文章-LWS English Department Interview | 美高Wendy老师告诉你如何培养孩子的英语思维？

A：

我很理解家长有这样的疑问。根据我多年在小学教学的经验，确实有收到一些家长的反馈，特别是一、二年级的家长，因为孩子进入到一个新的环境，英语课程的占比也比较多，家长很担心孩子的各项适应情况。但是，我想说请各位家长放心，这就跟孩子慢慢长大是一样的，他的学习也是需要一步步来。

从孩子一年级进入美高，我们的老师们带着孩子从词汇的积累，慢慢到短句子，再到稍微长一些的句子，添砖加瓦，日积月累。刚开始孩子可能会跟你说：爸爸妈妈，我好像不知道外教老师在讲什么。但后面，你会发现孩子给到这样的反馈会越来越少。相信经过一学期或两学期的磨合，家长们能够亲眼看到孩子的英文进度。

那根据我自身的教学和带班经验，当时我带一年级的时候，我们班有一个孩子家长跟我说：“哎呀，我们是零基础的，幼儿园几乎没有怎么上过英语，也就是在咱们美高开学前突击过英文字母。我真的是很担心她是否能跟上咱们美高的课程。”

这个孩子现在已经四年级了，各个方面都表现不错，英文也是很棒，那她是怎么达到现在的成就呢？

首先我们美高的老师给她制定了学习计划，然后她按照这个计划一步一步来提升，从最基础的英语字母，最简单的单词和句型，跟着老师的步调来学习。她刚开始在班里的成绩并不是很突出，也没有落后多少，相反，到了三、四年级，她靠着那股学习的韧劲和劲头，成绩反而提上来了，而且名列前矛。

我举这个真实的例子，也是要给有这样疑问的家长和同学一些信心，万事都有一个循序渐进的过程，你的努力，总能闻到花香。

A:

我们小初一到九年级的课程是依据上海中小学二期课改课程标准同时融入国际化的教学方法，确保学生在小初阶段打好基础，同时培养“精通双语、学贯中西”的国际人才！ 

初中阶段，我们还另外增加了ESL课程，ESL的实用性很强，可以从听说读写各个方面全面提高学生的英语能力。经过系统而科学的学习后，我们每学期会对孩子们的学习情况进行评估，通过TOEFL Primary ，TOEFL Junior 和TOEFL。

我们的教学目标主要分为小学和初中两个部分。小学阶段目标是培养孩子英语脱口而出，敢说敢用!

我们希望让英语变得有趣，有魅力，有生命力，让孩子们能快乐学习英语。遵循寓教于乐的原则，保护学生好奇心与主动性，积极创造环境与氛围。为学生创造沉浸式英语学习环境，让他打开思路，敢于想象也敢于表达。

初中阶段的目标是鼓励学生运用“英语思维”学习其他学科。

我们希望孩子们能够深度阅读英语文章，并将英文作为学习工具来学习各个科目。学科英语不仅仅是学这些学科的语言或者学科的知识本身，更多地是在这个过程中训练孩子的思维方式，以及未来领导力。

A:

我们是中外教合作教学，营造中英双语语言环境，学生们在潜移默化中沉浸式学习英语。平时也会通过各种英语小活动来锻炼学生的英语听说读写能力，还能锻炼到学生们的领导力、创造力、竞争力等。

我们有English Short Movie Competition、Composition Contest、Speech Contest、PBL week等深受学生们的欢迎，每学期都能看到他们积极参与的热闹场面。

比如PBL专题导向式学习（project based learning），可以激发学生的学习英语兴趣，培养自信心！

老师给出适合学生年龄段的话题，学生们发现问题，提出具有挑战性的问题，在思考中激发创造力。

接下来，我们鼓励学生根据这些问题进行一系列的调查，搜集资料，那么学生在做这些调查时会去辨别信息的真伪，发表自己的看法，最终综合对比后做出自己的选择。

在搜集信息的过程中，学生会反思，同时也能够锻炼他的专注力。

PBL是完全由学生自己主导的，主动选择完成一系列过程，更能激发学生的学习英语兴趣。

另外，PBL是要需要团队协作和沟通能力。比如小组活动，需要学生去组织、协调谁是组长谁是组员，然后考虑怎么分配任务，怎么跟同学老师去沟通，这就锻炼学生的团队协作能力和沟通能力。

