An Analysis On "Pseudo-Dialogue" In English Teaching In Junior Middle School

In the traditional English teaching, teachers are always considered as masters, while students areconsidered as servants. Under the background of English curriculum reform, the application of dialogueteaching theory is comparatively an effective way to improve the traditional English teaching and is also ofadvantage to help achieve the realization of the reform on English teaching. However, the investigation ofthe situation concerning the application of the dialogue teaching theory in real English classes indicates thatthere do exist a series of problems, the major one of which is pseudo-dialogue. On the one handpseudo-dialogue wastes the learning recourses and learning time, on the other hand, pseudo-dialoguecannot greatly promote the English abilities of students. And the types of pseudo-dialogues include:(1)yes-no judgment dialogue,(2) skin-deep dialogue,(3) teacher-centered dialogue,(4) closed dialogue,(5)performing dialogue. These pseudo-dialogues fail to perform the function that a true dialogue does inteaching. What is worse, more and more pseudo-dialogues emerge in English teaching. The review of thetheory and the survey of the previous studies show that few studies have been conducted onpseudo-dialogues in English teaching. Fewer studies have been found concerning the pseudo-dialogue inEnglish teaching in Junior Middle School. Therefore, it is of practical significance to make a study ofpseudo-dialogue in English teaching in Junior Middle School.Based majorly upon the previous study, this research aims to investigate and analyze theproblems in regard to pseudo-dialogue in English teaching in Junior Middle School, and moreover, itattempts to find out the characteristics of pseudo-dialogue and causes which lead to pseudo-dialogue.According to the research objectives, two research questions are proposed:(1) what are the characteristicsof pseudo-dialogue in English teaching in Junior Middle School? and (2) what are the causes which lead topseudo-dialogue in English teaching in Junior Middle School? Based upon the questions, this researchtakes a number of students and teachers, who are from The Affiliated Junior Middle School of HenanNormal University in Xinxiang city, Henan province, as its research subjects. Four main research methodsare involved in this study: classroom observation and audio-recording, research questionnaires andinterviews. The investigation finds that pseudo-dialogue has the following characteristics: non-interactivity,unequality, passivity, non-creativity, and unilateral output. In addition, the causes which lead topseudo-dialogue include the following factors, the factors from the teachers:(1) The teachers in JuniorMiddle School know little about dialogue teaching theory.(2) The teachers in Junior Middle School lackdialogue abilities. The factors from the students:(1) The students lack dialogue awareness.(2) There areindividual differences among students. The factors from the examination: namely, the prevailedexamination system and evaluation mechanism are unsatisfactory. And the factors from space and time:(1)The space of the classroom is not ideal enough.(2) The arrangement of class time is not distributedappropriately. This present study is of significance in that it can help the students and the teachers tobecome aware of the negative effects that pseudo-dialogue has on English teaching and learning in Englishteaching in Junior Middle School.The thesis is composed of five chapters.Chapter One is the introduction of the present research. It includes the following three aspects:the research background, the research objectives, and the overall structure of this thesis.Chapter Two is the literature review. It represents the theoretical basis of the study and reviewssome definitions and researches on dialogue theory at home and abroad, summarizes the basis of dialogueteaching theory and its features as well as the definitions and categories of pseudo-dialogue.Chapter Three is research design, which includes the following four parts: research questions,research subjects, research methods and research procedures.Chapter Four presents the results and the analysis of this study. This chapter mainly analyzes theresults from the classroom observation and audio-recording, and discusses the questionnaires and theinterviews respectively.Chapter Five is the conclusion of this study. This part first makes a summary of the majorfindings of this study, which reveals the major characteristics of pseudo-dialogue and factors which lead topseudo-dialogue. In addition, this chapter also gives some pedagogical suggestions for the English teachersand some school authorities in Junior Middle School. Lastly, it presents the limitations of this study anddiscusses the prospects for the further research in this area.These five chapters center primarily upon the analysis of the characteristics of pseudo-dialogue and moreover, the causes which lead to pseudo-dialogue from the perspective of dialogue teaching theory.These chapters, ranging from research rationale to research design, from the empirical analysis to theexploration of the teaching remedies for pseudo-dialogue, are organically connected into an integrated unit.