Chapter One Introduction
“All for each student's development” is one of the core ideas of Ordinary HighSchool English Curriculum Standard (Experiment). These are specifically as follows:(1)Teachers should respect students' subjectivity, initiative and creativity，meet students'inpidual needs. （2）In the teaching process teachers should cultivate students' interest,attitude and self-confidence, and put those in the first place of English teaching topromote overall students' development.（3）Teachers must face all student, fully mobilizethe enthusiasm of each student, and strive to create a good learning environment, so thateach student has the opportunity to display his talent. Teachers should respect students'inpidual differences, and teach students in accordance with their aptitude.[1] [2]。All ofthese ideas embody the playfulness teaching implication.The characteristics of senior high school English subject also call the playfulnessteaching activities. First of all, English learning feature is that it is closely related tostudents’ life. Secondly, The characteristics of language learning is acquired throughspeech activities, which determines students' English learning cannot be achieved bypassive acceptance mode. The language and the game have essential and profound contact.Through proactive playfulness teaching activities, teachers can develop students' ability ofusing language, and make learning become their internal needs.At present, there are many weak senior high schools in rural areas, especially in poorrural areas in our country.[1]Facing students whose academic foundation is relatively low,teachers lack confidence in improving teaching quality, which directly affects students' learning. So it forms a vicious cycle that students dislike learning and teachers hateteaching. “In school students' life is often a 'boring' experience.”[1]For rural weak seniorhigh schools, how to improve the quality of teaching and adapt to the requirements ofnew curriculum reform is a problem for the rural weak senior high school educators.Professor Shi Zhongying points out sharply：“In a certain sense, The lack ofplayfulness state in educational activities is a major cause that students dislike learningand teachers hate teaching. ”[2]。As a king of spiritual activity, which points to person'sfreedom and emphasizes man's inner experience, education and teaching are more likelyto reflect the spirit of the game. “Teaching should have the inherent quality of playfulness,so that teachers and students can get the development and life pleasure from teachingactivities of itself.”[3]
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Chapter Two Literature Review
2.1 A Review and Comment of Related Studies Abroad
In foreign countries，Fluke Bebel first proposed the idea of combining games andteaching. He believed that games included sports games and mental games. The purposeof mental games trained the ability of thinking and judgment of children, and helped themunderstand the basic characteristics of all things of the outside world, developing theirintelligence. The mental games were conducted mostly through the use of various boon，so they were more to join the educational component.[1]For Froebel game teaching theory, the famous Italian children's educator Montessori(Maria Montessori) has made tremendous improvements. In Montessori education system,the educational terminology about “work” contained the “game” component, or at least itcontained “the spirit of the game”.[2]Huizinga believed that since the 19th century, with the rapid development of scienceand technology, people were too pragmatic and utilitarian, leading to dilute the spirit ofthe game. So the game spirit of ancient was in danger of losing.[3]It can be said that with the development of history, from the perspective of westernculture， the connotation and extension of “game” is continuously broadening. It is notonly a kind of activity, but also a kind of game spirit. It emphasizes interactive dialogueand inherent rules.In recent years, foreign language teaching theories particularly emphasize to learn alanguage by various means and ways. There are many literatures in this area, for example,Brookes said: “whether students' language learning success or failure depended entirelyon how teachers used a variety of data (textbook) and technology (didactics) to helpstudents strengthen their ability to solve academic or learning problems, so that theycould meet the needs of self-realization to achieve the purpose of developing language skills.”[1]With regard to phenomenological pedagogy, foreign scholars pay more attention topractical applications, and phenomenological pedagogy method has been used to researchmany related problems in the teaching field. For example, by using in-depth interviewswith college students, Kay Greasley &Peter Ashworth found that in students' life worldmeaningful learning approach is to much more important.[2]
2.2 A Review and Comment of Related Studies at Home
As a specific product of era background, the rural areas weak senior high schools inour country are facing serious challenges. Both English teaching experts and teachingpractitioners put less research in their teaching. The researcher now chooses some relatedfindings, and briefly summarizes as follows.Wu Hang put forward the concept of “the playfulness of education”, and proposedthat for developing the playfulness of education we should better provide asocial-mental-cultural environment.[3]Song Xiaoling did a practical research on Chinese classroom game teaching.[4]Shi Zhongying considered training a “game person” is also an educational goal.[5]Cao Cong thought the goal of teaching should foster “game person”, and the “gameperson” should be live in life, treat the game as a way of life, and dialogue with life in theclassroom.[6]By using the research method of “life experience ” Li Jinyan conducted a study offoreign language learning. He suggested teachers should create settings for learningforeign languages, reform the way of teaching and raise the professional level of theirowns.[7]Chen Weixia thought: “Teaching was to be seen as the game, which was mainly from the inner character and spirit of the game. Objectively speaking, teaching could notcompletely be conducted through physical game activities mode, of course, it did not ruleout that teaching often had been adopted external form of the game, but the teachingshould be able to have the inner spirit and character of the game.”[1]Feng Jilin attempted to illustrate teaching has playfulness and it is both an intrinsicrequest of a person’s development and one of the important measures to solve theproblem that teaching is becoming hard labor. He also suggested teachers should changeteaching ideas, build teaching surroundings, and excavate the factors of teachingplayfulness.[2]Ma Bei proposed the spirit of the game should be embodied in the whole process ofteaching, and then the teaching would be full of fun and lively.[3]Li Qun thought the development of English teachers was closely connected withtheir life world. English teachers should care for students’ life world, make constantreflection and practice in daily teaching.[4]Based on the theoretical research and empirical research, Cao Aiping put forwardsome patterns of applying interactive teaching in listening and speaking classes.