1、（空两行）An analysis on which English-teaching method is more appropriate for China（空一行）A Thesis Presented to theFaculty of Binhai School of Foreign Affairs Tianjin Foreign Studies University（空一行）In Partial Fulfillmentof the Requirements for the Degree （空一行）Bachelor of Arts（空两行）by Zhang XiaolinMay，year（
2、空一行）Contents （加粗、居中）（空一行）Abstract (in Chinese) IAbstract (in English) .III. Introduction .1II. Literature review.12.1 Studies on Humor 22.2 Linguistic competence and communicative competence 32.3 The theory of the grammar-translation method.42.4 The theory of the communicative approach5III. Evaluati
3、ons on the two English-teaching methods.63.1 The grammar translation method.63.1.1 The importance of the grammar translation method.63.1.2 The disadvantages of the grammar translation method73.2 The communicative approach.93.2.1 The advantages of the communicative approach .93.2.2 Accuracy and fluen
4、cy.11IV. To reconcile the communicative approach with traditional teaching structure.124.1 Three obstacles to the application of the communicative approach.124.1.1 Learners still used to the grammar-translation method.124.1.2 Teachers not ready for the communicative approach13 4.1.3 The test-oriente
5、d educational system.134.2 The importance of reconciling.144.3 Reconciling strategies15V. Conclusion 16References.17I（空两行）摘 要（加粗、居中）（空一行）随着中国对外交流日益频繁，中国人英语交际能力薄弱的特点日益显现出来。因此，为了找到一个能够满足中国现阶段英语教育要求的教学方法，文章首先介绍了世界英语教学的两大理论，传统的语法翻译法和新型的交际教学法,而后加以具体分析和比较。最后作者建议把交际教学法同中国英语教育的传统教学构架结合起来是一个更适合的方法。 关键词：英语教学法
6、；语法翻译法；交际教学法；交际能力II（空两行）Abstract（加粗、居中）（空一行）With the growing communication of China with the rest of world, it is becoming increasingly evident that Chinese are deficient in the communicative ability of English. Therefore, in order to figure out an English-teaching method that can meet the requireme
7、nts posed by the current English education, this paper, first of all, makes an introduction about the two major theories for teaching English in the world, the traditional grammar-translation method and the currently-prevalent communicative approach, both of which are, subsequently, analyzed and com
8、pared in detail. At last, the author puts forward the suggestion that the communicative approach reconciled with the traditional teaching structure should be a more appropriate method for the current stage of development of China. （空一行）Key words: English-teaching method; the grammar-translation meth
9、od; the communicative approach; communicative competence 1I. Introduction（空一行）For many years, China had been sticking to adopting the grammar-translation method as the only teaching method in its national English education. However, with the increasing need of Chinese people for English communicativ
10、e competence, in the early 80s a new English teaching method, the communicative approach that is aimed to develop students communicative competence was introduced into China and started to be experimented in some schools by both Chinese and foreign English teachers. However, the theory of the commun
11、icative approach is quite different from Chinas English teaching traditions, so it failed to reach the result expected and required by its theory. As a result, there has been the debate on which teaching method is more appropriate for China. Some educators support the communicative approach, highlig
12、hting the value of adopting it. Some focus on the importance of the grammar-translation method. However, most of people emphasize that the communicative approach should be reconciled with the real situation of Chinas English education. Therefore, this article will discuss and evaluate the two Englis
13、h teaching methods and the different opinions involved to suggest a more appropriate English teaching method for China. （空两行）II. Literature review（空一行）2.1 The background for English teaching methods in China Before the 1980s, China had been exclusively employing the grammar-translation method in its
14、 national English education for many years. In the late 70s, China began to carry up the open up policy, opening its door to the outside 2world, which needed China to communicative with the rest of the world. However, with more and more communication with other counties, Chinese people felt the diff
15、iculty in clearly expressing themselves and understanding others because of the lack of communicative competence. Therefore, in the early 80s, a new teaching method, the communicative approach which is aimed to improve learners communicative competence was introduced into China. (略)2.2 Linguistic co
16、mpetence and communicative competence In many literatures, when it comes to linguistic competence, it is always associated with communicative competence. The reason is that linguistic competence is one component of communicative competence. Hymes (1972) gives his definition of communicative competen
17、ce, which is widely accepted and the basis of many further developed theory about communicative competence. He thinks that communicative competence requires learners not only to master the grammatical rules of a language but also to appropriately use the language to the right person in the right pla
18、ce. (略) 2.3 The theory of the grammar-translation method “Grammar-translation, as its name suggests, took grammar as the starting point for instruction” (Thornbury, 1999: 21). It is characterized by the following: (1) it first exposes students to the explanation of detailed grammar rules and asks st
19、udents to remember them, and then involves students in the exercises of translating sentences and texts into and out of the target language. (略)China has been employing the grammar-translation method in its national English education and how the method is used in China fully represents its character
20、istics motioned above. After teaching English in China for a period of time, foreign English educator Harvey (1985: 183) briefly summarized the 3features of the grammar-translation method in China as following: “a concentration on intensive reading as a basis for language study; a preoccupation with
21、 the careful , painstaking examination of grammatical structure and a corresponding lack of attention to more communicative skills; the use of memorization and rote learning as a basic acquisition technique; a strong emphasis on the correction of mistakes, both written and oral; a view of literature
22、 and reverence for the printed word which tends to lead to the teaching of non-existing skills; the use of translation as both a teaching and a learning strategy”. (略) 2.4 The theory of the communicative approach The communicative approach in language teaching is based on a theory of language as com
23、munication. It is modeled on how language is used as a communicative tool to achieve the goal of language teaching and is aimed to develop students communicative competence (Richards Jefferson, 1990). “The communicative approach aims to improve learners communicative competence, which furnishes them
24、 with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language” (James, 1985: 50). Integral citations 11James (1985) claims that the communicative approach aims to improve learners communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammati
25、cal rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language. . James (1985, cited by Jefferson 1990) claims that the communicative approach aims to improve learners communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language. . According to James (1985), the communicative approach aims to improve learners communicative competence, which furnishes them with not only the grammatical rules of a language but also the skills of communicatively using the language. .
