TheStatusQuoofCollegeStudentsOralEnglishandSomeImprovementStrategies1

大学生英语口语水平现状及提高策略THE STATUS QUO OF COLLEGE STUDENTS ORAL ENGLISH AND SOME IMPROVEMENT SRATEGIES AbstractWith the deepening of our open policy and Chinas entry in the World Trade Organization, English is playing a more and more important role in our work and life. Oral English is an indispensable tool in our English communication. As a standard to judge college students English ability, the importance of oral should not be neglected. Then, what is the status quo of our college students oral English ability?To get to know about the status quo of college students oral English ability, the author of this paper conducted a questionnaire survey among some students in Xiaogan University, and analyzed the result. The analysis shows that the “dumb English” phenomenon exists among many students, and their oral English ability is generally not good. The author analyses in this paper the causes leading to college students poor oral English ability, and suggests some solutions from the three aspects of students, teachers, and colleges, in the hope that it would help us to improve college students oral English ability. Key words: college students; oral English; the status quo; survey; improvement strategy大学生英语口语水平现状及提高策略摘 要随着改革开放的深入和中国加入世界贸易组织，英语在我们的工作和生活中起着越来越大的作用，而英语口语是英语语言交际中一个不可或缺的手段。英语口语作为评估学生英语水平的一个标准，它的重要性不可小视。那么目前大学生的英语口语水平现状究竟如何呢？本文为了解大学生的英语口语水平现状，采取问卷调查的方式对我院学生进行了调查，并对其结果进行了分析。分析结果表明：在大多数学生中存在“哑巴英语”的现象，他们的英语口语水平普遍不高。笔者分析了大学生英语口语水平普遍不高的原因，并从学生、教师和学校三方面对这一问题提出了解决方法，以期能对大学生英语口语水平的提高有所帮助。关键词：大学生；英语口语；现状；调查；提高策略Contents1. Introduction12. About the investigation2 2.1 Design2 2.2 Respondents33. The investigation result and the analysis3 3.1 The investigation result3 3.2 The analysis of the result44. The causes of the problem4 4.1 Poor basic knowledge of college students oral English4 4.2 Limited class periods54.3 The students psychological problems5 4.4 Some English teachers low professional level55. Strategies to improve college students oral English55.1 From the students55.1.1 Increasing the intensity of motivation65.1.2 Stimulating the interest65.1.3 Combining listening with speaking75.1.4 Creating English learning environment75.2 From the teachers75.2.1 Having a solid foundation in English75.2.2 Creating a natural and harmonious classroom atmosphere85.2.3 Correcting oral errors appropriately85.3 From colleges85.3.1 Paying attention to the choice of textbooks95.3.2 Paying attention to the pronunciation95.3.3 Having more oral English classes96. Conclusion10Bibliography11The Status Quo of College Students Oral English and Some Improvement Strategies1. IntroductionInformatization of social life and globalization of economic activity make foreign languages, especially English increasingly more and more become the worlds the most widely used international language. In international relations, science, culture, commercial trade and other fields as well as the increasing exchanges between governments, communicative function of English is increasingly important. China needs English language talents everywhere, especially high-quality, communicative type talents who is proficient in speaking English. Society, job market care about students oral English ability higher and higher. In order to meet the needs of the times, we learn English. What is the purpose of learning English? The purpose is to speak English; use English to communicate with others; understand what is being said in English; express what we are thinking.As we all know, spoken language ability is a very important part of language skills, but also is the most essential language ability that can show a persons ability. For us college students, we will often use oral English in foreign-funded companies after the graduation, such as training abroad, exchanging with foreign staff, reception of foreign merchants and so on. In fact, what the first hurdle college graduates in foreign corporation will face is the English interview. Even if we work in state-owned enterprises, there will have many opportunities to exchange with foreign counterparts, negotiate the business or attend international conferences, and many employers also directly interview candidates in English. Today, when people ask us students the question what you most want to learn about learning English, many people will have no hesitate to answer “speaking English fluently.” This shows the importance of oral language has emerged in our society, we do need to learn English in college. In fact, as early as in 1980s, the professors of Shanghai Jiaotong University made a survey on the situation that how graduates need oral English. The results showed that about 30% of the graduates said that they need or need greatly the ability of English listening and speaking, and English listening and speaking ability surpass its reading and writing skills. Today, 20 years later from that time, the quantity of graduates who need oral English have been over 30% of the graduates greatly. The requirements of society towards oral English is much higher. As mentioned above, college students themselves need English speaking ability and our society need it, too. Therefore, it is necessary to improve oral English of college students.However, in our daily lives, we encounter frequent many of these college students who have mastered considerable knowledge of vocabulary and are very familiar with grammar knowledge. Yet, they can not understand English, still not be fluent in English with free expression. They often feel the most difficult is not the writing in English, but the raising and the enhancement of the listening and speaking skills. When communicating with foreigners in English, they still feel very difficult.2. About the investigation2.1 DesignTo better know the status quo of college students oral English, the author of this paper makes an investigation. The theme of the investigation is about the level of English speaking and listening, and the situation college students participate in classroom activity. The author draws some conclusions, combining with the investigation and conversation and observation towards college students.Table 1: A survey of college students oral EnglishSurvey objectiveThe total numberProportionA simple conversation available11550Classroom