The whole thesis consists of six parts. The author first introduces the background and reviews relevant literature which can support the viewpoint of applying English movie in teaching. Then the thesis also discusses the current problems in English teaching and explores the advantages of applying English movies in teaching. At last, detailed application of English movies in class will be recommended.
2. Literature Review
Several theories contribute to the feasibility of applying English movies in teaching. Constructivism, an important branch of cognitive theory, has special significance for language learning and teaching. Language learning is a process of constructing our personal knowledge. Language itself is a social construction, and it has both the characteristic of the construction and attrition of society. In the view of the theory of constructivism, education must be student-oriented and bring their sense of participation into full play and develop their capacity to acquire knowledge actively. Constructivism believes that situation is one of the four elements in learning environment. Learning is always linked to a certain situation. Creating the real or close to real learning situation is beneficial to the construction of learning content, but it should meet the course content, teaching target establishment and the current study topic. The learning of language is almost the same with that, which needs a language environment. “Language must be presented and practiced in certain scene,” a British linguist Paime has said (Paime 23). With the creation of modern teaching environment and application of multi-media teaching to cultivate students’ interest in learning, students will not feel dull any more. English movies which are equipped with sound and image can make students learn in the specific language environment.文献综述
Another theory is motivation theory. Motivation is commonly thought of as an inner drive, impulse, emotion, or desire that moves one to particular action (Brown 34). At present, Chinese English teachers fail to focus on the effect of the students’ motivations. A qualified teacher should know the key role both intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation play in teaching and create suitable situations to foster the students’ extrinsic one to promote their development in study. To change the single teaching mode, various external conditions should be used to stimulate the student’s motivation and cultivate the students’ learning enthusiasm.
The last theory is the affective filter hypothesis. The theory was first raised by Dulay and Burt in 1977. In addition to some objective factors in language learning, some affective factors which are like a filter will filtrate the number of input in learners’ brain. Krashen further develops the theory. Krashen thinks that affect includes attitude, motivation, anxiety and self-confidence. Teachers can get some enlightenment from the affective filter hypothesis such as facilitating anxiety to challenge new tasks or debilitating anxiety to avoid the students’ weariness of school (Yuan Xuhua 98). With the use of this theory, teachers can analyze students’ learning motivation and help them possess a positive attitude. What’s more, it will also help teacher to the ignorance of the relationship between the students’ affective factors and their learning will have negative influence on the teaching and learning effect.
Choosing the movies that are suitable for students’ language cognize and that can increase the learning interests. There is no doubt that movies can provide an authentic situation to spread knowledge and edify sentiment, so it is meaningful to apply English movies in teaching. Applying original English movies makes the process of learning more relax, which can reduce the debilitating anxiety effectively and build students’ confident. Many students like watching movies and this can strengthen the inner motivation. Middle school students are in their golden period to imitate the pronunciation and intonation and they also in their critical period to shape their value configuration, so it is necessary to bring English movies in middle schools’ English teaching. Up to now, 286 primary and high school, 20 kindergartens, 550000 students and 23000 teachers have taken party in the study and practice of the movie course (Wang Zhi’an 67).来!自~751论-文|网www.751com.cn