Application of Affective Teaching Method to Vocational English Teaching

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Abstract. At present, vocational education develops rapidly and reform of higher vocational colleges is carried out vigorously. Meanwhile, reform of English teaching is also pushed forward ceaselessly. Both educational circles and foreign language teaching circles are focusing on these reforms. They mainly concentrate on teacher quality, teaching equipment, teaching contents, teaching environment, curriculum setting and teaching method. However, the most important focus is teaching method. Actually, teaching method is a significant link to achieve good teaching effect. With the gradual progress of reforms, people start to realize the importance and necessity of affective factors in teaching application. Therefore, we should pay high attention to application of affective teaching method in English teaching, to make reform of vocational english teaching keep up with pace of the era. Under such background, this paper firstly analyzes the necessity of strengthening affective education in vocational English teaching.Then, channels of strengthening affective education in vocational English teaching are discussed. In another word, it analyzes what we should start with. Based on this, the author tries to explore the application strategies of affective teaching for English of higher vocational colleges, which is how to apply such method. Besides, relevant analysis is made.

Key words: affective teaching method; higher vocational colleges; English teaching; application.

1. Necessity of strengthening affective education in vocational English teaching

In order to create a harmonious classroom atmosphere, both teachers and students should be initiative. Meanwhile, affective factors are the key to mobilizing teachers and students, enhancing students’ learning initiative, and realizing the expected classroom effect. Thereby, higher vocational colleges should consider how to practically pay attention to the affective state of students and create a harmonious and democratic classroom atmosphere. Due to the absence of affective factors, the entire classroom will be dull. Facts show that such cramming education will frustrate students’ initiative. In order to change such state, both sides should interact with each other and students must take the initiative. Only by starting from the angle of affection, can teachers solve various problems. Students of higher vocational colleges have a weak foundation and low self-confidence, so they are faced with severe affective disturbance. According to the above analyses, vocational English teaching is in urgent need of affective teaching method.

2. Channels of strengthening affective education in vocational English teaching

2.1 Establishing a good relation between students and teachers

In fact, as the only senior in the classroom, teacher plays a very important demonstration role. Except rich professional knowledge, teachers should also love and respect students, and understand students from the affective level. Only in this way, can teachers create a safe and harmonious classroom atmosphere. Teachers who lack compassion and patience are often oppressive. As a result, the learning atmosphere will be damaged, and students’ learning initiative will reduce. Thereby, in vocational English teaching, teachers should communicate with students more initiatively. Besides, they need to encourage students to treat them as good friends in affection.

2.2 Giving play to the role of affection in English teaching

Interest is the best teacher, so teachers should consciously develop students’ interest in English. Moreover, some teaching means can be utilized to make students experience satisfaction and sense of achievement in learning. Through psychological guidance, students will be able to become the master of study. By teaching students in accordance of their aptitude, making concrete analysis on different matters, and teaching through two-way communication, we will yield twice the result with half the effort. In English teaching activities, students can memorize words by games and word puzzles. English movies of different difficulties can be selected according to students’ level, to enrich their spare-time life. Through such transformation of teaching methods, we will change from exam-oriented education to comprehensive evaluation on harmonious development of students’ knowledge and affection. This is also the reflection of the effect of affection in teaching.

2.3 Transition skill of classroom discourse: transforming critical discourse to encouraging discourse

Different students will inevitably possess different levels. By fully affirming students’ advantages, their potential and learning interest can be motivated. Encouraging discourse can help students set up self-confidence and eliminate self-abasement. Of course, encouraging discourse should also be skillfully interspersed in the classroom. Teachers can make students actively participate in teaching activities via encouraging discourse. For instance, teachers need to encourage introversive students more. Meanwhile, when teachers praise extroversive students with good performance, they should also remind them of some defects. In short, by transforming critical discourse to encouraging discourse, students will be more energetic and initiative. In English teaching, such channels of establishing affection can shorten the distance between teachers and students and mobilize students’ enthusiasm.

