Multi-Dimensional Thoughts on English

Abstract: English Language teaching involves various English teaching techniques in terms of listening, speaking, reading, writing and the like skills. Traditional teaching ways are mostly discussed from that standpoint. Here, some new English classroom teaching techniques are introduced and evaluated in a dimensional perspective, which relate to such elements as the students, the teacher, classroom organization and management, and instructional strategies, etc. It makes English classroom teaching more effective, thus improve English classroom teaching results. So, it’s advisable for English teachers to reconsider and reevaluate their teaching strategy and result in language classroom from a new multi-dimensional angle in order to improve English teaching efficiency.      
Key words: English classroom teaching; techniques; multi-dimensional perspective; strategy; teaching efficiency
0 Introduction 
Traditional English teaching techniques are mainly discussed from horizontal angle, for example, from the detailed skills like listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating skills on activity-based approaches to English teaching. However, related studies to English Classroom teaching techniques from a dimensional perspective are relatively weak or not systematical. To meet different educational and linguistic needs of students, the essay attempts to provide an overview of appropriate classroom techniques, discussing English teaching techniques from a multi-dimensional perspective. It highlights the importance of effective classroom management and organization and supports teachers in the management of classroom resources based on extensive practice in lesson planning in terms of language aims. Ten techniques are introduced and briefly discussed, dealing with a specific aspect of teaching methodology and classroom practice. Each technique has a theme-based approach for the task content which involves ten aspects: students’ levels, the teacher, giving instructions, organizing student groupings, seating arrangements, teaching vocabulary, reading sequence, speaking tasks, beginning the lesson and game strategy in English language classroom.
1 Teaching Objects in English Classroom
1.1 The students
Most often, the language classes are at different levels. So the teacher should try to work out the level of each class and adjust teaching methods, so-called “suit the instruction to the student’s level”, in Chinese “因材施教”.[1] Each student has his or her different educational and linguistic need, therefore the teacher should try to adapt the teaching tasks and contents to the whole class by using appropriate classroom techniques and take special consideration into lectures including giving different feedbacks in different situations. For example, for some lower levels of students, the teacher’s expected to give more encouragements to them instead of some negative or quiet reactions, and if necessary the teacher needs to help them to do the questions.
1.2 The teacher
The teacher plays an important role in language class, among which, where he or she stands or sits is also a key element affecting students’ activity and language talents’ development. For example, by crouching next to a group and not being visible to other groups, the teacher is not interfering with what they’re doing. By standing up, the teacher is still visible. People might be listening to what the teacher is saying to a particular student, not focusing on what they’re supposed to be doing with their group.[2] If not visible, the teacher can help the group that he or she is working with allowing the others to get on with it and then move on. So crouching next to a group sometimes is a good way for giving instructions and teaching English. Standing or sitting around them helps correct their grammatical mistakes and make them more comfortable instead of just standing in the front of the class.
When giving instructions, teachers should make their instruction interesting and understood clearly by everyone instead of just two or few advanced levels. The teacher needs to wonder whether they’ve suck in or not.[3] If not, teachers should make sure that their explanation quite explicit and the demonstration very clear, and if possible, try to give instructions in different ways, if only for variety. So in a sense, giving instructions is good comprehensible input.
2 Multi-dimensional elements in English classroom
2.1The organization and management of English classroom
As for organizing student groupings, it depends on students, and it depends on the activity. The great thing about pair work is that everyone is either talking or listening. So sometimes it’s more advantageous than group work in which some may be talking for most time while one or more might be drifting off into a daydream.[4] Of course, group work suits discussion or a group competition better. So, it all depends.
Right seating arrangements will let students fell more at ease and thus help with their performance. It also helps some students dominate the feedback sessions.[5]For example, being seated around a large table with varying levels within the group will benefit them from learning each other.
2.2 Instructional strategies
In language class, teaching vocabulary is a very important part for language learning. So it’s very necessary for English learners to master some good ways of remembering a large number of new words. For example, sorting out the similar kinds of words, like words on food and cooking: vegetable, parsley, beef, peach, and milk; stir, scramble, boil, slice, chop, bake, beat, grate, fry, and roast.[6] Anyway, by making a memorable vocabulary either by sorting or by drawing and miming, the student will not forget it forever.
Reading is another important part for language learning. Then what will be the right reading sequence? That’s the question. There are many discussions on it. A good and effective way is first to generate students’ interest in the topic that they were reading and to give them their own input into the task to share their knowledge and experience of the topic, the so-called warming-up and background information, and giving some questions on gist and then the language points involving grammar or important expressions. [7] 
And the style of speaking task and beginning the lesson depends on the learning materials. For focused courses like grammar or academic writing, the teacher may introduce the goal for the class first and for oral classes the teacher may start off activities by modeling and demonstrating and then ask the class to model among partners instead of introducing the goal first. Variety would be better. Of course, confidence is a great word in speaking class.
2.3 Game strategy
Games play an important role in activating the mood of the class and motivating students’ performances. Then what is the sort of the key characteristics of a good game? It should be an element of competition, a kind of motivating them to take part in, for students love team games, especially sort of fast-paced activities.[8] And in the games, it may involve vocabulary and grammar, so it’s an effective way of language learning especially for children learning English.
3 Conclusion
In summary, the above-mentioned techniques in aspects of the student, the teacher, classroom organization and management, instructional strategy and game strategy used in language classroom are very useful and practical for teachers to adopt which prove effective in English classes. So, it is advisable for English teachers to take such dimensional elements into consideration in language classroom in order to improve teaching efficiency as well as students’ English level to the utmost.
References:
1. Jeremy Harmer, 3rd edition, The Practice of English Language Teaching [M], Pearson Education, 2001.
2. David Vale and Anne Feuteun, A Training Course for Teachers of English to Children[M], Cambridge University Press, 1995.
 
3. Jin Jing, Interaction in English Classroom Teaching [J], Time Education, 2009(2).
4. Colin Smith and Robert Laslett, Effective Classroom Management: A Teacher's Guide [M], Routledge, 1993.
5. Joyce Mcleod, Jan Fisher and Ginny Hoover, The Key Elements of Classroom Management [M], ASCD, 2003.
6. Wendy A. Scott and Lisbeth H.Ytreberg, Teaching English to Children [M], New York, Longman Group UK Limited, 1990.


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