As for the discrimination between situation teaching and circumstance teaching, the author thinks that there is no such serious boundary. Both of them aim to provide a studying environment for students who learn to speak Chinese. And the environment should relate to inside class and outside class.
Many scholars raised their own opinions on language situation. According to these opinions, language situation is a broad concept with large range, which includes the common situation or circumstance. We usually call it situation context. The author thinks that situation Chinese in fact is coincident with situation Chinese and context Chinese. For learning to speak Chinese, situation highlights the figurativeness. And during the process of highlighting the figurativeness, contexts and grammar should not be ignored, either.
learning to speak Chinese requires the cultivation of speech functions and mental teaching probably is an effective means for the cultivation of speech functions, which is also be called affective teaching. For learning Chinese in China, this point is quite important, too. Affective teaching requires teachers to build good relationship between teachers and students, create natural and relaxing language environment, teach in many kinds of teaching approaches, communicate more instead of teaching too much and encourage more instead of criticizing. Only by contributing affections, can make students be involved in situations. Affections here refer to the one that teachers encourage students to be involved in the situation.
In order to make full use of the effect of situation in learning to speak Chinese, teacher should grasp the law of setting situation. We think that setting situation should combine sciences and arts together and the optimized situation must be the assembler of affection, interest and intellect. The core of affection principle is to create a harmonious, democratic and cooperative teaching atmosphere.
Indeed, in order to learn to speak Chinese better, students should be interested in it first. Interest is the best teacher. Where does the interest come from? Of course, the affection contribution of teachers and the situation setting are the best fountain. If we want to attract more students to learn Chinese in China, the domestic Chinese teachers can think about this point.
In addition to the nurture of affection inside class, the implement of situation Chinese teaching inside class is the key point focused by many scholars. Many scholars have published many essays about the implement of situation Chinese teaching inside class which talk about the specific teaching approaches, such as showing life situation, using real things to perform situation, using pictures to show situation and music rendering. These essays are quite helpful for teachers who want to help students to learn to speak Chinese better.
Our target is to let students use in real life after they learn to speak Chinese. Therefore, teachers can ask students to design a language situation and practice immediately.
In addition to teaching in the class, outside class situation is also an important carrier for learning to speak Chinese. Through language practice activity, we can not only cultivate students to narrate things, express ideas and communicate in Chinese thinking so that the real communication effect can be reached, but also make them touch fresh language, know Chinese cultures and learn the most lively vocabulary. Some Chinese language schools like Keats School have set the courses of Chinese cooking, Chinese movies and Chinese kongfu for students to practice in outside class situation.
The author thinks that teaching situation of TCSL should follow the five combinations: 1. Combination of form and meaning; 2. Combination of body and function; 3. Combination of static state and trends; 4. Combination of description and explanation; 5. Combination of generality and individuality. That is to say, the setting of situation Chinese is only an outer external factor. The most important thing is Chinese research and teaching contents. Thus, pay more attention to situation Chinese theoretically and the specific contents and forms of the situation Chinese research are the foundation of implementing situation Chinese teaching.
Generally speaking, the research on situation Chinese has got some achievements. However, some open questions still exist. For example, the definition of situation Chinese, its theory and practice meaning, the specific contents of situation Chinese teaching and the setting of its approaches. These questions are all worth of thinking and practicing.