2.4 Enhancing teachers’ comprehensive quality

Of course, teachers’ comprehensive quality plays a very important role. Knowledgeable teachers can often be admired by students. However, teachers are not omnipotent. Teachers should enhance advantages and avoid disadvantages, and ceaselessly promote their comprehensive quality. Except overcoming their own defects, teachers should also keep learning. This can mobilize students’ learning enthusiasm. Learning can not only replenish energy for teachers, but is also a condition required by teaching. Information updating requires teachers to keep learning and apply what they have learned to teaching. What’s more, promotion of teaching ways and methods is endless. Teachers should keep learning, practicing and advancing, so as to explain profound knowledge points in simple language. Therefore, when encouraging students to creatively study and apply, teachers should also be the source of flowing water. They need to make conclusions after classes, to summarize their defects and advantages.

3. Application strategies of affective teaching for English of higher vocational colleges

According to the current situation of higher vocational education, affective teaching for vocational English is not optimistic. In the following part, we will start from theories to discuss how to carry out affective teaching from two dimensions which are student learning and textbook application.

3.1 Application strategies of affective teaching based on student learning

3.1.1 Correcting learning attitude and making endeavors to study English well

The learning process of second language is a complex psychological process for students. Firstly, they have to accept it mentally; secondly, appropriate methods should be found; finally it should be put into practice. With globalization, we cannot do without English in our life. Therefore, English study is undoubtedly very important for students. As for study, we can utilize English to learn core science and technology of foreign countries at first time; in culture learning, we can utilize English to know local conditions and customs as well as cultural backgrounds of different countries in the world; in terms of life, we can utilize English to communicate with foreign friends. After realizing the necessity of learning English, students need to correct their attitude toward English study.

3.1.2 Cultivating learning interest and mobilizing learning enthusiasm

Learning book knowledge is inevitably dull. However, student activities can always mobilize students’ enthusiasm, thus we can combine learning with activities. For instance, teachers can organize some English knowledge contests. Teaching can be easier by cultivating students’ interest through activities. By applying what has been learned to life, students’ interest can also be enhanced. Thus teachers can prepare some English songs and poetry for students. Besides, they can also recommend some English movies and English magazines to students. In this way, students will feel the importance of English in life. As a result, the affective distance between teachers and students will be shortened and the relation between teachers and students can be more harmonious.

3.1.3 Stimulating learning motivation and clarifying learning objectives

Motivation is the internal power and driving force of students. In studies on foreign language learning, the motivation of studying second language is divided into integrative motivation and instrumental motivation. When students start to learn English for they want to integrate into a group or association with English as the communication tool, we say that they have integrative motivation. When a student wants to pass an examination or acquire other beneficial things for them including a job, a promotion and scholarship, such motivation is known as instrumental motivation. Thereby, teachers can encourage students to study English on the basis of these two motivations, to make students treat learning as an interest.

3.2 Application strategies of affective teaching based on the dimension of textbook application

3.2.1 Deeply experiencing and excavating affection contained in textbook

During lesson preparation, teachers should not only gain a comprehensive understanding about book knowledge, but also analyze difficulties that students might encounter during the learning process. They need to experience intention of the author by combining with emotional keynote of the textbook. Meanwhile, they must try to present the textbook contents in an affective way during the teaching process. Let’s take Unit Six Section A Happy New Year in Volume One of New Horizon English (Second Edition) as an example. Teachers can present some things related to festival and ask students to spend Chinese traditional festivals in English. Later we can discuss how foreigners spend festivals. Teachers need to read and interpret the textbook from the angle of affection. Thus students’ learning interest will be further enhanced.

3.2.2 Teaching through lively activities and triggering students’ positive affection for textbook

During the learning process, we always think that learning is absolutely separate from entertainment. However, learning can often be combined with entertainment. In higher vocational teaching, the way of teaching through lively activities can help students integrate into study better.

4. Conclusion

In higher vocational teaching, English teaching plays an important role. Affective teaching method is an effective way of optimizing English teaching. Affective factors should be injected into teaching in higher vocational colleges. By starting from the necessity of affective teaching method in vocational English teaching, this paper proposes some channels and aspects of spreading affective teaching in higher vocational colleges. Analysis is made from the angle of both teachers and students, and some suggestions are given. Later, strategic analysis is perfected for affective teaching in higher vocational teaching from two levels which are teacher and textbook. It proves the importance of affective teaching method in vocational English teaching. Moreover, relevant suggestions are proposed.

However, the author’s level is limited, and only superficial analysis is made for the application of affective teaching method in vocational English teaching. The author believes that after we pay higher and higher attention to affective teaching method, vocational English teaching will gain a huge breakthrough and improvement. Thus English teaching will be equipped with more enjoyment and practicability.

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