Probing The Hidden Curriculum In Fun With English

Since the theory of Hidden Curriculum came into being, it has absorbed much attention from many educational scholars and theorists. It concerns about students'life experience, learning process, emotional experience and the development of values, which are also emphasized by the elementary education reform in China. However, some problems have arisen along with the implementation of the new curriculum and the use of new textbooks. On the base of the results of research existed, the thesis probed the hidden curriculum in the current English textbook for junior school in order to advance the research and construction of the English textbook for junior school.The current English textbook for junior school, that is, Fun with English, was edited in cooperation by China and Britain, mainly serving the students in junior school of China. Thus, it inevitably involved hidden curriculum and have effects on the students. After briefly introducing the theory of Hidden Curriculum, the author systematically analyzes the hidden contents in the textbook and its positive and negative effects on the students. Here are the positive effects of the hidden contents in the textbook. Firstly, they are good for stimulating students'interest and motivation of learning English so that they can promote students'cognitive development. Secondly, they are good for promoting students'affective development. They can help students manage their emotion, cultivate their mind and foster good qualities. Thirdly, they are good for promoting students'moral development. They can make students have noble moral character and behavior. Fourthly, they are helpful for making students have international vision and inheriting the fine culture traditions of different nations. The negative effects of the hidden contents in the text are as following: first, invading students'cultural perspective of their own nation; second, misleading students'understanding of Urbanization in China; third, invades students'scientific spirits; fourthly, misleading students'attitudes towards consumption.Through analysis the interview data, the author also makes suggestions for how to make better use of the hidden curriculum in that English textbook. The author finds that the middle school teachers know little about the theory of Hidden Curriculum although they have noticed the importance of affective education in teaching and they haven't made full use of the positive effects of the hidden contents in the textbook while the negative effects of the hidden contents in the textbook have been ignored. Thus, the author suggests that the authorities make training plan to train teachers to apply the theory of Hidden Curriculum to make better use of the hidden contents in the English textbook. As for the teachers, they should put what they learned into practice to promote students'full development and guide students to evaluate the textbook and avoid or weaken the negative effects of the hidden contents in the textbook.