The Effects of Reading and Performing Graded Detective Stories on Students' English Oral Skill Development

偵探小說簡易本之閱讀與表演對技職學生英語習得的影響

何延光(Yen-Kuang Ho)

《明新學報》 36卷2期 (2010/07) Pp. 17-31

https://doi.org/10.29688/MHJ.201007.0003

摘要

本文探討簡易原創小說（大部分爲偵探類）之閱讀與表演對技職學生英語學習的影響。英文文學作品不僅提供質與量皆豐富的語言資源，也是文化學習的寶庫，再加上故事情節引人入勝，容易引起閱讀動機，在語言學習上一直扮演著重要角色，而偵探小說的懸疑技巧更能抓住學生的注意力，引發學生的學習興趣。但是文學作品長久以來被摒除於技術校院的英文課，一方面因爲要顧及與學生專業領域的相關性，另一方面因爲大部份文學作品語言艱深難懂，內容深邃複雜，非大多數技術學院學生的語言能力所能欣賞。分級英文小說巧妙地避開語言的障礙，抓住文學作品的誘人特質，可供學生按個人的程度選擇閱讀，從中享受閱讀樂趣，進而習得新語言資料，熟練舊有語言資料的運用。分級原創英文小說（所選大部分爲偵探類）之閱讀與表演於九十學年度第二學期運用於二技電能三班的英語語練課中。學生選定一本適合自己程度的分級英文小說爲補充教材，老師就小說的基本架構，人物描繪的各種技法稍事介紹，接下來學生仔細閱讀小說並聆聽錄音帶，按以下架構作成讀書報告：(1)故事概要(2)最精彩的情節及理由(3)最喜歡（最不喜歡）的人物及原因(4)閱讀該書的困難、策略、心路歷程、及該書所激起的情緒反應(5)於書中學到佳句或特別喜歡的單字、片語、表達方式。之後，閱讀同一本小說的同學五至七人爲一組，按文學表演的步驟討論故事情節，設想書中人物的個性、心情、言行及動作表情，把小說改編成劇本於期末演出。本人就學生的閱讀報告、課堂直接觀察、短劇錄影、期末問卷調查進行分析，結果顯示學生對此學習活動表示肯定，認爲對提高學習興趣，增進英文閱讀、口語、聽力有正面影響。戲劇表演的品質雖不盡理想，但同學們在準備過程中，對劇本撰寫、台詞演練等相當投入，創造了共同學習的環境，沉浸於大量的英語聽講，應爲學習英語的理想方式。

關鍵字

語言習得 ； 溝通能力 ； 戲劇活動 ； 文學表演

並列摘要

This paper reports the method of reading and performing graded novels, most of which are detective stories, in three conversation classes for two-year university students at Ming Hsin University of Science and Technology. Literature reading has always been regarded as an indispensable part of language learning, but it has been absent from EFL classes most of the time, particularly in technical colleges, mainly because the overwhelming vocabulary, complicated rhetorical devices, and the length of the works are way beyond students' language competence. Fortunately, graded fictions provide those characteristics of literature that benefit language learning and in the meantime tactfully circumventing language difficulty. In the three conversation classes, each student chose a novel that fitted his/her level of proficiency as outside-classroom-reading materials. With some help from the teacher's explanation of the literary elements and characterization found in novels, students set out to read the fictions by themselves. They were required to turn in a reading report at midterm giving an outline of the story, describing the most exciting plot, the most interesting characters, stating any difficulties, excitement or inspiration felt in their reading process, and listing the language they had acquired from the book. Then, those who read the same book got into a group of five to seven and transformed the book into a twenty-minute mini-play to be performed in front of the class at the end of the semester. Data for this study were collected from students' reports, classroom observation, mini-play video tapes, and final questionnaires to find the effects of this teaching method on students' language acquisition. Results revealed that reading and performing fictions, as perceived by students, is beneficial in boosting learning interest and improving linguistic skills. The quality of the mini-play performance remained a lot to be desired, but the process students went through did involve them in learning.

並列關鍵字

Second Language acquisition ； communicative competence ； drama activities ； performance of literature

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