Silence is Gold: On the Delayed Oral Practice

Abstract

在語言教學的研究中有許多的證據顯示，任何人要成功地習得一個外語，充足的接觸和理解是首要的條件；延遲口語訓練(Delayed Oral Practice)及積極聽解訓練(ActiveListening Method)教學法則更進一步地主張在外語教學的最初期，積極聽力訓練是最能促進語言習得的活動，任何強制性的口語訓練對學習者都是有害無益的。本文的主旨就是要對於在外語教學的最初期實施積極聽解訓練並延遲口語訓練的教學法提出支持的論證。從語言心理、認知、情感、及語言功能數方面我們提出其理論上的基礎；說明積極聽解法的幾種實踐的技巧；並且在多項研究實驗結果中得到延遲口語訓練是一個有效的教學法的實際證明。本文的第二部份描述一個在英語教學上應用延遲口語訓練的實驗，其特點是綜合了數種積極聽解的方法。結果顯示口語訓練延遲至第三週的實驗組在最後測驗中，聽解、說話、及辭彙辨識的能力均較控制組略優。最後我們討論此次實驗的意義、改進的方向、和需要更進一步研究的各項課題。

Based on the overwhelming evidence that adequate exposure and comprehension are imperative in any variety of language acquisition, this paper argues that at the initial stage of second language instruction, oral practice is best delayed for an extended period of time. Psycholinguistic, affective, and functional advantages of implementing a silent period with active listening activities will be discussed. A survey is then presented of active listening activities will be discussed. A survey is then presented of active listening techniques utilized in the silent period and previous studies and experiments on delayed oral practice. Next, I describe an experiment where oral practice is delayed in the experimental group with a combination of active listening strategies. The results show that, while the stronger form of the research hypothesis that the experimental group perform significantly better than the control group in speaking, listening comprehension, and word-recognition did not obtain, the experimental group did perform as well as the control group. Implications of the study and suggestions on further research are then discussed.