Research on the Blended Teaching Model of English in Open Education Based on Production-Oriented Approach ()
1. Introduction
English learning can cultivate students’ awareness of cross-cultural communication, enhance students’ communicative competence, and enable them to use English efficiently in their study, life, social communication and work. However, there are some problems in English teaching in open education, which cannot meet the needs of the country, society and individuals. There are two main problems in English teaching in open education: one is that teachers input more and students output less. The common mode adopted by teachers in class is to take textbooks as the main teaching materials and spend a lot of time explaining the text. Most students’ learning is passive input. At the same time, students in open education are adult students, who study in their spare time. Because of the lack of class hours, they have little opportunity and no time for language output. This kind of teaching mode often makes teachers exhausted, while students are killing time. The second problem is the separation of learning and application. Even if students diligently master the knowledge taught by the teacher, teaching is also difficult to produce the desired effect if students do not have effective output. In this case, Professor Wen Qiufang and her team put forward the theory of Production-oriented Approach (POA) in foreign language teaching.
But can POA theory be applied to English learning in open education? How can it be applied in open English teaching? Can teachers’ leading position in teaching and students’ learning enthusiasm be improved through continuous optimization and improvement of teaching methods? This paper will explore the English teaching model of open education based on production-oriented approach.
2. Theoretical System and Feasibility Analysis of Production-Oriented Approach
2.1. Theoretical System of Production-Oriented Approach
Production-oriented Approach is a foreign language teaching theory in line with China’s national conditions proposed by Professor Wen Qiufang in 2015. It aims to overcome the disadvantages of “separation of learning and application” in foreign language teaching in China. After decades of development and improvement, this theory has had a certain impact in domestic and international academic circles. It emphasizes the role of output activities in language learning and connects output with input, which puts forward new teaching ideas for improving the efficiency of English teaching. In this theory, output is regarded as both the driving force and the goal of language acquisition. Input is the enabling means to complete the current output task, not just to cultivate understanding ability and lay the foundation for future language output. The theoretical system consists of three parts: teaching philosophy, teaching hypothesis and teaching process (Wen, 2015). See the following Figure 1 for details.
The teaching philosophy of POA advocates “Learning-centered Principle”, “Learning-using Integrated Principle” and “Whole-person Education Principle”. “Learning-centered Principle” advocates that all teaching activities should be learning-centered, and advocates the achievement of teaching objectives and effective learning. The theory of “Learning-using Integrated Principle” advocates the close relationship between learning and application. All teaching activities in the classroom should serve effective learning, take output as the starting point and goal, and solve the problem of separation of learning and application (Li & Li, 2020). “Whole-person Education Principle” advocates that English learning should not only improve students’ comprehensive language use ability, but also achieve humanistic goals such as improving students’ autonomous learning ability and comprehensive cultural literacy.
The teaching hypothesis of POA include “Output-driven”, “Input-enabled”
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Figure 1. Theoretical system of production-oriented approach.
and “Selective Learning”. “Output-driven” advocates that teachers design output tasks to make students aware of their insufficient language ability, so as to stimulate students’ learning enthusiasm. “Input-enabled” advocates that teachers give appropriate input materials and tasks to improve students’ learning efficiency. “Selective Learning” advocates that teachers select the parts with high relevance to the output objectives in the input materials according to the output needs for key practice, so as to optimize students’ learning effect.
The teaching process of POA is divided into three steps: motivating, enabling, assessing (Wen, 2013). In this process, the role of teachers is mostly guide and design. Teaching process is not only the carrier of realizing teaching ideas and testing teaching assumptions, but also the steps and means to realize the teaching goal of POA (Wen, 2017). With the progress of teaching, teachers should encourage students to find suitable input materials and gradually improve students’ sense of learning responsibility.
2.2. Feasibility of the Application of Production-Oriented Approach in English Teaching of Open Education
POA can be applied to English teaching of open education: first, POA has the ability to innovate teaching ideas. Students in open education study in their spare time, so there is little time for centralized face-to-face teaching. In a limited time, the text-centered teaching method is difficult to finish the textbook content. If POA is adopted, the textbook content can be selectively studied under the visible and measurable output tasks. Secondly, POA focuses on interactive communication, which can improve students’ learning efficiency. POA advocates setting up teaching activities by combing and integrating knowledge. Teachers enhance emotional communication with students through interactive activities. Students master knowledge and stimulate learning interest through interaction, so as to learn English knowledge independently and improve learning quality. Finally, the theory gives students the ability to output English tasks.
