在中国和许多其他国家,外语(foreign language, FL)学习者的口语交际能力较差 是普遍存在的问题。究其原因,研究者普遍认为是 FL 教学质量较差,如很多英语教师在 组织教学活动时只关注语言知识的死记硬背,而忽略建立有意义的、多元化的交际情景。

内容与语言融合的教学 (Content and Language Integrated Learning, CLIL) 是外 语领域中一种重要的学科整合方法,被认为是解决这一问题的有效手段。CLIL 教学依靠 的学科(如科学、数学、艺术等)内容,为有意义的英语交际提供了内容基础,能够有效 地促进语言技能的发展。

在 CLIL 领域中,许多学科已经融合到外语教学中。然而,针对 FL 和工程学科整合的 研究却非常少见,与教学方法有关的研究更少见。然而,工程学科在教学方法上可以为 FL 教学带来一系列独有的优势,尤其是工程学科符合行动导向教学法 (Action-oriented approach) 的需要,这在当前外语教育,尤其小学阶段中尤其突出。

本研究的主要目的是了解英语—工程整合教学对小学生 FL 口语交际能力和工程设计 能力的影响。本研究采用基于设计的研究,其三轮的准实验结合定性(叙述)和定量的混 合研究方法,其中定性研究主要通过实验进行课堂观察及进一步的阐述,定量研究主要开 展了三个 pre-post-test 的准实验。

本研究主要分 5 个步骤。

首先,本人对 CLIL、基于设计的学习、以及学科融合三个研究领域进行了较深入的 文献综述。第二、第三和第四步完成了三项准实验。第一项为了弥补其他相似教学模式 在教学过程中呈现的不足开展了 “CDIO +小学英语”教学模式对五年级学生(n=101)学 习效果(阅读理解和设计能力)的影响研究。结果表明,与其他相似语言整合模式相比, “CDIO +小学英语”教学模式能够提升学生学习效果,并为教学过程的质量提供了保证。 第二项开展英语-工程教学对学生 FL 交际能力的言语成分(语言流利性和复杂性)以及设计能力的影响研究。第三项开展英语-工程教学对 4 年级学生学生(n=91)FL 口语交 际能力(包含四个维度:语言流利性、复杂性、交际愿望和主题连贯性)以及设计能力的 影响研究。两名教师和四个四年级班级的学生(n=207) 参与了这项准实验,其中每名教 师对应一个对照班和一个实验班。结果表明,与常规 FL 教学相比,英语-工程整合教学 能够更好地促进学生 FL 口语交际能力以及工程设计能力。然而,教师因素在课程实施过 程中存在一些争议点,这些争议点在实验后进行了附加的分析。

最后一步,我们分析总结了工程学科对 FL 教学提供的支持,包括 DBL 在教学方法上 为 Action - oriented approach 提供的优势、工程学科对 FL 的课堂话语组织和课程设计 的提供的好处、教学采用的学习技术(LEGO 积木)的不可替代积极作用等方面。

本研究的结果表明,英语-工程整合教学是一种可靠并可灵活运用的教学工具,它可 以有效地促进学生的学科核心能力(如,口语交际和设计能力)的发展,为 FL 教学设计 和实施提供一系列的支持。工程学科独有的特征可以为“FL 课堂中交际质量低”的问题 提供有效的解决途径。

本研究的创新点主要体现在研究方法和教学实践两个方面。在研究方法方面,本研究 在话语分析、作品评价法等常规研究方法的基础上,采用更加科学严谨的工具和方法来评 价英语—工程整合教学对学生的英语和工程学科能力的影响,并为 E-EII 的有效性提供了 可靠的依据。在教学实践方面,本研究填补了已有研究在工程学科对英语教学的促进作用 及二者的整合方式相关研究的空白,可以为教学实践提供参考,具有一定的借鉴意义。

本研究的局限一方面在实验前与教师因素有关的思考做得不够深入,尤其包含教师对 新教学法的积极性以及教师个人背景等方面; 另一方面,设计能力测试样本数量较少。在 研究的第三轮当中为了测试学生设计能力,本研究评估了学生在小组内产生的学习作品, 而非学生的个人作品,从而导致设计能力未能做到全面的评价。

未来可以从工程设计活动中的认知因素对语言影响的独特作用以及工程学科话语特征 对外语活动中的语言知识安排的作用等方面开展进一步的研究和实践。 

The low level of oral communicative competence of FL (foreign language) learners is a widespread problem in China and many other countries. It is widely acknowledged that this problem derives from the low quality of FL instruction, in which the exaggerated stress is put on language knowledge drill (rote memorization of vocabulary and grammar), and little attention is paid to efforts targeted at guiding students to apply language in meaningful situations. Teachers often fail to establish meaningful and diverse interactions in FL classrooms, which is a crucial condition for success in language learning.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), a type of integrative instructional approach, is widely considered to be effective in addressing this problem. The subject matter of other disciplines, e.g. Science, Maths, Art or Social Studies, which CLIL employs within FL communicative practices, supports meaningful interactions and, hence, effectively promotes language skills development.

