①口语教材中的情景对话
各种训练口语的书籍中,都有了一些使用频率较高的情景对话素材。
可以组织几个同学,分别扮演对话中某个角色,轮流朗读各自的台词。
然后再朗读第二遍,这时,同学之间需要轮换不同的角色,分别朗读新的台词。
朗读几遍之后,能够背诵的同学,可以不再看书,通过背诵台词来扮演角色,去假想角色的所处的情景,去感受角色内心的情绪,去揣摩角色使用的语气。
到最后,最好所有参与者都能通过背诵台词来扮演角色。
这种角色扮演的方法,是比较常用的口语训练方法。不过,这种方法在执行的过程中,有可能会遇到一些问题,从而让学习无法开始,或者很难坚持。
常见问题1:很难组织到恰好几个有学习动力又能互相配合的同学。
有些同学可能因为性格内向而不愿开口,有些同学个性怪异不愿配合,有些同学自恃优秀不愿再练习低级简单的口语。
常见问题2:每个同学的背诵能力不同。
有些同学诵读一两次后,就能背诵,有些诵读五六次后,朗读起来仍是结结巴巴。能背诵的同学要做到不骄傲不歧视,不能背诵的同学要做到不自卑不气馁,都是非常困难的事情。
常见问题3:代入角色很难。
比如在机场过安检,日常生活中必然会遇到,但对有些学生来说,仍属于很小众的机会,两三年才有一两次,要在教室里把自己的思维代入进对话角色,会感觉很困难,很枯燥,没什么乐趣。
常见问题4:练习效果难以保证。
学生在练习中常常会有这样的感觉:即使背诵了对话,到了现实的场景中,仍然可能会口舌无措。因为现实中的情况千变万化,非常灵活,而背下的台词却是死的,缺少变化。
其实,如果能够保证在背诵了几篇或十几篇的对话之后,就可以解决口语交流中的各种问题,恐怕大多数人都会一咬牙,强迫自己背下来。
但事实上,口语教材版本极多,每本上的对话都不重样。当你背下来这十来篇以后,仍然会发现,后面可能还有更多的教材、更多的场景、更多的对话,都需要背诵。
我们很难去鼓励一个内向之人爱上开口,也很难强迫一个背诵困难者去背诵对话,更何况背诵之路又难又长,背诵之后还不一定有效果呢!
所以,虽然口语教材到处都是,角色扮演的方法人人皆知,但无论是最初的开始,还是过程中的长期坚持,都并不容易。
②自己设计对话
除了各种情景的对话素材以外,在学习中,我们还可以根据课文的内容,把自己代入某个角色,来设计出对话。
以《新概念二》中的第一篇课文为例,这篇课文的内容如下:
A private conversation
Last week I went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were talking loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned round. I looked at the man and the woman angrily. They did not pay any attention. In the end, I could not bear it. I turned round again. ‘I can't hear a word!’ I said angrily.
‘It's none of your business,’ the young man said rudely. ‘This is a private conversation!’
作者在观看演出,后排两位观众不停地讲话,作者转过头去,抱怨什么都听不到,而后排观众则回答说他们是私人谈话。
我们可以把自己代入作者,假想这样的场景:作者气冲冲地走进洗手间,这时候,一个朋友打来电话,询问作者在干什么。我们可以由此而设计出两个人的对话:
A: What are you doing, Jim?
B: I am watching a play in the theatre.
A: Have I bothered you now?
B: No, It’s OK. I am just going out to have a break.
A: Is the play very interesting?
B: Yes, It is. But I don’t enjoy it.
A: Why?
B: Because a man and a woman sitting behind me talked loudly.
A: Oh!You should tell them not to talk any more.
B: Yes, I did. I complained to them that I couldn’t hear a word.
A: So, did they stop their talking?
B: No, the man replied that their talking was a private conversation and it was none of my business!
A: Oh! Haha!
B: You are laughing at me!
A: I’m sorry! I can’t help laughing! I think you should directly tell them not to talk in the theatre.
B: Yes, I should be more directly. I will try this once more. I will go back now. See you!
A: Bye!
同样,我们可以假设:后排的观众第二天和朋友聊天,聊到看演出的经历,然后设计出相关的谈话:
A: What did you do last night, Tom?
B: I went to the theatre with my girlfriend Mary to watch a play.
A: Was the play very interesting?
B: I didn’t know. I paid little attention to the play. I was very exciting to be with Mary.
A: So, everything was perfect, I guess.
B: No, when we were talking, the man sitting in front of us turned back and said that he couldn’t hear a word!
A: How rudely this man was! What did you reply?
B: I told him angrily that this was a private conversation!
A: And then?
B: The man said again that he couldn’t hear the actors and people should keep in silence in the theatre!
A: Aha!
B: I said sorry to him and didn’t talk with Mary any more. But when we walked out of the theatre, Mary and I couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
可以看到:对课文内容稍微作一点简单的引申和加工,就能自己设计出各式各样的对话内容来,用这样的对话来进行角色扮演,比直接去背诵口语书籍中的素材,更有趣味性,更有代入感。
并且,这样的练习,并不像其他口语练习那样,一篇接一篇地翻来覆去地练习口语,而是间插在课文的其他学习方式中进行的。因为事先已经通过其他学习方式熟悉了课文的内容,所以再进一步加工而得出对话,并不太困难。
利用课文来设计对话,除了难度较小以外,可选课文的数目极多,例如,仅仅新概念二上就有96篇,完全不用担心找不到谈话的主题和内容,并且随着课文的难度由易到难,设计对话的难度也会逐渐增加。