In POA teaching theory, teachers can set clear, realistic and measurable teaching objectives, design tasks with potential communicative value, and let students fully participate in them. In the later stage, both teachers and students can participate in the assessing activities.
3. The Role of Production-Oriented Approach in Blended Teaching of English in Open Education
English teaching in open education adopts blended teaching model combining online and offline. Through the combination of traditional classroom teaching and new network teaching, teachers can not only effectively use the online platform to publish teaching resources, enrich students’ learning content and learning methods, but also give full play to the advantages of classroom teaching interactive communication, which is the complementary advantages of the two teaching methods. Of course, blended teaching is not to use the new teaching platform to carry out innovative teaching activities, but to improve students’ autonomous learning ability with the help of the network and further deepen students’ learning content. Professor He Kekang also believes that “the so-called blended learning is to combine the advantages of traditional learning methods with the advantages of E-learning (i.e. digital or network learning); that is, it is necessary to give full play to the leading role of teachers in guiding, enlightening and monitoring the teaching process, and fully reflect the initiative, enthusiasm and creativity of students as the main body of the learning process” (He, 2004). Therefore, blended learning not only gives play to students’ learning autonomy, but also emphasizes the leading role of teachers. In blended teaching model, students are the main participants and promoters of learning activities, which can better stimulate students’ learning enthusiasm and creativity, so as to improve the ability and efficiency of learning and applying knowledge. The role of POA in blended teaching of English in open education is as follows:
3.1. Cultivating Comprehensive Ability of Students in Open Education
English teaching in open education pays attention to the all-round development of students. While laying emphasis on the improvement of students’ basic English knowledge and skills, it also pays attention to the improvement of students’ humanistic quality and the cultivation of cross-cultural awareness, the exertion of students’ initiative in English learning and the cultivation of students’ autonomous learning ability, so as to enable students to have the consciousness and ability of autonomous learning. At the same time, students should have innovative spirit and practical ability.
English teaching of open education under the guidance of POA focuses on the cultivation of students’ comprehensive ability. Among many abilities, autonomous learning ability is the most important ability in the learning process of students in open education. Good autonomous learning methods can effectively stimulate students’ learning initiative and enthusiasm and enable students to master knowledge from their own point of view (Wang, 2019).
3.2. Improving English Learning Level of Students in Open Education
In traditional English teaching, teachers teach English through oral teaching, which has an obvious color of “cramming” teaching and has been criticized by the society. However, students in open education are more passive in English learning, have resistance to English learning, their main learning demands have not been reasonably met, their individual differences have not received corresponding attention, and they are highly dependent on teachers. Teachers’ integration of POA with the blended teaching model can not only effectively mobilize the English learning enthusiasm of open students, but also shorten the distance between teachers and students, fully show the content of student-oriented, pay attention to students’ individual differences and learning demands, and further improve students’ language learning ability and practical level (Cao & Peng, 2019).
3.3. Improving the Quality and Efficiency of English Teaching in Open Education
Traditional English teaching is inefficient. On the one hand, the English teaching model is solidified and students learn passively; On the other hand, English teaching is limited by time and space, and students’ autonomous learning ability is lack. The blended teaching model of English under the guidance of POA has solved these two problems. Students of open education have mastered the autonomy of English learning, their learning is more flexible, teachers’ dominant position in teaching is weakened, students’ dominant position returns, and teachers pay more attention to the cultivation of students’ comprehensive ability. Therefore, the blended teaching based on POA is more in line with the concept of open education. It can also bring about the double improvement of the quality and efficiency of English teaching in open education.
4. Construction of Blended Teaching Model of English in Open Education Based on Production-Oriented Approach
Blended teaching model of English based on POA is a model of integration of online and offline teaching, guided by the output task. The teaching design closely revolves around the teaching objectives, links with each other, and gradually deepens, integrating language and education throughout the whole teaching process, which realizes the cultivation of students’ comprehensive abilities in language, skills, thinking and world outlook. According to the setting of teaching objectives and output tasks, teaching activities are divided into three aspects, that is, output motivating, input enabling and output assessing. The whole teaching process is gradual and in-depth, and finally achieves the overall goal of teaching. In the process of achieving the goal, teachers should stimulate students’ learning interest and innovative thinking, and cultivate their ability to analyze and solve problems.
