The Age Factor in SLA and English Language Teaching in Elementary Schools in China

摘要

本文对英语学习的最佳年龄进行了研究。文章以山东省泰安市泰山现代中学的100名高一学生为对象，实验通过问卷调查和考卷测试两种方式。问卷包括1个开放性问题和8个封闭性问题，主要调查学生对英语学习的态度。根据问卷调查中关于英语学习的起始年龄这一问题，受试者可以被分为三类,即6岁或6岁以前开始学习英语的学生、9岁开始学习英语的学生、13岁开始学习英语的学生。考卷测试是对学生英语学习的水平 (听力、语法、阅读、写作)进行测试。问卷调查结果表明，6岁或6岁以前的学生对英语学习持消极态度。9岁的学生学习英语的兴趣最大。考卷测试结果表明,9岁开始学习英语的学生在各项测试任务中均表现最为优秀。由此，本文认为我国进行外语启蒙教育的最佳年龄似应为9岁(在我国处于此年龄段的学生通常处于小学三年级),而并非年龄越小越好。希望上述实验结果对于确定英语学习的起始时间有一定的参考价值。

目录

文摘

英文文摘

声明

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Background

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Significance of the Study:

1.4 Clarification of the Key Terms

Chapter 2 Literature Review

2.1 Age

2.2 General Introduction of Critical Period Hypothesis

2.3 Theoretical Base of Critical Period Hypothesis

2.4 Previous Researches on CPH

2.5 Previous Researches on FLES Abroad

2.6 A Brief History of FLES in China since the Early 1960s

2.7 What Is the Optimum Age for Chinese Students to Learn English?

Chapter 3 Research on Age Onset of SLA and its Results

3.1 General Description

3.2 Research Design

3.3 Results and Analyses

3.4 Summary

Chapter 4 Discussions and Suggestions

4.1 General Description

4.2 English Teaching Methods in Elementary Schools in China

Chapter 5 Conclusion

5.1 Conclusion of the Survey

5.2 Limitations of the Survey and Suggestions for the Future Research

Bibliography

Appendix

攻读硕士学位期间发表的学术论文