《5.1_Hit_the_Nail_on_the_Head》.doc

COURSE INTRODUCTION Purpose of the course Develop an overall proficiency in four skills Develop critical ability in reading texts Reinforce grammatical competence. 2. Focus of training at present stage Shift of focus in training: From listening/speaking (1-2 years) to reading/writing (3-4 years) Adjusted focus in teaching: From grammar-pre-dominant to text-slanted Draw students attention to changed purpose and focus of training at different levels of the course. The textbook The compiler Textbook design (Student’s Book) Pre-class work (pre-questions, dictionary work, library work) Text 1 Comprehension (oral) Organization and development Analysis Text II Paragraph writing Listening speaking (tapes) Evaluating the textbook Varied contents (including issues of social concern rather then merely language and literature) Eclectic approach Drawbacks Teaching setup and requirements: Six class hours per unit Lecture + workshop+ seminar Pre-class review required Exercises (completed on individual basis, selected for discussion) Text 2 included in exams Text I Hit the Nail on the Head Teaching objectives Understanding the various aspects related to the usage of words. Cultivating a sense of appropriateness in style Learning to use analogy as an expository means. Warm-up questions Does the title strike you as a bit unusual? Have you ever heard of the English proverb “Hit the nail on the head”? What does it mean? Whose job involves hitting nails? Is the text concerned about the carpenter? Then, what’s the major concern of the author? （stylistic matter, how to use the right word from the extensive vocabulary of the English language） What similarities does the author recognize in the job of a carpenter and the work of a writer? The process the writer chooses the right word is similar to the way a carpenter hammers a nail. Like the carpenter who needs to drive home every nail if he wants his work properly done, a writer needs to put efforts in choosing the right word