时间:2023-03-20 16:25:40
引言:寻求写作上的突破?我们特意为您精选了12篇英语本科毕业论文范文,希望这些范文能够成为您写作时的参考,帮助您的文章更加丰富和深入。
Thecompletionofthethesisisattributedtomanypeople'ssupportandencouragement.
Firstandforemost,Iwanttoextendmyheartfeltgratitudetomysupervisor,ProfessorCaoDaogen,whosepatientguidance,valuablesuggestionsandconstantencouragementmakemesuccessfullycompletethisthesis.Hisconscientiousacademicspiritandmodest,open-mindedpersonalityinspiremebothinacademicstudyanddailylife.Hegivesmemuchhelpandadviceduringthewholeprocessofmywriting,whichhasmademyaccomplishmentspossible.
Also,Iwouldliketoexpressmysinceregratitudetoalltheprofessorswhohavetaughtmeinthisuniversity.Theirinstructionshavehelpedbroadenmyhorizonandtheirenlighteningteachinghasprovidedmewithasolidfoundationtoaccomplishthispaperandwillalwaysbeofgreatvalueformyfuturecareerandacademicresearch.
Mythanksalsogototheauthorswhosebooksandarticleshavegivenmeinspirationinthewritingofthispaper.
Lastbutnotleast,Iwouldliketoexpressmyspecialthankstomyparents,whosecareandsupportmotivatemetomoveonandmakemewanttobeabetterperson.
论文致谢二:
Uponfinishingthisthesis,Iwouldliketoexpressmygreatgratitudetowardsallthosewhohaveofferedmesincereassistanceinthethreeyears.
Firstandforemost,myheartythanksgotomysupervisor,ProfessorZhangRuwen,whohasgivenmeinsightfulsuggestionsandconstantencouragementbothinmystudyandinmylife.Furthermore,ProfessorZhang'spainstakingteachingandvaluableadvicehaveprofoundlycontributedtothecompletionofthepresentthesis.
Also,Iownmythankstoalltheprofessorswhohavetaughtandenlighteningmeduringmystudiesinthecampus,forguidingmeinthefieldofresearchwork,whichisbothchallengingandfantastic.TheexperienceandprofitIobtainedwillbeofgrandimportancetomyfurtherstudies.
Finally,Iamalsogratefultomyfamilyandfriends,whoencourageandsupportmeandsharewithmemyworries,frustrations,andhappiness.
论文致谢三:
Iwouldlikeexpressmygratitudetoallthosewhooffergreathelpformythesis.
Firstandforemost,mydeepestgratitudegoestomysupervisorProfessorYuMuhong,forhisfather-likeencouragementandguidance.Heprovidedmewithabundantsuggestionsandpricelesscriticismsformywritingofthethesis.Butforhisconstantpatientguidanceandenlightenment,thethesiswouldhavebecomeamissionimpossible.
MysincerethanksalsogototheteachersfromtheSchoolofForeignLanguagesofZhejiangUniversityofFinanceandEconomics,whojointlyledmeintotheholytempleofacademicfield.Here,IwanttosendmygratefulnesstothoserespectedteacherslikeProf.WangBaorong,Prof.LiChangbao,Prof.ChenXianghong,Prof.ShaoYouxue,Prof.TengChao,Prof.CenQunxiaetc.Thankyouforyourbeingwithmeandbeingthewitnessesforthebirth,growthandperfectionofmythesis.
Ifeelindebtedtomyparents,withouttheirmentalandmaterialsupport,Icouldbarelyfinishthethesisontime.
Finally,mythanksshouldbesenttoallmyclassmates,fortheirendlesssupportandwarmhearts,makingmefeellikelivinginaunitedbigfamily.
论文致谢四:
Thecompletionofthethesisisattributedtomanypeople'ssupportandencouragement.
Firstandforemost,Iwanttoextendmyheartfeltgratitudetomysupervisor,ProfessorCaoDaogen,whosepatientguidance,valuablesuggestionsandconstantencouragementmakemesuccessfullycompletethisthesis.Hisconscientiousacademicspiritandmodest,open-mindedpersonalityinspiremebothinacademicstudyanddailylife.Hegivesmemuchhelpandadviceduringthewholeprocessofmywriting,whichhasmademyaccomplishmentspossible.
Also,Iwouldliketoexpressmysinceregratitudetoalltheprofessorswhohavetaughtmeinthisuniversity.Theirinstructionshavehelpedbroadenmyhorizonandtheirenlighteningteachinghasprovidedmewithasolidfoundationtoaccomplishthispaperandwillalwaysbeofgreatvalueformyfuturecareerandacademicresearch.
Mythanksalsogototheauthorswhosebooksandarticleshavegivenmeinspirationinthewritingofthispaper.
Lastbutnotleast,Iwouldliketoexpressmyspecialthankstomyparents,whosecareandsupportmotivatemetomoveonandmakemewanttobeabetterperson.
论文致谢五:
Uponfinishingthisthesis,Iwouldliketoexpressmygreatgratitudetowardsallthosewhohaveofferedmesincereassistanceinthethreeyears.
Firstandforemost,myheartythanksgotomysupervisor,ProfessorZhangRuwen,whohasgivenmeinsightfulsuggestionsandconstantencouragementbothinmystudyandinmylife.Furthermore,ProfessorZhang'spainstakingteachingandvaluableadvicehaveprofoundlycontributedtothecompletionofthepresentthesis.
Also,Iownmythankstoalltheprofessorswhohavetaughtandenlighteningmeduringmystudiesinthecampus,forguidingmeinthefieldofresearchwork,whichisbothchallengingandfantastic.TheexperienceandprofitIobtainedwillbeofgrandimportancetomyfurtherstudies.
Finally,Iamalsogratefultomyfamilyandfriends,whoencourageandsupportmeandsharewithmemyworries,frustrations,andhappiness.
论文致谢六:
Iwouldlikeexpressmygratitudetoallthosewhooffergreathelpformythesis.
Firstandforemost,mydeepestgratitudegoestomysupervisorProfessorYuMuhong,forhisfather-likeencouragementandguidance.Heprovidedmewithabundantsuggestionsandpricelesscriticismsformywritingofthethesis.Butforhisconstantpatientguidanceandenlightenment,thethesiswouldhavebecomeamissionimpossible.
毕业论文写作是考查学生综合能力、评估学业成绩的一个重要方式。完成毕业论文的写作与答辩是学生取得毕业资格、获得学士学位的必备条件。为了更好地规范高师院校英语专业毕业论文写作的教学与指导,我们以长春师范学院英语专业2009届学生
为研究对象,探讨了毕业论文写作课程的设置及教师的指导策略。
一、英语专业毕业论文写作课程的设置
《高等学校英语专业英语教学大纲》中并未规定高校是否需要开设毕业论文写作课程,因此鲜有高校把毕业论文写作纳入教学计划中。但从实际情况来看,开设毕业论文写作课能够有效地提高学生毕业论文撰写能力,并且培养其独立思考、探索的科研能力。我校2009―2011三年开设了毕业论文写作课程,笔者仅以此为基础得出一些经验:
1.课时安排
毕业论文写作能力的提高绝不是一蹴而就的,在二年级与三年级开设写作课时,教师可以渗透毕业论文写作要求,安排学生查阅资料、写学期论文等。在此基础之上,我们把毕业论文写作课程与教师单独指导相结合。
2.教学内容
毕业论文写作课往往涉及如下内容:论文选题、开题报告、文献综述、文献检索、写作技巧、专题写作、研究方法、论文格式、论文修改、常见错误评析、论文答辩及注意事项等。近年来,我国出版了很多关于英语专业本科毕业论文写作方面的专著与教材,但考虑到此门课程的实用性及学时的局限性等因素,任课教师需要自行选择与整理,总结出适合所教学生学习程度的教学内容,使学生在最短的时间内快速、清晰地掌握论文写作要领。
3.教学方法
此门课程强调培养学生的实践能力,因此教学形式应该是教师讲授与学生操练相结合。教师讲完每章节内容后,布置相关任务要求学生课后完成,之后再根据其完成情况进行总结,或是让学生以小组形式进行讨论,互相评价与修正。同时,教师也应该提供优秀论文与问题论文供学生参考、借鉴,让学生从评论者的角度去发现问题、解决问题。这样,通过讲解可以引导学生开展下一步的工作,通过实践又能使学生避免不必要的错误。
4.考核办法
本课程以考核学生的平时任务完成为主,辅以期末考试考查理论知识及对知识的实际应用。平时的任务形式包括小组活动、资料搜集、实验设计等,而期末考试可以以开卷形式进行或是要求学生事先准备,写与所选题目相关的文献综述、论文各部分,如引言等。
二、教师的针对性指导
论文写作课只是为学生建构了毕业论文写作的大体框架,而具体的实施则需要指导教师给予学生有针对性的辅导。两者应同步进行,相辅相成。
1.毕业论文的选题直接关系到论文的完成质量
在论文写作课初步介绍完论文选题之后,教师可以给出和自己研究方向紧密相关的论文题目供学生选择。这样,教师可以给予学生更多的帮助,同时也可以让学生参与到自己的研究中,做到教学相长。
2.指导学生科研方法,培养学生科研能力
教师还应该着重注意指导学生查阅资料,了解最新的研究动态,避免学生思路闭塞以致题目陈旧、没有研究价值。另外,由于专业特点,很多学生选择了英语教学法,但他们的论文往往只限于文献研究,并不能真正与教学相联系。教师可以指导并帮助学生结合论文课上所讲的科研方法,设计试验,做调查分析等,真正培养学生的研究能力。
3.要加强对毕业论文的监督力度
教师要对学生进行诚信教育,强化指导与监控,力求避免抄袭现象。同时,也要督促学生合理规划时间,及时与老师沟通,保质保量地完成论文撰写工作。
毕业论文写作是大学英语专业毕业前最后一项也是极为重要的一个教学环节,它的顺利完成需要学生、学校和教师三方面的共同努力。我们希望规范的教学及指导能帮助学生养成科学的研究态度,形成严谨的学术作风,为他们将来的工作打下良好的基础。
参考文献:
[1]程小蔷.英语专业毕业论文指导策略研究[J].成人高教学刊,2010(2).
[2]吴俊.关于本科院校开设英语毕业论文写作课的思考[J].忻州师范学院学报,2011-08.
作者简介:
2.1The history of British English 3
2.2 The history of American English 4
3. Grammar differences between British English and American English 6
3.1 Lexical differences 6
3.1.1The different use of collective nouns in their single or plural forms 7
3.1.2 Differences in verb 7
3.1.2.1 Differences in the inflectional endings of verbs 7
3.1.2.2Different use of present perfect tenses 8
3.1.2.3 Different use of transitive and intransitive verbs 8
3.1.2.4 Different use of "have" 9
3.1.3 Different use of function words 9
3.1.3.1 Different use of preposition and adverb 9
3.1.3.2 Different use of auxiliary verb 10
3.1.3.3 Differences in articles 11
3.2 Syntactical differences 12
3.2.1 Differences in compound object 12
3.2.2 Presence or absence of syntactic elements 13
3.2.3 Different use of subjunctive mood 13
4. The differences between British English and the special form of American English—Black English 14
5. The tendency of the development of British English and American English 17
6. Conclusion 17
Acknowledgements 19
References 19
1.Introduction
There is one play in the famous American TV series Friends: Ross will go to England to marry Emily, suddenly Rachel decides to show his love to Ross and goes to England either, so his friend Phoebe makes a call to tell the news to Ross and Emily, Emily’s housekeeper answers the call. The dialogue as follows:
Housekeeper: The Waltham Residence.
Phoebe: Oh...yes…is this…umm…Emily’s Parents’ house?
Housekeeper: This is the housekeeper speaking. And by the way, young lady, that is not how one addresses oneself on the telephone. First one identifies oneself and then asks for the person with whom one wishes to speak.
Phoebe: (In a British accent)This is Phoebe Buffay. I was wondering, please, if-if it’s not too much trouble, please, umm,might I speak to Miss Emily Waltham, please?
Housekeeper: Miss Waltham is at the rehearsal dinner and it’s not polite to make fun of people. Goodbye.
Phoebe: No,no,no, I’ll be nice, I swear!!! Could you just give me the number for where they are?
Housekeeper: I’m afraid, I’m not at liberty to divulge that information.
Phoebe: Ok, somebody is on their way to ruin wedding okay. And I have to warn somebody, alright. So if you don’t give me that number then I’m going to come over there and kick your snooty ass all the way to New Glocken...shire.
Housekeeper: Hangs up[1]
We can see from the above dialogue that British English is more serious and formal than American English. The American speaks at will while the Englishmen speak gently. As we all know the two major varieties of English used by people as native language are British and American English. There seems to be little differences between the two varieties but the influences are very different. On some occasion we may have some mistakes in communication, in order to help the English speakers and learners understand the two varieties better and to eliminate troubles that may prevent communication and English writing, so I will make analysis on the grammar differences between British English and American English.
2. British English and American English
Nowadays English has developed into a global language. The fact that such a large number of people all around the world speak English means that there are many dialects and varieties. The two major varieties of English used by people as native language are British and American English. As a message carrier, English fully reflects the unique culture possessed by the British and American countries. Since in Dissertations on the English Language, Noah Webster pointed out “several circumstances render a feature separation of the American tongue from the English necessary and unavoidable.”
2.1 The History of British English
English is a West Germanic language which originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain by Germanic settlers from various parts of what is now northwest Germany and the northern Netherlands. Initially, Old English was a diverse group of dialects, reflecting the varied origins of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of England. One of these dialects, Late West Saxon, eventually came to dominate. The original Old English language was then influenced by two waves of invasion: the first by speakers of the Scandinavian branch of the Germanic language family, who conquered and colonized parts of Britain in the 8th and 9th centuries; the second by the Normans in the 11th century, who spoke Old Norman and ultimately developed an English variety of this called Anglo-Norman. These two invasions caused English to become "mixed" to some degree, though it was never a truly mixed language in the strict linguistic sense of the word, as mixed languages arise from the cohabitation of speakers of different languages, who develop a hybrid tongue for basic communication.
Cohabitation with the Scandinavians resulted in a significant grammatical simplification and lexical enrichment of the Anglo-Frisian core of English; the later Norman occupation led to the grafting onto that Germanic core of a more elaborate layer of words from the Romance languages. This Norman influence entered English largely through the courts and government. Thus, English developed into a "borrowing" language of great flexibility, resulting in an enormous and varied vocabulary. It mainly divided into four periods.
(1)Proto-English (the 5th century AD)[2]
The languages of Germanic tribes gave rise to the English language (the Angles, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes and perhaps even the Franks), who traded and fought with the Latin-speaking Roman Empire in the centuries-long process of the Germanic peoples' expansion into Western Europe. Many Latin words for common objects entered the vocabulary of these Germanic peoples before any of their tribes reached Britain; examples include camp, cheese, cook, fork, inch, kettle, kitchen, linen, mile, mill, mint (coin), noon, pillow, pin, pound, punt (boat), street and wall. The Romans also gave the English language words which they had themselves borrowed from other languages: anchor, butter, chest, devil, dish, sack and wine.
(2)Old English(AD 450—1100)[2]
The invaders' Germanic language replaced the indigenous Brythonic languages. (form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic)The original Celtic languages remained in parts of Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. The dialects spoken by the Anglo-Saxons formed what is now called Old English. Later, it was strongly influenced by the North Germanic language Norse, spoken by the Vikings (is one of the Norse (Scandinavian) explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century.)who invaded and settled mainly in the north-east of England. The new and the earlier settlers spoke languages from different branches of the Germanic family; many of their lexical roots were the same or similar, although their grammars were more distinct, including the prefix, suffix and inflection patterns for many words. The Germanic language of these Old English-speaking inhabitants was influenced by contact with Norse invaders, which might have been responsible for some of the morphological simplification of Old English, including the loss of grammatical gender and explicitly marked case (with the notable exception of the pronouns). The most famous surviving work from the Old English period is a fragment of the epic poem "Beowulf" composed by an unknown poet; it is thought to have been substantially modified, probably by Christian clerics long after its composition.
