“电话英语学习法”以Brumfit & Johnson(1979)教授的“沟通型语言学习法”(Communicative Language Teaching)为基础,通过实际沟通活动、增强学习效果为目的。它重视有趣的语言历练过程,并给学员提供轻松活跃的学习环境。为了与所有学员容易沟通,外教会主持多姿多彩的学习活动,让学员在轻松快乐中提升英语听说能力。
.... Elements of an underlying learning theory can be discerned in some CLT practices. One such element might be described as the communication principle : Activities that involve real communication promote learning. A second element is the task principle: Activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning(Johnson 1982). A third element is the meaningfulness principle : Language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process.
Littlewood(1981) distinguishes between "functional communication activities" and "social interaction activities " as major activity types in Communicative Language Teaching. The former include such tasks as learners comparing sets of pictures and noting similarities and differences, working out a likely sequence of events in a set of pictures. The later include conversation and discussion sessions, dialogues and role plays, simulations, skits, improvisations, and debates.
它还提出了“概念-技能”教学大纲。“概念”包括时机、顺序、量、位置、频率等,“技能”包括邀请、否定、建议、不满等。
立足于以“概念-技能”教学大纲为根基的Coffey(1983)”实际授课内容”理论,组成如下授课内容。
① 介绍(introduction)
② 问候(greetings, goodbyes)
③ 邀请(invitations)
④ 道歉,安慰(apologies, condolences)
⑤ 感谢,称赞,祝贺(gratitude, compliments, congratulations)
⑥ 要求,命令,警告,指示 (requests, commands, warnings, directions)
⑦ 提议,批准(offers, seeking permission)
⑧ 忠告,意向(advice, intentions)
⑨ 高兴,不快(pleasure, displeasure)
⑩ 发表见解(expressing your opinion),重新询问 (asking people to repeat themselves) , 打断某人讲话(interrupting someone) , 转移话题(changing the topic of conversation)