conversation available7432.17No words to speak3213.91Expressing ideas available73.04No answer20.87Table 2: A survey of hearing level Survey objectiveThe total numberProportionUnderstanding lectures in English13357.87Understanding simple conversations from Foreigners 2410.43Difficult in listening to English classes6026.09Listen to lectures in English135.65Table 3: A survey of college students opportunity to practice in oral English classSurvey objectiveThe total number ProportionLittle14060.87Too much7833.91Much125.21Table 4: A survey of the reasons that students do not want to speakSurvey objectiveThe total numberProportionWorrying about saying the wrong words11750.87Topics are not familiar7231.30Embarrassed4117.832.2 RespondentsA group of 230 students in College of New Technology, Xiaogan University involve in the investigation which include 103 male students and 127 female students. They major in international trade, law, business English, economics, advertisement, computer and telecommunications. They have already learned college English course for three years when they are investigated. It should be emphasized that the author chooses the fourth grade students as the object in this investigation. Because they have already formed relatively fixed learning methods and have gradually adapted to the university studies after more than three years of university life. And three years of college English course was over when they are investigated, making the investigation about the status quo of college students oral English better.3. The investigation result and analysis3.1 The investigation result The investigation result of college students oral English level shows only 3% of the students can be more fluent to express their ideas in English; half of the students can perform simple daily conversation in English; 32% of the students can operation the classroom conversation; there are about 14% of students are still unable to express their ideas in English. The investigation results indicate that the actual English speaking level of college students is not high, only a small part of students can use English to express their thinking fluently and accurately.3.2 The analysis of the result In the classroom, students have to face a teacher and many students, lacking of confidence. They think they do not have the gift of learning foreign language. There is no self-made objective and fair evaluation. The entire learning process is in a depressing state of mind under too much worries. So they are too tight to have a good co-operation with teachers (Table 4). The students can not dare to speak in the case of a depressing atmosphere, especially when the teacher asks questions and seeks answers, students do not want to speak. Classroom atmosphere is a dead, so it is difficult to improve oral English. As time passes, they will lose the confidence of learning spoken language, and opportunities to practice speaking become less and less. The effect of learning spoken language decreases accordingly. After the class, most of the students are lack of effective speaking practice, such as taking part in English speech actively, and watching the original English movies, participating in English Corner, etc. The people who involved in such activities are few. So few students can actively participate in class discussions and it is also related with students hearing level, nearly 30% of the students can understand English lectures (Table 2). Then the students who participate actively in the classroom have high hearing level, most students remain silent in class, 60% of students in class have few opportunities to practice speaking (Table 3). Because these students are introverted, lacking of self-confidence and fear of error and embarrassing situation. Or they are not familiar with the topic speaking in the class and can not extend because of the narrow range of knowledge, thereby preventing the students raising oral English level.Currently, in order to meet CET4 and CET6, most colleges arrange for more classes for reading and writing, and fewer classes for listening and speaking, paying attention on understanding and ignoring communication abilities. They do not attached great importance to raise the level of oral English, so that students ability can be difficult to find and display. This is an important factor of college students low oral English level.College students is the master of oral English class. In the classroom activities, they should take part in oral English training with various forms. After all, language practice and use is an essential link for training and the enhancement of the language practical ability. Oral English teachers also have to correct, guiding students to meet the communitys need and to have a strong oral English skills.4. The causes of the problem4.1 Poor basic knowledge of college students oral EnglishMany students oral English are not solid in primary or middle school stage. Therefore, they are lack of interest for learning English. Under the pressure of “graduation rates”, “knowledge teaching” and “TiHai wars”are used mostly in the middle school English teaching. Basically, college studentsoral English ability is regardless. Many students only care about English exams after entering university. They dont really know application targets and future purposes of learning English. Because the exam is rarely or hardly examines oral English, most of the students dont pay close attention to oral English learning. 