时间：2022-10-20 02:24:41
Abstract As a special art form, English audiovisual products are utilized more and more in English teaching. This paper attempts to analyze its application by discussing the advantages and disadvantages. After that, suggestions will be put forward on how to use this resource in English teaching.
Key words audiovisual products, English teaching, application
中图分类号：G424 文献标识码：A
1 Introduction
English audiovisual products are being transferred as a way of cultural communication and many teachers have used them to teach English. As a special art form, composed of images and sound, so lively and interesting that it is liked by most of the students. Therefore, as long as it is applied appropriately in English teaching, it will achieve great effect in terms of linguistic acquisition and cultural acquisition which are important in improving English. Stephen D. Krashen, agrees on this and emphasizes the Input Hypothesis. “Speaking ‘emerges’. We do not teach speaking but give acquirers comprehensible input. Speech will come on its own, when the acquirer feels ready. (Stephen D. Krashen, 1987)” This paper attempts to carry out an in-depth analysis on the advantages and disadvantages of audiovisual products in English teaching, aiming to sum up the better ways of using this resource in classroom.
2 The Advantages of audiovisual products in English Teaching
In the following parts, the paper will discuss the advantages from three aspects: firstly, they largely increase students’ interest in learning English; secondly, they help students improve their language competence; thirdly they provide students with lots of cultural knowledge.
2.1 Audiovisual Products Increase Students’ Interest in Learning English
Audiovisual products, especially movies and TV series, always tell stories. Compared to text books and grammar books, it is undoubtedly a much more interesting and enjoyable way for students to learn English. Thus their appropriate application plays a growing important part in English teaching. Apart from stimulating students’ interest in learning English, they also help them establish strong motivation to master English, for students are eager to get a better understanding of the story. In a word, audiovisual products can be a good way to cultivate students’ interest in learning English.
2.2 Audiovisual Products Help Students Improve Their Language Competence
The major characteristic of Situational Teaching Approach is that language should be presented and practised in the situation(Hu Zhuanglin，2001). Audiovisual products provide dialogues that are the imitations of our real life, by watching which, students will learn a lot. Furthermore, these dialogues are spoken by the native speakers, through imitating which, students will not only learn the expressions but also the pronunciation and the tone of the language, which will greatly improve their oral English and the listening ability.
2.3 Audiovisual Products Provide Students with Lots of Cultural Knowledge
Language is a Biological phenomenon as well as a cultural phenomenon. It is necessary to understand the cultural knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary so as to comprehensively and accurately understand the meaning of words. Therefore, language learning and cultural learning should be carried out simultaneously.(Lyons, 1972) Audiovisual products are shot in a certain cultural background, after watching which, students will subconsciously obtain the cultural knowledge and apply them to their foreign language studies. The more cultural knowledge they accumulate, the better they understand the language. With a deep understanding of the value, belief, religion and ideology of another culture, they can enhance the cross-cultural communication and reach effective communication.
3 The Disadvantages of Audiovisual Products in English Teaching
As audiovisual products are becoming more and more popular and students now spend less time on reading book. If students are attracted by movies or TV series and give up reading books, it will be harmful for their studies. Because there is something we can only learn from books but from movies or TV series. Most important of all, we can only improve our reading skill through reading, and this ability is very important throughout our whole life. Therefore, a balance between watching movies and reading books should be kept.
4 The Suggestions for Appropriately Using Audiovisual Products in English Teaching
There is no denying that this resource is quite beneficial for English teaching. However, there is still some（下转第114页）（上接第110页）thing that we should pay attention to when adopting this resource. Here comes three suggestions
4.1 Proper Audiovisual Products should be chosen
Whether the proper audiovisual product is chosen is crucial for the teaching of English. Usually, the audiovisual product will be chosen according to the students’ English level. In addition, the cultural knowledge will be considered whether it can be understood; the plots will be tested to see whether it is healthy; the pronunciation and the tone will be judged whether they clear enough. To sum up, different audiovisual products will be chosen for different students.
4.2 Background knowledge should be introduced in advance
It is necessary for teachers to introduce background knowledge to students before they watch the audiovisual product. This will help them to better understand the plots and pay more attention to the language. What is more, questions about the audiovisual product can be asked by the teacher, which will keep students concentrating on watching so as to understand it and get answers for the questions, during which, they will learn a lot.
4.3 Linguistic knowledge should be reviewed and applied afterwards
Students need to review and practise what they learn from the audiovisual product until they finally internalize the linguistic knowledge and the cultural knowledge. There are many ways for them to do that. For instance, they can do role-play exercises; they can recite the useful dialogues; they can have discussion about what they have watched; or they can write a review. All these will be helpful for improving students’ English.
5 Conclusion
The acquisition of language depends on many factors, such as age and emotion. The boring textbooks, the unpleasant classroom environment, the exhausted curriculum and all sorts of worries will stop students from successfully acquiring the language. (Yule, 1996) Being vivid and situational, the audiovisual product is obviously an appropriate and effective approach for teaching English. It creates a foreign language environment, in which students can learn both the language and the related culture, thus largely improving their communicating ability in English.
Bibliography
[1] Krasshen, Stephen D.. Appications of Psycholinguistic Research to the Classroom. Methodology in TESOL: A Book of Readings,1987:33-43.
[2] Lyons, J.. Language and Linguistics. Cambridge Press,1972.
[3] Yule,George. The Study of Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press, 1985/1996.
[4] 胡壮鳞.Linguistics. A Course Book. （2nd ed.）.北京:北京大学出版社,2001.