4.1. Before Class: Output Motivating Step
Output motivating step of POA makes students aware of the limitations of their language ability in the integration attempt, so as to generate learning motivation. The output motivating step aims to stimulate students’ learning enthusiasm and output desire (Zhang, 2015). For example, teachers assign theme discussions to students before class. Through the attempt of output tasks, students quickly find that they have many deficiencies in cultural background awareness, language expression ability, logical thinking ability and on-the-spot adaptability. They need to achieve the task goal through in-depth study of the text. Teachers arrange students’ online autonomous learning tasks before class to turn students’ learning from passive to active. Only when students really participate in the teaching process can they learn effectively and become the master of learning.
Teachers should prepare students for input materials according to the output objectives. Students can prepare new words, sentences, grammar and text materials and video materials related to the course in the early stage of course learning. Students can also put the English learning materials they find on the sharing platform so that other students can watch and study. Furthermore, teachers also need to assign course tasks before class, guide students to actively search and learn input materials, and strengthen students’ understanding and memory of key contents in the course.
In addition, teachers need to recognize the change of their role. Teachers are not only organizers in learning activities, but also evaluators in the whole teaching process. They need to guide and solve the problems in students’ autonomous learning before class, so that students can realize the importance of pre-course preview. Students can not only use the learning platform for daily communication, but also focus on the discussion of many problems in the learning process for teachers and other students to discuss and analyze. In this process, teachers need to sort out and summarize problems, and explain the key points in the teaching stage of the course.
4.2. During Class: Input Enabling Step
In the input enabling step of POA, students are the main body and teachers are the intermediary. The input enabling step during class is the key to promote students’ autonomous learning and the integration of learning and application. All teachers’ activities should aim at promoting students to complete the output task, rather than simply completing the explanation of textbooks and the indoctrination of key points of knowledge.
The blended teaching model in open education under the guidance of POA is also committed to the “enabling” of teaching, which is mainly reflected in that teachers can provide corresponding learning assistance for students to complete the target output tasks. From the design of output tasks to the effective organization and arrangement of teaching activities, teachers need to give full play to their subjective initiative, and make all steps of teaching connect effectively. Teaching design and activity arrangement should adhere to the integration of learning and application and highlight the cultivation of students’ key abilities. The specific output involves many factors such as content, language, cognition and cross-cultural communication strategies. Teachers should provide students with online and offline input materials and design corresponding teaching activities according to many factors of language teaching. Under the blended teaching model based on POA, teachers should follow the principles of step-by-step and diversity, take students as the main body, and encourage them to carry out online and offline blended learning.
Teachers should also make teaching activities as colorful as possible based on the actual needs of output tasks, so that students can receive training in hearing, feeling, vision and other aspects, so as to realize the cultivation of their thinking abilities such as listening, speaking, reading and writing in English learning. Teachers can also ask students to submit their inquiry learning results, and then teachers can guide students to make group or individual speeches online, and let them finally display the results in the form of report. Teachers give targeted guidance according to the problems in students’ learning output, which can not only make students learn more knowledge and skills, but also drive students’ after-class extended learning.
4.3. After Class: Output Assessing Step
The main purpose of output assessing step of POA is to help teachers and students understand the teaching effect and let students find their own shortcomings in team activities. A complete teaching process must be based on an effective output assessing step. This step is mainly for teachers to comprehensively evaluate the output of motivating step and enabling step, as well as the organizational effect of teaching activities, and put forward corresponding guidance. The output assessing step of blended teaching under the guidance of POA focuses on the comprehensive assessing of online and offline motivating output, task objective output and task implementation. Teachers should clarify the problems existing in English teaching in the assessing and deal with them in time, so as to better guide English teaching of open education.
From the perspective of assessing occasions, blended teaching assessing includes both online and offline teaching assessing. Teachers can flexibly choose assessing occasions according to the nature of tasks and the arrangement of teaching activities. From the perspective of assessing time, there are immediate assessing and delayed assessing. The assessing of students’ output tasks made by teachers at any time in the motivating and enabling steps corresponds to immediate assessing, while the output tasks completed by students after class and finally submitted in written form need to be assigned and evaluated by teachers after class. This kind of assessing belongs to delayed assessing.
Whether it is immediate assessing or delayed assessing, teachers need to reasonably promote assessing online and offline according to specific teaching activities, so as to truly provide guidance and reference for English teaching of open education. In addition, teachers should maintain good teacher-student interaction during teaching assessing, and reasonably add teacher comments, student self-assessing, student mutual assessing and teacher-student collaborative assessing according to the needs of output tasks. Effective assessing can help students of open education to check and make up for deficiencies in the process of English learning, help students review and consolidate their old knowledge, preview and exchange new knowledge, and realize the transformation of English learning from quantitative change to qualitative change.
