.””[4]Fromthis,wecanknowthatcrossmeanssufferings.Theproverbtendstotellusthateveryoneshouldputupwithmiseryindailylifeandundertakethelife’sburden. AnotherproverbisalsofromtheBible:Onedoesn’tliveonlybybread.ItisfromtheBible,Deuteronomy，thegeneralideais:“RememberthelongwaythattheLordyourGodhasledyouthesefortyyearsinthewilderness,inordertohumbleyou,testingyoutoknowwhatwasinyourheart,whetherornotyouwouldkeephiscommandments.Hehumbledyoubylettingyouhunger,thenbyfeedingyouwithManna,withwhichneitheryounoryourancestorswereacquainted,inordertomakeyouunderstandthatonedoesnotlivebybreadalone,butbyeverywordthatcomesfromthemouthoftheLord.”[5]Fromthis,wecanknowthatmaterialisnottheonlythingthatisindispensabletomen.Spiritisalsoveryimportant.Isoneisonlysearchedformaterial,hewillbeconsideredasanimals,forthemostdistinctivecharacteristicbetweenmenandanimalsisthatmenhavepursuitofspiritbutanimalshaven’t.Manyimagesintheseproverbshavedidacticmeanings. EnglishpeoplebelieveinChristianity,whichisbyfarthemostinfluentialreligioninthewest.Everyaspectofman’slifeistouchedbythisreligion,sothatithasbecomepartofwesternculture.AndtheBible,whichincludestheOldTestamentandtheNewTestament,isregardedasthescriptures.AlmosteveryfamilyhasaversionofBible,soithascometobeoneofthemajorsourcesofEnglishculture.ManyEnglishproverbsshowthedoctrinesoftheirreligion.Forexample,Letnotthylefthandknowwhatthyrighthanddoeth.[6]AccordingtothedoctrinesofBible:allhumanbeingsarebrothersandsisters,andtheyshouldhelpeachother.Sowhenyougivehandstoothers,neverkeepthememorythatyouhavehelpedthem.Anotherexample,Iftheblindleadthe blind,bothshallfallintotheditch.[7]Itimpliesthatifonehaslittleknowledge,itisdifficultforhimtoteachotherssomeusefulthings.Evenifhetriedtohelpothers,hewoulddonothinggoodtothem.2.3OriginatingfromliteraryworksManyEnglishproverbsinvolveeventsorcharactersofEnglishliterature,especiallyfromShakespeare.Shakespeare’sinsightintohumanbeings,hissensitivitytotheproblemofstate,andhisgeniuswithwordshaveleftaneverlastingmarkontheEnglishlanguageandthethinkingofEnglish-speakingpeopleallovertheworld.NativespeakersofEnglishquotehisworkseveryday,oftenwithoutrealizingtheyaredoingso.Althoughhisplayswerewrittenoverthreehundredyearsago,manyEnglishproverbsfromhisplaysarecitedcommonlyindailyEnglish. Shakespeare’sworksareprobablythemostcolorfulliteratureoriginofproverbs.Forexample,Allisnotgoldthatglitters.ThisproverbisfromthegreatworksofShakespeareTheMerchantsofVenice.Itshowsusthatthosewhohaveagoodappearancearenotreallylearned.Soweshouldbecarefulnottobedeceivedbythosewhoaresuperficiallyflashybutwithoutsubstance.Anotherexample,Patienceperforceismedicineforamaddog[8]isfromShakespeare’sworksAntonyandCleopatra.Ittellsusthatthosewhocannotendureanythingwouldlosehistemperlikesamaddog.ManyEnglishproverbsarealsofromTheFablesofAesop.Theseproverbsareveryconciseandhumorous,andtheyreflecttheessenceandthetruemeaningoflife.Itisveryeasyforpeopletounderstandthemandtoputthemintopractice.Manyofthemarepasseddowntilltoday.Forexample,Thecamelgoingtoseekhorns,losthisears.[9]Thegeneralideaoftheallusionis:acowshowedoffhishornsinfrontofacamel.Thecamelwasenviousofcow’shorns,soherequestedZeustogiveapairofhornstohim.Zeuswasveryangry,becausehethoughtthatthecamelwasgreedytoaskforhornswithhissohugebody.Atlast,hemadeadecisionthatheletthecamelhavehornsbutwiththecostofcuttingoffapartofhisears.Thisproverbtellsusthatifoneisgreedytooccupyeverything,hewillbepunishedbyhisgreed. AnotherproverbisalsofromtheFablesofAesop.“Thegrapesaresour”,asthefoxsaidwhenhecouldnotreachthem.[10]Theallusion,whichthisproverbcamefrom,isgenerallylikethis:oneday,ahungryfoxsawalotofripegrapeshangingonthegrapevine.Hebeathisbrainshardbutcouldnotfindawaytopickthegrapes.Thehungrierhefelt,theangrierhegot.Finally,hegaveup.Inordertocomforthimself,“Thegrapesaresour”,thefoxsaidwhilewalkingaway.Nowadays,peoplewidelyuseittoexpressthatsomeonewhowantstotakeholdofsomethingwithallhiseffortbutfailstogetitwilllowerthevalueofthisthing. Therearealsootherproverbs,suchas:Abarleycornisbetterthanadiamondto acock.[11]Theallusion’smainideais:whenahungrycockwassearchedforfood,hesawadiamond.Thecocksaidtothediamond:“Tosomeonewhoadmiresyou,youareapreciousthing;buttome,youhavenovalueatall,forallvaluablethingcannotmatchwithabarley-corn.”Indeed,accordingtoourcommonsense,adiamondisfarmorevaluablethanabarley-corn.Buttoahungryman,especiallytosomeonewhoneedsgrainsbadly,hewouldchoosegrainsbutnottreasure,fortreasurecannotsatisfyhisstomach.Sothisproverbtendstoimplythatdifferentpeoplehavedifferentviewsnothesamething.Thesubmittingtoonewrongbringsonanother.[12]Theallusion,whichthisproverbcamefrom,isgenerallylikethis:asnakewasoftenriddendownbypeople,sohecomplainedittoZeus.Zeustoldhimthatifhebitsomeonewhofirstlytrampledonhim,thenextonewouldnottramplehim.Itshowsthatifoneputupwiththemistakehemadeatthefirsttime,hewillmakeanothersimilarmistake.Soweshouldgainalessonfromtheaboveallusionsoastoavoidmakingthesamemistakes.2.4OriginatingfromGreekandRomanmythology“WesternersareheirstoGreco-Romancivilization.ManyideasnowprevailinginwesterncountriescanbetracedbacktothethinkersinancientGreeceandRoman.GreekandRomanmythologiesarewellknowninthewestandhavebeardonastronginfluenceuponpeople’slivesinwesterncountries.ItisnaturalthatitbecomesacommonsourceofEnglishproverbs.”