1OnHowtoBringStudentsRoleinEnglishClassintoFullPlayKeywords:passivityEnglishclassteachingstyletAbstract:Languagelearningandteachingcanbeanexcitingandrefreshingintervalinthedayforstudentsandteachers.Therearesomanypossiblewaysofstimulatingcommunicativeinteraction.However,theteachingconditionseemstobefarfromitspointofsatisfaction.Forexample,Englishteachingisstillatedious,dry-as-dustprocess.Chinesestudentsareverypassiveinclass.StudentslackconfidenceinlearningEnglish.ThispaperwillanalyzethereasonswhyChinesestudentsarestillverypassiveinEnglishclassandwillgivesomeadviceonhowtochangethisconditionaswell.论文摘要：随着科技的进步，中国已经出现了许多互动交际教学的可行性方案。这不论是对于学生的学习还是教师的教学都是一件令人振奋的事情。然而当今的教学状况仍不容乐观，如教学过程的枯燥无味，学生在课堂上仍然处于被动的地位等等。当然这些跟我们的传统教学理念、传统的教学方法等不无关系。本论文将着重探讨中国中学生在英语课堂上处于被动地位的原因，并提出一些改变该状况的可行性建议。1.IntroductionChinahasseenanincreasingdemandforEnglishinpeoplescareersandpromotionssince1978andparticularlyafterChinasentranceintoWTO.Naturally,thereisanimpressivecommitmenttoEFLteachingandlearningfrombothteachersandlearners.ThereisnodoubtthatmuchprogressinEnglishteachingandlearninghasbeenmadeinChinainthelasttwodecades.Seeingthat,neverinthenationshistoryhadsomuchmoney,time,effort,equipmentandsoonbeeninvestedinEnglishlanguageteachingandlearningandneverhassomuchinternationalcooperationbeeninvolvedinprojectstotrainbothChineseEFLprofessionalsandlearners(Dzau,1990,Cortazz&jin,1996).1However,theoutcomeoftheendeavorsseemstobefarfromitspointofsatisfaction,especiallyinthefieldofEnglishteachingandlearninginthemiddleschools.AsEnglishcoursestandardhaspointedout,inthemiddleschool,Englishcurriculasgeneralaimisdevelopingindependentstudyandcooperation,formingeffectivelearningstrategy,developingstudentsabilitytoapplythelanguagecomprehensivelyonthefoundation,emphasizingstudentsobtainingEnglishinformation,handlinginformation,analyzingandsolvingtheproblems,especiallypayingattentiontostudentsthinkingandexpressionalability,formingcross-culturesocialconsciousnessandbasiccross-2culturesocialability,andfurtheropeningstudentsvision.However,alotofproblemsstillexistinEnglishteachingandlearning.Forinstance,studentslackconfidenceinlearningEnglish;Studentsarestillverypassiveinclass.Althoughstudentsachievehigh-testscores,theylackcreativityandaworkingknowledgeofotherfields.ThispaperintendstoprobeintotheissueofthepassivityofstudentsinclassanddiscussthereasonswhyChinesestudentsarepassiveintheEnglishclass,andwillalsoputforwardsomesuggestionsonit.2.ReasonsforStudentsPassivity2.1ChineseTraditionofEducationalConcept.ThepassivityhasfirstofallitsrootintheChinesetraditionofeducationalconcept,whichputsunduestressontheauthorityofteachers.Studentsaretoldfromthebeginningoftheirformaleducationthattheyshouldbeobedientatschoolandlistentoteachersattentively.Dayafterdaytheyhavegotusedtobeanobedient“listener”and“receiver”,andevenwhentheybecomegrow-ups,theystillheavilydependontheirteachers.2.2.AcademicTeachingStyleAnothermaincauseistheacademicteachingstyle,whichischaracterizedbyteachingtechniquesofgrammaticalexplanationsandtranslation,anditisalsoknownasthegrammar-translationmethod.Takeasecondary-schoolclassforexample.Intheclassthestudentsarebeingtestedontheirhomework.Theteacherhaswrittenaseriesofsentencesontheboard:Thechildhas(cross/crossed/crossing)theroad.Theboywas_(do/did/doing)hishomework,andsoon.Heasksthem“Whatschild?”“Anoun.”“Whatscross?”“Averb.”“Whatscrossed?”“Pastparticiple.”“Sowhatdowesay?”“Theboyhascrossedtheroad.”“Good.”Thisteachingmethodover-emphasizesonlanguagestructuralanalysisandtutoringoflanguageitself,ignoringstudentsspeakingandlistening.Asaresult,ChinesestudentsgrammarismuchbetterthanthoseinEnglish-speakingcountries.Buttheirspeakingandlisteningcannotcomparewiththatofmanydevelopingcountries.KeJun,81,aseniormemberofChineseAcademyofScienceandafamousexpertinphysicsofmaterials,describesthisteachingmethodwithgreatvividness.HelikenstheclassteachingprocesstothatofmakingaroastPekingduck.Hesaid:“Wefirstdrovestudentstotheclassroomsorlabs,andtheninculcatedmanythingsinthemlikeforce-feedingducks.Finallywetestedthestudents,pressingthenintodriedsaltedduc3ks.Asaresult,thesestudentslacktheabilitytoapplywhattheyhavelearnedandhavedifficultyinanalyzingandsolvingproblems.Undertheguidanceofsuchateachingmethod,thestudentsarepronetosufferfromfatigueafterlisteningtoteachersdulltalking,talkingandtalking,letalonethestudentscanbeactiveintheclass.2.3FearofmakingmistakesSomestudentsarereluctanttospeakinclassforfearofmakingmistakesand“soundingfunny”.ItseemsthatexpressingtheirownideasinEnglishisanarduoustaskforthem.Evenmore,quiteanumberofstudentsthinkitisembarrassingforthemtospeakEnglishandfeelawkwardeveninansweringsimplequestions.2.4TeachingnotstandinginstudentspositionAsweknow,theprocessofteachingonthepartofteachersisatthesametimetheprocessoflearningonthepartofstudents.Teachingwithoutbeinginstudentsshoesisnotasuccessfulteaching.Thepurposeofalltheactivitiesdesignedbyteachersistobringstudentsroleinclassintofullplay,thatis,howmuchthestudentshaveparticipatedintheactivityan