High School Textbooks In The Development Of Background Knowledge

The twenty-first century is the era of information, and closer contacts between countries. English has become a universal language, which means to change the traditional teaching of English to teach the language for the purpose of knowledge and language skills, but also to increase the cultural background in teaching knowledge of the content. High school English curriculum standards clearly points that students are exposed to expand the scope of foreign cultures to help students broaden horizons and enable them to improve the sensitivity of the similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign cultures and the ability to identify. The students can lay a good foundation of developing their intercultural communicative competence .In Shanghai, the existing high school English textbook whose units are covered with the content of cultural background at home or aboard. After interviewing some experimental model high schools in Shanghai, the author finds that the actual teaching emphasizes on language knowledge and teaching skills, however,background knowledge for teaching is subordinate , and the differences are large between schools and even in different classes of the same school. There is no clear content and objectives, no corresponding supplementary teaching materials. According to their own preferences and teaching materials, teachers gather information,so there is much flexibility. In response to this phenomenon, this study sets the Shanghai edition of the textbook example to develop and study the background knowledge. In the hope that it can give inspiration to first-line high school English teachers to help promote the quality of teaching high school English.This thesis is divided into five chapters, each chapter is summarized as follows:The first chapter is the introduction part, discussing the value and significance of this study and the current international status of the research background, and the paper's two core concepts are defined.The second chapter is the theoretical basis, using schema theory, constructivist learning theory and human learning theory and curriculum standards in English to illustrate the importance of the relevant contents of the background knowledge in the high school English teaching .The third chapter is to describe and analyze the background of the Oxford edition of Shanghai and the version of the new century of high school English textbooks. It not only discusses and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the background, but also explains the position, role and value of background knowledge in English teaching.The fourth chapter is the core of this thesis, namely, the development of teaching materials in the background, discussing the purpose , status, principles and strategies of the development of background knowledge. Learning background knowledge can stimulate students'interest in English and help students cultivate good quality of thinking. Teaching background knowledge must follow the progressive, suitability, integrity and practical principles, and should infiltrate in the daily teaching, take the multi- species of diverse forms, and use a variety of resources inside and outside class teaching.The fifth chapter elaborates the inspiration and advice of the development of background knowledge for the front-line teachers . Students want teachers to establish a new concept, and constantly improve their teaching level, read books to reinforce their own cultural heritage.There is a certain reference value for the high school English teaching in Shanghai. It is hoped that teachers can better organize teaching activities, optimize teaching background knowledge in accordance with student-centered classroom. Teaching through the background knowledge can not only improve the English proficiency of students but also subtly influence on students'development.