Integrating Phonics Instruction and Whole Language Principles in an Elementary School EFL Classroom

Abstract

本研探討在國小英語教室中整合字母拼讀教學與全語言活動的可能性及其對國小學生學習英語的影響及成效。九年一貫英語科課程網要中明示，國小英語教學須實施 拼讀教學，同時亦強調有意義及情境化的學習。本文於是首先討論拼讀教學與全語言理念在英語為母語的語言教室中共同存在的可能性，以作為探討該整合模式在英 語為我國國小英語教室中實下的理論根據。十就著，本研究以一班國小五年級英語課師生為研究對象，實施為期一年的拼讀與全語言整合式教學試驗。透過課室觀 察、錄影紀錄、共同討論分段評量等質化及量化資料蒐集及分析，研究人員歸納整理出課室活動進行情形及學生學習成果。結果顯示，參與本研究的老師的確能將全 語言理念(如情境化閱讀、閱讀資源的提供、親子共讀多元評量等)及有系統的拼讀教學共同整合於教學活動中。學生在字母拼讀、字彙理解、閱 讀自選讀本三方面的表現，也都有正面的成長。根據所得結果，本文最後除了肯定整合拼讀教學及全語言於國小英語教學中的可行性外，更呼籲加強提供我國國小英 語教師專業成長的機會，以提升其對拼讀者學及全語言理念的認識，才有可能實施整合兩者的教學方法。This paper reports the findings of a study on the efficacy of integrating phonies instruction and whole language principles into an elementary EFL classroom. After years of heated debate between whole language advocates and those who believe in phonics, educators have finally reached an agreement that phonics is essential in the early stage of literacy instruction; instead of arguing if phonies should be taught, one should look into how phonics should be taught. This conclusion is well taken in the newly implemented Nine-Year Integrated Curriculum in Taiwan; it is stipulated in the Curriculum Guides that phonics be taught in both elementary and junior high school English classrooms. Nonetheless, phonics instruction, which grew out of the teaching of reading to children speaking English as their native language, can cause reasonable concern about its effectiveness in an EFL setting. Therefore, this empirical study investigated how phonics instruction and whole language principles were integrated in an EFL classroom in Taiwan, and the effectiveness of this approach was also examined. Field notes, videotaping, as well as quantifiable of phonemic awareness, vocabulary learning, and story reading were specifically examined to yield insights into the pros and cons of using such an approach of foster children's English language proficiency. Base on the findings, instructional implications are discussed.