Chapter One
Introduction and aspects of foreign language teaching
I. 填空题（Fill-in-the-blank questions）
1. Approach means that an idea or theory is being applied, that whatever the teacher does in a classroom, certain theoretical principles are always borne in her mind.
2. Technique means that a procedure used in the classroom. It is the narrowest term, meaning one single procedure.
3. Method is a set of procedures or a collection of techniques used in a systematic way which hopefully will result in efficient learning.
4. Different theories about the nature of language and how languages are learnt (the approach ) imply different ways of teaching language (the method ), and different methods make use of different kinds of classroom activities (the technique ).
5. Sociolinguistics is the study of language as a system of human communication.
6. Psycholinguistics is the study of mental processes that a person undergoes in producing and understanding language, and how humans learn language.
7. Applied linguistics is the study of second and foreign language learning and teaching.
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II. 判断题（True or false questions）
1. The learner’s first language (L1) and the target language manifest themselves in certain social, cultural and political contexts which have a bearing on language learning. (√ )
2. Language teaching occurs in a given context. Language, learning and teaching must be viewed in a context, setting, or background. (√ )
III. 名词解释（Interpretation of terms）
1. Foreign language teaching methodology
It is the study of the practices and procedures used in teaching, and the principles and beliefs that underlie them.
Methodology includes first the teaching and learning of language knowledge, and then the development of language skills (e.g. reading, writing, speaking, listening) and procedures for teaching them.
Second, methodology studies the preparation of lesson plans, materials, and textbooks for teaching language skills.
Methodology also includes the evaluation and comparison of language teaching methods (e.g. the Audiolingual Method versus the Oral-Situational Method) and other related issues concerning effective teaching and learning, such as classroom management, the use of technology, the assessment of teaching, and larning outcomes, tec. (p 2)
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IV. 简答题（Short answer questions）
1. What are the three kinds of theoretical views of language?
At the level of approach, there are at least three different theoretical views of language explicitly or implicitly underlying currently popular language teaching methods.
They are the structural view, the functional view, and the interactional view.
2. What is the structural view of language?
The structural view: language is a system of structurally related elements for the coding of meaning. The learning of a target language is seen to be the acquisition of the elements of this system. (p3)
3. What is the functional view of language?
The functional view: language is a vehicle for the expression of meaning. This approach emphasizes the semantic rather than the grammatical potential of language and leads to a specification or organization of language teaching content by categories of function rather than by categories of form. (P3)
4. What is the interactional view of language?
The interactional view: language is a vehicle for the realization of interpersonal relations and for the performance of social transactions between individuals. Interactional theories focus on the patterns of moves, acts and exchanges in communication. Language teaching content may be
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specified or organized by patterns of exchange or may be left unspecified – to be shaped by the inclination of the learner as interactor.
5. What are the main disciplines involved in language teaching?
Language teaching involves three main disciplines: linguistics, psychology and pedagogy.
Linguistics provides information about langue in general and about the specific language being taught; psychology describes how learning takes place; and pedagogy blends the information from linguistics and psychology into a compatible “method” of presentation in the classroom.
V. 论述题（Essay questions）
1. Why do we need to learn the teaching methodology of English?
Foreign language teachers understand that knowing a language well does not necessarily mean that you can teach the language well. Teaching is an art as well as a science.
If you do not know the theories, principles, methods or techniques of teaching, you might as well be able to teach a foreign language based on your experience, but you cannot hope to achieve good results, nor can you give your or your colleagues’ teaching a rational evaluation or a critical appraisal.
There are surely limitations in teaching by drawing only on experience, though experience is important. The theories you’ll learn form the methodology course can guide, support and conceptualize your teaching practice.
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And the new insights you’ll get by sharing ideas with other people can bring you great benefit. As the old saying goes: “Travel broadens the mind”. In the same way learning foreign language teaching methodology will surely broaden the mind of teachers. Methodology courses exist to help prospective as well as in service teachers develop their own teaching styles and pedagogy rather than to indoctrinate them to the use of specific models and techniques. (p1)
2. What are the factors influencing foreign language teaching and learning?
Foreign language education policy, the goal of foreign language education, learners, teachers, syllabus, teaching method, teaching materials, teaching aids, and assessment and evaluation.
These nine variables are interrelated to each other, and restrict and influence each other. The success of failure of foreign language teaching is the result of the interaction of all these factors. However, the learner is the central factor. Therefore, we could say the study of foreign language teaching has shifted from “how to teach” to “how to learn”.
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