(3)Middle English(AD 1066-1470)[2]
For about 300 years following the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Norman kings and their high nobility spoke only one of the langues d'oïl called Anglo-Norman, whilst English continued to be the language of the common people. Various contemporary sources suggest that within fifty years of the invasion, most of the Normans outside the royal court spoke English, with French remaining the prestige language of government and law, largely out of social inertia. For example, Orderic Vitalis, a historian born in 1075 and the son of a Norman knight, said that he learned French only as a second language. A tendency for French-derived words to have more formal connotations has continued to the present day; most modern English speakers would consider a "cordial reception" (from French) to be more formal than a "hearty welcome" (Germanic). Another example is the very unusual construction of the words for animals being separated from the words for their food products e.g. beef and pork (from the French bœuf and porc) being the products of the Germanically named animals 'cow' and 'pig'.
(4)Modern English(1500 up to the present)[2]
Modern English can be divided into two parts: early modern english(1500-1800)and late modern English. Modern English is often dated from the Great Vowel Shift, which took place mainly during the 15th century. English was further transformed by the spread of a standardized London-based dialect in government and administration and by the standardizing effect of printing. By the time of William Shakespeare (mid-late 16th century), the language had become clearly recognizable as Modern English.
English has continuously adopted foreign words, especially from Latin and Greek, since the Renaissance. (In the 17th century, Latin words were often used with the original inflections, but these eventually disappeared). As there are many words from different languages and English spelling is variable, the risk of mispronunciation is high, but remnants of the older forms remain in a few regional dialects, most notably in the West Country.
In 1755, Samuel Johnson published the first significan t English dictionary, his Dictionary of the English Language.
2.2 The history of American English
During the 17th century, or more precisely on May 14, 1607, the first English settlers landed in Virginia. This was a group of 104 London entrepreneurs and they established the first English colony in Jamestown. Later on, in 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers, settlers from England, landed in Massachusetts, and also brought the English language over the Atlantic Ocean to America and another variety of English was born, American English. This variety is the largest of all the English varieties, since as many as 70% of the native English speakers live in the US. American English has preserved a number of words and features from the English spoken in England at the time of the settlement, which have now been changed in British English.
The history of American English can be divided into the colonial (1607-1776), the national (1776-1898), and the international (1898-present) periods. During nearly four hundred years of use in North America, the English language changed in small ways in pronunciation and grammar but extensively in vocabulary and in the attitude of its speakers. English settlements along the Atlantic Coast during the seventeenth century provided the foundation for English as a permanent language in the New World. But the English of the American colonies was bound to become distinct from that of the motherland. When people do not talk with one another, they begin to talk differently. The Atlantic Ocean served as an effective barrier to oral communication between the colonists and those who stayed in England, ensuring that their speech would evolve in different directions.[3]
Americans also came cheek-to-jowl with "Amerindians" of several linguistic stocks, as well as French and Dutch speakers. They had to talk in new ways to communicate with their new neighbors. Moreover, the settlers had come from various districts and social groups of England, so there was a homogenizing effect: those in a given colony came to talk more like one another and less like any particular community in England. All these influences combined to make American English a distinct variety of the language. In the United States, there are also regional differences, and these are ultimately descendants of a mixture of accents spoken in the British Isles at the time of the settlement of America. Dialect boundaries in the US tend to run from east to west. The first immigrants settled along the Atlantic coast and they spread from east to west across the continent and took some dialect forms, for example words and pronunciation features, with them. The dialect areas in North America are much larger than they are in England, mainly because English has been spoken in England for about 1,500 years, but in America for only approximately 300 years. Because of America’s recent settlement, there has not been enough time for linguistic changes and this is why there are not so many dialect differences in this large country.
3. Grammar differences between British English and American English
English grammar is the set of rules within the English language itself. "An English grammar"(one kind of grammar system)is a specific study or analysis of these rules. In linguistics, grammar refers to the logical and structural rules that govern the composition of sentences, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes lexicology and syntax, often complemented by phonetics, phonology, semantics, and pragmatics. I mainly make analysis on the lexical and syntactical differences between British English and American English.
3.1 Lexical Differences
Lexicology is that part of linguistics which studies words, their nature and meaning, words’ elements, relations between words (semantical relations), words groups and the whole lexicon. Lexical differences mean relating to the words’ differences of a language.
3.1.1 The different use of collective nouns in their single or plural forms
Collective nouns such as “team, faculty, family, government” often take plural verb agreement and plural pronoun substitution in Britain English, but they nearly always take singular agreement and singular pronoun substitution in American English. There is a tendency in Britain English, to stress the individuality of the members, which is reflected in plural verb agreement and pronoun substitution, whereas American English Strongly tends to stress the unitary function of the group, which is reflected in singular verb and pronoun forms.[4] 6
Some examples:
Your team is doing well this year, isn’t it? (AmE)
Your team are doing well this year, aren’t they? (BrE)
3.1.2 Differences in Verb
In syntax, a verb is a word (part of speech) that usually denotes an action (bring, read), an occurrence (decompose, glitter), or a state of being (exist, stand). Depending on the language, a verb may vary in form according to many factors, possibly including its tense, aspect, mood and voice. It may also agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments (subject, object).
3.1.2.1 Differences in the Inflectional Endings of Verbs
The past tense and past participle of the verbs are different in BrE and AmE.
The past tense and past participle of the verbs learn, spoil, spell, burn, dream, smell, spill, leap, and others, can be either irregular (learnt, spoilt, etc.) or regular (learned, spoiled, etc.). In BrE, the irregular and regular forms are current; in some cases (smelt, leapt) there is a strong tendency towards the irregular forms (especially by speakers using Received Pronunciation); in other cases (dreamed, leaned, learned) the regular forms are somewhat more common. In AmE, the irregular forms are never or rarely used (except for burnt and leapt).
Nonetheless, as with other usages considered nowadays to be typically British, the t endings are often found in older American texts. However, usage may vary when the past participles are actually adjectives, as in burnt toast.( Note that the two-syllable form learned ['lə:nid] usually written simply as learnt, is still used as an adjective to mean "educated", or to refer to academic institutions, in both BrE and AmE.)Finally, the past tense and past participle of dwell and kneel are more commonly dwelt and knelt on both sides of the Atlantic, although dwelled and kneeled are widely used in the US (but not in the UK).
In British English, the past tense of “get’’ is “got”, while American English usually use its past participle “gotten”.
For example,
A. John has got much better during the last week. (BrE)
B. John has gotten much better during the last week. (AmE)
According to the custom that British English usually uses “got” while American English “gotten”, we can quickly tell the nationality of the speaker. The former is British and the later is American. When Americans use “got”, they mean “own, possess and dominate”, such as the following two examples:
They’ve got no pride.
I’ve got plenty of material if I can just handle it.
3.1.2.2 Different use of present perfect tenses
Traditionally, BrE uses the present perfect tense to talk about an event in the recent past(express an action that has occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment) and with the words already, just, and yet. For example:
British English:[5]
I've just had lunch
I've already seen that film
Have you finished your homework yet?
American English:[5]
I just had lunch or I've just had lunch.
I've already seen that film OR I already saw that film.
Have your finished your homework yet? Or did you finish your homework yet?
In American usage, these meanings can be expressed with the present perfect (to express a fact) or the simple past (to imply an expectation). This American style has become widespread only in the past 20 to 30 years; the British style is still in common use as well. In British English the present perfect is used to.
"I've just arrived home." / "I just arrived home."
"I've already eaten." / "I already ate." [6]
Recently, the American use of just with simple past has made inroads into BrE, most visibly in advertising slogans and headlines such as "Cable broadband just got faster".
Similarly, AmE occasionally replaces the pluperfect with the preterite. Also, US spoken usage sometimes, especially with the contracted forms, substitutes the conditional for the pluperfect (If I would have cooked the pie we could have had it for lunch), but this tends to be avoided in writing.[6]
3.1.2.3 Different use of transitive and intransitive verbs
The following verbs show differences in transitivity between BrE and AmE.[6]
agree: transitive or intransitive in BrE, usually intransitive in AmE (agree a contract/agree to or on a contract). However, in formal AmE legal writing one often sees constructions like as may be agreed between the parties (rather than as may be agreed upon between the parties).
appeal(as a decision): usually intransitive in BrE (used with against) and transitive in AmE (appeal against the decision to the Court/appeal the decision to the Court).
cater("to provide food and service"): intransitive in BrE, transitive in AmE (to cater for a banquet/to cater a banquet).
claim: sometimes intransitive in BrE (used with for), strictly transitive in AmE.
protest: in the sense of "oppose", intransitive in BrE, transitive in AmE (The workers protested against the decision/The workers protested the decision). The intransitive protest against in AmE means, "to hold or participate in a demonstration against". The older sense "proclaim" is always transitive (protest one's innocence).
write: in BrE, the indirect object of this verb usually requires the preposition to, for example, I'll write to my MP or I'll write to her (although it is not required in some situations, for example when an indirect object pronoun comes before a direct object noun, for example, I'll write her a letter). In AmE, write can be used monotransitively (I'll write my congressman; I'll write him).
3.1.2.4 Different use of “have”.
British English usually uses “Have you any children?” or “Have you got any
children?” while Americans commonly express the same meaning with “Do you have any children?”Let us see some other examples.
How many brothers do you have? (AmE)
How many brothers have you? (BrE)
You don’t have much room here. (AmE)
You haven’t (got) much room here. (BrE)
3.1.3 Different use of function words
Function words (or grammatical words) are words that have little lexical meaning or have ambiguous meaning, but instead serve to express grammatical relationships with other words within a sentence, or specify the attitude or mood of the speaker. Words that are not function words are called content words (or lexical words): these include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and most adverbs, although some adverbs are function words (e.g., then and why). Dictionaries define the specific meanings of content words, but can only describe the general usages of function words. By contrast, grammars describe the use of function words in detail, but treat lexical words in general terms only. Now I will compare the different use of function words in BrE and AE in detail as follows.
3.1.3.1 Different use of preposition and adverb
Differences between British and American English in prepositions are shown in the following two aspects: (1) different use of prepositions in the construction of phrases; (2) when using phrases, one will use a preposition while the other will omit it.
(1)Let us first review the different use of prepositions.
Your daughter’s name stands first in the list. (BrE)
Your daughter’s name stands first on the list. (AmE)
These dresses are in a sale. (BrE)
These dresses are on sale. (AmE)
He will come here at a quarter to three. (BrE, AmE)
He will come here at a quarter before /of / till three. (AmE)
She lives just round the corner (BrE).[7]4
She lives just around the corner (AmE).
Similarly, “five past nine” can be expressed in American English by “five after nine” or “nine five”. In front of “weekend” and “Christmas”, British English uses “at” or “over”, while American English adopts “over” or “on”.
At the weekend / Christmas (BrE)
Over the weekend / Christmas (BrE, AmE)
On the weekend / Christmas (AmE)
(2) Omitting preposition[8]2
In British English, before “day”, “week” or “certain day”, preposition “on” shall be used, while it is not so in American English.
The new term begins on September 1. (BrE)
The new term begins September 1. (AmE)
I’ll see you on Monday. (BrE)
I’ll see you Monday. (AmE)
In American English, when “home” is used as an adverb, the preposition “at” is not needed. But, in British English, “at” is required before “home”. Hence, “at home” is used in British English.
Is he home? (AmE)
Is he at home? (BrE)
3.1.3.2 Different use of auxiliary verb
In linguistics, an auxiliary is a verb functioning to give further semantic or syntactic information about the main or full verb following it. There are three types: Modal auxiliaries,have and go.
No matter in the frequency or the tendency of auxiliary verb, AmE differs from BrE. Their differences are stated as follows:.
(1)shall
Shall in BrE, is widely used in the fist person to raise questions, answer questions ,or to express future, while in AmE it is only used in the law file or informal style paper. In formal style paper, people usually use will or should. Such as:
Br.E:1)I shall tell you later.
Am.E:1)I will tell you later.
2)Shall I drink this now?
2)Should I drink this now?
(2)would[9]2
Would has two special usages in AmE, firstly it can show the usual action in the past. such as: When I was small, I would go there everyday.
However in BrE, the past tense or used to can express the past uaual action, therefore in BrE the above sentence should be changed into: When I was small, I went there everyday. Or When I was wmall, I used to go there everyday.
Secondly, would in AmE can express hypothesis in some informal language, quite like a kind of subjunctive mood, however in BrE not.
Try to compare:
Am.E:1)I wish I would have done it.
2)If I would have seen one, I would have bought it for you.
Br.E(it also the same with AmE):1)I wish I had done it.
2)If I had seen one, I would have bought it for you.
In Br.E, “would” and “will” can express suppose, while in Am.E the auxiliary verb “should” and “must” express supposition. Try to compare:
Br.E:1)That will be the postman at the door.
2)That would be zhongshan Road over there.
Am.E: 1)That must be (should be)the mailman at the door.
2)That should be(must be)Zhongshan Rood over there.
(3)used to
“Used to” in AmE is not seen as Modal auxiliary, but seen as notional word. To the opposite, in Br.E, used to is just seen as modal auxiliary, can offer or deny questions, also can be used as notional word but people use “do” to offer or deny questions. For example:
1)He used to go there.(notional verb)
Did he use to go there.(notional verb)
2)Used he to go there.(auxiliary verb)
He used not to go there.(auxiliary verb)
(4)ought to[9]6
“Ought to” is widely used in BrE to raise or deny questions, but in AmE use “should” to substitute for it, such as:
Br.E:1)Ought we to eat lunch?
Am.E:1)Should we eat lunch?
2)You ought not(oughtn’t) to have said that. 2)You shouldn’t have said that.
In AmE, ought to and used to are all used as notional verbs in the informal papers and such forms are said to be not standard forms. For example:
1)Did you ought to say that?
2)You didn’t ought to have said that.
(5) Different use of the indefinite pronoun “one”
In BrE we can use “one” to indicate the “one” of the former writing again while in AmE we usually use “he” or “his” to instead the “one” of the former writing. For instance:
One cannot succeed unless one works hard.(BrE)
One cannot succeed unless he works hard.(AmE)
3.1.3.3 Differences in articles[19]
(1)The omitting of articles
Most phrases of British English have articles, while those of American English do not have. The “the” in the standard expressions in British English “all the afternoon”, “all the winter”, “all the week”, “this time of the year”, ect. But the articles are usually omitted in American English. For example:
The swimming pools are open all summer.
I’ll be here all afternoon.
He has been gone all week.
British English will use articles in front of “sickness”, “river” and etc., while American English does not. For example,
British English expresses in the form of “the measles”, “the mumps”, “the flu”, “the Niagara Falls” and “the Black Creek”, while American English says “measles”, “mumps”, “flu”, “Niagara Falls” and “Black Creek”.
However, there are exceptions. In some expressions, British English does not use articles, while American English does.
BrE AmE
Go into hospital Go into the hospital
In hospital In the hospital
At university At the university
Sentences are as follows:
Next day, the rain began. (BrE)
The next day, the rain began. (AmE)
In future, I’d like you to pay more attention to detail. (BrE)
In the future, I’d like you to pay more attention to detail. (AmE)
(2) The position of articles
British English and American English are different from each other in the use of “a” or “an” with “half”. In British English, “a” follows “half”, for example, “half a dozen”, “half an hour”, “half a mile”, and “half a pound”. In American English, “a” is put in front of “half”, for example, “a half dozen”, “a half hour”, “a half mile” and “a half pound”.
3.2 Syntactical differences
Syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing sentences in natural languages. The sentence is the highest rank of grammatical unit. Based on one or more than one clause, the sentence is also the basic linguistic unit of connected discourse; it can stand alone and perform a function in social communication. Thus, a sentence can be defined as a grammatical unit that can perform a communicative function. I will explain the syntactic differences as follows.
3.2.1Differences in compound object[20]
The Verb“ -to do” usually used as compound object in British English, While past participle or past participle phrase mostly used as compound object in American English. Try to compare:
1)He also had ordered his luggage to be labeled for crew.(Bronte.) (BrE)
2)Last year an American hotel manager ordered his quests evacuated after an anonymous bomb threat.(AmE)
3)I have a roll that was in dead storage during the war which I ordered put back in running order. (O' Hara) (AmE)
The two compound structures (compound object with past participle and compound object with –to do) are both used in the BrE and AmE, while the AmE use compound object more frequent ly than BrE. However, there are some differences in the routine usage of Verb related to this phrase structure. The verb “to order” usually linked with the compound structure with past participle in AmE, but linked with the compound structure with “verb -to do” in BrE.
