Green Language Case Studies

Author: Zhao Qianxiang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The core of Green Chinese is the respect for the learning subject. Walking through the green world of "Green Chinese Case Collection" and "Green Composition Examples and Practices," you can feel the vibrant classrooms and the growing life, but you realize that the green is dazzling, and the green meaning enters the heart. What we gain is not only methods but also inspiration and reflection. Green Chinese views Chinese as a "comprehensive learning system that includes both in-class and out-of-class, and both written and unwritten books." It discards the mechanical training of the "sea of exercises" and builds a rich inner world for students with classics, teaching them to examine themselves and observe the world. He uses "writing" to connect the text world with the real world: reflective writing in prose reading, appreciative writing in poetry appreciation, imitative writing in classical Chinese reading, and reflective writing in the "unwritten book." Reading is a dialogue with the minds of masters, a poetic wandering; writing is self-examination and reflection, a spiritual elevation. Mr. Zhao's "Youth Reading Class" demonstrates this spiritual pursuit and the growth of the soul. All of this stems from Mr. Zhao's focus on people. He believes in human potential and that learning is a process of self-awareness, so he emphasizes guidance and the process, never overstepping or being impatient for results. His attention is comprehensive, as evidenced by "Entering the 'Tsinghua Realm'—A Lesson After the College Entrance Examination." "Green Chinese Case Collection" and "Green Composition Examples and Practices" are the true reflections of Mr. Zhao Qianxiang's Green Chinese classroom at Tsinghua High School, containing his profound reflections and bold explorations in Chinese teaching. "Green Chinese Case Collection" includes four parts: Green Prose Appreciation, Green Poetry Appreciation, Green Classical Chinese Teaching, and Green Composition Teaching. They showcase different aspects of Chinese teaching but are all interconnected by the same theme—Green. What is the green of Chinese? In reading teaching, we pursue holistic understanding and cultivate humanistic spirit, opposing the dissection of texts and one-sided interpretations. In poetry teaching, we focus on cultivating aesthetic qualities and nurturing a poetic life, opposing the excessive "practice" in the sea of exercises and the vague labeling of poetry. In classical Chinese teaching, the emphasis is on "linguistic sense" teaching, guiding students to recite and reflect on their own, gaining authentic classical Chinese experience, opposing the injection-style "grammar" teaching and "translation" teaching. In composition teaching, we guide students to pay attention to and reflect on life, unifying composition with being a person, opposing the "fake, grand, empty, and useless" "four-word composition" and writing for exams. This is undoubtedly an ideal for Chinese education, targeting the ills of "grey Chinese." For a long time, the heavy pressure of exams has turned poetry appreciation into technical training and classical Chinese reading into problem-solving skills. Under training, skills can be generated conditionally and methods can be summarized in rigid frameworks. However, students struggle to truly enter the world of texts, to resonate emotionally with the authors, or to perceive the beauty. The value of Green Chinese lies first in advocating a concept, correcting the tendency toward quick results. Although these ideas were not originally pioneered by Mr. Zhao, for many of us, implementing them faces at least two challenges. One is the method of implementation. For example, how to achieve holistic understanding? How to cultivate aesthetic qualities? How to conduct linguistic sense teaching? How to enable students to enjoy and excel in writing? The other is the pressure of exams and promotion. No matter how much quality education is implemented, in the end, it must return to scores. If "diversity" is sought in the classroom, exams demand "uniformity." Overcoming these two challenges requires wisdom and courage. "Green Chinese Case Collection" not only proposes ideals but also provides case studies for attempts. Green Chinese is not detached from the real world; on the contrary, it focuses on human survival and is rooted in the real world. It aims to achieve a win-win situation for both humanistic qualities and exam scores, as well as for students' and teachers' cultivation. For example, in poetry appreciation, to address the hand-over-hand "intentionally planting willows" caused by excessive training, the author proposes "unintentionally planting willows." "In regular Chinese classes or extracurricular activities, create a rich poetic atmosphere. During class or breaks, don't forget to recite or memorize poems; in reading and writing, don't forget to savor or use poems; in reflecting on life, don't forget to associate with or create poems—to inspire interest, focus on play, and avoid exams. Thus, it is called 'unintentionally planting willows.' But through constant exposure, habits gradually form, qualities accumulate, and benefits are endless." If you have poems in your heart, in your hands, and in your life, waiting for poems to come to you—what worry is there about the lack of poetry? Another example is classical Chinese teaching. We spend most of the classroom time converting ancient written language into modern spoken language through translation. It is tedious and exhausting for teachers and frustrating for students. Confusion arises: What is the use of learning classical Chinese? How can a dead language connect with modern life? How can dull teaching methods align with vibrant life? How to make classical Chinese lively? How to make classical Chinese "useful"? For this, Mr. Zhao proposes: "Strengthen recitation—not only in morning classes and extracurricular activities but also dedicate most of the classroom time to students' recitation." He boldly adopts recitation from traditional teaching but also "uses, stores, or discards" it, developing his own "Classical Chinese Guidance Teaching Method." The sound of recitation changes the scene of teachers' dry throats and students' drowsiness, and every composition brings a touch of green to the faded classical Chinese teaching. Green Chinese views Chinese as a "comprehensive learning system that includes both in-class and out-of-class, and both written and unwritten books." It discards the mechanical training of the "sea of exercises" and builds a rich inner world for students with classics, teaching them to examine themselves and observe the world. He uses "writing" to connect the text world with the real world: reflective writing in prose reading, appreciative writing in poetry appreciation, imitative writing in classical Chinese reading, and reflective writing in the "unwritten book." Reading is a dialogue with the minds of masters, a poetic wandering; writing is self-examination and reflection, a spiritual elevation. Mr. Zhao's "Youth Reading Class" demonstrates this spiritual pursuit and the growth of the soul. All of this stems from Mr. Zhao's focus on people. He believes in human potential and that learning is a process of self-awareness, so he emphasizes guidance and the process, never overstepping or being impatient for results. His attention is comprehensive, as evidenced by "Entering the 'Tsinghua Realm'—A Lesson After the College Entrance Examination." The core of Green Chinese is the respect for the learning subject. Walking through the green world of "Green Chinese Case Collection" and "Green Composition Examples and Practices," you can feel the vibrant classrooms and the growing life, but you realize that the green is dazzling, and the green meaning enters the heart. What we gain is not only methods but also inspiration and reflection.