[13] SomeproverbsarefromGreekandRomanmythology.Eachofthemhasanallusion.Forexample,TheDeviltoohasAchilles’heel.[14]AccordingtotheHomer,wecanknow:AchilleswasaGreekhero.Excepthisheel,everypartofAchilles’bodyisswordproof,sohisheelishisfataldefect.TheproverbtellsusthateventheDevilhashisweakness.Nomanisabsolutelypowerful.ThereisasimilarexamplefromRomanmythology.NotevenHerculescouldcontendagainsttwo.[15]Hercules,asonofZeus,wasaheroinRomanmythology.Hehadincredibleforce,whichhelpedhimgaintwelveheroicachievements.Althoughhewaspowerfulenough,hecouldn’tdefeatalargenumberofenemiesonhisown.Sotheproverbstellsusthatman’senergyislimitednomatterhowpowerfulheis.Anotherexample,withoutCeresandBacchus,Venusgrowscold.[16]CeresisRomangoddessofgrainandagriculture;BacchusistheGreetgodofwine;Venusisthegoddessofbeautyandlove.Fromthis,wecanknowthatCeresandBacchusstandforbasicnecessityoflife.Sotheproverbtendstoexpressthatlovecan’tbesweetwithoutmaterialsupport.2.5OriginatingfromotherlanguagesWiththedevelopmentofsociety,alanguagecannotavoidcontactingwithotherlanguages.Inthecontact,thecertainlanguagesurelyabsorbssomeproverbsfromothers.Withalonghistory,Englishlanguageborrowedalargenumberof proverbswidelyfrommanyotherlanguagesincludingGreek,Latin,German,Italian,Spanish,Dutch,Hebrew,Arabic,Chinese,andotherlanguages,amongwhichLatin,GreekandFrenchprovidetherichestnutrition.MostoftheborrowedproverbsinEnglish,duetotheremotenessoftime,havealreadyassimilatedormergedintotheEnglishlanguagewiththEirtracesalmostimpossibletofollow.ManyEnglishproverbsoriginatedfromFrench.[17]William,DukeofNormandy,France,landedhismightyarmyatPevensyanddefeatedSaxonkingHarold’smennearHastings.WilliamwascrownedaskingofEngland,andthenheopeneddoorstothecontinentandextendedcultureandcommercialrelationswithFrance.Norman-Franceculture,languageandarchitecturewereintroduced.TheconquerorsruledEnglandinalongperiodoftime,andmostofthegovernorsusedFrenchasthEIrformallanguage.AlthoughEnglandfinallywonhersovereignty,therewerestillmanyborrowedwordsfromFranceremained.Especially,EnglishpeopleacceptedmanyFrenchsayings.Forexample,Don’tputthecartbeforethehorse;Ventureasmallfishtocatchagreatone;Ifthelion’sskincannot,thefox’sshall.ManyEnglishproverbscamefromLatin.[18]BecauseoftheintroductionofChristianityintoBritain,theinfluenceoftheNormanConquestandtheRenaissanceonEnglish,LatinwordshadmadetheirwayintotheEnglishlanguage.AmongtheseLatinwordstherealsoincludedmanyproverbs,whichgainedwideacceptanceofEnglishpeople.Suchas:Fortunefavorsthebrave;Hewhosayswhathelikes,shallhearwhathedoesnotlike;IfeartheGreeks,evenwhenbringinggifts;Thereisnorulewithoutanexceptionandsoon.2.6Originatingfromfamouswriters’wisdomFamouswritersprovidedoneoftherichestsourcesforEnglishproverbs,whichisonlynexttotheproverbsoffolkorigin.Wealsocansaythatmostproverbs,regardlessoftheirinitial,havebeenpolishedandpreservedandpopularizedbyfamouswritersintheirworks.ItisgenerallyagreedthatsuchfamouswritersasBacon,Pope,Franklinandsooncontributedquitealottothecreation,preservationandpopularizationofEnglishproverbs. BaconisadistinguishedEnglishphilosopherandwriter.Heisnotedforastyleofthoroughexpositionandalternativemaxims.ManysentencesinBacon’sworkshavebecomegoldensayingandprevailedamongpeople.Forexample,Readingmakesafullmantellspeoplethatonlybyreadingcanapersonbecomelearnedandprofound.AnotherproverbKnowledgeispoweremphasizestheimportanceofknowledgeandencouragespeopletostudymoreandlearnmore.PopeisanothercelebratedfigureinEnglishliterature.Heemphasizeseducationandknowledgeverymuch.Somesentencesfromhisworkshavebeenacceptedbythereadersandbecomedeeplyrootedamongpeople.TakeAlittlelearningisadangerousthingforexample.ThisdidacticproverbisasentenceinPopeAn EssayonCriticismanditreflectshisideasaboutknowledgeandlearning.BenjaminFranklinisafamousAmericanstatesman,scientistandwriter.Manysayingsfromhisworkswerewidelyacceptedandenlightenpeople.Forexample,Littlestrokefellgreatoaks.[19]Ittellsusthatonenevergivinguppursuingknowledge,becauseonlythosewhoarestrong-mindedcanbehighlyintellectual.Anotherexample,Godhelpthemthathelpthemselves.[20]Ittendstotellusthatsolongasonevaluesself-relianceandindependence,hecancreateopportunities,seekcompetitionandbereadyfortherisks.3. ThefunctionofEnglishproverbsThefunctionsofEnglishproverbsarethattheyexpresssomerulesofconductandquiteoftenconveysomeadviceorcounsel.Inotherwords,mostEnglishproverbspossessphilosophicdepthorinstructivefunction.ForthousandsofyearstheyhavebeeninstructingandinspiringEnglishpeople,sotheyhavebeenregardedastheguidelineofpeople’sthoughtsanddeeds,whichmeansEnglishpeoplearethinkingordoingthingsbyfollowingthedirectionoftheirproverbseitherconsciouslyorunconsciously.Englishproverbshavebecomeanimportantsourcesofinspirationjustbecausetheycontaintruth,wisdom,counsel,ruleofconduct,etc.FollowingwillmentiontwofunctionsofEnglishproverbs.3.1ThefunctiontoadviseSomeproverbsareintendedtopersuadeandteachpeople.Topersuadeistopraisejustice,tofightagainstthebully.Toteachistoguidepeopletoadoptacorrectattitudetowardslife,totakeaproperwaytogetalongwellwithothers.Forexample,Betterdiewithhonorthanlivewithshame;Don’thavecloaktomakewhenitbeginstorain.Suchproverbssoundveryfirmandresoluteandtheycanstrengthenpeopleconvictionandawakenpeopleconsciousnessoflifeorbettertheirthinkingmethods.Theyareveryhelpfulforpeopletomakedistinctionbetweenrightandwrong,tobeclearaboutwhattoloveandwhattohate.Becausetheyaregoodforpeople’sself-cultivationandtheycancallfordeepthought,manypeopletaketheseproverbsastheirlifemotto.Someotherproverbsrevealandcriticizethedarksideoftheagesorsociety.Theyattackthedirtypracticesofthesocietysoastoremindpeopletokeepconsciousandmaintainsharpwarning.Forexample,Thefoxchangeshisskin,butnothishabit;Aleopardcannotchangeitsspots.Peopletendtorecitesuchproverbswhentheyaredisclosingtheevilinthesocietyorwhentheyareremindingotherstokeepalert. 