图书序言
推荐序
一本有爱的英语学习书
张裕昌 副总经理/世纪奥美公关顾问公司
不断在国外旅行,以及喜好看电影及影集的我,深切了解到一件事,就是学习语言如果不能奠基在一个从「兴趣与实用」出发的先决条件上,那么这样的学习是很浅薄且容易忘记的。道理很简单,因为学了不知道该怎么用,或用在哪里。因此小时候,我不管如何被体罚或责骂,我始终不知道学习这26 个字母的用意到底是为什么。
之前在我服务的公司(师德文教),我常常看到许多孩子们,为了拿到一纸检定证书,而不断的反覆背诵,当时我心里的疑问是,到底这些因考试而强记下来的片段资料,会在记忆当中留存多久呢?有些学生甚至会因为考试成绩不佳而接受程度不一的责难,这样的学习结果会是好的吗?
所以当我看到妹妹这本书的初稿时,我深深觉得,一本有爱的EFL/ESL 学习书,对并非英语母语的台湾小朋友来说有多重要。原因无他,这本书不是只让孩子们记忆一些他可有可无的东西,而是在亲子互动的过程当中,让孩子产生对语言学习的兴趣。更重要的是,这本书如果没有父母亲充满爱心与耐心与孩子一起阅读,孩子不会从这些爱心与耐心当中了解学习第二语言的乐趣。
因此,我诚挚的推荐这本书给每位父母亲,如果您们真的希望孩子们学好第二外语,那么,在他们学习的初始,您们充满爱心与耐心的参与是绝对必须的,而当他们从一开始就培养好学习语言的兴趣与乐趣之后,未来,就放手让他们在语言的国度中悠游自得吧!
Exploring this Amazing World
National Geographic Learning
Michael Joseph Cahill
Senior Regional Director
The world is an amazing place, filled with exciting and inspiring people, places, and stories: stories that have the power to engage and motivate learners, and stories that have the power to transform lives. Learning is an emotional and a social process. Your role in your child’s attitudes and beliefs towards learning cannot be overstated.
Preparing children for this amazing and ever-changing world can be a parent’s and an educator’s biggest challenge. An expert who shares that challenge and can offer useful practical advice is invaluable. For parents and educators especially interested in preparing a child to thrive in an ever more connected and competitive world, I can think of no greater expert than Daphne Liu, your guide to 「亲子阅读趣 – 悦读真有趣」.
With over twenty years of experience in language learning, teaching, research and material development, Ms. Liu is uniquely prepared to assist parents interested in developing a child’s love of language, stories, culture, and learning.
With children of her own, Ms. Liu understands that motivating a child to learn pays a dividend that goes beyond a score, a test, or even subject knowledge. Through the activities and guidance suggested in「亲子阅读趣 – 悦读真有趣」, Ms. Liu supports parents with the inspiration and the tools to tap into a child’s sense of adventure and exploration.
Why is this important?
Language learning has changed and evolved over the past twenty to thirty years. Driven by changes in the workplace, and as reflected in the most recent national curricula, today’s language learning is focused on communicative competence. First introduced in 1966 the concept of language competence was introduced in reaction to perceived inadequacies in the distinction between language knowledge and language performance. The four components of communicative competence can be broken down as follows: linguistic competence, the knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, syntax; sociolinguistic competence, knowing when and with whom to use language appropriately; discourse competence, the ability to comprehend and create a variety of text types, both spoken and written; and strategic competence, the ability to overcome gaps in
communication.
While none of these competences are new, the need to actively address each of them more holistically has taken on increasing importance with the greater focus on the so-called soft skills, otherwise known as 21st century skills, higher order thinking skills, or sometimes simply as core student competencies. In the International Baccalaureate© or IB curriculum, this is reflected in the Learner Profile. This profile includes characteristics of learners as knowledgeable, communicative, principled, and reflective. In the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning these are reflected in the Deep Learning Competencies: collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, citizenship, character, and communication. In the United States, the world readiness standards for learning languages describes these as the five “C” goal areas, communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.
Our children will need to compete on a world stage. And, as recent focus around the world on STEM and STEAM education points to, the ability to speak a foreign language has become a foundational skill like mathematics or science or technology. A must have. In working with some of the world’s most reputable developers of language learning materials, it has been my experience to observe, explore, and respond to these challenges. Most recently, at National Geographic Learning, it has been my strong belief the learning should be exciting, inspiring, and transformative. We believe that an engaged and motivated learner will be a successful one, and we design our learning materials with a highly interactive storytelling approach which is a great way to invoke these
connections.
If you are interested in engaging and motivating children, then I strongly recommend Ms. Liu and「亲子阅读趣 – 悦读真有趣」as your guide. May you and your child’s learning journey be equally exciting, inspiring, and transformative!
作者序
亲子阅读趣 – 用爱种下阅读的种子
出这本书有两个很重要的想法,一个是推广亲子阅读的重要性,另一个则是鼓励英文亲子阅读的落实性。曾从事英语教学及编辑工作过的我,看着许多学生在补英文的过程中浮浮沉沉;而家长们很努力地从小就让孩子接触英文学习,但在国小或国中后看不到这长期学习下来应有的成效。原因为何呢?关键在于「英语阅读」。
若要英文学得好,英文阅读不能少。但因环境的关系,大家都会寄望在补习班的学习,殊不知与孩子一起共读英文故事,累积的成果才是惊人的。而阅读习惯的养成更非一朝一夕可得,这是需要坚持一段漫长岁月,才能看到美丽果实的长期投资。亲子阅读的过程,不仅是为了要提升孩子的阅读能力,更重要的是在这短短的时间里,它给了彼此美好的互动,在阅读中,孩子能感受到父母亲满满的付出及爱。
曾经, 我父亲在忙碌的外调出差工作之余,一到家的第一件事就是拿出新买的书,在我的床边唸故事给我听,而这成为我日后回忆父亲最美最美的画面。现在,我也将这份爱的阅读种子,种在我两个孩子的心中。希望这个种子能带给他们在面对未来各种挑战时,能有解决事情或抒发情绪的能力。写书对我来说曾经是遥不可及的想法,因深知出书过程的不易,但在佳晔姊的鼓励下,写了人生的第一本书,除了希望能推广亲子阅读的重要性外,更希望能让想奠定孩子英语阅读习惯的爸妈们一些方向。透过这本书,我想要把父亲曾努力在我心中种下的阅读种子,继续散播出去。谢谢父亲用床边阅
读时间陪伴我成长,感谢母亲用满满的爱照顾我和弟弟。
在孩子们心中用爱种下阅读的种子,
总有一天,会让孩子开出美丽又丰富的人生花朵!