In the research tradition of CLIL, the question regarded to what kind of subject matter (what academic disciplines) can better suit the needs of language acquisition, is a matter of rising concern. It is clear that the content of different disciplines provides different opportunities for language learning, and there is a need to examine this problem more carefully, but up to now, investigations related to this issue remain very scarce.

Numerous disciplines have been integrated into foreign language instruction within CLIL approach, however, research on FL and Engineering discipline integration is very rare, what results in just a few empirical evidence in favor of its effectiveness. However, Engineering discipline may bring a series of exclusive methodological advantages to the process of FL teaching and learning, amongst which the most significant one is that it suits the needs of Action-oriented approach, which is considered as the main developmental strait of contemporary language education.

The main aim of this study is to investigate the effects of English-Engineering integrated instruction on elementary school children’s foreign language oral communicative competence and engineering design skills, as well as present the process of design and implementation of English-Engineering integrated instruction. To achieve this aim, three cycles of Design-Based Research, which combine quantitative and qualitative (narrative) data, were implemented. The former implements two quasi-experimental studies with pre-post test design, the latter is presented in a form of classroom observations conducted by the researcher.

The research process was accomplished within five steps. First, a literature review in three knowledge domains has been conducted, which include Content and Language Integrated Learning, Engineering and Learning by Design, and Curriculum integration. During the second, third, and fourth steps, three quasi-experimental studies were accomplished. The first research was aimed at the justification of operational instructional model for English-Engineering integrated instruction – “CDIO + Elementary English” (n=101) employing a short-term intervention (2 lessons); the second one digs deep into a linguistic component of communicative competence and provides a rationale for task organization and sequencing using more longitude instruction (6 lessons), it investigated the effects of E-EII on 4th-grade students’ (n=91) language fluency and complexity, as well as design ability; the third research investigates the effects of E- EII on the full range of learners’ FL communicative competence components (fluency, complexity, Willingness to Communicate, Thematic Coherence) and provides a rationale for longitude E-EII design and implementation within FL instruction.

At last, methodological affordances of Engineering discipline for FL instruction were analyzed and summarized, including the methodological advantages which design-based learning provides to Action-oriented approach. The issue of the positive role of learning technology implemented in the intervention (LEGO building blocks) was also addressed.

The results of this research reveal that English-Engineering integrated instruction is a reliable and flexible tool, which can effectively promote the development of students’ disciplinary core skills (communicative competence and design skills) and provide a series of methodological affordances for FL instructional design and implementation. The exclusive features of Engineering discipline can effectively address the problem of mechanical communication in FL classrooms, and comparing to conventional instruction, can foster greater depth of language processing in learners and support teachers in the process of development of more longitude and systematic design of instruction.

As to innovation point, this research, might afford implications for both research and pedagogical practice. As to the former, while other relevant studies investigated the effects of the instruction on either FL or Engineering related outcomes by using rather low-cost methods (e.g. questionnaires), this study used quite comprehensive methods for the assessment of learning outcomes for both disciplines. This might provide more reliable proves for the effectiveness of E-EII. As to the latter, since very few information in other relevant research was indicated regarding to particular advantages, which Engineering discipline may bring to FL instruction, as well as accessible methods of two disciplines integration, the detailed description of instructional practice presented in the thesis followed by description of relevant methodological affordances might be of a certain value for other researchers and practitioners.

One limitation of this study regards to teacher’s factor, which should have been addressed more carefully before the process of new approach implementation started, especially in terms of teachers’ attitudes and enthusiasm towards new instructional practices. Another limitation regards the assessment of design skills, which may lack the amount of sample. Assessment of this skill was conducted by analysis of students’ artifacts, which they built collaboratively in small groups, but not personally.

As to future directions, we think it is necessary to implement discourse analysis research in order to more deeply investigate the exclusive advantages, which Engineering discipline discourse brings to learners' FL communicative competence development. It is also important to explore cognitive dimensions of learning processes within English-Engineering integrated instruction, particularly, to investigate exclusive components of design thinking which may condition the better quality of second language acquisition.