3.2ThefunctiontospreadexperiencesandknowledgeManyproverbssummarizeknowledgeofpeople’sdailylifesuchasThebestwinecomesoutofanoldvessel;Softfiremakessweetmalt.Aspeople’sdailylifeiscomplicatedandextremelytrifling,suchproverbsarenumerous.They summarizepeople’sknowledgeintheirlifeandtheytellpeoplewhattodoandhowtodoit.Theyarejustlikeanencyclopediatoguidepeople’sdailylife.Fromthem,peoplemaybroadentheirknowledgeandoutlooksoastoavoidmakingmistakes.Someproverbsofthistypeareconcernedwithaparticularfield,likefarmerproverbsandmeteorologicalproverbs.Peasantsofdifferentages,intheiroveryears’work,practiceandprovethefarmingexperienceandproductiverules.Fromgenerationtogeneration,theysumuptheirexperienceandthefarmingrulesintosomevivid,conciseandlivelysentences.Thesesentencesarefarmerproverbsandtheyarepracticedandtestifiedyearafteryearandtheyhavebeenprovedtrueandaccurate.Theyreflectthepeasants’farmingexperienceandagriculturallawandshowtheworkingpeople’swisdom.Farmerproverbsareapreciousandvaluablepartofagriculturaldata.Peasantsofdifferentageshavesomeofthemasguideintheirfarming.Andmeteorologicalproverbs,whichsummarizethefundamentalmeteorologicalknowledgeofgenerations,arealsoabighelpinpeoplelife.Forexample,AprilshowersbringforthMayflowers;AcoldMayandawindymakesafullbarnandafindy;DryAugustandwarmdoesharvestnoharm;Afairdayinwinteristhemotherofastorm;Amistymorningmayhaveafineday;Cloudymorningsturntoclearevenings.4.TherhetoricaldevicesofEnglishproverbs IfwesaythephilosophicorinstructiveaspectofEnglishproverbsisagoodhelptothepeople,thenwecanalsosaythattheartisticoraestheticaspectofEnglishproverbsisaccelerantthatattractspeople’sattentiontomakefulluseofthem.Englishproverbsarealwaysterse,figurativeandwithpleasantsoundeffect,whichmakethemeasytomemorizeandpleasanttoears.FollowingwewilldiscusstherhetoricaldevicesofEnglishproverbs.4.1Repetition （1）Soundinbody,soundinmind.（2）Foolslearnnothingfromwisemen,butwisemenlearnmuchfromfools. （3）Oneboyisaboy,twoboyshalfaboy,threeboysnoboy.（4）Awisemanthinksallthathesays;afoolsaysallthathethinks.Fromtheaboveexamples,wecanfindthattherepeatedwordorideahasareinforcingeffect.Withtherepetitionofthesamewordinclosesuccession,wemaynoticethatthemainpointofthesentencebecomesclear.Itcanalsobeusedtoexpressstrongemotionandgiveusanaestheticfeelingandasenseoflogicalprogressionofideas.[21]4.2Phonology 4.2.1Alliteration （5）Hewhomakesconstantcomplaintsgetslittlecompassion.  （6）Afairfacemayhideafoulheart.   （7）Thefairestflowerssoonestfade. （8）Timeandtidewaitfornoman.  Fromtheaboveexamples,wecanfindthattheseproverbsarevividwithrhythm.Becauseofrhythm,alliterationisagreathelptomemory.Itcancatchtheattentionofthereadersandmaketheideaimpresseddeeplyonthereaders,sotheproverbsareeasiertoremember.4.2.2Consonance（9）Inyouththehoursaregolden,andinmatureyearstheyaresilvern,andinoldagetheyareleaden. （10）Hopeforthebest,preparefortheworst. （11）Wherelovefails,weespyallfaults.   Fromtheabove-mentioned,consonancemakestheproverbsmorerhythmicandmoreappealing.Itisalsogoodforsoundrhyme,musicaleffectandsignificantemphasis.4.2.3Assonance（12）Wheretheneedlegoes,thethreadfollows.  （13）Whothatinyouth,novirtueuses,inoldallhonorhimrefuses.（14）Afriendinneedisafriendindeed.  Therepetitionoftheabovevowelproducesmusicalrhythmandsoundeuphony.4.3Comparison4.3.1Simile （15）Marchcomesinlikealionandgoesoutlikealamb.  （16）Truefriendshipislikesoundhealth,thevalueofwhichisseldomknownuntilitbelost.（17）Alambisasdearasdearastoapoormanasanoxtotherich. Aswecanseefromtheaboveexamples,simileexplainsabstract,complicatedideasinsimpleandconcreteway.4.3.2Metaphor （18）Moneyisagoodservantbutabadmaster.（19）Knowledgeisatreasurebutpracticeisthekeytoit.（20）Hopeisthepoorman’sbread.  Aswecanseefromtheaboveexamples,animpliedcomparisonbetweentwodifferentthingsthatshareatleastoneattributeincommon.4.3.3Metonymy（21）Alightheartliveslong.       （22）Asoftanswerturnedawaywrath. （23）Anironhandinavelvetglove.  （24）Aclosemouthcatchesnoflies.  Aswecanseefromtheaboveexamples,unlikesimile,thecomparisoninmetaphorisimplied.Itrequiresgreaterabilityonthepartofthereadertomakeoutthehiddenassociationorinsight,sometaphorisgenerallymore complicatedandmoreinvolvedthansimile.Theaboveproverbsenrichandstrengthenthereader’sexistingassociationandbringingaboutgreaterrhetoricaleffectiveness.[22]4.4Personification4.4.1Inanimateobjectspersonalizing  （25）Wallhasears.   （26）Moneymakesthemarego. （27）Thepotcallsthekettleblack. 4.4.2Animalspersonalizing （28）Thefoxknewtoomuch,that’showhelosthistail. （29）Nightingaleswillnotsinginacage.（30）Thetortoisewinstheracewhilethehareissleeping. （31）Twosparrowsononeearofcornmakeanillagreement. 