3.2.2 Presence or absence of syntactic elements[11]
Where a statement of intention involves two separate activities, it is acceptable for speakers of AmE to use to go plus bare infinitive. Speakers of BrE would instead use to go and plus bare infinitive. Thus, where a speaker of AmE might say I'll go take a bath, BrE speakers would say I'll go and have a bath. (Both can also use the form to go to instead to suggest that the action may fail, as in He went to take/have a bath, but the bath was full of children.) Similarly, to come plus bare infinitive is acceptable to speakers of AmE, where speakers of BrE would instead use to come and plus bare infinitive. Thus, where a speaker of AmE might say come see what I bought, BrE speakers would say come and see what I've bought (notice the present perfect tense: a common British preference).
As to whether a preposition is used before days denoted by a single word, British people would say she resigned on Thursday, while Americans often say she resigned Thursday, but both forms are common in American usage. Occasionally, in AmE the preposition is also absent when referring to months: I'll be here December (although this usage is generally limited to colloquial speech).But, it will say “I’ll be here on December.” in BrE.
In the UK, from is used with single dates and times more often than in the United States. Where British speakers and writers may say the new museum will be open from Tuesday, Americans most likely say the new museum will be open starting Tuesday. (This difference does not apply to phrases of the pattern from A to B, which are used in both BrE and AmE.) A variation or alternative of this is the most American will say “the play opens Tuesday” and the most British will say “the play opens on Tuesday”. American legislators and lawyers always use the preposition of between the name of a legislative act and the year it was passed, while their British colleagues do not. We can see such differences by making comparison between Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
3.2.3 Different use of subjunctive mood
The subjunctive mood used more in AmE than in BrE, which is mainly used in the formal style paper.
In subjunctive mood, American English will rarely reserve traditional subjunctive words.
I suggest that meeting be postponed. (AmE)
I suggest that meeting should be postponed. (BrE)
I wish I had done it. (AmE)
I wish I would have done it. (BrE)
4. The grammatical differences between British English and the special form of American English—Black English
Black English also called African American Vernacular English which is an African American variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of American English.There are four points in which black English differs from British English.
1)Negation
In addition, negatives are formed differently from standard American English:
Use of ain't as a general negative indicator. It can be used where Standard English would use am not, isn't, aren't, haven't and hasn't, a trait which is not specific to AAVE. However, in marked contrast to other varieties of English in the U.S., some speakers of AAVE also use ain't instead of don't, doesn't, or didn't (e.g., I ain't know that).[14] Ain't had its origins in common English, but became increasingly stigmatized since the 19th century. See also amn't.
Negative concord, popularly called "double negation", as in I didn't go nowhere; if the sentence is negative, all negatable forms are negated. This contrasts with Standard English, where a double negative is considered a positive (although this wasn't always so; see double negative). There is also "triple" or "multiple negation", as in the phrase I don't know nothing about no one no more, which would be "I don't know anything about anybody anymore" in Standard English.
In a negative construction, an indefinite pronoun such as nobody or nothing can be inverted with the negative verb particle for emphasis (eg. Don't nobody know the answer, Ain't nothin' goin' on.)
While these are features that AAVE has in common with Creole languages,[15] Howe and Walker use data from early recordings of African Nova Scotian English, Samaná English, and the recordings of former slaves to demonstrate that negation was inherited from nonstandard colonial English.
Some of these characteristics, notably doubl e negatives and the omission of certain auxiliaries such as the has in has been are also characteristic of general colloquial American English.
2)The omission of copula in black English
You crazy! ("You're crazy") or She my sister ("She's my sister"). The phenomenon is also observed in questions: Who you? ("Who're you?") and Where you at? ("Where are you (at)?"). On the other hand, a stressed is cannot be dropped: She is my sister.
Only the forms is and are (the latter of which, in any case, is often replaced by is) can be omitted. These forms cannot be omitted when they are pronounced with a stress (whether or not the stress serves specifically to impart an emphatic sense to the verb's meaning).
These forms cannot be omitted when the corresponding form in Standard English cannot show contraction (and vice-versa). For example, I don't know where he is cannot be reduced to (BrE) I don't know where he because in Standard English the corresponding reduction I don't know where he's is likewise impossible. (Though I don't know where he at is possible.) Possibly some other minor conditions apply as well.[16]
3)Present-tense verbs uninflected for number/person
there is no -s ending in the present-tense third-person singular. Example: She write poetry ("She writes poetry"). Similarly, was is used for what in standard English are contexts for both was and were.[17]
4)The word it or is denoting the existence of something
This usage is equivalent to Standard English there in "there is", or "there are". It is also found in the English of the US South. Examples its a doughnut in the cabinet ("There's a doughnut in the cabinet") and It ain't no spoon ("There isn't a spoon", also "They ain't no spoon").[17]
5) Altered syntax in questions
Why they ain't growin'? ("Why aren't they growing?") and Who the hell she think she is? ("Who the hell does she think she is?") lack the inversion of standard English. Because of this, there is also no need for the auxiliary DO.[18]
To put it simply, we can summarize the grammatical differences between British and American daily English as follows[19]:
(1) Sometimes, British and American English use different grammatical forms to express the same meaning;
(2) Sometimes, the same grammatical form expresses different meanings in British and American English;
(3) In some structures, either British English or American English will use integrated grammatical form, while the other adopts the omitted form;
(4) Sometimes, American and British English use the same grammatical form to express the same concept and meaning.
However, one of them may have another expression form, while the other does not. We could only avoid misunderstanding by paying attention to those differences in our study.
5. The tendency of the development of British English and American English
The English language changes as the rapid development of politics, economic, culture in Britain and American. After it goes through the three periods (old English, middle English and modern English),it also changes everyday, especially in the related ten years, the changes of English becomes more obvious. Although the English structure is not as obvious as the lexical development, it does not ignore. On the aspect of grammar, English experience the changes from the verb inflections of old English to use word in order to express meaning in the past 1500years, and English also become analytic language from synthetic language. Such experience makes English flexible, meanwhile it also broke the traditional grammar frame, the former disagreed rules transferred into acceptable English even native English. The speed on renewing lexical words is very fast.
On the whole, British English and American English fuse with each other, and they tend to be brief, clear and more flexible for use.
6.Conclusion
As the globalization and information world developed, more and more people from different countries use the same language―English to communicate and exchange ideas with each other. The above discussion about grammar difference between British English and American English is what I have found and concluded. Although there are many differences in detailed aspects in the use of daily British and American English, they are similar to each other in most of aspects. Therefore, they shall only be considered as different forms of the same language rather than two different languages. In addition, we cannot say which one is better or advanced. Any judgment or opinion that “British English is better or worse than American English” is biased. The purpose of this paper is to help English learners understand the two varieties better and eliminate some mistakes caused in communication or paper writing.
The differences between the British English and American English are caused by politics, economy, social life, culture, and geography. American English developed from British English, but it differs from British English. All in all, sinc e English is characterized by its huge vocabulary, great tolerance, and conciseness, it leaves little room for argument that English will be well on its way to be a diversified common language.
Acknowledgements
My initial thanks go to my supervisor Zhu Min, who patiently supervised my dissertation and was at times very willing to offer me illuminating advice or suggestions. Without her help, I could not have finished this dissertation.
I am also indebted to other teachers and my classmates who have not only offered me their warm encouragements but also shared with me their ideas and books. They are Mao Can、Gao YunPing and many others.
My greatest personal debt is to my grandparents and parents, who have cultivated a soul of sensitivity, hospitality, and honesty out of me, and offered a harbor of happiness and sweetness for me.
The remaining weakness and possible errors of the dissertation are entirely my own.
References
[1] 周乐, 美式英语与英式英语比较与分析[J]. 湖南商学院外语系,2008.
[2] Wikipedia Contributors
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_English_language
[3] blog.languagetranslation.com/public/item/118655
[4] 王振明和公丽艳,英式英语与美式英语的差异[J]. 山东教育学院学报,2002.
[5] esl.about.com/od/toeflieltscambridge/a/dif_ambrit.htm
[6]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences#Use_of_tenses
[7] 孟宪友,英语与美语的差别对比研究[J]. 广州大学外国语学院英语系,2002.
, Jour.of N.W. SCI-TECH Uni.of Agri.and Fore,2001.
, Journal of Shijiazhuang Teachers College,2001
, Journal of Wuhu Vocational Institute of Technology,2007
[11]Wikipedia Contributors
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences
, Journal of Hunan Agricultural University(Social Sciences), 2007
[13]张振邦,新编语法教程[M].上海,上海教育出版社,1993
, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
[15] Winford, Donald (1992), "Back to the past: The BEV/creole connection revisited", Language Variation and Change 4 (3): 311-357
[16] Geoff Pullum, "Why Ebonics Is No Joke" Lingua Franca transcript, 17 October 1998, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
[17] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_Vernacular_English#Negation
1.2 The current situation in oral English learning of non-English major students 1
1.3 Overview of the development of web-based study at home 2
1.4 The significance of the study 2
2. Literature Review 4
2.1 Definition of learning strategies 4
2.2 Classification of learning strategies 5
2.3 Studies on speaking learning strategies 6
2.4 Factors of influencing the choice of speaking learning strategies 8
3. The methodology 10
3.1 The subjects 10
3.2 Instruments 10
3.3 Data collection 11
3.4 Data analysis 11
4. Results and discussion 16
4.1 Frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies 16
4.2 Frequency of the use of different speaking learning strategies. 16
4.3 Differences in the use of speaking learning strategies by speakers with different factors 17
5. Conclusion 19
Acknowledgements 20
References 21
Appendices 23
1. Introduction
In this part, four sections are included. There are background of this study, the current situation in oral English learning of non-English major students, overview of the Internet development in China and the significance of the study.
1.1 Background of this study
With the fast development of society and the increasing openness to the world, the demands to communicate in English have been expanded to a large degree. College students are required to have a good competence in speaking before entering the society. But the fact is that the actual competence of college students in speaking is far from being satisfactory. It is necessary for us to improve the awareness of using strategies.
In the field of language learning and teaching over the last few decades, a prominent shift has taken place, resulting in great emphasis on learners and learning rather than teachers and teaching. The study of learning strategies has seen an “explosion of activity”. [1]105 In recent years although the history of research into speaking learning strategies is not very long, the study on speaking learning strategies can provide students with valuable suggestions on how to improve oral English in terms of accuracy, fluency, and complexity. Almost 15 researchers abroad have studied on speaking learning strategies. In China, Huang Xiaohua and Chen Sijin have done a great contribution to studies on speaking leaning strategies.
Nowadays, the development of computer science and technology and the prevalence of networks have deeply influenced people’s life, also the language study. However, there are still few researches on the web-based speaking learning strategies. The thesis attempts to make a study on web-based speaking learning strategies.
1.2 The current situation in oral English learning of non-English major students
In China, the teaching of English as a foreign language has been greatly influenced by the traditional education system. The traditional way still pay much attention to the examinations in schools, including colleges and universities either, rather than the application of language. Linguistic form is always the focus of both textbooks and language tests. Besides, under this model, one teacher is always in charge of many students in one class, so the teacher becomes the center of the class and there is little chance for the students to practice oral English. The English language learning is seen as a “knowledge-imparting” process and the English language learning is seen as a “knowledge-receiving’ process. Therefore, there is a misleading that English learners are regarded as passive recipients and do not need any initiative.
According to the investigation by Shi in 2000, college graduates who have strong speaking ability only account for 5%; those who are very weak in speaking account for 37%; those who are competent in international conference discussions account for 7% and those who are competent in foreign trade negotiations account for 14%. In spite of the fact that college students have a long history of learning English, the critical situation still not shift and the ability for the college students to speak English is far from satisfactory.
1.3 Overview of the development of web-based study at home
With the rapid development of computer science and technology and the prevalence of networks, people’s life has been influenced. According to “Survey Report on Internet Development in China” provided by China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) in January 2007, study is the fourth main goal following getting entertained, making friends and getting resources. In English Learning Teaching, Multi-media Means have been also applied. No one can ignore the great influence of the Internet on people’s daily life, including English study. A lot of people have made full use of the Internet for English study, such as reading or listening global news, watching America or Europe movies or TV series, taking part in chatting rooms for English study, making frien ds from other countries online, etc.
Web-based study can make learning anytime, anywhere available, thereby providing the possibility for lifelong learning. It also changes the relationship between teachers and students and provides increased access to study. Besides, web-based study is a good way to improve the student's critical thinking and analytical skills. [2]245
1.4 The significance of the study
With the development of global integration and the increased frequency of international communication, new and higher requirements in English study are put forward for college students. Gradually, more and more non-English major students realize the importance of oral English study and try to find out ways to improve their own oral English to a higher level. However, due to the influence of traditional teaching methods, long-time examination-oriented concept and ignorance to oral English in people’s mind, the current situation of college students, especially non-English major students, in oral English is far from being optimistic. From 1960s, language researchers home and abroad have focused on the relationship between oral English study and learning strategies and made deep study on speaking learning strategies.
What’s more, the Internet and computer science has played a more and more important role in people’s life and influenced language learning further. It is evidently an admirable thing, but there is little guidance to the English study online. The study on web-based learning strategies is few, even the study on web-based speaking learning strategies is almost blank. Therefore, this paper chooses a certain amount of non-English major students in ZUST, and studies their present situation or problems during using speaking learning strategies online, hoping to help them to find a suitable way to study online and finally achieve the ultimate goal of improving oral English.
2. Literature Review
In this part, four topics are discussed respectively. They are: definition of learning strategies, classification of learning strategies, studies on speaking learning strategies, factors of influencing the choice of speaking learning strategies.
2.1 Definition of learning strategies
In most of the studies, speaking learning strategies are not separated from learning strategies. The general definition of learning strategies is “mental or behavior activity related to some specific stage in the overall process of language acquisition or language use.” [3]154 In the short history of researches on learning strategies, lots of researches abroad gave definition of learning strategies from perspective of their study. Here are some.
Weinstein and Mayer insist that learning strategies are the behaviors and thoughts that a learner engages in during learning. Learning strategies are intended to influence the learner’s encoding process. 54 The researchers above all think learning strategies are actions useful to language learning but differ in the way learning strategies work.
In 1990, Cohen defines learning strategies as learning processes which are consciously selected by the learners. The element of choice is important here because this is what gives a strategy its special character. These are also moves which the learners are at least partially aware of, even if full attention is not being given to them. 78
In addition, Tarone defines language strategies as “an attempt to develop linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in target language –to incorporate these into one’s interlanguage competence.” [11]65-66 Stern gives the definition as “best reserved for general tendencies or overall characteristic of the approach employed by the language learner, leaving techniques as the term to refer to particular forms of observable learning behavior.& rdquo; [12]57-58
2.2 Classification of learning strategies
2.2.1 Classification of learning strategies abroad
Learning strategies have been classified by many scholars. However, most of these studies do not differ much with each other. Here are three typical classifications:
In the classification of O’Malley and Chamots, there are 3 major types of strategies, namely, cognitive strategies, meta-cognitive strategies and social/affective strategies. [13]155 O’Malley and Chamot make the classification depending on the level or type of processing involved. The disadvantage of O’Malley and Chamot’s classification is that it has difficulties in its application because the definition of each strategies item seems to be a little vague.
The classification scheme provided by Oxford is believed to be the most comprehensive classification to date. Oxford divided language strategies into two major groups, namely, direct strategies and indirect strategies. [14]54-55
1) Direct strategies: Memory strategies, Cognitive strategies, Compensation strategies.
2) Indirect strategies: Meta-cognitive strategies, Social strategies, Affective strategies.
The classification by Oxford has been widely used and accepted.
Cohen, in his work Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language divided learners’ strategies into two types: language learning strategies and language using strategies. [15]124 Cohen’s classification seems clear and easy to understand, but it is difficult to tell whether it is for language learning or for language use. Besides, his study did not pay attention to meta-cognitive strategies, while many researchers believe that meta-cognitive strategies are one of the most important strategies to language learning.
2.2.2 Classification of learning strategies in China
As we know, in most of the studies, speaking learning strategies are not separated from learning strategies. In China, many researchers have made great contribution to learning strategies. In order to have a good understanding of learning strategies, many researchers focus on the classification of learning strategies. Cheng& Zhen and Wen are two prominent researchers.