[5]Hu Langde, Chen Dengguo discovered a well teaching structure in senior highschool in the countryside.[6]Xi Xiaotao suggested that all school staff should participate in teaching research,optimize teaching process, make reasonable use of teaching resources of schools, andrespect students’ potential development.[7]Chen Hongying put forward some suggestions on the ways and strategies to infiltratethe positive affective factors into the countryside English teaching. Then she tried to build up an effective teaching model.[1]Sun Xiaoli and Wu Maoxian have conducted the literature review on Englishplayfulness teaching in rural weak senior high school at home.[2]In summary, research on China's weak senior high schools has been conducted withthe following characteristics: the research results are relatively thin, the research approachlacks persification, the validity and breadth of research is not enough. They are mainlyas follows:（1）From the view of research object, research on Chinese weak senior high schoolis very few, and relevant research on Chinese weak senior high school English classroomplayfulness teaching is still very lacking.（2）From the perspective of the validity of study, game teaching is used relativelyfrequent in today's high school, primary school and kindergarten English teaching, but itis more as teaching means and teaching tools. On how to carry out the spirit of the gamein their daily English classroom, they lack the necessary presentation and feedback.（3）From the perspective of research methods, most researchers use survey,interview and teaching experimental method. They pay less attention to teachers' andstudents' life world and emotional world. They especially lack researching teachers' andstudents' real life experiences in Chinese weak senior high school English classroom.（4）From the perspective of study results, many researchers think in Englishclassroom teaching the proper use of games will help to stimulate students' interest inlearning, improve their self-confidence, alleviate their pressure of study. They ignore thegame spirit cultivation of teachers and students.（5）Due to the lack of specific teaching cases and analyze of playfulness teaching, itcan not play a guiding to actual teaching work, resulting in that many English teachers arestill lack of experience on how to cultivate and achieve three-dimensional target of“emotion and attitude and value”.
Chapter Three Theoretical Basis........................ 15
3.1 “Language Game” ..............15
3.1.1 Overview of “Language Game” .................................. 15
Chapter Four The Investigation and Analysis of the Status on English PlayfulnessTeaching in Rural Weak Senior ................. 21
4.1 The Purpose of Investigation ......................................... 21
4.2 Investigation Object and Investigation Method................................... 21
4.3 The Design of Investigation Content .................................... 22
4.4 Survey Results and Analysis ..................................... 22
Chapter Five Practice and Exploration on English Playfulness Teaching in RuralWeak Senior High School ...................................... 29
5.1 Unit 3 Celebration Warming Up & Speaking Teaching Design and TeachingReflection ................................................... 29
Chapter Six Phenomenological Pedagogy Research onthe English Playfulness Teaching in Rural Weak SeniorHigh School
6.1 The Phenomenological Pedagogy Study about “Smiling”
Life experience material description 1The researcher made the investigation and analysis of the status on Englishplayfulness teaching in rural areas weak senior high school. The survey results show thevast majority of students expect teachers to have a little bit more smile in English class.For example, some students wrote: “I hope teachers are amiable, and often smile at us.” “Ireally hope teachers cheerfully smile, and we like to see teachers' smile. As we all knowthat how much smiling on teachers' face means how much sunshine in students'hearts…….” “We hope that teachers in the classroom have a little smile, so that they willwin our respect and closeness…….”After reading them, I thought for a long time. Aninsignificant smile is even to reside in the minds of students. Teachers' most sincerefriendly smile would conquer students. Smiling is a wonderful silent language, and itshould be a kind of teachers' occupation expression.Life experience material description 2 These days in a classroom, I always felt no previous active classroom atmosphere,because students did not speak enthusiastically. After reflecting, I did not find anyproblems. Yesterday before class when I chat with a female student, I learned becausethese days my expression was stern when I walked into classroom, so the classroomatmosphere was intense. After listening to her remarks, my heart was deeply shocked. Idid not think the performance of students in the classroom even associated with myexpression! I did not think students are so careful observation on teachers' mood changing.I did not even think teachers' smile in students' mind is so important. I think of it. In fact,the students' requirements are not high, and they want nothing more than a smile.Life experience material description 3There is one student in my class who rarely raises his hand in class. I rememberedonce, when I asked questions in class, from the look of his eyes, I found that he wanted toanswer, but he did not dare to raise his hand. With smiling I let him answer questions. Hewas nervous, and also had some pronunciation errors. I corrected his pronunciation, andencouraged him to say it again. He looked at me, and then looked at other students, andfinally he bowed his head to think. Just when I thought he would give up, he raised hishead, and said to me: “Teacher, can you repeat the question?” With a smile, I said again.He stared at me, and bravely said the answer. Although he was still a little nervous, but hemade it very accurate. From his expression of pride and excitement, I firmly believed thathe has taken a big success in the journey of learning English. The teachers' smile cangenerate a sense of achievement for students with learning difficulties, to help them buildup confidence to learn English.Life experience material description 4“Teacher, we like your class. Because your class is always full of smiling, so we feelvery easy to get along with you. You look so kind and gracious. Your smile is like sunlightshining on us, and lets us grow up happily. Your smile makes us learn a wealth ofknowledge in a relaxed learning atmosphere. We like your class……” I am filled withemotion. My smile makes students love my class. I feel the joy of success. Thinking backto living with my students in the classroom and laughing together through those days, Ireally feel very happy! In the process of practice and exploration on English playfulness teaching in rural areas weak senior high school, smile brings me good mood, making mylife full of sunshine. Yeah, in students' eyes, teachers' smile is on their favorite, trust,appreciation and encouragement, but also is highest reward for them. If teachers have asmile in classrooms, then students' mood is relaxed, so they can have the initiative andefficient learning, and get a healthy physical and mental development. “The teachers'smile has laid foundation for the success of students learning.”