最后，在得出成果后通过presentation，海报展示，制作短视频等在班级汇报展现，老师会给出评估建议以及指导。

在这个过程中，学生自己创造了东西，是非常有成就感的，然后通过分享，在无形中增加了他们的自信心，激发学生的学习兴趣！

A:

我们每学期校内的英语活动竞赛有：English Short Movie Competition，Composition Contest，Speech Contest、Speaking Sharing Activity，PBL…

校外的英语竞赛有：star of outlook, ESDP…

值得一提的是我们的学生在2022年度希望之星暨希语盛典英语风采大会”小学组取得了非常优异的成绩！

我们斩获5个一等奖、2个二等奖、3个特等奖、1个国赛席位喜人的成绩！本次只有上海排名前15的学生将代表上海参加国赛，其中就有美高的Anthony Tang同学，真的很棒！同时， 让我们也共同期待美高双语初中组同学的精彩表现！

不论是校内还是校外的活动，美高的孩子们都取得了耀眼的成绩！

A:

如果从六年级上学期开始就选修西班牙语，在课程学期期间跟着老师的节奏，初中毕业时，程度好的同学可以参加DELE B2和SAT Spanish 两门考试。

DELE B2满分100分，我们设置的学习目标是9年级毕业最低可拿到60；SAT Spanish 满分为800，我们设置的学习目标是9年级毕业要到700，所以基本上跟着我们的课程认真学习的孩子，都能达到这样的水平！

A:

其实，这个问题可以理解成我们现在的英语教学如何为孩子们将来的学习做储备。

未来需要的是具有国际化思维习惯的人才。无论从管理、技能还是从个人的基本能力上来讲，一定是联动融合中西方文化思维，跨越了沟通障碍，他们在国际化沟通的过程中游刃有余。

除了学习英语这门学科本身外，领导力，沟通力，执行力，演讲能力都会给学生们提供机会，使他们可以在这些方面有所锻炼和发展。

再者，学生有了英语的运用能力，在与英语相伴的过程中，也打开了眼界。阅读不同的文章，潜移默化的拥有另一种语言的思维，领略不同人问风景……美高注重培养学生的语言能力，也会培养学生跨文化交际的能力，以使美高学子在将来的发展中有更多的选择，在解决问题上游刃有余。

A：From the first grade of the child to LWS, our teachers take the child from the accumulation of vocabulary, slowly to short sentences, and then to slightly longer sentences,  accumulating over time. At the beginning, your child may say to you: Mom and Dad, I don't seem to know what the foreign teacher is talking about. But later, you will find that children give such feedback less and less. I believe that after one or two semesters of running-in, parents can see their children's English progress with their own eyes.

According to my own teaching and teaching experience, when I was teaching the first grade, a parent of a child in our class said to me: "Oh, we have no english foundation, and kindergarten has hardly studied English, that is, in our school The English alphabet was raided before the high school started. I was really worried about whether she could keep up with our school curriculum.”

This child is now in the fourth grade. She has performed well in all aspects, and her English is also very good. How did she achieve her current achievements?

First of all, our teacher made a study plan for her, and then she improved step by step according to this plan, from the most basic English alphabets, the simplest words and sentence patterns, to follow the teacher's pace to learn. At the beginning, her grades in the class were not very outstanding, and she did not lag behind much. On the contrary, in the third and fourth grades, relying on her tenacity and energy in learning, she improved her grades and ranked among the top.

I give this real example to give some confidence to parents and students who have such worries. Everything has a step-by-step process, and your efforts will always pay off!

A:Our courses from grades 1 to 9 are based on the curriculum standards of the second phase of the Shanghai primary and secondary school curriculum reform and incorporate international teaching method to ensure that students lay a solid foundation in the early grades, and at the same time cultivate international talents who are "proficient in bilingualism and learn Chinese and Western". !  