4.4.3Plantspersonalizing（32）Agreattreeattractsthewind. （33）Asingleflowerdoesnotmakeaspring.  4.4.4Abstractideaspersonalizing （34）Truthconquersallthings. （35）Opportunityseldomknockstwice. （36）Virtuedwellsnotinthetonguebutintheheart. Intheaboveproverbs,thereareincludingthreepartsofpersonification.Usingpersonificationmakestheproverbsmorevividandmoreattractive.Itcanimpressthereadersdeeply.4.5Parallel （37）Inforapenny,inforapound.  （38）Inyouththehoursaregolden,andinmatureyearstheyaresilvern,andinoldagetheyareleaden. （39）Theleastsaid,thesoonestmended.  Aswecanfromtheabove,parallelstructurecancreateagoodvisualimageandhelpreadersmovequicklyfromoneideatothenext.Parallelismgivesemphasis,charityandcoherenceofideas,anditalsogivestherhythmoftheproverbs.Ithelpsthereaderstocatchtheideaofthespeakersorwritereasilyandpleasantly.[23]4.6Synecdoche（40）Twoheadsarebetterthanone.（41）Greatmindsthinkalike. Herethewords“head”and“mind”arebothrepresent“aperson”.4.7Hyperbole （42）Athousandyearscannotrepairamoment"slossofhonor. （43）Theworldisbutalittleplace,afterall.  （44）Anunfortunatemanwouldedrownedinateacup.  Hyperboleisacommonlyusedasignofgreatemotionasshownintheaboveexamples.Thereisnointenttodeceivethereader,instead,inthespeaker’smindheistrulydescribinghisintensefeelingatthetime.4.8Pun （45）Measureyourselfbyyourownfoot. Heretheword“foot”hastwomeanings:onemeanshuman’heel,theotherisdimensionalunit.Sotheaboveproverbhastwodifferentmeanings,whichcreateapun.（46）Rueandthymegrowbothinonegarden. Heretheword“rue”hastwodifferentmeanings:oneisthenameofkingofflower,theothermeansregret.Theword“thyme”andtheword“time”havethesamepronunciations.Thesetworeasonsmakeapun.5.Conclusion Proverbsaretheoutcomeoflanguage.Theycomefrompeopleandareusedbypeople.“Proverbs,asaprominentscholaroncesaid“themirrorofanation”and“thelivingfossilofalanguage”,doplayanimportantroleindifferentlanguagesandcultures.InthewordsofFrancisBacon,“theGenius,witandspiritofanationarediscoveredinitsproverbs.””[24]ThereareavarietyofproverbsalmostallEnglishspeakersarefamiliarwith.Theyregardthesewordsofwisdomwithrespect. Tosumup,themajorsourcesofEnglishproverbsaretheexperienceofthecommonpeople,literaryworks,religiousscripture,mythology,translatedloans,andhistory.SowecangainsomebasicknowledgeofEnglishculturethroughlearningEnglishproverbs,whichplaysanimportantroleincross-culturalcommunication.Becauseofusingrhetoricaldevicesandrhythmicalways,Englishproverbsarefilledwithimageandvividness,whichcancatchtheattentionofthereadersandmaketheideaimpresseddeeplyonthereaders.Theyalsorevealauniversaltruthfromaparticularpointinordertoenlightenpeople.Soproverbsgivepeopleadviceorwarningsindealingwitheverydayissues,andpointoutthepathtoknowledgeandself-cultivation.Bibliography[1]王德春、杨素英、黄月圆.汉英谚语与文化［M］.上海：上海外语 教育 出版社，2003.P57[2]郝澎.英美民间故事与民俗：你不可不知道的 英语 学习背景知识［M］.海口：南海出版公司，2004.5.P49[3]同注[2],P41[4]圣经(马太福音第27章第32节)［M］.中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会；中国基督教协会.南京爱德印刷有限公司,2000.P57[5]圣经(申命记第8章第3节)［M］. 中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会；中国基督教协会.南京爱德印刷有限公司,2000.PP283-284[6]王书亭、王建敏.英语流行谚语［M］.东营：石油大学出版社，2004.4.P174[7]同注[6],P168[8]同注[1],P41[9]同注[1],P55[10]同注[1],P55[11]同注[1],P56[12]同注[1],P55[13]王振亚.语言与文化［M］.北京：高等教育出版社，1999.4.P191[14]同注[1],P186[15]同注[1],P50[16]王振亚.实用英语语言文化［M］.保定:河北大学出版社,2004.8.P139[17]刘宝权、侯艳萍.《英语专业八级人文知识》［M］.大连：大连理工大学版社，2005.9.P47[18]林承璋.《英语词汇学引论（修订版）》［M］.武汉：武汉大学出版社，1997.4. PP36-37[19]同注[6],P88[20]同注[1],P100[21]张秀国.英语修辞学［M］.北京：清华大学出版社;北京交通大学出版社,2005.P127[22]同注[22],P165[23]同注[22],P129[24]GuiQing-yang.DegreesofAffinity：AcomparativestudyonEnglishandChineseproverbs［J］.JOURNALOFSHANGRAOTEACHERSCOLLEGE,Aug.1994,Vol.14(No.3):P92 TeachingMethods&learners’InterestAbstract:Thepresentstudypresentsadetailedreportofaprojectimplementedtosolvetheproblemthatmostofmystudentsaren’tinterestedinEnglishandtheydon’tlikestudyingEnglish.Itishypothesizedthatlearners’interestinstudyingEnglishwillbegreatlyincreasedbysomebetterteachingmethodsinthisrespect.Thishypothesisisverifiedbyathree-weekclassroomteachingofvariedtechniques. Amongthemethodsofscientificinvestigationusedareanalyticmethod,causeanalyticquestionnairesurvey,andbrainstorming.Keyphrase:English;interest;teachingmethodsMainHeadingsoftheProjectReport1.Introduction2.SummaryofthePreliminaryResearch2.1Problem2.2Problemanalysis2.3Projectobjective2.4Projecthypothesis2.5Possiblesolutions3.Full-ScaledImplementationoftheSolutions3.1Getonwellwithstudents3.2Getwellreadyforteaching3.3Greatarelaxedandpleasedstudyenvironment3.4Flexibleanddiversifiedteaching3.5Combinetheorywithpractice4.ProjectDesign5.ProblemUnsolved6.Projectevaluation7.ConclusionReferences:Appendix:A.ThetimetableoftheprojectB.TeachingnotesC.DiariesD.Thequestionnaireforproblemanalysis1.IntroductionIhavebeenteachingthestudentswhoareinthEirsecondyearofajuniormiddleschool.Inmyteaching,I’vefoundtherearesomeproblems.Now,I’llfinishmystudyin ChengDu University.IhopeIcansolvetheproblemsthathavetroubledmeforsometimethroughtheactionresearchsothatIcanapplymyknowledgeandtheoryintopractice,whichIlearnedfromChengDu University. 2.SummaryofthePreliminaryResearchThispartofmystudywasconductedduringJune6th,2007~8th,20072.1ProblemTheproblemIhaveinmyteachingisthatmostofmystudentsdon’tstudyEnglishsothattheygetverybadgrades. 