Analysis of English Teachers Teaching Beliefs in Process

第9卷第4期读与写杂志2012年4月Vol.9 No.4Read and Write PeriodicalApril 2012Analysis of Teachers' Beliefs inEnglish Teaching Process赵启君徐家玉(昭通师范高等专科学校云南昭通 657000)Abstract:The thesis presents different conceptions of teachers beliefs and explores teachers' beliefs about learners, learning andteaching, and teachers themselves. The findings suggest a strong relationship between teachers' beliefs and their planning, instruc-tional decisions, and classroom practices.Key words :teachers' beliefs, learmers, learning and teaching中图分类号:H319.5文献标识码: A文章编号:1672-1578(2012)04- 0003-021 Conceptions of teachers' beliefsLarmpert (as cited in Prawat, 1992) expresses that teachersA variety of conceptions of teahers" beliefs have appeared should know where the teaching and learing process isin literature. Porter and Freeman (1986) defined "orientations headed but not in the traditional sense of one topic followingteaching" as including teachers' beliefs about students and the another; teachers should develop a global view of understandingleaming process, about the role of schools in society， and the network of big ideas that helps define a domain of inquiryabout teachers themselves, the curriculum, and pedagogy. Theseand possible relationships among those ideas. Smith (as citedpredispositions and beliefs also included questions about thein Richards&Locekhart, 1996)， in another Canadian study ofpurpose of schooling, about teachers' responsibility for achieving ESL teachers also finds that teachers’ instructional decisionstheir goals, and about beliefs that students are capable of are highly consistent with expressed beliefs, and that personalachieving these goals.belief systems influence how they rank their institution'sIn this thesis, " teachers beliefs" refers to the viewpoints explicit course objectives for the courses they are assigned tthat teachers hold trustfully toward teaching, teachers' role, teach. Perhaps the most helpful interpretation of a constructiviststudents and leamning in real teaching process, which cover theapproach to teaching is offered by Salmon(as. cited inteacher training experience and individual teacher's experience.W iliamns&Burden, 2000)， and she describes it "not as theIt is the primary guiding principle of leachers’ classroom passing on of a parcel of objective knowledge, but as thepractice, which may influence the teaching process anattempt to share what you yourself find personally meaningful".students' achievement in leaming.2.3 Beliefs about teachers themselves2 Teachers' beliefs about learners, about learning andEnglish language teachers (F reeman&Richards, 2003),teaching and about teachers themselvesreport their belief that language teaching is a profession and2.1 Beliefs about learmersthat teachers engaged in it are professionals. They express thatWilliams&Burden2000) has suggested there are at least 7can take charge of their teaching, and are able to improve thedifferent ways in which teachers can and do construe learnersoutcomes of their students. The issue rises that the key toand that such constructions reflect individual teachers' views ofprofessionalism in teaching is to center on giving teachers thethe world and also have a profound influence on theirmeans to better understand their own classroom practices. Itclassroom practice.also argues that it is more urgent to concerm about the! exploring the relationship between teachers' interest inaccountability which is indispensable for supporting languageindividual differences and learning styles, Clark and Petersonteachers' claim to professionalism.(as cited in Prawat, 1992) ilustrate that teachers tend to focusIn the teaching -learning process, teachers' roles form thea great deal on learners, but they seem more concerned withbasis for teachers' decisions on how the class activities andwhether the message is being receivedstudents) than with what sense students are making of it once Language teachers are no longer seen exclusively as individualsdelivered. Teachers' beliefs about children's performance havewho hold and transmit language, but as people who assist thebeen posited to affect children's learming and achievement bylearner to develop a natural capacity to communicate ininfluencing children's perceptions of their competence and other another language (Burns, 1992). Now teacher's role ranges fromachievement -related beliefs (Eccles& Wigfield, 1985; Stipek,knowledge transmitter to facilitator.1996).Researchers have found exploring the nature of beliefs a2.2 Beliefs about learming and teachingrewarding enterprise， and their findings suggest a strongBrindley (1984) observes that teachers who favorsirelationship betwean tearhere_ holiofe_ and their planning,learner-centered view of learming which underlies many currentinstructional中国煤化工ctices. However, themethodologie2s in language teaching, would probably describenature of beYHCN M H Gto student outcomestheir assumptions in terms that teachers are resource personsstill need to be explored careruly.who provide language input for the learner to work on andBibliography:their role is to assist learmers to become self - -directed by[1]Borg，M. Teachers' beliefs. ELT Joumal, ss (2), 186-187.providing access to language data through some activities.