In the junior high school stage, we also added ESL courses. ESL is very practical and can comprehensively improve students' English ability in all aspects of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. After systematic and scientific study, we will evaluate the children's learning every semester through TOEFL Primary, TOEFL Junior and TOEFL.

Our teaching objectives are mainly divided into two parts: primary school and junior high school. The goal of primary school stage is to cultivate children's English to blurt out, dare to speak and use it!

We want to make English fun, attractive and alive, so that children can learn English happily. Follow the principle of entertaining, protect students' curiosity and initiative, and actively create an environment and atmosphere. Create an immersive English learning environment for students, let them open their minds, dare to imagine and dare to express.

The goal of the junior high school is to encourage students to use "English thinking" to learn other subjects

We want children to be able to read English articles in depth and use English as a learning tool to learn various subjects. Subject English is not only to learn the language of these subjects or the knowledge of the subject itself, but more to train children's thinking style and future leadership in the process.

A:We are Chinese and foreign teachers' cooperative teaching, creating abilingual language environment, and students are immersed in learning English in a subtle way. At ordinary times, through various small English activities to exercise students' English listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, and also exercise students' leadership, creativity, competitiveness, etc.

We have English Short Movie Competition, Composition Contest, Speech Contest, PBL week, etc. which are very popular with students, and we can see their active participation every semester.

For example, PBL can stimulate students' interest in learning English and cultivate self-confidence!

Teachers give topics suitable for students' age groups, students find problems, ask challenging questions, and stimulate creativity in thinking;

Next, we encourage students to conduct a series of surveys and collect data based on these questions. When doing these surveys, students will identify the authenticity of the information, express their own opinions, and finally make their own choices after comprehensive comparison.

In the process of collecting information, the student will reflect, but also can exercise his concentration.

PBL is completely led by students themselves, and they actively choose to complete a series of processes, which can stimulate students' interest in learning English.

In addition, PBL is to require teamwork and communication skills. For example, group activities require students to organize and coordinate who is the group leader and who are the group members, and then consider how to assign tasks and how to communicate with classmates and teachers. This will exercise students' teamwork and communication skills.

Finally, after the results are obtained, they will be reported to the class through presentations, posters, and short videos. The teacher will give evaluation suggestions and guidance. In this process, students have created things by themselves, which is very fulfilling, and then through sharing, they can virtually increase their self-confidence and stimulate students' interest in learning!

A:Yes, there are English activity competitions in our school every semester: English Short Movie Competition, Composition Contest, Speech Contest, Speaking Sharing Activity, PBL…

Off-campus English competitions include: star of outlook, ESDP…

It is worth mentioning that our students have achieved excellent results in the 2022 "star of outlook" primary school group!

We won 5 first prizes, 2 second prizes, 3 special prizes, 1 national championship seat! This time, only the top 15 students from Shanghai will represent Shanghai in the national competition. Among them is Anthony Tang from LWS, which is really great!

A:If you have taken Spanish as an elective since the last semester of the sixth grade, and follow the teacher's rhythm during the course semester, when you graduate from junior high school, students with good levels can take the DELE B2 and SAT Spanish exams.

The full score of DELE B2 is 100. We set the learning goal to get a minimum of 60 after graduation in grade 9; SAT Spanish has a full score of 800. We set the learning goal to graduate from grade 9 to 700, so basically follow our courses and study hard students can achieve this level!

A:In fact, this question can be understood as how our current English teaching prepares children for future learning.

What is needed in the future is talents with international thinking habits. No matter in terms of management, skills or basic personal abilities, it must be the integration of Chinese and Western cultural thinking, which has overcome communication barriers, and they are able to handle the process of international communication with ease.

In addition to the subject itself of learning English, leadership, communication, execution, and presentation skills will provide opportunities for students to exercise and develop in these areas.

Furthermore, students have the ability to use English, and they also have their eyes opened in the process of being accompanied by English. Reading different articles, subtly possessing the thinking of another language, and enjoying the scenery asked by different people... LWS pays attention to cultivating students' language ability, and also cultivates students' ability of cross-cultural communication, so that LWS students can develop in the future. There are more options, and it is easy to solve problems.