2.2ProblemanalysisInmyteaching,theproblemidentifiedwasreallyaseriousproblem.Mypreliminaryresearchconfirmedthatthemainreasonisthatstudentsaren’tinterestedinstudyingEnglish.2.2.1AnalyticmethodThroughcarefulanalysis,Iwasledtoaseriesofquestions:Forinstance,IfoundlotsofstudentsthinktostudyEnglishisuseless,itistoodifficulttostudyEnglishandEnglishclassissoboring.Theproblemswereactuallycausedbyme,notbymystudents.ProbablytheteachingworkthatIdesignwaspoorlyinteresting. 2.2.2CauseanalysisInthissituation,Iaskedmyselfaseriesofquestionsandtriedtoprovidesomeanswertothem.WhydidmostofstudentsnotfeelinterestedinstudyingEnglish?Inordertoknowmoreaboutthisissue,Idesignedacauseexplorationprocedurelikethis.      Questions                                      Answers △IsitbecausetheyfeeldifficulttostudyEnglish?           Possibleyes△IsitbecausetostudyEnglishisuseless?                   Maybe△IsitbecausetheEnglishclassesarepoorlydesigned?        Maybe2.2.3QuestionnairesurveyImadeapilotinvestigationinthisrespecttoknowmoreaboutthesituation.Forthispurpose,Idesignedaresearchprocedurelikethefollows.Igivemyquestionnairetoallstudentsandaskthemtofinishit.Allofthem,fifty-sixstudents,returnedthEIrquestionnaireswhichwereleftanonymous.Whenallthesedatacamein,Imadesomestatisticalevaluation.Theresultshowedthatover90%ofthestudentsthoughtitwasusefultostudyEnglish.About79%ofthemthoughtitwasdifficulttostudyEnglish.Mostofstudentsdon’tlikeEnglishandaren’tinterestedinEnglish.Theythoughttheylikevaried,relaxed,pleasedEnglishclassinsteadofboringEnglish. 2.2.4BrainstormingactivationWhenIwasengagedintheproblemanalysis,IconsultedmythesissupervisorMr.Li,MissPuandMissPengandoftentalkedtomyclassmatesaboutalltheproblemsImet.TheygavemealotofadviceandhelpsothatIponderedtheproblemmoredeeplyand carefully. Afteralengthyproblemanalysis,Ideterminedtolaunchaprojecttoovercomethisproblem.2.3ProjectobjectiveMyresearchobjectiveistoincreasemystudents’interestinstudyingEnglish. 2.4Projecthypothesis Itishypothesizedthatlearners’interestinstudyingisincreasedbybetterorganizationandteachingmethods. 2.5Possiblesolutions Withthesereasonsinmind,Ihavecorrespondinglyprovidedsomepossiblesolutionswhichareasfollows. 2.5.1Getwellreadyforteachingintheclassroombeforeclass. 2.5.2Trytocreatearelaxed,pleasedEnvironment.2.5.3Makeinterestingclasswithdifferentteachingmethodsinsteadofsimpleandboringclass. 2.5.4Givestudentssomechancetopracticethemselves.2.5.5TellthemsomewaystostudyEnglish,letthemfeelsuccessful.3.FullScaledImplementationoftheSolutions ThispartofmystudywasconductedduringMarch14,2007~April6,2007.(ThreeWeeks)3.1GetonwellwithstudentsTeachingandstudyinginapairofcontradiction.Howtogetonwellwithstudentsandteachersisveryimporttocompletetheteachingpurpose.Theteenager’smentalstatecharacteristicstellus,thestudentsofthisagelikebEingclosetoteachers.Iftheyhavegoodwilltoacertainteaching,theyareinterestedinthisteacher’slessonandwillspendlotsoftimeandenergystudyingthislesson(subject).Ofcourse,asaresult,theywillgetgoodgrades.Thiskindofphenomenonmaybewhateveryoneoftensays“Loveme,Lovemydog”.Whereas,iftheydon’tlikeacertainteacher,becauseofpsychologyofaversion,theydon’twishtolearnordon’tstudythisteacher’slesson.Weoftenseethiskindofphenomenon.So,theteachersmustgetalongwellwithstudents,underthestudents’interest,loving,changeofmorale,concernthestudentseverywhere,takegoodcareofthem,respectthem,helpstudentsattherightmoment:Letyoubecomenotonlyaworthyofstudents’eyes.Ofcourse,thisdoesn’tmeanthattheteacherscan’tcriticizethEIrweakness,canignore.Butthesameofpurposeofcriticismandcommendatoryisfortakinggoodcareofthem.Asaresult,criticalwaysismoreimportantthancriticismitself.Letthemdonotharmthesenseofpride,letthemfeelanimadversionfromtheheartisasincerelove,isforhelpingthem.Likethis,thereisharmonious,mutuallyagreeablerelationofteachersandpupils,studentshaveinteresttoproceedstudying.Inordertogetonwellwithstudents,Ioftenstayatschoolinsteadofgoinghome,takepartinallkindsofsportswiththem,forexample,playbasketball,playtennis,play gamesandsoon.Whenhavingarest,Italkaboutallkindsoftitlesaboutlife,aboutstudying,aboutmotions,andsoon,withthem.Fromit,Iknowlotsofthingaboutthemintheirhearts.TheylongforhavingEnglishandmore.Littlebylittle,theylongforhavingEnglishclassandseeingme.Ofcourse,theycanhaveclassmorecarefully.3.2GetwellreadyforteachingIftheteacherswanttogiveasuccessfulEnglishclass,togetwellreadyforteachingisveryimportant.Howtogetwellreadyforteaching?Atfirst,teachersmustlookthroughthetextbookasmuchaspossibleandunderstandthetextbook.WhenIreallyunderstandit,Icanfindoutthemainlyandimportantknowledgeandmakeitinanorder.Then,whatIneeddoistothinkoverhowtogiveoutthislesson,ofcourse,Imuststillconsiderstudents’situation.Forexample,howisknowledgeandbasewhattheyhavehad?Whichwaysarefitforthem?Whatknowledgecan’ttheyunderstand?Imaginewhatwillhappenintheclass,andhowtosolveit,andsoon. Afterthinkingtextbookandstudents’situation,IshouldpreparefortoolswhatIneedduringthecourse. Last,Iwriteouteachstatementsofeveryclassonthebook.3.3GreatarelaxedandpleasedstudyenvironmentTraditionalteachingmodeandmethods,theteachersalwaysinstillstostudents,thestudentshavetobeforcedtoacceptknowledgenegativelyandpassively.Theydon’tfeelrelaxedandpleased,theyonlyfelltiredandboring,astheresult,theyaren’tinterestedinEnglish.Atlast,thisleadstodivideintotwoadministrativelevels;theteachingquantityisnotgook. Howclassroomenvironmentis,influencestoarousestudents’studyinterestseriously.Thestudentsshouldcreaterelaxedandpleasedstudyenvironmentforstudents.Forattaintingtheaim,theteachersfillwithhotliver,getintotheclassroomwhole-heartedly.Thestudentscanhavesmilingonthefaceandkindeyesaswellasgoodspirit.While,theteachersshouldhavepure,unadulterated,tunnelandfluentspokenEnglish,normandbeautifulwriting,reasonabledesignontheBbandsoon.Forthesakeoftraditionalteachingthatdownplayimpressiontopeople,theteachers,theteachersfuseteachinginjoy,actioncombination,combinestudyingandpractice,teachersandstudentsmatch. Beforeclass,theteacherscantellajokeorabywordwithEnglishthatstudentscanunderstandroughlyaccordingtocontentofcourse.OrstudentsshowtheirEnglishconversationpracticesforthreeminutes,givefreedomlectures,talkfreelyandsinganEnglishsongtogether.Alltheactivitiescanarousestudents’interestandgetreadyforcompletingteaching. AnEnglishproverbsays,“Agoodbeginningishalfdome”.Toleadintothenewlessonmustpayattentiontotheart.Accordingtothecontentofcourse,youcanestablishasuspensetoattractstudents,canalsoputaquestionthatpersonthinkdeeplytoholdstudents,canbeginthroughsomeobjectandshows.Duringteaching,can’tonlyread thetextbookloudly.Youmustbegoodatusingpersonsandthingsintheclassroom.Thelanguagealwaysconnectswiththescene.Noscene,nolanguage.Whenthereisscene,studentshavedeepimpressiontolanguage.Learningissointeresting,studentscangrasplanguagewell.Theteachersexplainthedetailsinterseandlivelylanguage.And,tochangetoexplainforaskingquestions,studentswhoarenotanon-lookerhavealargenumberoftimetotakepartinstudyingandpractices,practicewhenstudying,studywhilepracticing.Onlylikethis,studentsfeelinterestedinit.Payattentiontomakingstudentsfeelhappyaftersuccess.Differentadministrativelevelstudentscangotopracticedifferentlevellanguagematerials.Likethis,eachstudentcanfeelsuccessfulwiththeachievement.Fromit,studentshavemoreinterest,theenthusiasmisdoubly.Oncestudentsmakeamistake,theteachersneedn’tbeangryandscoldthem,payattentiontocorrectingthismistakeingeniously,protectingstudents’selfrespect.Aclassisthewholeworkofanart,thereisnotonlyagoodbeginningbutalsoagoodending.Accordingtodifferentcircumstance,theteacherscanstayapuzzlingquestion,broadcasttextrecordonceandletstudentssumupmaincontentsorsingasongetc. Inaword,letstudentsfeelrelaxed,pleasedandinterestedinalessonallthetime.3.4Flexibleanddiversifiedteachingintheclass Asingleteachingmethodisdryanddull.Throughthatisagoodmethod,ifthat’softenused,itwilllosegoodresults.Forarousingstudents’interest,keepandconsolidatetheinterest,theteachersmustassiduouslystudyteachingmaterialcarefully,designdifferentmethodsofteachingaccordingtothecontents.Forexample: 3.4.1.LeadthecompetitionmechanismtocomeintheEnglishclassroomteaching,opentheexhibitioncontest,transferstudyinterest. 3.4.2.Helptorememberwiththeformula,increasetheenthusiasmoflearningEnglish.3.4.3.Letstudentscreateteachingaid,stiruptostudytheEnglishinterest. 3.4.4.Weavetheshortplaythemselves,transferstudypositive. 3.4.5.Movethestudents’interest,stirupthemtowanttostudyknowledge. 3.4.6.Takemeasuressuitedtolocalconditions,inducttostudytheEnglishinterest. 3.5Combinetheorywithpractice Classroominstructionforfortyminutesisthemostimportant.Theteachersshouldconcentratetheirenergyandcatchtheteachingquantityof35minutes.ButstudentswanttostudyEnglishwellandtheyonlyspendseveralEnglishlessonsisnotenough.Soweshouldalsodevelopextracurricularteachingactivities,butthiskindofactivityshouldn’tgoonclassroomteaching,shouldn’talsohavenoorganizationanddiscipline.Accordingtodifferentclass,differentlevel,differentfondnessofallstudents,theteachersmayorganizethemproperly.Forexample,trainthebackboneforthepurpose,organizeEnglishgame,haveaconcertandlecturecompetition,spellthewords,holdcompositioncontests,hearingcompetes,etc…inaclass,thesamegradeorthewholeschool.Thepurposeisformakingbeautifulandcolorfullifeforstudentsandstrengtheningknowledgestudyingenvironment,developstudents’interest.Thepurposeofallkindsofactivitiesisforenliveningstudents’lessonoutsidelife,strengthenlesson insidestudied,createEnglishatmosphere,developstudents’interesttostudyEnglish,combineclassroomwithextracurricular.4.ProjectdesignMyhypothesisisthatlearners’interestinstudyingisincreasedbybetterorganizationandteachingmethods.Moreover,mynewassignmentactivitiesshouldhavearealinformationvaluesothatstudentshavearealpurposetocommunicate.Idesignedthreeactivitiestobetriedoutinthreeweeks.Andtheseactivitiesarereportedasfollows.Week1 Activity1 ThefutureworldThisactivityisbasedasinJuniorEnglishforChina(Goforit),Book8B,Unit1.