Cheng& Zhen put forward two classification schemes. The first one is based on the role that strategies play in the learning process. There are cognitive strategies, meta-cognitive strategies, affective strategies and communicative strategies. The second one is based on areas of language knowledge and skills. There are strategies for learning pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and strategies for developing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. [16]56
Wen draws a complete system for language learning strategies. In this system, language learning strategies are divided into two categories: the beliefs about language learning and the learning strategies. The former concerns a learner’s viewpoint about how to learn a foreign language, and these beliefs decide the learning strategies one uses. The latter is subdivided into two groups: management skills and learning skills. Management skills are usually related to the language materials, including making study plans, evaluating one’s progress, measuring and modulating one’s affective state and so on; while learning skills generally include how to acquire the abilities in listening, speaking, reading and writing, how to deal with new words, how to learn pronunciation and so on. [17]54
2.3 Studies on speaking learning strategies
2.3.1 Nature of oral English
Oral English is different from written English in many ways. Oral English is usually not pre-organized and neat as written English. The sentence in oral English is usually shorter, even not completed or simpler, sometimes wrong in grammar. Also, we can find that oral English is always much up-dated and could express speaker’s ideals by tones of voice, intonation and stress.
The words are being spoken as they are being decided and as they are being understood. Once spoken, they are gone. While the reader can reread, the listener can have memory problems that will lead to misunderstandings or a request for a repetition. Furthermore, the listener may miss a part of what was said, perhaps through noise, or a moment’s distraction. [18]85
2.3.2 Studies on speaking learning strategies abroad
With the further study of learning strategies, some researchers have made detailed study on speaking learning strategies. Speaking strategies, which are closely related to strategies as in McDonugh’s review, turned out to be a focus among researchers of SLA. L2 researchers on speaking strategies were always divided into two camps:
1) Socio-linguistically orientated researchers, such as Tarone, who considered such strategies as social interaction.
2) Psycho-linguistically orientated researchers, represented by Faerch and Kasper, who recognized them as part of a planning process.
Through employing the me thodology of interpreting transcripts of learners’ language,the two camps set a destination of ascertaining various lists of possible strategies available to L2 learners, which were separately described by Poulisse and Bialystok. [19]78-79
The most comprehensive project into speaking strategies was conducted at the University of Nijmegen by Kellerman, Bongaerts, and Poulisse in the 1980s. In these studies by the Nijmegen group, verbal report and other methods were used for investigating the situation of the use of L2 speaking strategies, especially those used in compensating for gaps in communicative ability.
O’Malley and Chamot conducted an empirical interventionist study, which “is one of the most comprehensive studies of learner strategies to date”. [20]65 After the test, the members who were given precise and clear training in meta-cognitive,cognitive,and social strategies and affective strategies improved significantly more than the controlled group.
Cohen, Weaver and Li investigated the effects of a range of speaking strategies on three tasks performed by university foreign language students: a self-description, a story retelling, and a description of a favorite city at University of Minnesota. In 2000, there are also three major studies reviewed by Cohen, which dealt with training of speaking strategies, founded on the categorization of speaking strategies. One study was conducted with a survey of 122 first-year and fourth-year students in the English Department at an Egyptian university,half students receiving the treatment and half in the controlled group. A second study involved 60 undergraduates in compulsory English for Arts Student course. 75
2.3.3 Studies on speaking learning strategies at home
From the early 1980s, researchers in China began to pay more and more attention to speaking learning strategies. A thesis named “An investigation of learning strategies in colloquial communication that Chinese EFL learners in China employ” was accomplished by Huang Xiaohua in 1984. In 1985, Huang Xiaohua took a further research on relationship between speaking strategies and speaking proficiency among seniors of English major in Guangzhou Foreign Language Institute. They found that the use of learning strategies was relative to increased language achievement or proficiency and learning strategies had been firmly affirmed to play an active role in language learning. [23]287-307
In 1990, Chen Siqing Published “A study of communication strategies in interlanguage production by Chinese EFL learners” in an international magazine—Language Learning. In the study, the frequency, type and efficiency of using communication strategies by twelve students of foreign language majors were observed and described. [24]24-26
2.3.4 Factors of influencing the choice of speaking learning strategies
During the recent studies on learning strategies, many researchers have found that the use of speaking learning strategies is affected by many factors. And the most common factors are age, language proficiency, learning style, learning beliefs, gender, motivation and culture.
1) Age has been found to affect the use of oral English strategies. Older learners often use complex, sophisticated strategies. Young children respond more readily and intuitively to language “acquisition” in social and communicative situations, while older learners can learn language more steadily by means of cognitive and academic approaches. [25]154
2) L2 proficiency Bialystock found that functional practice correlated significantly with second language proficiency in tenth graders, whereas functional practice, formal practice, and monitoring were related to L2 proficiency in twelfth graders. [26]25
3) Learning styles also affect the choice of L2 learning strategies. Learning styles make a big difference in choosing learning strategies or the learning behavior of an individual.
4) Learning beliefs, as researchers, Weden, Horwitz; Abranham and Vann; Gerardo; Pedro; Yang, suggested, play an important role in dictating the use of learning strategies.
5) Gender differences in the use of learning strategies are indicated by several studies of Oxford and Nyikos, Oxford and Green, Kaylani e.
6) Motivation is also important in successful second language learning. Gardner, D. & L. Miller are typical researchers. Schumann, Oxford and Nyikos, Ehrman and Oxford, Okada also concern much about motivation and learning strategies.
7) Culture may play an important role in shaping particular learning behaviors, as some researchers indicated. Researchers such as O’Malley, Politzer and McGroa try, Scarcella, Carson, Hino, Kohn, Carson and Nelson, Levine, Reves and Leaver and Parry make researches on it. [27]85
3. The methodology
The study was conducted to investigate the current situation of speaking learning strategies used by students from non-English majors who have oral English study online by means of questionnaire survey. The whole chapter is composed of the following components: the subjects, the instruments, data collection, data analysis.
3.1 The subjects
3.1.1 Purpose
The major purposes of the study are: 1) to study the frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies during oral English study online; 2) to find out the differences in the frequency of the use of different speaking learning strategies; 3) to identify the differences in the use of speaking learning strategies by speakers with different factors including gender, major, personality, self-rated proficiency level; 4) to point out that the positive use of speaking learning strategies online is helpful to the improvement of oral English.
3.1.2 Participants
The participants are 107 college students of non-English major in ZUST. They are from different majors and are respectively from science and arts. And also, they are from different grades of different levels.
3.2 Instruments
The questionnaire has been used to gather information on the speaking learning strategies used by students of non-English major who have oral English study online. The students are required to finish the questionnaire in 10 minutes. The questionnaire contains 30 questions, concluding 6 questions about meta-cognitive strategies, 4 questions about cognitive strategies, 6 questions about memory strategies, 4 questions about compensation strategies, 5 questions about affective strategies, and 5 questions about social strategies. It uses five scales ranging from A (“never”) to E (“always”). The latter letter indicates a more frequent use of the Internet or strategies. The first part of the survey questionnaire is for the status of using the Internet for oral English study in ZUST. The second part focuses on the use of six types of strategies. The detailed reflection of different speaking learning strategies used in oral English study online can be represented as below: 1) memory strategies, such as setting up nets of relationships, making use of image and sound, reviewing, acting and so on; 2) cognitive strategies, such as practicing, receiving, and conveying information, analyzing and inferring, setting up rules for inputting and output information; 3) compensation strategies, such as guessing, overcoming deficiencies of language knowledge in speaking and writing; 4) meta-cognitive strategies, such as focusing on key points of learning, arranging and planning learning, evaluating learning; 5) affective strategies, such as lowering anxiety, encouraging oneself, learning about one’s own state of affect; 6) social strategies, such as enquiring about questions, cooperating with others, sympathizing others. The questionnaire is in Chinese, in order to make the participants understand the items better.
3.3 Data collection
The students majoring in science, especially the students majoring in engineering and students majoring in arts of business trade and humanity in ZUST, take part in this survey. The survey conducted during a week in April in 2010. There are different methods or procedures to collect the data in the researches of speaking learning strategies, such as observation, interview, questionnaire, verbal report, diary, etc. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages as well. But considering time-saving principal and the conception of building an environmental society, this survey is made online. During this period, we contact 3 students majoring in engineering in ZUST and then other students to take part in the survey. The students are required to answer the questionnaire in 10 minutes. The participants are advised not to be so bad in English to guarantee the quality of the survey. Then the data will undergo descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics indicate the average level of the use of speaking learning strategies, the difference between two sets of scores, such as the relationship between some learners’ factors and the use of speaking learning strategies, such as gender, major, personality, self-rated proficiency, and the possibility and reliability of the data.
3.4 Data analysis
This paper analyzes the data collected in the research. Section one indicates the frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies during oral English study online. Section two shows the differences in the frequency of the use of different speaking learning strategies. Section three provides the differences in the use of speaking learning strategies by speakers with different factors including gender, major, personality, self-rated proficiency level. For the convenience of calculating, A (“never&rd quo;) to E (“always”) in the questionnaire count 1-5 scores gradually. And all use mean and Std. Deviation to make a contrast between each other and check the possibility of the results.
3.4.1 Frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies
Table 3.1 Frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies online and in real life
Category Online In real life
Overall strategies 2.50 4.02
Memory strategies 2.30 4.33
Cognitive strategies 2.57 3.04
Compensation strategies 2. 82 4.83
Meta-cognitive strategies 2. 53 3.12
Affective strategies 2.19 3.03
Social strategies 2.24 4.08
The table 3.1 above shows the mean scores of the use of speaking learning strategies online and in the real life respectively. It is clearly that the frequency of the overall use of speaking learning online only accounts 2.50, greatly lower than that in the real life, which holds 4.02. Besides, the respective scores of the use of different speaking learning strategies are relatively lower than that in the real life.
3.4.2 Frequency of the use of different speaking learning strategies
Table 3.2 Frequency of the use of different speaking learning strategies
Category Mean Std. Deviation
Memory strategies 2.30 2.29
Cognitive strategies 2.57 3.33
Compensation strategies 2. 82 4.91
Meta-cognitive strategies 2. 53 5.18
Affective strategies 2.19 3.43
Social strategies 2.24 3.07
The table 3.2 above shows the mean scores and std. deviation of the use of different speaking learning strategies online. As the survey shows, the most frequent speaking learning strategies used by students are compensation strategies, which accounts for 2.82. The latter two are cognitive strategies and meta-cognitive strategies, which accounts for 2.57 and 2.53 respectively. Affective strategies only have 2.19, which are comparatively low to the overall level.
3.4.3 Differences in the use of speaking learning strategies by speakers with different factors
3.4.3.1 Use of the speaking strategies by different gender
Table 3.3 Frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies by different gender
Category Male Female
Overall strategies 2.33 2.67
Memory strategies 2.28 2.32
Cognitive strategies 2.53 2.61
Compensation strategies 2.51 2.55
Meta-cognitive strategies 2.49 2.57
Affective strategies 2.18 2.20
Social strategies 2.21 2.27
From table 3.3, we can see that there is no big significant difference in using memory strategies, cognitive strategies, compensation strategies, meta-cognitive strategies, affective strategies and social strategies between different genders. The overall strategies used by females hold 2.67, higher than 2.33 for males. The use of learning strategies by females is more frequent than the males. Also, the scores of respective speaking learning strategies by the females are always higher than the males.
3.4.3.2 Use of the speaking strategies by different majors
Table 3.4 Frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies by different major
Category Science Arts
Overall strategies 2.36 2.64
Memory strategies 2.25 2.35
Cognitive strategies 2.51 2.63
Compensation strategies 2.59 2.47
Meta-cognitive strategies 2.31 2.33
Affective strategies 2.15 2.23
Social strategies 2.19 2.29
From table 3.4, the overall use of speaking learning strategies by students from arts occupies 2.64, while the use of those from science occupies 2.36. The students from arts use speaking learning strategies a little more frequent than those of the science. Also, this contrast between males and females can be seen by the scores of each speaking learning strategies in the table3.4.
3.4.3.3 Use of the speaking strategies by different personalities
Table 3.5 Frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies by different personality
Category Extroverted Introverted
Overall strategies 2.50 2.42
Memory strategies 2.27 2.33
Cognitive strategies 2.58 2.56
Compensation strategies 2.56 2.50
Meta-cognitive strategies 2.28 2.34
Affective strategies 2.19 2.17
Social strategies 2.26 2.21
From table 3.5, the scores of the extroverted students and the introverted students are near the same. And it is not fixed that the scores of the extroverted ones are higher than the introverted ones by each strategies. The score of memory strategies by the introverted occupies 2.33, 0.05 higher than the extroverted. Also, we can see that the score of the meta-cognitive strategies by the introverted is 0.06 higher. There is no big difference in the use of the speaking strategies with different personality, but normally the speaking learning strategies used by the outgoing and confident students are more frequent, especially social strategies, affective strategies and compensation strategies.
3.4.3.4 The use of the speaking strategies by different self-rated proficiency levels
Table 3.6 Frequency of the use of speaking Learning
strategies by different self-rated proficiency level
Category High Medium Low
Overall strategies 2.53 1.61 0.89
Memory strategies 1.84 1.71 1.12
Cognitive strategies 2.19 1.97 0.98
Compe nsation strategies 1.51 1.57 1.90
Meta-cognitive strategies 2.57 1.63 0.83
Affective strategies 2.83 1.88 0.67
Social strategies 2.11 1.54 0.83
In this part, students are divided into three groups by self-rated proficiency level, namely, high, medium and low. Table 3.6 clearly shows that the strategies used by the participants are significantly and positively related to their proficiency level. The good students with higher-rated proficiency level use more speaking learning strategies and relatively the students with low-rated proficiency level use less speaking learning strategies. In addition, the compensation is often used by the ones who are relatively weak in English, which occupy 1.9 point in the table 3.6.
4. Results and discussion
4.1 Frequency of the use of speaking learning strategies
As the survey shows, the overall use of speaking learning strategies online is still low. The possible reason should be:
First, the college students have not thought high of or even realized the great potential and function of the net to learning. Although the Internet can capture students’ attention easily, it is not often used for study. Students are used to and willing to study in class or by textbooks or homework.
Second, even though a part of students realized the value of Internet to study, they do not know how to study. The further negative effect is that they lose the interest in oral English practicing easily. This may need the teachers to guide them and enlighten their mind with fleshing ideas, innovation and updated rich information about the ways to practice oral English on the Internet.
Third, there is no admirable and pleasant atmosphere for web-based study. As nearly all the students live in the dormitory, they are easily affected by each other. So, an environment full of interaction is advocated. The teachers or the students themselves could build some forums, unions or study groups to arise the atmosphere of study.
The last but not the least, the Internet has so much temptation to allure the students to have some entertainment. So, the Internet itself may reduce the speaking learning use. Students are always weak in self-motivated learning ability and ability to study independently online. As to this, the students themselves should pay more efforts on it.
4.2 Frequency of the use of different speaking learning strategies.
From the data we can see that the most frequent speaking learning strategy used by students online is the compensation strategies. This may be the reason that the average oral English level of non-English major students is not high and a big amount of them is low. When they could not understand what the other talks about during the conversation, they will ask them to repeat or slow down the speed. Since the storage of their vocabulary is limited, when they could not remind of the words or sentences needed, they will choose other words or sentences to replace these words or sentences. And when they could not express themselves clearly, they will try to give examples to elaborate it.
The lower ones to compensation strategies in the survey are cognitive strategies and meta-cognitive strategies. It is gratified that students have an identifying goal of study in English learning and they also take advantage of the Internet resources under a pleasant condition by watching America movie or TV series or listening VOA, BBC, etc. They also try to seek the better way to improve oral English and have the ability to make arrangements.
Affective strategies, memory strategies and social strategies are comparatively lower in the data. Students are easy to be depressed about their oral English and sometimes have the thought to let it be. When confronted with new words on movies, TV series, websites, chatting online, etc, students will not write them down or try to find their meanings. Social strategies could contribute much but are limited by the traditional study habits online. Students have not formed the habits to practice English by e-mails, chatting rooms or other methods online.
4.3 Differences in the use of speaking learning strategies by speakers with different factors
As we can see from the use of the speaking strategies by different genders, majors, personality, and self-rated proficiency level above, English learning factors do affect the oral learning inline.
As to the gender, females pay more attention to the use of speaking learning strategies and have more talents in language learning. Female students are not engaged in many entertainments such as games, etc. But both males and females should make best use of the advantages and bypass the disadvantages
As to the major, the scores of the students majoring in arts are conspicuously superior to the students majoring in science. The thinking pattern and the advantage of sharing emotion and social practice of the students majoring in art makes them superior in the use of speaking learning strategies, while the students majoring in science pay much on the technologies and data than language itself.