(下转5页).- 3-第9卷第4期读与写杂志2012 年4月Vol.9 No.4Read and Write PeriodicalApril 2012efficacy will encounter tough tasks with confidence and willexpected enjoyment of learning English. The key is to makesustain efforts in the face of failures. Therefore, learners havingEnglish course attractive and arouse students' curiosity to learnhigh self- efcacy are generally high achievers.and to master it.3.3 Teacher's EffectFourth, the teacher should promote causal attributionsWe should pay attention a teacher's efct on L2 learmingefforts rather than to ability. In order to promote causamotivation. A teacher's role in shaping learmers' motivation toattributions to effort, the strategy for the teacher is tolearm a L2 is complex. A teacher is the authority in theemphasize low efclassroom, he may provide learners with guidance and supportEnglish learming and promote students to believe that thein L2 learning, and also, he may weaken learners' motivationcould do much better as long as they work more diligentlybecause of his inappropriate responses to learners’ learmingthan before. While students still fail in learning though theyactivities. What's more, the relationship between the teacherhave exerted much effort, a method for the teacher is to pointnd learners sometime influences learners' attitudes towards L2out the skills or knowledge missing in the former learming,learning. Therefore, the teacher's personality， behavior andwhich informs the students that this reason is controllable andteaching methods will all have strong impact on leamers. Thethey have the ability to master English.personal qualities of the teacher, such as commitment, andAt last, the teacher should try to increase students' self-warnth determine the relationship between the teacher andconfidence in English learning. Self- -confidence determines thebeing attracted to engage inamount of eforts and time students will spend and thelearning tasks, and learners' need to do well in the classroompersistence they will display in the process of learning, 80 it isso as to please the teacher.important to increase students' confidence. Sometimes, th3.4How to Inspire Motivation in SLAteacher's encouragement gives confidence to students. Moreover,First, a relaxed atmosphere in English classroom should beit is necessary for the teacher to reduce the anxiety increated. A tense classroom atmosphere arouses student anxietyclassroom.which hinders students' motivation and effectiveness in English4 Conclusionlearning; while a relaxed classroom atmosphere facilitatesThe motivation of L2 learning plays a very important rolestudents to express their opinions and makes them not feelin SLA. Once the leamer has the clear motivation of leaming,embarrassed when they make mistakes.he can overwhelm the difficulties with great determination inSecond, the teacher should guide the students to sethe process of study. Therefore, teachers should try to takeshort -term goals. To many students, the ultimate purpose 0appropriate measures to inspire the leamers' motivations andmastering English- to communicate with native Englishmake them achieve success in their L2 learning.speakers fluently， is several years away. Therefore, settingshort-term goals has a great function to students because thestudents can make progress regularly and get some external[1 ]llis.R.Understanding Second Language Acquisition [M]rewards, which all motivate them to leam, encourage them toOxford University Press, 1985.et further goals and leam English willingly and full ofI1]Elis.R.The Study of Second Language Acquisition[M]. Oxfordenjoyment.Third, the teacher should enbance English -related values(3]Cook.V .Second Language Leaming and Teaching [M] Beijing:and promote students" learning atitudes. Learmers' atitudesForeign Language Teaching and Researching Press, 2000.towards the L2 community and culture influence their curiosity[4]蒋祖康.第二语言习得研究[M].北京:外语教学与研究出版and atention to L2 learning, and atitudes are afcted to large社[M], 199.9scale by the value of the L2, thus it is necessary to enhanceEngish-related values to students. Utility value is the outcome作者简介:王念婷,女,河南大学硕士,黄淮学院助教。研究方向:arising from the mastery of English. Intrinsic value is功 能语言学,话语分析及应用语言学。associated with students' interest in English activities and their(上接3页)1996.Retrieved April 2001， from httpa/www3.oup.co.uleltijhdb/[5]Eccles, J.&Wigfield, A. Teacher expectancies and studentVolume_ 5/ssue_ 02/freepdf/550186.pdfmotivation[M]. In J. B. Dusek (Ed,), 1985.Teacher expectancies[2]Brindley, G.. Needs analysis and objetive setting in the(pp. 185- 226)中国煤化工rming in languageadult migrant education program[M]. Australia: AMES. 1984[Freeman,(3]Burms, A. Teacher beliefs and their infuence on classroomteaching [MTYHC N M H Ganguage Educationpracticel[]. Prospect 1992,7/3: 56-66.Press. 2003.[4]Calderhead, J. Teachers: Beliefs and Knowledge. In D[7]Kagan, D.M. Implications of research on teacher belief[J].Berliner,&R. Calife (Eds) [] Handbook of educationalEducational Psychology,1992. 27: 65- -90.peychology (pp. 709 -725). NY: Simon&Schuster Macmillian.