Applying the Four Strands to Language Learning
Applying the Four Strands to Language Learning
复制标题
将四股线应用于语言学习
DOI：
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发表时间：
2012
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Azusa Yamamoto
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文献类型：
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作者：
P. Nation;Azusa Yamamoto
四股原则（Nation, 2007）指出，一个平衡良好的语言课程应该由四个平等的部分组成——以意义为中心的输入，以意义为中心的输出，以语言为中心的学习和流利性发展。每条线在一个课程中应该得到大致相等的时间。以意义为中心的输入链包括通过听和读来学习。这在很大程度上是附带学习，因为学习者的注意力应该集中在理解所读或所听的内容上。以意义为中心的输出链涉及通过说和写进行学习，与以意义为中心的输入链一样，主要涉及附带学习。以语言为中心的学习链包括对语言特征的刻意关注，包括拼写、发音、词汇、多词单位、语法和话语。在二语习得研究中，这一环节通常被称为形式导向教学，但这一术语有点误导，因为它不仅关注形式，而且关注意义和使用，它不一定是教学，也可能是语言学习者发起的学习。均衡课程的第四个方面是流畅性发展，旨在帮助学习者充分利用已知知识。在流利发展链中，流利的定义仅仅与能够以合理的速度接收和产生语言有关。就像课程中以意义为中心的输入和以意义为中心的输出一样，流利度发展也是以信息为中心的。因此，这四条线由三条以信息为中心或交际为中心的线和一条以语言为中心的线组成。Nation（2007）提出了一些支持“股链”观点的证据。Nation和Newton（2009）和Nation（2009）展示了这些线索如何应用于听、说、读、写四种技能。也许，支持四股原则的主要原则是按时完成任务原则。时间任务原则说的是，你花在某件事上的时间越多，你就会做得越好。所以，如果你想学习写作，你应该做大量的写作。如果你想读得好，你应该大量阅读。完成任务的时间原则是一个基于数量的粗糙原则，但有大量证据表明它是有效的。三个信息集中的部分将这一原则付诸实践。本文的目的是展示如何应用这四股原则。应用这一原则的效果是表明，有一系列的方法来帮助学习某些语言特征和技能比只依赖一种方法更有意义。让我们简单看一下搭配的学习来说明这一点。“应该如何教授搭配？”这不是一个好问题，因为它假设教学是处理搭配的唯一方法。这个问题的更好版本应该是“如何学习搭配？”如果我们将四股原则应用到搭配的学习中，我们需要回答以下问题。如何通过关注意义的输入来学习搭配？如何通过以意义为中心的输出来学习搭配？哪些以语言为中心的学习活动最适合搭配的学习？流畅性发展如何帮助搭配的学习？有研究证据（Kurnia, 2003）表明，搭配可以通过阅读偶然发现。因此，我们应该期待广泛的阅读课程和课堂上的阅读和听力机会将有助于搭配的学习。同样，我们可以期望口语和写作活动将有助于有效地学习搭配。这可能是学习搭配的最大贡献之一，将通过课程的流畅性发展链。..．
INTRODUCTIONThe principle of the four strands (Nation, 2007) states that a well balanced language course should consist of four equal strands - meaning focused input, meaning focused output, language focused learning, and fluency development. Each strand should receive a roughly equal amount of time in a course.The meaning focused input strand involves learning through listening and reading. This is largely incidental learning because the learners' attention should be focused on comprehending what is being read or listened to. The meaning focused output strand involves learning through speaking and writing and in common with the meaning focused input strand involves largely incidental learning. The language focused learning strand involves deliberate attention to language features, including spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary, multiword units, grammar, and discourse. In second language acquisition research, the strand is often referred to as form focused instruction, but this terminology is a little misleading as it not only focuses on form but also on meaning and use, and it need not be instruction but may be learning initiated by language learners. The fourth strand of a well balanced course is a fluency development strand, which aims at helping the learners make the best use of what is already known. The definition of fluency used in the fluency development strand simply relates to being able to receive and produce language at a reasonable rate. Like the meaning focused input and meaning focused output strands of a course, the fluency development strand is also strongly message focused. Thus, the four strands consist of three message focused or communicative strands, and one language focused strand.Nation (2007) presents some of the evidence supporting the idea of the strands. Nation and Newton (2009) and Nation (2009) show how the strands can be applied to the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Perhaps, the major principle supporting the idea of the four strands is the time-on-task principle. The time-on-task principle says that the more time you spend doing something, the better you will be at doing it. So, if you wish to learn to write, you should do lots of writing. If you wish to read well, you should do lots of reading. The time-on-task principle is a somewhat crude quantity based principle, but there is plenty of evidence that it works. The three message focused strands put this principle into practice.The purpose of the present article is to show how the principle of the four strands can be applied. The effect of applying this principle is to show that it makes more sense to have a range of ways of helping the learning of certain language features and skills than to rely on only one way. Let us look briefly at the learning of collocations to illustrate this point. "How should collocations be taught?" This is not a good question because it assumes that teaching is the only way to deal with collocations. A better version of the question would be "How should collocations be learnt?" If we apply the four strands principle to the learning of collocations, we need to answer the following questions.1. How can collocations be learned through meaning focused input?2. How can collocations be learned through meaning focused output?3. What language focused learning activities are most suitable for the learning of collocations?4. How can fluency development help the learning of collocations?There is research evidence (Kurnia, 2003) that collocations can be picked up incidentally through reading. We should, thus, expect that the extensive reading course and the opportunities for reading and listening in the classroom will make a contribution to the learning of collocations. Similarly, we can expect that speaking and writing activities will contribute to the productive learning of collocations. It may be that one of the greatest contributions to the learning of collocations will come through the fluency development strand of a course. …