As to personality, the extroverted ones gain much. The extroverted personality always represents confident, outgoing and communicating or sharing much with others. The confident and outgoing ones always have a higher self-rated proficiency. If one is more confident and outgoing, then he or she will pay more efforts on how to improve oral English and gain more opportunity to have a communication with others.
As to self-rated proficiency, it is clear that the students with higher self-rated proficiency level use more speaking learning strategies and the students with lower self-rated proficiency level use less speaking learning strategies. In turn, the ones who use varied speaking learning strategies more frequently can always achieve better outcomes in oral English. But as the Internet is only one assisting tool to oral English learning, so, we can not say that it is definitely a deciding factor. But it is sure that frequent use of strategies do contributes to the results of the oral English learning.
At present, however, not too many students regard the speaking learning strategies important, and have not formed a good study mode online. So, I would like to bring up some advice for reference: 1)lowering anxiety and practicing step by step; 2)preparing and planning for using speaking learning strategies; 3)selecting and using proper and suitable strategies for yourself; 4)summarizing your oral study and making adjustments accordingly; 5)going outside and practicing more and more. How to get rid of the barriers of the negative factors and make full use of the positive ones is a wise but a difficult thing. Also, to make full use of the Internet in study and put the speaking learning strategies into the oral English study online are meaningful but still a long way.
5. Conclusion
The above discussion of study and research is by no means comprehensive but it deserves our study.
Nowadays, Internet is an interesting and fashionable thing to us. It has attracted our eyeballs for a long time and occupied plenty of our time as well. The introduction of Internet brings new vigor to teaching and learning process, but it also tends to be inefficient during the study. Thus, the frequency of using speaking learning strategies online is low. This requires the proper use of speaking learning strategies and efforts by the students.
As the study shows, the most frequent speaking learning strategies used online is compensation strategies. It may after all be accepted as a good way to circumvent the weakness in oral English, but not a good and long-time way to improve oral English level. Other strategies do deserve to use and have some requirements to the learners: the use of cognitive strategies and meta-cognitive strategies requires learners know how to make arrangements for study and have the ability to self-control during the study online. The study of affective strategies shows that an enterprising and perseverant mind is advocated in practicing oral English. Memory strategies request the learners to be more diligent and hardworking to English study. At last, the social strategies are functional and demand the students to explore more gateways of practicing oral English online.
It is evident that learners’ factors can easily affect the use of speaking learning strategies online and some factors can not be changed at once. But, if the learners could foster strengths and circumvent weaknesses, and absorb the shining points from the others, there will be a new look of oral English learning.
Speaking learning strategies is by no means helpful to the improvement of oral English, although this paper could not give affirmative support to it. But we can see that the good learners always use speaking learning strategies more frequently.
All in all, it is greatly expected that the learners could make full use of the website and speaking learning strategies during the study online and there will be a better atmosphere of practicing oral English online in the future.
Acknowledgements
My initial thanks go to my supervisor Louqing, who patiently supervised my dissertation and was at times very willing to offer me illuminating advice or suggestions. Without her help, I could not have finished this dissertation.
I am also indebted to other teachers and my classmates who have not only offered me their warm encouragements but also shared with me their ideas and books. They are Yangxue, Chenliang, Fanyanlong, wangbo and many others.
My greatest personal debt is to my grandparents and parents, who have cultivated a soul of sensitivity, hospitality, and honesty out of me, and offered a harbor of happiness and sweetness for me.
The remaining weakness and possible errors of the dissertation are entirely my own.
References
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[3]Ellis, R. The Study of Second Language Acquisition[M].Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994:154.
[4]Weinstein, C & R. Mayer. The Teaching of Learning Strategies[M]. NewYork. Macmillan, 1986:74.
[5]Chamot, A. The Learning Strategies Handbook. NY[M]. Longman, 1987:96.
[6]Rubin, J. Language Learning Language Strategies: What every teacher should know[M]. Boston: Heinle & Heinele, 1990:156.
[7]Oxford, R. L. Variables Affecting Choices of Language Learning Strategies by University Students[M]. Modern Language Journal, 1989:24.
[8]Ellis, R. The Study of Second Language Acquisition[M].Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994:54.
[9]Cohen, A. D. Language learning: “Insights for learners, Teachers and Researchers”[M]. New York: Newbury House Publishers, 1990:67.
[10]Cohen, A.D. Weaver, S. & Li, T-Y. The Impact of Strategies-based Instruction on Speaking a Foreign Language[M].Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 1998:78.
[11]Tarone, E. Some Thoughts on the Notion of “Communication Strategies” [J]. London: Longman, 1983:65-66.
[12]Stern, H. Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching[M]. Oxford University Press, 1983:57-58.
[13]Oxford & O’ Malley. A Study of Learning Strategies in Foreign Language Instruction: First Year Report[M]. Rosslyn, Va.: Interstate Research Associates, 1987:155.
[14]Oxford, R.L. Language learning strategies: What Every Teachers Should Know[M]. New York: Newbury House, 1990:54-55.
[15]Cohen, A. Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language[M].Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000:124.
[16]陈晓堂,郑敏.英语学习策略[M].北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2002:56.
[17]文秋芳.英语学习成功之路[M].上海外语教育出版社,2003:54.
[18]Bygate, M. Speaking[M]. Oxford University Press, 1987:85.
[19]McDonugh, S.H. Strategies and Skill in Learning a Foreign Language[M]. London: Edward Amold, 1995:78-79.
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Appendices
浙江科技学院非英语专业大学生网上英语口语学习策略调查问卷
一、个人简况
姓名:
性别: A 男 B女
科别: A 理工科 B文科
你的性格特征: A内向 B外向
你认为你目前的英语综合水平: A很差 B一般 C优秀
二、网上英语口语学习策略调查
(元认知策略使用情况调查)
1、我寻求好的网上口语练习的时间和地点。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
2、上网学习时,我能把握上网学习的时间和内容。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
3、对于如何上网提高英语口语能力,在不同时期,我有明确的目标。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
4、我总在寻求更好的口语学习方法。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
5、我思考和评价自己的上网学习方法从而找出存在的问题和解决方法。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
6、在说话前, 我先把想说的话组织好再说。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
(认知策略使用情况调查)
7、我浏览各种英文网站、听英文录音VOA,BBC,. etc及看英文视频等,听和练习口语。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
8、在用英语聊天时,我会猜想对方下一句会说什么。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
9、听VOA,BBC,. etc 或欧美剧等英文视频时,我会模仿其说话方式、语音语调及用词。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
10、听VOA,BBC,. etc 或欧美剧等英文视频时,我会小声跟着说。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
(记忆策略使用情况调查)
11、我反复观看喜欢的欧美剧,以便加深印象。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
12、记单词时, 我会想到同根的词或近义词、反义词等相关词汇。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
13、在英文网站上遇到新单词我就猜它的意思。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
14、一遇到生词就查字典吗?
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
15、我把上网遇到的生词记在单词本上。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
16、我用金山词霸等网上字典在线查找生词的意义及用法。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
(补偿策略使用情况调查)
17、QQ聊或聊天室语音等方式交流时, 我会努力猜测TA接下去将说什么。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
18、QQ聊或聊天室语音等方式交流时, 当不懂对方所言时,会请求对方重复或放慢语速。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
19、QQ聊或聊天室语音等方式交流时, 当与别人交谈时想不起某个词 时, 我会使用同义词(组)。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
20、当不能表达自己时, 我会举例等方式进行解释。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
(情感策略使用情况调查)
21、在网络环境中害怕别人发现你英语方面的不足吗?
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
22、为了把口语说好,我经常自我鼓励。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
23、说英语紧张时, 我会想办法消除它。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
24、上网学习英语后,我的学习兴趣提高了。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
25、我会与家人、同学、老师等探讨口语学习的感受
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
(社交策略使用情况调查)
26、用英语写邮件或聊天时,我请对方纠正我的错误。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
27、通过网上交流很容易在学习上和同学结成朋友。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
28、必要时,交谈借助手势、表情等进行表达。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
29、交谈时,我把精力放在意思表达上。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
30、在口语表达时,我直接向对方表示自己遇到困难,向对方寻求帮助。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
浙江科技学院非英语专业大学生非网络状态下英语口语学习策略调查问卷
(元认知策略使用情况调查)
1、我寻求好的网上口语练习的时间和地点。
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2、学习时,我能把握学习的时间和内容。
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3、对于如何提高英语口语能力,在不同时期,我有明确的目标。
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4、我总在寻求更好的口语学习方法。
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5、我思考和评价自己的学习方法从而找出存在的问题和解决方法。
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6、在说话前, 我先把想说的话组织好再说。
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(认知策略使用情况调查)
7、我参加有利于英语提高的活动,听和练习口语。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
8、在用英语聊天时,我会猜想对方下一句会说什么。
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9、听英语时,我会模仿其说话方式、语音语调及用词。
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10、听英语时,我会小声跟着说。
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(记忆策略使用情况调查)
11、我反复朗读喜欢的英语文章,以便加深印象。
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12、记单词时, 我会想到同根的词或近义词、反义词等相关词汇。
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13、遇到新单词我就猜它的意思。
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14、一遇到生词就查字典吗?
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15、我把遇到的生词记在单词本上。
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16、我会努力查找生词的意义及用法。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
(补偿策略使用情况调查)
17、英语聊天时,我会努力猜测TA接下去将说什么。
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18、英语聊天时,当不懂对方所言时,会请求对方重复或放慢语速。
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19、英语聊天时, 当与别人交谈时想不起某个词时, 我会使用同义词(组)。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
20、当不能表达自己时, 我会举例等方式进行解释。
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(情感策略使用情况调查)
21、害怕别人发现你英语方面的不足吗?
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22、为了把口语说好,我经常自我鼓励。
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23、说英语紧张时, 我会想办法消除它。
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24、一番努力学习后,我的学习兴趣提高了。
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25、我会与家人、同学、老师等探讨口语学习的感受
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(社交策略使用情况调查)
26、用英语聊天时,我请对方纠正我的错误。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
27、英语打开新的世界,结交更多的朋友。
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28、必要时,交谈借助手势、表情等进行表达。
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29、交谈时,我把精力放在意思表达上。
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30、在口语表达时,我直接向对方表示自己遇到困难,向对方寻求帮助。
A从不 B很少 C有时 D经常 E总是
谢谢您的合作!
诚 信 承 诺
我谨在此承诺:本人所写的毕业论文《基于网络的英语口语学习策略研究》均系本人独立完成,没有抄袭行为,凡涉及其他作者的观点和材料,均作了注释,若有不实,后果由本人承担。
本科毕业论文的写作是本科教学计划中的最后一个重要环节,它不仅是学生这四年所学知识和技能的一次综合性的应用,而且是高校本科教学实践的重要一环。目前由于高校的大幅扩招,高等教育已从精英教育转化为大众教育,这对人才的培养质量也提出了新的要求。但是,人数的增加并没有带来教学质量的提高,特别是教师与学生的比例严重失调,导致了本科阶段的毕业论文的质量下滑。因此,规范论文的撰写,对论文的质量进行科学评价,并加强对本科毕业论文的管理,从而形成一套强而有效的管理制度,已经成为各高校目前需要重视的问题。
一、问题的提出
近年来,本科毕业论文的管理在教师和学生中都存在着不同程度的忽视现象,并且没有制度的保障,致使毕业论文的撰写过程和对毕业论文的管理流于形式,这不仅影响了整体的教学管理,而且不利于教学质量的提高,毕业论文是教学计划中最后一个综合性、创造性的实践教学环节,是实现本科培养目标的一个关键阶段,因此强化毕业实践环节,搞好毕业论文工作对全面提高本科教学质量与毕业生的业务素质具有重要的意义。英语专业学生毕业后,多数到外资企业、国企、私企做外贸业务或者从事翻译、研究、教学管理等方面的工作,要求学生具有扎实的英语基础、深厚的文学功底、宽广的专业知识、较强的交际能力,所以我们必须非常重视英语专业毕业论文实践环节,努力培养出综合素质高的大学生。
二、毕业论文质量监控的建立
1.科学安排毕业论文选题。
第一,选题是高质量地完成本科毕业论文的关键,好的选题是毕业论文顺利完成的前提和保证。在进行本科毕业论文选题工作时,学生应根据自己的兴趣选择。英语专业分为理论语言学、应用语言学、文学、翻译、跨文化交际、英语教育等六大方向,学生根据自己的特长确定论文方向及论文题目,然后找相关的教师商量。选题时,要求把一人一题作为学生选题的首要原则;第二,要求选题符合教育教学规律,体现本专业人才培养目标,达到毕业论文教学大纲的基本要求。第三,要求选题能达到综合运用所学基础理论、基本知识和基本技能,达到综合训练的目的,提高综合素质。第四,要求选题体现理论与实践的结合,具有研究价值,具有现实意义和开拓性和创新性,选题由指导老师审定后,由学生收集资料进行相关的操作。学生只有对选题有了兴趣,才能全身心地投入,才能专心致志地去收集资料、废寝忘食地刻苦钻研,在积极探索的基础上自定研究课题,经教师审核并报系(教研室)讨论确定。为此,我们要求指导老师认真做好选题、审题工作。
2.限制教师指导学生数,提高毕业论文质量。
外国语学院毕业论文委员会和学术委员会挑选工作负责、科研素质高的毕业论文指导教师。通过查看了各老师的科研档案,考虑了他们的研究方向、专长与学生的衔接点,然后把他们的研究范围分为了理论语言学、应用语言学与英语教学、翻译理论与实践、文学等四个大方向,从中挑选了讲师职称以上的优秀教师作为英语专业毕业生毕业论文的指导教师。要求讲师最多指导3人,(副)教授最多指导7人。
3.实行开题报告,中期检查制度。
开题环节是做好毕业论文工作不可缺少的重要环节,由于学生在准备开题的过程中需要查阅大量的相关资料,以便对整个毕业论文工作有一定的了解,对所要涉及的理论知识有一个概括的认识,对整个工作计划和时间安排有一个全局的考虑;另外,通过准备开题报告,学生可以把所学的理论知识贯穿起来,对于缺少的知识点通过自学来弥补,增强了学生自主学习的动力,调动了学生的积极性,为后续的毕业论文写作工作打下了良好的基础。论文中期检查时,我们不但检查学生是否按工作安排完成了论文的初稿及其修改工作,更以开题论证小组的班底,组成了中期检查小组,检查学生的论文初稿是否达到开题报告和写作提纲所提出的要求,如没有达标,还提出了具体的修改意见,以弥补指导老师个人意见之不足。
4.经常开展阶段性检查,做到及时双向反馈。
在毕业论文工作中,经常开展阶段性检查是了解、掌握毕业论文工作状态的一条重要途径在工作前期,着重检查工作计划制定、课题安排、选题审查、指导老师到岗情况、任务书填写等工作的落实和进展情况;中期重点检查学生的学习态度、毕业论文工作进展、学生与指导老师的见面次数、教师指导情况及毕业论文工作中存在的问题,及时分析原因,采取有效措施解决存在的问题;后期检查主要是根据毕业论文的要求,检查学生课题任务及论文撰写的完成情况,对学生论文进行成果验收及评价,检查答辩资格审查和答辩组织情况等。各个阶段的检查均有书面的检查记录。在院(系)一级的检查中发现的问题及处理意见及时地向学校教管理部门报告、反馈;教学管理部门在阶段性检查中发现的问题也做到了及时地与院系进行沟通、反馈。双向反馈机制的建立,保证了反馈渠道的信息畅通,从而有效地解决了毕业论文工作过程中出现的各种复杂问题。
5.坚持三稿修改制。
我们要求学生必须三易其稿才能定稿,教师的修改任务特别繁重,尤其体现在对初稿的审核和修改上,在确定学生论文的框架之后,我们要求指导老师对所指导学生的论文初稿进行通篇审核,提出全面客观的修改意见,并给出一些非常具体的修改实例。因为学生是用英文撰写论文,学生们在定义概念、提出论点、展开论述时有许多表达不清楚、不准确的地方,老师在进行初稿审查和修改时都必须尽可能地给他们指出并作修改。
6.坚持论文答辩制度,锻炼学生的综合能力。
毕业论文成绩的评定必须尽可能客观、公平、公正,客观、公平、公正的成绩不但是对本届已做毕业论文的学生的劳动成果的一个肯定,更是鼓励下届学生认真、诚实地去完成毕业论文的一个巨大动力。我们采用了指导老师的成绩与评语在答辩之前就与学生见面,这样既肯定了学生的劳动成果,又提醒了他们论文中还存在的问题,有利于他们在论文答辩中有较好的表现,也有利于论文的进一步完善。
三、英语专业毕业论文质量监控的应用
1.事前监控的作用。
对毕业论文实施事前监控可以查看学生理论课及实践环节的成绩是否达到要求,严把“入口关”,达不到要求的不准进入。在职称、科研、实践经验、工作量、历史评价等方面考查指导教师的资格以安排适宜的工作量,同时也作为学生选择教师的一个重要参考依据。选题方面通过对历届毕业设计(论文)全文数据库的检索,避免同题、低水平重复题目的出现,有效遏制抄袭的不良风气,节省学生收集资料的时间,激励他们开展创新研究。开题时促使学生尽快熟悉课题,锻炼学生的口头表达能力,并对选题不当者进行调整。
2.事中监控的作用。
事中监控是指对毕业(论文)正式实施的情况进行监控,属于过程性监控,是毕业设计(论文)质量监控的重点。包括毕业生态度监控及指导老师态度监控,通过对学生问卷调查来对指导老师履行职责的情况进行监控。毕业(论文)进展监控分别在毕业(论文)实施过程的前期、中期、后期对毕业(论文)进行监控,看是否按照既定的进度实施。毕业(论文)撰写规范性监控:要求每一个学生都能熟悉和了解毕业(论文)撰写规范要求,并提供各专业毕业(论文)参考样本。毕业(论文)答辩前监控:采用随机抽取的方式对全校5%―10%的毕业(论文)进行盲评,由校内外专家按照评分标准进行严格评审,不合格的不准参加答辩,必须在修改或重做后方可申请答辩。毕业(论文)答辩过程监控:由教务处统一安排,督导组、学院答辩委员会成员等到各答辩现场进行检查和指导,发现违规行为及时采取措施。
3.事后监控的作用。
事后监控是指对毕业设计(论文)基本环节结束后的情况进行监控,属于评价性监控,包括毕业设计(论文)合格监控和毕业设计(论文)优秀评比。对较差的毕业设计(论文)进行认真评审,不合格的退回重做,作延迟毕业处理。
总之,继续开展毕业设计全程质量监控体系的研究与实践,进一步完善质量监控和质量保证体系,使学校的毕业设计质量再上新的台阶,仍然是摆在我们面前的一项重要课题。
参考文献:
[1]冀满祥.本科毕业论文(设计)质量监控的实践与思考[J].山西农业大学学报(社会科学版),2006,(4).