5. Reflection on the Application of Production-Oriented Approach in English Teaching of Open Education
The feature of POA is to let students feel the distance between the knowledge reserve required to complete the output task and their existing knowledge reserve in the practice of language communication, so as to realize the importance of learning curriculum knowledge and flexibly using the reserved knowledge to complete language output, so as to generate strong interest in learning, and establish a powerful spiritual power to improve their own knowledge output system. In the specific application of POA, output motivating step, input enabling step and output assessing step all put forward higher requirements for teachers and students.
5.1. Difficulties in the Teaching Implementation of Production-Oriented Approach
The application of production-oriented approach requires teachers to carefully set language output tasks. In traditional English teaching, teachers often pay more attention to the explanation of text knowledge, spend more energy on courseware making and input of language knowledge, put the feedback of teaching effect on after-class practice and examination, and ignore students’ language output and cultural communication activities. If teachers do not change their teaching ideas well and cannot well understand the teaching concept of “Learning for Application” of POA, it is easy to have an uneven distribution of classroom teaching time and make POA a mere formality. Production-oriented approach requires teachers to set language output tasks and implement the key input of language knowledge around the achievement of task objectives. If task output has little to do with classroom input, students’ knowledge cannot be effectively used.
At present, the focus of offline teaching of open education has shifted from teachers to students, and the cultivation process of students’ autonomous learning ability has been paid full attention. However, this leads some teachers to ignore their teaching contents, put more energy on the organization of classroom teaching activities, pay no attention to the monitoring and assessment of project tasks, ignore the intermediary and guidance of teachers in curriculum teaching, reduce the efficiency of language learning, and cannot improve students’ language ability and cultural communication ability.
5.2. Suggestions on Teaching Practice of Production-Oriented Approach
Firstly, in the output motivating step, teachers should provide students with input materials before completing the possible tasks of the class and guide students to complete the pre-class tasks. In the implementation of teaching tasks, teachers should fully consider the differences of students’ individual abilities.
Secondly, in the input enabling step, teachers should design output tasks around the teaching objectives of the course. The tasks should reflect the various communication situations that students may encounter in real life, and also control the difficulty coefficient of students’ task output to meet the needs of open education learners at different levels to improve their English language level. At the same time, the setting of tasks must be related to the teaching objectives of the course, so that students can flexibly use the vocabulary, phrases and sentence patterns in the course. Otherwise, it will affect the quality of teaching output.
Thirdly, in the output assessing step, teachers should find the problems existing in the process of students’ language output and task achievement, and correct them in time, so that students at different levels can improve their ability qualitatively through output assessing step. From the perspective of assessing effect, it is very important for teachers to make full preparations, carefully design the key points and difficulties of assessing, and provide professional guidance to students as a whole (Wen, 2016).
Finally, teachers should learn to balance the relationship between their own mediating role and students’ autonomous initiative, so as to form an organic complementation between them. In task design, teachers can arrange learning tasks targeted so that students can selectively reproduce classroom content and language knowledge. Teachers should carry out the selection of input materials, sort out the entry points of each unit, and selectively guide students’ learning. With the in-depth development of curriculum teaching and task output, teachers should gradually reduce their intermediary role, so that students can play more autonomy in task implementation and task assessing.
6. Conclusion
The blended teaching model based on POA is an innovative way of English teaching design in open education. It can improve the teaching effect of English on the basis of stimulating the learning enthusiasm of open education students, play an important role in cultivating students’ English language communication ability and improving teachers’ teaching level. In the teaching practice of English in open education, teachers not only need to constantly improve the overall planning of teaching, but also give full play to the advantages of production-oriented approach, timely update the teaching assessing model, stimulate the learning interest and motivation of students in open education, and improve the students’ English application ability.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to the anonymous reviewers for reading and commenting on the early drafts of this article.
Funding
The project is supported by The First Batch of Provincial Research Projects on Ideological and Political Teaching of Curriculum in Zhejiang Province in 2021, Research on the Intelligent Teaching Model of Ideological and Political Education in Open English Curriculum Based on Production-oriented Approach. Innovation Research Team of English Teaching Paradigm of Zhejiang Open University in 2019. Huang Ruihong Excellent Teacher Studio of Applied English.