6.2 The Phenomenological Pedagogy Study about “CollaborativeLearning”
Life experience material description 1For learning English, we are not interested, do not want to learn, have very pooracademic performance, and lose our confidence. Our pronunciation and intonation are notcorrect enough. We are not good at mastering vocabulary, typical sentences, andgrammatical knowledge. Our basic skills such as reading, recitation are very poor.Because of these shortcomings, how can we speak English? Further, our self-awarenessand self-esteem gradually strengthens, and we begin to pay attention to our own image.We lack the confidence to speak in English, and we are afraid of being wrong, so we donot have the security sense. Thus, in many cases, we'd choose silence, rather than want tospeak in front of students and teachers, in order to avoid the classmates laugh at our ownwrong.Life experience material description 2Like many other classmates, I dare not speak English. In English class, I do not liketo answer questions, and I try to avoid my eye contacting with teachers'. Once teachersstart asking questions, I will feel alarmed, and flush with shame, for fear that teacherswould call my name. When teachers call my name, I usually would say: “I am sorry, sir,my oral English is very poor, I can’t express myself”. In fact, I am not confidence, for fearthat I would make a fool of myself in front of teachers and classmates. The cooperativelearning activities organized by teachers create a relatively relaxed environment for us topractice spoken English. It eliminates my psychological barrier, and makes manyintroverted students speak English too.Life experience material description 3I like the cooperative learning, because it can help us to eliminate the psychologicalfactors, such as shy, afraid of wrong, etc. It enhances our confidence. In addition, in theprocess of cooperation and sharing, we care about each other, care for each other, andlisten to each other. In affinity atmosphere, we gain more attention and praise. In the process of self being accepted and respected by others, we obtain self-esteem. This is akind of atmosphere that one does not have to worry about exposing his weaknesses andsuffered the ridicule from others, because we are all beneficiaries.Life experience material description 4The students come from a rural areas weak senior high school with very poorEnglish proficiency. In particular, the vast majority of students do not dare to speakEnglish in English teaching, and what they have learned is only “dumb English”. So, Idecide to try the teaching method of “cooperation”. After adopting “cooperative learning”,I have found students' listening and spoken English make progress quickly. In cooperativelearning, students get rid of their psychological barriers. They begin to dare to ask and say.Even those students who are always “reticent” and introversion also have an itch for a tryimpulse. On the whole, the characters of students are beginning to open up. Their spirit isrenewed, and their self-confidence has been strengthened. Cooperative learning makes therelationship between teachers and students, and among students become closer.
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Chapter Seven Conclusion and Prospect
Through literature study, the researcher has found: Currently, deepening into thespirit of the game levels, the study of senior high school English playfulness teaching inour country is still very vacant. The research on the English playfulness teaching in ruralareas weak senior high school is even less, especially dissertation research in this area isstill very weak.Through the investigation and study, the researcher has found: The vast majority ofstudents agree with the playfulness teaching, and they are full of expectation. The teacher's smile is also very important. The English teacher's awareness and understandingof playfulness teaching is still in a relatively primary stage. Teachers lack the practicalability of playfulness teaching. Teachers and students still lack the spirit of the game.Teaching practice is a key point of this research. Through the practice andexploration the researcher has found: The playfulness teaching can mobilize the students'learning initiative and enthusiasm, help students overcome learning disabilities, stimulatestudents' interest and enable students to build up confidence in learning English toimprove the teaching quality and efficiency. The playfulness teaching also fosters thegame spirit of teachers and students.Doing the phenomenological pedagogy research is another focus of this study. In theprocess of the practice and exploration on English playfulness teaching in rural weaksenior high school, the researcher has deeply appreciated the poor academic performanceof students who are missing the psychological sense of security. The researcher hasfocused on phenomenological pedagogy study about “smiling” and “collaborativelearning”. The researcher recommends:（1）Teachers should start with a smile;（2）In oralEnglish class, teachers should focus on collaborative learning.
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