一、 应用型本科英语专业的培养目标
在中华人民共和国教育部高教司2012年颁布的《普通高等学校本科专业目录和专业介绍》 有关英语专业建设的规范中提到英语专业的培养目标是:“培养具有扎实的英语语言基础和广博的文化知识并能熟练地运用英语在外事、教育、经贸、文化、科技、军事等部门从事翻译、教学、管理、研究等工作的复合型英语人才。”要求学生具备:“掌握运用专业知识发现、分析、解决问题的综合能力、创造性思维能力和科学研究能力”。在此基础上,应用型本科英语专业重点培养符合经济社会发展对英语专业人才需要的应用型人才,更加强调学生的实践活动,注重其应用能力的培养。
二、 翻译方向教学的特点
翻译是一种认知活动、一种技巧、一种艺术,是一种专业的交流工具。(仲伟合,穆雷)不同于一般英语专业,翻译方向教学具备以下几个特点:
1.重视实践教学。翻译本身就是一个实践过程,因此翻译方向的教学非常重视实践环节。开设的课程紧密围绕翻译理论与实践,结合各领域的专业知识,指导学生在实践中学习、摸索、体会翻译这个复杂的语言转换过程。翻译的技巧要在反复的实践中才能得以掌握。
2.培养双语运用能力。英语翻译涉及到英汉两种语言的应用与转换,不同于普通英语专业主要注重英语语言能力的培养,翻译方向兼顾培养学生中英双语的运用能力。翻译的艺术只有在具备熟练运用双语的条件下才能得以展现。
3.关注跨文化交际意识。翻译是一个跨越不同文化,连接不同文明的交流工具,这就需要学生在实践中提升跨文化交际意识,从文字中感受文化差异,并跨越语言和文化的障碍准确有效地传递信息。
三、 传统翻译类学术论文的普遍问题
从选题上来看,根据多位学者的调查统计,相较于文学或文化领域,英语专业的学生真正选择翻译理论研究方向的相对较少(张春芳,2009),这是因为翻译方向的参考资料相对来说专业度高,抽象难懂,有的研究涉及大量的数据收集和统计,这些都使学生望而却步。从形式上来看,英语专业传统的毕业论文要求学生用全英文进行撰写。这对于翻译这一强调双语运用能力的领域来说无异于“瘸腿跑”。这样的形式使学生在毕业环节中更多的重视了英文表达能力,却忽略了汉语表达能力的锻炼。从效果上来看,目前本科生的论文普遍存在论文东拼西凑,质量不佳,甚至在答辩时还不清楚基本概念,也讲不清所涉及的基本理论的现象。这就是因为学生在撰写论文过程中没有将理论与自己所经历的实践活动相结合,因此对于理论的理解也只停留在了表面文字上。基于以上传统毕业论文形式与应用型本科英语专业翻译方向培养目标间出现的落差,对于传统毕业论文进行改革让毕业论文形式多样化,就显得尤为重要。
四、 论文改革方式
毕业论文,是大学本科教学的最后一个环节,是对整个大学阶段学习的回顾与总结,是学生综合能力的体现。对于英语专业的学生来说,论文写作更是语言的一次综合性的训练,是学习深化与升华的重要过程。它既是学生学习、研究与实践的全面总结,又是对学生综合素质与实践能力的一次全面检验,翻译作为一个实践性很强的专业,毕业论文环节更应该将训练重点放在实践上,并且兼顾中英双语表达能力的训练。切实贯彻教育部高教司提出的“培养学生掌握运用专业知识发现、分析、解决问题的综合能力”这一要求。设计出适合应用型本科人才培养目标和符合学生实际特点的毕业综合训练模式。
参考MTI(英语专业硕士)的毕业环节设计,学生可以采取参与翻译实践并撰写翻译实践报告的方式完成毕业论文。学生在导师指导下选择从未有过译本的中外原文本进行翻译。出于对于学生双语能力训练的考虑,原则上要求学生选择与翻译译文相反的语言进行实践报告的撰写。如:
进行汉译英原文字数不少于5000字汉语的翻译实践,并写出不少于3000字的汉语实践报告;或英译汉原文字数不少于3500英文单词的翻译实践,并写出不少于2000英文单词的实践报告。
所有翻译活动不拘泥于第四年完成,可累计完成。
基本步骤为:
1.学生自主联系客户或寻找符合要求的题材确定翻译内容。通过此环节可以让学生直接与翻译市场接轨,了解行业需求,建立翻译职业服务意识。
2.根据工作量组队或独自在指导教师的指导下完成翻译任务。在应用型本科培养方案中,学生是教学和实践的主体,在此实践活动中充分调动学生的参与积极性,培养其分工合作意识,以及独立思考、分析问题、解决问题的能力。在此过程中教师指导学生如何查阅资料、借助各种翻译辅助工具进行翻译,起到监督、启示、引导的作用。
3.组织校审并在规定时间内提交译文。经过多轮校审学生要严格按照委托方的要求提交译文。
4.对翻译过程中遇到的典型案例进行分类整理。学生完成翻译任务之后要对所经过的整个翻译环节进行系统的回顾,找出其中具有典型意义的案例进行分类总结。不同于学术类传统论文,要求学生从自己的实践作品出发,用自己的实践成果作为素材完成报告。这可以使学生更加细致地思考和整理翻译流程中的具体环节,用审视的角度看待自己的翻译作品。
5.根据所学相关翻译理论知识与技巧对案例进行细致分析。注重引导学生理论与实践相结合,运用理论解决实际工作中遇到的问题。也可以使学生可以对课本上的理论知识有更深层次的理解。
6.提出解决问题的方法和策略。从实践中来再回到实践中去,学生通过对实践活动的总结和思考,提出自己对特定问题的观点,以及针对翻译过程中遇到的问题和困难找出有效的解决方法和应对策略,真正做的有所感悟、有所收获。
论文评价方式为:
翻译实践报告从选题、工作量、结构、案例分析、语言和译文质量等几个方面进行综合考核。翻译部分评分可以参照英语专业八级考试的评分标准,从忠实度和通顺度两方面对学生的翻译作品进行评价。
五、 总结
根据应用型本科的培养目标和翻译方向的教学特点,提出英语专业翻译方向毕业论文改革的方式,即学生参与翻译实践并撰写翻译实践报告的形式,译文语言和实践报告语言兼顾中英双语。使学生在参与完整翻译环节后,对整个实践过程进行反思,充分运用其所学翻译理论技巧、训练双语表达能力、案例综合分析能力和实际解决问题的能力。从而真正实现培养应用型人才的目标。
参考文献:
[1]中华人民共和国教育部高等教育司.《普通高等学校本科专业目录和专业介绍》[M] 北京:高等教育出版社.2012.
[2]贾军红.英语专业本科毕业论文工作改革方案探索[J].宜宾学院学报.2013.
[3]李淑敏,闵悦.应用型本科教学体系初探[J].大家.2011.
[4]穆雷,邹兵等.翻译硕士专业学位论文参考模板探讨[J].学位与研究生教育.2012.
一、引言
英语专业本科毕业论文作为判断学生是否能够毕业的条件,旨在全面衡量学生的综合语言应用能力以及分析、研究和解决问题的能力。[1]因此, 英专本科毕业论文的评判标准包括语言表达能力的高低和是否具备独立的见解、创新的意识。通过撰写毕业论文,学生不仅展示自己的语言表达能力、专业知识水平,更重要的是了解学术研究方法,培养初步的学术研究能力,对未来的工作和学习是有重要价值和意义的。因此,在教育部的本科教学评估中,毕业论文是重要的考察指标,一定程度上反映了该专业本科教学的质量。
从毕业论文的写作中我们不仅可以清楚学生的语言表达能力,更能把握学生的分析能力、论述能力和解决问题的思维能力,综合概括之即思辨能力。近年来,英语专业学生思辨缺席的问题已成为英语教育专家们关注的焦点问题之一。对外语专业学生思辨能力的批评之声在高等教育界此起彼伏。本文管窥英语专业毕业论文中思辨缺席的问题,并从一直以来的传统的外语教育模式上寻找原因,提出相应的教学对策,分析提高英语专业学生毕业论文写作思辨能力的教学途径。
二、英语专业本科生毕业论文思辨缺席现象
毕业论文的质量问题暴露了英语专业学生的思辨缺席现象严重,有研究者指出英语专业学生毕业论文的主要问题包括态度不够端正、学术研究能力较低、语言表达能力欠佳。我国的英语专业本科生阶段缺乏学术研究氛围、缺乏足够的学术指导、缺乏足够的论文写作训练。[2]就毕业论文的思辨缺席问题而言,主要存在以下问题:(一)部分学生论文的论点毫无新意,论文只是在重复他人的结论,并且选题陈旧;(二)论文泛泛而谈,没有运用、分析、评价和创造等思维的创新;(三)有的论文题目大而空,完全是缺乏思辨的介绍性文章;(四)论文本身只是简单的拼凑和堆砌材料,少有论述和辨析,没有运用分析、综合和判断,因此结构松散、论证乏力;(五)在遇到需要探究、分析以及阐述某些现象的根本原因时,不能找出事件背后的本质和主要矛盾,往往思维混乱,只是浅显的指出表面能看到的东西。
三、英语专业本科生毕业论文思辨缺席成因
这样的结果将会是培养出在未来没有创新能力也不可能有创造性成果的英语专业学生和教师,这一定程度上说明了现在英语专业教师抱怨论文难写以及缺乏论辩能力的原因。毕业论文的思辨缺席问题充分的暴露出英语专业教学的薄弱环节及存在的各种问题。长期以来,英语专业教学以追求专四和专八通过率为导向,重视全面培养语言技能,在教学过程中学生重视语言的模仿和记忆,忽视分析和思辨训练,教师也忽略了对学生逻辑思维和分析判断能力的培养和训练。由此,学生缺乏发现问题、提出问题和解决问题的能力。
虽然高校多开设了学术英语写作指导课程,但该课程无论是课时还是教师指导的学术训练都严重不足,课程教学效果甚微。在英语专业整个课程体系中,学术英语写作和专业写作课程的设置,其教学资源的投入与毕业论文的权重形成极大反差,学生在实际的撰写阶段仍对论文写作认知和实践知识一片空白,加之毕业论文指导教师指导的不理想,学生在大四阶段求职升学等事情的诸多干扰造成论文难写、不会写现象普遍。
四、针对毕业论文思辨缺席问题的对策
针对以上问题,为达到“以写促思”、“以思促研”的多种能力建构的培养目标,有必要对英语专业大二到大四的学生进行学术论文写作训练,包括以下三个部分:
第一,在整个英语专业课程学习中因势利导的对学生进行学术熏陶,唤醒学生的学术意识,树立坚定的学术信念。教师还应鼓励学生多渠道的拓展学术视野,养成良好的阅读习惯,学会多视角的观察事情并具备发现问题的能力,为大四的毕业论文写作获得写作灵感而做好前期的准备。
第二,教师应不断提高自身的学术研究能力,教师间广泛交流学习掌握前言学术动态,在教学中向学生传授学科基本研究方法、论文写作知识、学术研究特点、写作一般步骤,论文基本篇章结构,并结合具体范例讲解写作策略和技巧。根据学生现有的和临界的能力对论文主题选择、写作质量、论文长度等提出循序渐进的要求。学生每学期完成1-2篇论文,并在论文完成后以书面形式对写作过程和研究结果进行反思。
第三,教师应就论文写作与学生保持密切的交流和联系,并对写作过程进行细致管理。在论文写作前,教师首先介绍有关的研究理论和发展动向,帮助学生选题,指导学生从网络和图书中获取信息并有效的提取和分析资料。然后安排学生异质分组交流讨论,就主题的研究提纲、框架等展开集体的思辨。
总之,为了切实改变当前英语专业本科毕业论文的现状,提高毕业论文的质量,教师应认真反思课程教学,强化毕业论文的过程管理,在培养学生语言技能的同时培养其思辨能力和科研能力。
[参考文献]
毕业论文的质量是反映大学生学习效果与专业素质的一项重要指标。随着各个领域的国际交流与合作日益增多,我国对外科技交流日益频繁,论文尤其是论文摘要的撰写与翻译引起了人们高度重视,对论文摘要翻译的关注度也越来越高,同时“论文摘要的格式和结构都趋于格式化”。[1](P157)然而值得注意的是,由于种种原因,如相当一部分毕业生在撰写毕业论文时已不再系统英语学习,日常英语教学中教师缺乏这方面的指导和训练等,目前许多毕业论文英文摘要还存在某些缺陷与问题。
本文以非英语专业本科生毕业论文摘要的英译为研究对象,通过问卷调查、摘要译文搜集、文本细读,分析总结翻译中的常见错误,结合问卷结果,提出提高翻译水平的有益建议。
1 现状
在百度搜索引擎中输入“毕业论文摘要翻译”,可找到超过200万个结果,其中绝大多数或是论文摘要翻译求助或是提供论文摘要翻译服务的。这一现象说明尽管大学本科毕业生已经进行了至少十年的英语系统学习,但在具体应用尤其是论文摘要翻译上,仍然需要进一步的训练和指导。
笔者对天津城建大学150名非英语专业大三、大四的学生进行问卷调查,内容主要包括学生对未来毕业论文英文摘要翻译的预期等相关问题,同时涉及大学英语、专业英语课程的反馈。
从调查问卷中反馈的主要信息有:绝大多数学生(84.90%)会重视毕业论文摘要的英译,然而有超过六成(60.37%)的学生认为自己难以独立完成这项工作,因此大部分学生(75.74%)认为有必要专门针对毕业论文摘要的英译进行指导。在谈到具体面临的困难时,居前三位的分别是专业词汇量不够(84.90%)、缺乏翻译技巧(62.26%)、对科技英语特点了解不够(52.83%)。学生在翻译过程中所采取的翻译方法中,通过网络或翻译软件进行翻译的最多(75.46%)。尽管有近一半的学生(45.28%)认为个人利用各种词典进行翻译最为可靠,但只有两成左右(20.75%)会采用该种方法。
2 毕业论文摘要翻译中的主要问题
笔者搜集了近百份非英语专业本科生毕业论文摘要的英译,对其中存在的翻译问题进行归纳总结,主要问题与以下三个方面相关:
2.1 逐词翻译导致大量中式英语的存在
由于没有意识到英汉两种语言的基本差异,部分学生在翻译时基本采取逐词翻译的方式,甚至不考虑句子结构,将汉语的标点符号也原封不动地译到英语中来,造成大量不符合句法的“英文”句子,使读者很难理解要表达的内容。
例1:本文论述了我国村镇的基本概况和基本特点,研究了国内外物业管理的发展现状及村镇实施物业管理与构建和谐社区的关系。
译:This dissertation analyzes our country’s villages and small towns’ basic survey and the essential feature, and investigates the domestic and foreign estate management development present situation and the villages and small town’s estate management implementation and the construction harmonious community’s relations.