4.2 Limited class periodsAt present, there are two classes of listening and speaking class in most majors every week. More than 40 students are in one class in average. Because of the number and poor oral English ability of the students, only a few students can grasp an opportunity to speak during the two classes. Most students have no opportunity to practice oral English. In addition, classroom of big class is spacious, many students dont hear clearly what the students speak, let alone make judgments. So students will gradually lost interest to practice oral English.4.3 The students psychological problems Einstein once said that intellectual achievement depends on the great character. In generally, Chinese students are shy. Character, motivation and oral English level and other factors affect students psychology. Facing teachers possible criticism and students ridicule, they usually will in anxiety and tension. Thus they will lack confidence and dont dare to speak English. Some students have high personal goal. They do not hope to make mistakes, and then take the “safe” measure, that is to remain silent.4.4 Some English teachers low professional level A qualified English teacher should possess high professional level. The author find that many students read egg into /ig/, read very into /weri / and regard the pronunciation of “th” as the pronunciation of /s/ when they speak English. They say their teacher read like that from the time they begin to learn English. This is a heavy problem. Students receiving ability and imitating ability are strong at primary school. As soon as they form wrong English pronunciation habits, they will find it is quite difficult to correct errors in college. 5. Strategies to improve oral English5.1 From the studentsStudents are masters of oral practice. For improving the oral English level, we first have to overcome psychological barriers, building self-confidence. Confidence is the psychological basis of learning language successfully, which is the self value and ability of subjective evaluation and consciousness for foreign language learners. In the process of oral English improvement, students whose self-confidence is strong will be held on the high enthusiasm. Because they have low feelings of anxiety and strong motivation to learn. His use of language will improve obviously. So they can get more self-confidence and better learning results.5.1.1 Increasing the intensity of motivation It is widely believed that the second language acquisition and foreign language learning and learning motivation have close relationship. Gardner (1985), defines the motivation as the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning the language plus favorable attitudes towards learning the language. Thus, we are easy to discover four parts of the motivation: learning causes, learning desire, the state of learning environment and the effort. Psychologist thinks that the behavior of people is always for the different motive. Many learners take English as a tool. If they need to use English during their work, they will spend more time on studying and using English. Thus they improve fluency level of their oral English. The enhancement of fluent oral expressions degree impels learners cost more time to learn in this aspect. As J. W. Atkinson (1980) puts it: motivation determines the time distribution in different behavior. Some behavior motives degree is linear positive correlation to the time spending on this behavior (“contemporary education psychology” Pages 122). Motivation level and study strategies are counterparts, such as, students with low levels of learning motivation tend to adopt some negative learning strategies, students with a high level of learning motivation use active learning strategies. Some students think there is no necessary connection between English and their own professional or future work. English is just a compulsory course, they learn it without strong desire, very passive, lacking of strong learning motivation. Just in order to pass tests, most of English learners have to study hard. They express that once they pass the exam, they no longer take time to learn English. This shows that this part of student rely on surface motivation to learn English. They are not interested. They are lack of initiative and have strong inertness. So we should increase the intensity of motivation about learning oral English. This is the basis of learning oral English well. 5.1.2 Stimulating the interest Interest is a positive tendency of exploring things or conducting some kind of activity, which is the best teacher for students learning. Only we have interest in learning English, will we improve the oral English level with the autonomy. We should foster broad ideal and be full of confidence for themselves, trying to overcome inferiority mentality and increasing interest in learning oral language. When having a English conversation, we should try to think in English and speak out authentic English that the native English speakers do, falling into the good habits of understanding words directly in English and expressing ideas directly in English with overcoming the disturbance of mother tongue. Chinese and English are two different languages. The habits of forming grammar and sentences are different from each other. It is necessary to train our thought of thinking in English and to avoid saying “Chinese-style English.” Through a series of active, positive thinking activities, we students understand and express ideas, receive and output information. In this positive thinking and expressing process, we can get real oral English communication skills.5.1.3 Combining listening with speakingOral English includes both listening and speaking ability. Listening is the foundation of speaking. Somebody who can understand can not necessarily say something. In fact, improving the ability to use the language needs both of them. Speaking is a kind of respond to what we hear. It needs skills to speak out, making each other understood and having no misleading. Therefore, we must pay attention to the combination of speaking and listening in the process of improving oral English. We can enhance a sense of language and correct the wrong pronunciation habits through listening to English radio and foreigners conversation. Having regular trainings in English listening and speaking, as well as imitating English and American voice, intonation and tone, they are also effective ways. Ultimately, we turn them into our own language to communicate. In order to achieve the ultimate goal, college students must develop good listening and oral communication habits. 5.1.4 Creating English learning environment Something learned in the classroom is limited, the improvement of oral English is also related with the extracurricular practice. We had better hold a variety of extracurricular activities in English and make progress in the activity. Apply oral English to our daily life, such as participating in the English speech contest, debate competition, essay competition in English, English song competition, English drama competition and reading E