“Willpeoplehaverobots?”Purpose:toopentheexhibitioncontest,transferstudyinterestInstructions:Studentsdesignedapictureaboutthefutureworld.TheyexplainedthEirpicturesinEnglishinthegroup,thenacteditoutintheclass.Procedure:Atfirst,Icameintotheclassroomwithsmiling,andgreetedeachother.Then,afterprovidinganenvironmentaboutthefuture,askstudentstoimaginethefuturelifeanddesignthefutureworldonthepaper.Atthattime,whentheyheardit,theyweresohappytodrawapicture.Soon,theyfinishedthEIrdesign.Ofcourse,theycouldn’tstopshowingtheirdesignonebyone.StudentscouldintroduceownpictureinChinese.WHOSEPICTUREISTHEBEST?Thiswasveryimportant.Aftercomparing,thebestonewouldwintheprizeofdesignerabortthefutureworld.Studentsweresoexciting,becausetheyallwantedtogetthisprize.Eventhoughtheygottheprizeornot,theystillwereveryhappy.Next,withthiskindofpleasure,theythoughtthislessonwasinterestingandfinishedstudyingnewlesson.Week2 Activity2MakeabananasmoothieThisactivityisbasedasinJuniorEnglishforChina(Goforit),Book8B,Unit7,“Howdoyoumakeabananasmoothie?”Purpose:tocombinetheorywithpractice,letstudentsstudyknowledgeinpracticeandprovestudyinterest Instructions:Studentsretoldhowtomakeabananasmoothieinthegroups,thenacteditoutinclass.Procedure:Beforeclass,Igotreadyforaglassofdrinks.WhenIcameintotheclassroomwiththeglassofdrinks,studentsfeltveryexcitingandcuriosity.AssoonasI askedastudenttotastethedrinks,everystudentallwantedtohaveatry.Then,somestudentshadataste,theyweresatisfiedwithit.Buttheydidn’tknowwhatitwas.Itoldthemthenameofthedrinks.Itwascalledsmoothie.HOWDOYOUMAKEABANANASMOOTHIE?Next,Ishowedhowtomakeabananasmoothie.Atthesametime,IexplainedthestatementsinEnglish.Allstudentswereinterestedinlisteningtoit.Afterexplaining,theycouldn’tstopbeginningtopractice.ItwasunimaginablethattheycouldexplainthestatementsinEnglishaccurately.Last,theyfinishedstudyingthelessonhappily.Week3Activity3Astory ThisactivityisbasedasinJuniorEnglishforChina,Book8BPurpose:topracticetellingastoryormakingadialoguewiththeSimplePastTense Instructions:Igotthestudentstotellastoryingroups,thenItoldeveryonetoretellthestoryinfrontofme.Procedure:Withthepieceofbeautifulmusic,theclassbegan.Atfirst,ItoldaninterestingstoryinEnglishandChinese.Studentsweregladtolistentoastory.Aftertheyfinishedlisteningtothestoryhappily,theywerewillingtofinishgivenworkbyme,whichIaskedthemtofindoutthenewtenseinthestory.Then,leadthemtosumupthemeaningandstructureoftheSimplePastTensethemselves.Ofcourse,theyshouldstillpracticethetensebymakingadialogueorshortstory.Theywereinterestedinsharingtheirdialoguesandstories.5.ProblemUnsolved AfterIthoughtseriouslyandhadexchangesofviewsontheprojectwithmystudents,IfoundoutthatalthoughatmosphereintheEnglishclasshadbeenimprovedalotthroughthefull-scaledimplementation,therewasstillmuchthatwouldneedfurtherimprovement.OnlywhenImakecontinuousreflectioninmyteaching,canImakegreatprogress.Themostfrequentlymentionedproblemscanbecategorizedintotwoaspects: Ontheonehand,theproblemofthetextbook:Vocabularyisbig,andgrammarisnotonlymuchbutalsodifficult. Ontheotherhand,thewayoflearning: Somestudentshavesomewrongideaabouttheirstudies;somestudentsenjoyplaying,sotheyalwayshavenoenoughtimetodotheirhomework.ThemostimportantisthatlotsofstudentsareweakinEnglish.Theycan’tcompletetheirhomeworkbythemselvesquiteoftenandstudysomeknowledgebythemselveswithoutteachers.   6.Projectevaluation ☆TheproblemIstheproblemaresearchableone?Yes.Ifgivemetheresources,thetimeandthe expertiseIhave,Icanlaunchaprojecttosolvetheproblem.(Icandosomethingtochangethepresentsituation.)☆Themethodsusedinproblemanalysis Arethemethodsusedtoanalyzetheproblemacceptable,suitabletoitandproperlyapplied?Yes.Iusedtheanalyticmethod,causeanalysis,interviewandbrainstorming.Theseareallacceptablemethodssuitabletomyproblem.Ialsousedthemproperly. ☆Theprojectobjective Istheprojectobjectiverealistic?Yes.Itisresearchable.Itisrealistic.Itcanbeachieved.Myprojectobject—toimprovestudents’studyinterestaboutEnglish—isrealistic.☆Theprojecthypothesis Istheprojecthypothesisprovable?Yes.Myhypothesis—learners’interestinstudyingisincreasedbybetterorganizationandteachingmethods—isprovable. ☆TheprojectrationaleDoestheprojecthaveastudybasis?Yes.Myprojectwasbasedonthetheoreticalassumptionswhicharevalidandreasonable. ☆TheprojectdesignIhavedefinedmyprojectobjectiveandhypothesis. Ihavestatedmyprojectrationale. Ihaveworkedoutthedetailsforprojectimplementing.Ihavealsoplannedthestagesandtimetablefortheprojectimplementation.☆ThestagesanddetailsofprojectimplementationThestagesarenecessaryandcomplete.Theimplementationdetailsareproperlymaintained.Inmycase,Iamassessedonthefollowingitems.Week1Teachingnotes Students’handout Diary-keepingWeek2Teachingnotes Students’handout Diary-keepingWeek3Teachingnotes Students’handout Diary-keeping ☆ThemethodsusedinprojectimplementationInwhatwayhastheprojectbeenimplemented?Inmycase,Iusedtheclassroomteaching. ☆Themethodsusedtoobtaintheresults  Inwhatwayhastheinvestigatorobtainedtheprojectresults?Isitacceptable,suitableandprojectused?Iusedobservations,diary-keeping,andinterviewstoobtaintheprojectresults.Theyareallacceptable,suitabletothetaskandproperlyused. ☆Theresultsobtainedfromtheprojectimplementation. Myhypothesishasbeenprovedtobecorrect.7.Conclusion ThepresentstudyischieflybasedontheprojectthatIproceededfromMarch,2007toJune,2007,whichaimedtoenhancemystudents’interestinstudyingEnglish.Afterimplementingmythree-weekproject,Ididasurreytoseetheresult.Fromtheresult,Ithinkthemethodsusedinproblemanalysisaresuitable,theproblemobjectiveisrealistic,thehypothesisisprovable,andtheprojecthasastudybasis.Now,Icanbeveryhappytostatethatmyproblemhasbeensuccessfullysolved. ThisactionresearchhelpsmecultivateawarenessofthedynamicmechanisminmyEnglishteaching.Itenablesmetoacquireunceasingprofessionaldevelopment.Fromtheactionresearch,Ihavegainedalotofbenefits.AlthoughIhavelearnedalotandimprovedalot,actionresearchstartsmeonanothercycleofreflection,sinceIhavebasicallysolvedoneproblemandidentifiedanother.Iwillgoonwiththespiralcycleofreflectionwhichwillleadmetotheendlessprocessstrivingforperfectteaching.Thefinalreportisdrawingtoanendbutmyactionresearchisnot.Infact,I’veonlyjustbegun.Bibliography 1.GuYueguo,2005,PracticalProjectDesign,ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPress.2.GuYueguo,2005,EnglishLanguageTeachingMethodology’ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPress. 