析:由于在翻译时没有考虑英语的句子结构,而是直接从汉语进行翻译,造成了诸多错误或者不当之处。原文中的“我国”在英语中直译成“our country”显然不妥;“构建和谐社区的关系”也直接按照汉语词汇的排列顺序译成“the construction harmonious community’s relations”,而没有考虑到短语中的动宾关系。
例2:但是市场比较法评估由于主观因素的不确定性的影响造成了它存在着不同的精确性问题。
译:But the market comparison test appraised because the subjective factor not definite influence created him to have the different accurate problem.
析:该句的翻译几乎没有一处是正确的,完全是逐字翻译,并且丝毫没有考虑到英文的语法和句法,句中多个词的词性也出现错误,可以说该句已经没有修改的意义,只有重新翻译。
2.2 对词语的确切含义与用法不清楚,导致用词错误
背单词是大多数学生在英语学习过程中花时间最多的一项工作,对于很多学生来说,复习准备英语考试就意味着背英文单词而已。然而尽管这样,只从毕业论文摘要的翻译来看,背单词却是一项收效却甚微的工作。主要原因之一是学生往往只注意到英文单词所对应的汉语意思,却没有注意到词汇的具体用法,没有将单词放到具体语境中,从而导致拼写以及词义较为接近的词的混淆。如architecture与building两个词,前者与“建筑学”有关,而后者是指“建筑物”,有些学生只了解两个词都是“建筑”的意思,因此在翻译中造成误用。另外,由于在背单词过程中过分关注其汉语词义,没有注意到词性,也导致在翻译过程中出现用词错误。
例1:(工业企业)技术创新
译:technique innovation
析:此处学生将technology与technique两个词混淆起来,没有弄清两个词的区别。technology指科学技术,而technique通常是指技巧或者某种手法。此处的“技术创新”显然是以科学发展为基础,而不在于提高技巧或手法。另外此处学生没有注意到应该用形容词,而不是名词。因此该短语应译为“technical innovation”。
例2:本文介绍了……
译:This paper introduction…
例3:经营战略
译:operating strategic
析:这两个翻译中都出现词性错误,名词“introduction”被误作动词使用,而形容词“strategic”被误作名词使用。
2.3 对英语句子的要求不明确导致大量不断句错误的出现
汉语的语法,有些地方是与英语相似的,但不同的地方更多。汉语并没有对句子结构或成分非常明确的规定,而英语对句子则有严格的规定。句子总的说来由两部分构成,即主语(subject)与谓语(predicate)。[2](P3)同时,英语句子以大写字母开头,以句号(问号、感叹号)结束。当学生受到汉语影响较深而没有严格按照英语句子的规范翻译时,很容易出现不断句的错误。
例:工程的生命在于质量,造成工程的质量问题有很多方面的因素,但它的核心是管理。
译:Quality is the life of architectural engineering, there are some factors in causing the poor quality of engineering, but wecan see the most importance is the management.
析:译文为了完全对照汉语原文的结构,用逗号连接“Quality is the life of architectural engineering”与“there are some factors in causing the poor quality of engineering”两部分。然而根据英语语法,两部分分别包括主语和谓语,是两个独立完整的句子,要以句号结束,不能用逗号连接,如果使用逗号的话则必须与连词共同使用。
3 提高学生毕业论文摘要翻译水平的几条对策
针对如上分析,笔者认为提高非英语专业本科生毕业论文摘要的翻译水平应注意以下几个方面。
3.1 强化大学英语课程的教学,适当调整教学内容
通过问卷调查可以看出,学生对英语学习的积极性很高,但对大学英语课的认可度较低,在受调查的学生中,有超过一半(50.94%)认为在大学英语课上的收获比较小,主要原因在于学生认为大学英语教学的实用性较差。因此,大学英语教师应在完成传统教学内容的基础上,学习了解一些学生相关专业词汇与习惯的表达,以适当方式渗透到教学中去,使学生对本专业知识的英语表达能力形成一定的基础。同时,教师可布置与学生水平相符的专业英语文章作为课后阅读作业,让学生提前接触相关领域的英语,通过阅读培养学生的语感,从而帮助他们提高汉英翻译水平。
3.2 专业英语课上加强英语语法的教学
“专业英语是大学英语教学的一个重要组成部分,是促进学生完成从学习过渡到实际应用的有效途径。”[3](P10)但与大学英语相比,学生专业英语课程的满意度略低一些,有54.71%的学生认为帮助不大。究其原因,一方面在于专业英语课时相对较少,另一方面也与课程的教学内容有关。
“专业英语语法和专业词汇是阅读和翻译的核心。”[4](P12)从目前情况来看,专业词汇的教与学得到了较高程度的重视,但语法教学显然受到了忽视,通常教师和学生认为英语语法已经在中学英语课和大学英语课上学习过,没有什么可再多讲、多学的,而且语法的教学枯燥无味。但根据笔者的教学经验和样本分析,因对英语(尤其是科技英语)的语法特点不了解而造成的翻译错误远多于因没有掌握专业词汇而犯的错误。
3.3 开设专门课程对学生进行辅导
在受调查学生中,有75.74%认为在大学英语和专业英语课之外,还需要对毕业论文摘要翻译进行专门指导。另外,虽然绝大多数学生认为专业词汇量不够是影响毕业论文摘要翻译的首要因素,但从实际翻译文本的分析来看,对汉英两种语言之间的差异的忽视以及对学术英语(尤其是科技英语)特点的不了解才是主要问题。据此,有必要开设类似《毕业论文摘要翻译》的选修课,消除学生针对毕业论文摘要翻译的误区,较为系统地讲授学术英语的特点与翻译。
【参考文献】
[1]张全,黄琼英.简明应用翻译教程[M].昆明:云南大学出版社,2010.
关键词:应用型本科 毕业论文(设计) 有效实施模式
一、引言
应用型本科是在高等教育大众化的背景下提出的,重在“应用”二字,要求各专业紧密结合地方特色,注重学生实践能力,培养应用型人才。毕业论文(设计)是普通高校本科教育的重要教学环节,旨在培养学生系统、综合地运用所学知识,加强专业实践,增强科学研究能力,提高创新意识,对于以培养应用型人才的应用型本科院校来说更是具有重要意义。本文对应用型本科毕业论文(设计)现存的问题进行了分析,提出了应用型本科毕业论文(设计)的有效实施模式,并探讨了如何有效保障毕业论文(设计)的进行。
二、应用型本科毕业论文(设计)存在的问题
1、指导教师的因素
随着近几年高校的扩招,许多本科院校招生规模不断扩大,同时教学条件和师资力量一时难以跟上,指导老师教学任务十分繁重,或者是从思想上没有对毕业论文(设计)进行重视,因此对毕业论文(设计)投入精力不足。
2、部分学生对毕业论文(设计)的重要性认识不足
毕业一般安排在第八学期,正是学生选择就业,找工作的重要时期。对于学校和学生就业压力巨大的今天,选择理想就业更为重要,即学生的就业与学习矛盾突出。由于毕业设计对学生找工作没有直接影响,故部分学生采取了消极应付的态度,相当程度上影响了毕业论文(设计)的质量。
3、教学资源不充分
随着各高校不断扩招,学生人数不断增加,而教学设备的投入相对滞后,已经不能满足教学的需要。学生在查阅文献资料等方面得不到满足,客观上形成了毕业论文(设计)工作的瓶颈。大学城一般远离城区,尤其像我们安徽三联学院,由于远离市中心,教师去学校的次数较少,导致学生难以及时与老师见面,指导时间难以得到保障。
4、管理保障缺乏力度
尽管目前大部分学校都有针对毕业设计指定的规章制度和条例,但在执行中不严格,不规范,学校缺乏对毕业设计全过程的有效监控,缺乏对教师真正有效的监督机制和奖惩措施,在评阅和答辩过程中,老师有时为了不影响学生就业,出现了对学生放松要求,流于形式,对一些不符合要求的毕业设计往往采取迁就,宽容的态度。
三、毕业论文(设计)的有效实施模式
应用型本科毕业论文(设计)的实施模式分为确定选题、制定任务书、开展开题报告、进行中期检查、评阅和答辩和工作总结6个方面。具体如下:
1、确定选题
(1)毕业论文(设计)指导教师申报研究题目及研究内容;
(2)毕业论文指导小组审阅研究题目及研究内容;
(3)公布毕业论文(设计)选题和指导老师;
(4)召开双向选择会,确定师生的对应关系,确定学生选题。
2、制定任务书
任务书应该由指导老师和学生共同完成。主要包括论文(设计)的主要任务及目标,论文(设计)的主要内容,论文(设计)的基本要求,主要参考文献和进度安排等。
3、开展开题报告
开题报告由学生完成,分别由指导老师和论文(设计)指导小组审阅,内容主要包括论题的意义及研究状况,主要内容、研究方法和思路,查阅过的文献资料及调研情况,总体安排和进度(包括阶段性工作内容及完成日期)。
4、进行中期检查
中期检查由学生汇报,由指导老师和毕业论文(设计)指导小组检查。主要包括工作进度,遇到的问题,下一步的工作方法和思路等等。
5、评阅和答辩
由评阅,PPT演示和答辩三个部分组成。论文由指导老师和毕业论文(设计)指导小组评阅;PPT演示由学生进行演示;答辩由答辩小组进行答辩。毕业论文(设计)成绩采用五级记分制即优秀,良好,中等,及格,不及格。指导老师初步评定成绩,写出评语,经答辩后由答辩小组或毕业论文(设计)指导小组审定成绩。
6、工作总结
包括两个方面,一是指导老师对毕业论文(设计)的过程及论文撰写的要点进行总结,然后选择成绩优秀的同学在课堂上演示,以激励其他同学;二是进行毕业论文(设计)工作的总结,完成毕业论文(设计)资料归档。
四、毕业论文(设计)的有效保障
要使毕业论文(设计)模式有效实施,毕业论文(设计)工作有序进行,还需要相应的保障条件。笔者认为以下四个方面是必不可少的。
1、制度和质量管理
包括两个方面,一是加强制度建设,通过相应的管理文件,对毕业论文(设计)的选题,指导教师的职责,答辩成绩的评定等环节规范化,统一毕业论文(设计)格式要求;二是强化过程管理,构建毕业论文(设计)质量监控体系,成立学校、二级学院(系)和教研室三级机构,对毕业论文(设计)的各个环节的执行进行检查,实行全过程,全方位的质量监控。
2、强化指导老师能力
包括两个方面,一是指导老师本身要严格按照管理文件规定履行职务。包括文献(资料)检索方法的培训和指导、毕业论文撰写的培训和指导、毕业答辩的培训和指导等。二是学校要加强教师能力的培养,鼓励教师参加科研和实践活动,不断增强毕业论文(设计)的指导水平。
3、改变学生观点
一方面要改变学生对毕业论文(设计)不重视或认识不够的意识。通过毕业论文(设计)加强对学生实践能力,创新能力和应用型能力的培养。另一方面毕业论文(设计)要做到早布置,早准备。在上届学生的答辩的时候,组织学生去听答辩,再者是让优秀学生给下届学生讲写毕业论文(设计)的过程和体会。
4、论文所需经费
给予毕业论文(设计)一定的经费。这包括指导老师指导学生的课酬,毕业论文(设计)复印等各项工作的支出。除了学校担负一部分经费外,还可以争取企业,事业和政府的经费支持。
五、结论
本科毕业论文(设计)工作是培养学生运用所学的基本理论、基本知识和基本技能分析解决实际问题能力、独立工作能力、增强创新意识的重要途径。对于以培养应用型人才的应用型本科院校来说更是具有重要意义。本文针对毕业论文(设计)现存的问题进行分析,提出了应用型本科毕业论文(设计)的有效实施模式,即确定选题,制定任务书,开展开题报告,进行中期检查,评阅和答辩以及工作总结六个方面。同时从制度和质量管理、强化指导老师能力、改变学生认识、论文所需经费四个方面探讨了如何有效保障论文(设计)的进行。
基金项目:安徽三联学院2011年度院级科研基金项目。项目编号:20110024。
参考文献:
[1]陆富彬.对教学应用型高校本科生毕业论文工作的思考[J].高教研究文教资料,2006,(10):59,60.
作者简介:蒋惠凤(1980-),女,江苏常熟人,常州工学院经济与管理学院,讲师。(江苏 常州 213002)
基金项目:本文系常州工学院教学改革研究课题重点项目(项目编号:J120306)的研究成果。
中图分类号:G642.477 文献标识码:A 文章编号:1007-0079(2014)02-0201-02
本科毕业论文是本科教育教学重要的实践性教学环节,是高校实现人才培养目标的重要内容。毕业论文既是对学生在大学期间专业学习的总结深化,也是对高等院校教学质量的综合检验,论文质量不仅反映了学生专业知识的掌握程度、科研思维的养成程度和写作技巧的运用程度,而且折射出学校教育教学的质量和水平。应用型本科院校学生学习注重实践性,较少涉及到学术研究,因此导致毕业论文指导和写作产生一些质量问题,指导老师在指导论文时常常事倍功半,而学生在论文写作时常常无从下手,因此有必要对毕业论文中存在的问题、产生问题的原因进行分析,从而找出提高毕业论文质量的路径,发展和完善教育教学管理方法。
一、调查方案设计
本次调查以无记名问卷调查的方式,调查了常州工学院经济与管理学院2013届毕业生及参与2013届毕业论文指导的相关教学管理与指导的老师。学生的调查问卷共发放397份,有效回收率为93.45%;指导老师的调查问卷共发放70份,有效回收率为77.14%。
二、调查结果与分析
1.对毕业论文意义的认识
关于如何看待毕业论文的撰写这个问题,有21.83%的学生认为没有必要,有78.17%的学生认为有必要,是毕业必须的过程,也是对大学所学知识的总结。说明相当一部分学生根本没有学术研究的兴趣,因此对于论文采取排斥的态度。尽管如此,对于另一个问题“认为自己的论文写作态度如何?”仅有不到5%的学生认为自己是应付过关或极不认真的,其他95%以上的学生认为自己对待论文很认真,所以从主观上来说,大部分学生能认真对待论文。
影响学生写作态度的因素依次是哪些?调查结果显示,排名最前的是就业压力,由于所调查学生中91.91%毕业后去向是工作,面临极大的就业压力,不得不花很多时间跑人才市场,寻找实习单位,希望尽快找到适合的工作,毕业后马上进入心仪的工作岗位。排名第二的是毕业实习和毕业论文完成的时间安排与求职时间冲突,因此导致精力无法集中。指导老师对论文写作的督促也是影响写作态度的重要因素,在论文写作的各个环节被认真指导和严格要求的学生明显能克服惰性或调整安排,认真对待论文写作,论文质量也能得到保证。
2.毕业论文撰写前准备
虽然毕业论文的实际撰写安排在大四学年,但是论文的撰写需要系统的知识积累和写作训练,因此毕业论文撰写前的专业知识储备,是否有相关的写作训练,对科研论文的写作是否有足够的了解等都会影响毕业论文质量。
(1)对“毕业论文写作前是否有专门的学术论文写作培训”的调查结果显示:83.02%的人回答在毕业论文撰写前有安排过论文写作培训。对于这些写作培训,28.03%的学生认为有很大帮助,44.74%的学生认为帮助有限,有10.24%的学生认为此类培训没有任何帮助,有16.98%没有参加过集中培训。培训方式主要是大规模讲座或小范围内指导老师非系统的指导,调查结果显示这样的培训方式并不理想。
(2)对“在撰写毕业论文前的科研情况”调查结果显示:18.6%的学生参与过课题或调研活动,通过交叉分析,主要是市场营销专业的学生做一些市场调研活动或者专业课程中需要进行一些社会调查;仅有1.62%的学生写作且发表了论文,说明在平时的课程学习中很少有学生有意识地培养自己的学术能力。22.37%的学生写作但未,平时在课程学习中,有的课程也会要求撰写小论文,但是大部分小论文的质量都未达到能发表的标准,可见缺乏创新性或实践性。一半以上的学生认为自己没有写作过学术论文,可能是因为平时课程中并没有要求写小论文,或者要求写小论文时并非自己认真查资料、认真思考后写成,极有可能是东拼西凑而成。
(3)对“论文写作过程和要求是否了解”的调查结果显示:66.85%的学生清楚了解写作的过程,33.15%的学生并不清楚具体写作流程,只是跟着指导老师的要求完成相关的内容。对于论文写作的详细要求有2.16%的学生表示不清楚,58.49%的学生表示基本清楚,仅有39.35%的学生表示非常清楚写作要求。学生对写作要求、评价标准不熟悉,就很难确立一个适当且明确的目标,对写作流程不熟悉,也很难制定好适合自己的写作计划,这些都不利于论文质量的提高。
3.对选题的调查
毕业论文是由选题、学生撰写与教师指导交互的过程管理、答辩等诸多环节所构成的综合性实践教学,其中选题是首要的关键环节。
(1)论文选题来源调查结果显示:59.57%的论文选题是学生自己感兴趣的课题。第二大来源是指导老师指定一个选题。有部分学生在写作中期会出现选题无法完成的情况,而这些选题往往是指导老师指定或是学生不熟悉的热点问题,学生自主选题的效果比较好。究其原因,研究是一个艰难且枯燥的过程,研究工作的进行往往以研究者极大的求知欲及对所研究问题的极大兴趣为持续的支持力和驱动力。在进行毕业论文选题时,充分发挥自己的主观能动性,将自己所要从事的研究课题与长期以来经过学习与思考并发生兴趣的问题联系起来,不仅可以使学生持续地获得支持力,而且也可以提高学生自己进行毕业论文研究的责任感,因为自己的选择本身就是一种承诺。所以学生在平时的课程学习中选定某个研究方向,对某些专业问题能有所思考,在撰写毕业论文时集中精力研究某个专业问题,能有效提高毕业论文质量。
(2)对论文选题类型的调查结果显示:371名被调查者中有88人选题类型是调查研究类的,占到总数的23.72%。比重为10%以上的其他选题类型依次是案例分析、理论研究、文献综述和理论应用。
4.对资料收集的调查
一般本科毕业论文在选题确定之后,开始进入资料收集阶段。资料主要分为文献资料和数据资料,资料来源主要有社会或市场调查、生产实践、次级数据库。调查结果显示,文献资料主要是通过学校图书馆、专业书籍、网络资源(如知网、百度文库等)获得。数据资料主要从次级数据库,如统计年鉴、政府或其他部门所公布的专门数据、调查公司所出售的专业数据库等获得。调查显示,在撰写论文的整个过程中,数据资料的收集花费了很多时间,查找文献的途径较少,影响了论文的质量。
5.对论文撰写的调查
(1)对“毕业论文的主要环节按重要性程度由大到小进行排序”的调查结果显示:论文选题是学生认为最重要的环节;其次是构造论文框架,拟定提纲;采集数据,收集文献资料位居第三,研究方法或论证方法位居第四,文献梳理被排在后面,可见学生在论文写作前对相关文献的阅读、思考和理解还偏少,很多人都没有认识到文献的重要性,或者没有办法收集到足够的文献资料,在论文中的文献综述只是能找得到的论文的简单堆砌,并没有对以往相关研究进行概括总结从而提出自己的观点。
(2)对“撰写毕业论文的困难按照综合得分进行排序”的调查结果如表1所示。“专业水平低、基础知识不扎实、最新理论研究不了解”是撰写毕业论文遇到的第一只拦路虎,在排序中位于第一,且远高于位于第二的“资料搜索困难”。由于客观条件的限制,目前学生能使用的专业数据库比较少。从“撰写毕业论文前的准备”的调查中可知,作为应用型本科的学生并没有接受过系统的专业学术论文的指导,也没有相关的专业训练,毕业论文是第一次真正撰写学术论文,因此“写作能力不足的缺陷”成了第三只拦路虎。排序第四的是“缺少指导”,排在前面的三大困难意味着学生的写作能力和经验均不足,几乎是一片空白,需要手把手从头教起,因此需要的指导时间更长,指导内容更详尽。作为本科老师,平时还有繁重的教学和科研任务,导致了时间和精力上的冲突。排在第五的是“写作时间紧张”,虽然下达论文任务是在大四上学期,实际撰写论文的时间大多是大四下学期,而这段时间刚好是考研、考公务员、考职称或证书,跑人才市场、面试、实习等的时间,就业压力压缩了撰写论文的时间。论文选题一般,没有创新性,外文翻译水平不高,无科研经费等也是论文撰写中遇到的困难。
6.对教师指导过程的调查
(1)关于指导老师的指导内容,问卷调查的结果显示指导最多的是审阅论文并批改,371人中有282人选择。其次是帮助选题,有273人认为老师的指导对于自己选题的确定有帮助。位于第三的是论文撰写过程中给予辅导,比重为67.92%。这一调查结果表明教师在指导论文时要加强过程管理,注意增加平时的辅导和管理,而不能只是注重开始的选题和最后论文的修改。
(2)关于指导方式的调查,结果显示有一半以上选择定期集中讨论和指导的方式,频率一周一次的居多,占比为55.53%,两三天见导师一次的占比为19.41%,半个月见导师一次的占比为23.72%,交流时间间隔在半个月以上的仅有1.34%。论文指导主要通过面对面的交流来完成,在见面不方便的情况下,大多选择电话沟通、短信交流、电子邮件和QQ等沟通方式。学生和老师都认为面对面交流的沟通方式更有利于学生阐明问题和老师帮助解决问题。
7.对答辩环节的调查
答辩环节是进一步考查和验证学生对所写论文的认识程度和当场论证论题的能力,因从主观上学生不愿意参加答辩,关于是否希望参加论文答辩这个问题,38.01%的学生回答不希望,但是也有61.99%的学生回答希望参加论文答辩,原因可能跟论文答辩对提高论文质量所起的作用有关。按照学校有关规定,论文答辩中提出的问题需要学生修改完成后才能定稿,而答辩的过程恰好是学生重新思考和论证自己论题的过程,答辩时答辩小组提出的问题是几位老师集思广益之后的结果,对此进行修改可以大大提高论文质量。
三、提高应用型本科毕业论文质量的对策
从问卷调查、深度访谈和日常教学实践中发现,毕业论文并非是个孤立的环节,提高毕业论文质量应当将整个教学过程这个大系统划分成若干个相对独立的子系统,分别建立自己的质量管理体系,确定质量目标,并把构成体系的基本要素(过程)一一区别开来,增强过程之间协调程度,促使各大管理环节有机结合,最大限度实现预期质量目标。毕业论文教学环节就是教学大系统中的一个比较关键的子系统。因此应从系统的角度提出提高毕业论文质量的对策。
从调查中发现,专业水平低、学术论文写作能力差是学生在撰写毕业论文时的最大障碍,也是影响毕业论文质量的重大因素。因此需要以专业特点为基础设立教学目标,以社会和市场变化为导向促进创新,将学生论文写作能力的培养纳入教学计划,以全流程思想为指导建立系统化的毕业论文教学体系,将写作能力的培养分阶段渗透到日常的教学生活中。对同一批学生的培养应成为一个系统工程,既不存在重复阶段,也不提出过高要求,使得学生的论文写作能力能循序渐进、逐步提高。毕业论文正式撰写前期写作能力的培养可以分为六个阶段:选定专业方向,阅读指定文献,做读书笔记,了解学术论文撰写需掌握的要素;结合社会问题和专业研究热点,指定题目,检索相关文献,做读书笔记;指定题目,做文献综述,学习如何从只会简单摘录前人的研究成果转变为站在巨人的肩膀上,提出新的观点,解决新的问题;指定题目,设计文章框架,学会围绕一个主题,重点突出,有理有据地阐明观点,解决问题;指定范文,练习方法,模拟做论文;自定题目,做论文。平时教学中注重毕业论文能力的培养也有助于学生对相关文献和资料的积累,减少毕业论文撰写的时间,同时在毕业论文撰写阶段也能减少对指导老师的依赖。因此,将毕业论文的教学纳入整个教学体系中,统筹管理,能解决大部分论文写作中的困难。
参考文献:
中图分类号: G642.477;U66-4 文I标识码: A DOI编号: 10.14025/ki.jlny.2017.03.037
园林专业是一门跨学科、知识综合性强、理论与实践相结合的学科,与园林专业密切联系的园林行业现已成为世界性的朝阳产业。新形势下,如何提高本专业毕业生的实践技能,满足企事业单位对人才的需求仍是一个老生常谈的话题与难题。从培养本专业本科生的实践技能、综合能力角度来看,毕业设计(论文)过程是其综合专业基础知识解决实践问题最有力的手段之一。目前针对不同专业探讨提高毕业设计(论文)质量相关内容层出不穷[1,2],针对师资以及软硬件薄弱的地方院校,尤其是学生做毕业设计(论文)所必需的软硬件条件得不到足够保障,如何应对教学改革,提高毕业生的实践综合能力仍是一个难题。在这种形势下,提高毕业设计(论文)质量问题无可非议,但如何通过毕业设计(论文)过程,既能达到让毕业生利用专业理论综合知识解决实践问题,提升毕业生综合能力的目标,又能提高毕业设计(论文)质量。结合多年指导本科毕业设计(论文)经历,从指导教师担任毕业设计(论文)角色的责任谈几点看法:
1重视毕业设计(论文)选题
选题就是指导教师给毕业生选定的毕业设计(论文)题目,选题是毕业设计(论文)的良好开端,选题情况基本决定着毕业设计(论文)基础框架,主要内容和论文质量。
园林专业针对毕业设计(论文)选题内容的基本原则是:力求内容多样化;避免组内内容重复、相近;论文内容新颖,侧重专业理论知识综合运用解决生产实践问题,尤其结合实习基地生产问题的解决开展毕业设计 (论文)工作,既有任务又有兴趣,或结合教师科研做创新性研究内容,或结合专业综合实验,或开放实验室开发创新内容。根据以上基本原则,指导教师在给学生选题时,应做到以下几点:
一是针对本科生毕业设计(论文)的课题内容不一定要难度大,但必须新,注重实用性与可行性,并且能够使学生融合学科知识,培养学生自行发现问题、解决问题的能力。
二是针对指导对象进行选题设计。
三是设计多角度选题,使组内学生设计内容丰富多彩,达到“以点带面”的效果。
四是鼓励学生自主选题,引导学生发掘部分本行业或与本行业关系密切的行业热点与难点,以及需要解决的问题等,着重把好关。
2挖掘毕业设计(论文)引导与指导技巧
指导毕业设计 (论文)过程中,指导教师引导与指导毕业设计(论文)的直接过程是提高毕业设计(论文)质量比较关键的环节,包括几个方面:引导毕业生认识毕业设计(论文)的重要性,给毕业画一个圆满的句号;针对新生活开启一盏灯;指导毕业设计(论文)相关文献、资料等收集,把好开题报告关口;开始材料的准备以及交流具体工作如何开展等;使毕业生自行确认通过系列过程,其毕业设计(论文)要解决什么问题。事实上,大部分毕业生步入毕业设计(论文)进程后,对其只知其然,不知其所以然。指导教师关键指导先怎么做,再如何做,接着可能发现问题,引导学生解决问题。同时指导利用所学理论知识进行科技论文写作或书写设计说明,提炼思想等。在此过程中,注意千万不要让毕业生有依赖心理,要加强其独立开展工作的能力。指导过程中,师生间交流对解决问题起到双重作用,一方面解决问题,另一方面交流过程给予指导教师思考或灵感。
3把好毕业设计(论文)质量关
目前就本科生毕业设计(论文)质量问题,同行相继提出系列改革方案及新见解[3-6]。现行条件下,严格要求指导教师的责任与义务对提高毕业设计(论文)质量有更直接的意义。面对新形势下高等教育改革,要求指导教师不但要有深厚的理论知识,更要有坚实的实践知识,尤其是定位培养应用型人才的院校对指导教师提出了更高的要求。然而由于教学与科研双重压力及其他因素制约,加强指导教师实践与社会接轨综合能力的培养也需要一个过程。事实上,教育工作者[7-9]已充分认识到提高教师队伍整体水平,改善教学条件以及办学定位是改善毕业设计(论文)质量的根本,针对此系列问题,毕业设计(论文)质量定位和毕业设计(论文)质量评价体系的构建十分重要。毕业设计(论文)质量要求遵循国家本科教育规范与原则并依据自身条件进行定位。把好毕业设计(论文)质量关,一方面要考虑培养对象实际情况,另一方面要根据指导教师指导水平来设置毕业设计(论文)质量评价体系,同时依据自身条件定位,如何把好毕业设计(论文)质量关,主要依据培养对象实际情况,同时考虑指导教师指导水平设置毕业设计(论文)质量评价体系,包括毕业设计(论文)内容的可行性、应用性、可达性、内容完整性、创新性、设计(试验过程)的独立性,以及是否达到培养毕业生“授之以渔”的目的,即毕业生一旦进入毕业设计(论文)阶段,依据毕业生实际情况确定毕业设计(论文)内容后,针对毕业生提出严格的毕业设计(论文)质量要求,同时严格要求指导教师对毕业设计(论文)内容把好质量关。
4充分利用开放的交流平台
交流平台是建立在毕业设计(论文)指导形式上,在时间和载体上具有共享和开放特点的指导交流平台。毕业设计(论文)开题过程就是一个关键的毕业设计(论文)交流平台。毕业设计(论文)开题对毕业设计(论文)质量有着举足轻重的作用。指导教师团队可以依据开题内容,交流毕业设计(论文)内容的可行性、实践性、综合性以及创新性或不足等。同时指导教师可以结合课题内容依据自己指导的毕业生的情况建立小组内交流平台,修改不足或提升思想,或丰富创新性等,达到互相学习、交流的目的。
5培养毕业生合作精神
开展毕业设计(论文)时,通常是毕业生求职、就业或考研复习的关键时期,毕业生往往对毕业设计(论文)投入精力不足,如何平衡求职、就业或考研复习与毕业设计(论文)投入精力之间的矛盾,也是困扰指导教师的难题。通常情况下,指导教师可以设置毕业设计(论文)任务、工作进度、工作量,严格考核制度,并在此基础上要求组内学生团结合作,互相帮助,互相监督,从而使毕业设计(论文)工作达到事半功倍的效果,学习能力实现以点带面的放大效应。
6毕业设计(论文)实践教学体系实施取得的成效
毕业设计(论文)实践教学体系框架:按教学大纲要求,安排实践教学任务,首先针对教学任务,对开展毕业设计(论文)工作动员指导教师组织毕业设计(论文)题目的申报,并提出要求。实用性(尤其毕业设计与就业紧密联系)与创新性强、避免重复性与雷同性,并相互监督,题目数量要求超过所带学生数量的30%;毕业设计(论文)组委会成员对呈报题目审核、校对并对不合格题目进行修改;动员毕业生选题,每一位学生依据自己的兴趣申报三个题目,然后组委会依据毕业生申报情况与指导教师对接,并提出毕业设计(论文)的相关要求。时间要求、质量要求(系答辩成绩排序后25%学生,上报院级二次答辩),之后由指导教师负责,组织小组开题,指导毕业设计(论文)的开展,以及毕业设计(论文)成稿提交,最后由毕业设计(论文)组委会组织答辩事宜。组委会在指导教师指导进程中,不定时抽查进展情况,教师指导情况以及学生参与毕业设计(论文)实际工作量等。在系列工作开展中,组委会对论文题目、论文内容严格把关,使毕业设计(论文)达到预期标准。此外,专业课程设置的专业综合实验、利用开放实验室组织设计竞赛活动以及课余部分学生参与的科技活动,帮助教师完成科研项目等对毕业设计(论文)的开展起到积极促进作用。但在本工作开展中,亦出现个别毕业生投机取巧,指导教师指导不到位,组内工作分工不公致使学生之间产生小摩擦等问题。因此,毕业设计(论文)工作应以“学生为本”,强化系列制度的科学性、规范性并严格落到实处,本项工作将会更上一层楼。
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