3.JuniorEnglishChina(Goforit),Teacher’sBook8B,PeopleEducationPress4.JuniorEnglishforChina(Goforit),Students’Book8B,PeopleEducationPressAppendix:A.ThetimetableoftheprojectB.TeachingNotesC.DiariesD.ThequestionnaireforproblemanalysisAppendixA:ThetimetableoftheprojectStageWeekCalendardatesTasksMaterialsneeded Ⅰ1Mar05~30identifyaproblemReportaboutgettingofftheground Ⅱ2April2~ 6Analyzetheproblemusingscientificmethodsofinvestigation△analyzingtheteachingsituation △analyzingtheteachingobjectives/teacher’sroles/tasks/type/student’sroles,etc △analyzingthepossiblecausesoftheidentifiedproblem. Questionnaires Ⅲ3May 8~16Designaproblem-solvingproject △formulatingtheprojectobjectivesandhypothesis △makingalessonplan △preparingmaterialsandresourcesneeded △proposingdatacollectionmethod:teachingjournal/questionnaire/survey/interviews/samplesofstudentsassignments,etc TeachingnotesⅣ4,5,6June4~July2 Implementtheproject △reportofclassroomimplementationofthelessonplan△reportofthedatacollectionTeachingdiaries,students’exercises, aphotoaboutteaching  Ⅴ7July9~13Evaluatetheprojectagainstachecklist△Criticalcommentonmyownteachingbycheckingmysubjectioncommentsagainstthecollecteddata △Suggestionsforfutureteaching  Ⅵ8,9,10July16~20Writetheprojectreport ProjectreportAppendixB:teachingnotesWeek1Date:Tuesday,March5,20079:00-9:40Class:3Today’sobjectives:Therewillberobotsinthefuture. Teachingmethods:opentheexhibitioncontext,transferstudyinterest.Orderofdoingthings: Step1.Withthetimeispassing,ourlifewillchangeinthefuture.What’sourlifelike?(Giveoutthequestion)Step2.Askstudentstoimagineourlifeinthefutureanddrawitonthepaper(Designthefutureworld)Step3.LetstudentsintroduceownpictureinChinese.(Leadtothetitleofthisclass)Step4.Whosepictureisthebest?Aftercomparing,thebestonewillwintheprizeofthebestdesigneraboutthefutureworld. Step5.StudyhowtodescribethefutureworldinEnglishwiththeSimpleFutureTeaseStep6.Summarizingthelesson 主+will+V Homework:Dosomeadditionalexercises(MakeacompositionwiththeSimpleFutureTenseinSpokenEnglishandwriting)Week2 Date:Monday,April2nd,200710:50-11:30Class3Today’sobjectives:topracticestudents’spokenEnglishTeachingmethods:①Getwellreadyforteaching ②Combinetheorywithpractice Beforeclass,designtheteachingcarefully,bringsomefruits,glasses,knife,blenderintoclassroom Step1.Takeoutofaglassofdrinks.Letstudentshaveataste.Step2.Tellstudentsthenamesofthiskindofdrinks.Leadintothetitle(abananaSmoothie)Step3.ShowhowtomakeabananaSmoothie.Whileshowing,explainthestatementsinEnglish. Step4.Askstudentstopracticetomakeownsmoothie.Atthesametime,theycanpracticespokenEnglish,explainhowtomakeasmoothietoothers. Step5.Summarizingthelesson Homework:dosomeadditionalexercisesWeeks3Date:Friday,April27th,20079:00-9:40Class1Objectives:TostudytheSimplePastTense Teachingmethods:①Createarelaxedandpleasedstudyenvironment ②Weavetheshortplaythemselves,transferstudypositive Step1.Classbeginswiththepieceofbeautifulmusic. Step2.TellahumorsstoryinEnglishandChinese Step3.Findoutthenewtense——theSimplePastTense.Letstudentssumupthemeaningandstructureofthetense. Step4.Practicethetensebymakingdialogueandtheshortplaythemselves Step5.Summarizingthelesson Homework:WriteanewstorybytheSimplePastTenseAppendixC:diariesWeek1 Date:TuesdayMay8,2007Asusual,whenIsaidthatweweregoingtostudyUnit1,thestudentsshrugtheirshoulders.Theyseemedsoupsetandtired,asiftheyneededhavearest.Afterstudyingnewwords,theywerestillso.But,whenItoldstudentsthattheycoulddesignanddrawapictureaboutthefutureworldonapieceofpaper,theylookedalittlehappy.Theybegantodrawownpictureas quicklyaspossible.Soon,theyfinishedtheirpicture,andtheyweresoexcitingthattheywantedtoshowtheirpicturetome.Theirpictureswereverygreat.Ipraisedthemverymuchtheyfeltsuccessful.Andthestudentwhosepicturewasthebestwontheprizeofthecompetitions. Inthisclass,theyfinishedtherestoftheUnithappily.Even,theythoughttostudyEnglishwasn’tdifficultasusual.Week2Data:Friday,May15,2007I’mverygladthatmystudentsbecomemoreactiveinmyclass.EspeciallywhenIbringsomefruitsandtoolsintotheclassroom,theywereveryexciting.Theyallwantedtotastethesmoothie.Aftershowinghowtomakeit,theycouldn’tstopbeginningtotry.Whiletheyweremakingit,theyallspokeEnglish.Thewholeclasswentsmoothly.Ifoundallstudentsweresmiling.Theydidtheirpracticequitewell.Last,theypleasedallteacherssharetheirsuccesstastefully.Iwassurprisedtoseeit.Week3 Date:Tuesday,May22,2007Thisperiodoftime,Iwoulddealwithboringgrammar.Ihadthoughttheycouldn’tunderstandit.But,aftertellingthemainterestingstoryinEnglishandChinese,theyweresoexciting.Tomysurprise,theyweremoreactivethanIexpected.Theyknowthegrammarandunderstoodit.Ididn’tspendtoomuchteachingthem,theycoulduseitproperly.Iwasmorethanhappy,becauseIwassuccessful.