Subject Series of Modern Educational Theory · Chinese · Art of Chinese Language Teaching

Author: Wei Zhicheng
Editor-in-Chief: Wei Zhicheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-07-01
Features: Preface to the Series Since the first edition of Mathematical Learning Theory was published in March 1991, this series has now been in print for six years. If we count back to the early days of 1988 when the compilation of the series on teaching theory began, it has spanned nine years. Today, the teaching theory series for five major subjects—mathematics, physics, chemistry, Chinese, and foreign languages—has been fully developed, with six books per subject, totaling 30 volumes, titled Modern Educational Theory Series for Disciplines. These millions of words have not only formed the theoretical foundation for basic disciplines but also constitute the core project and distinctive publishing feature of our press. It has taken nearly a decade to build a comprehensive series of educational theories with Chinese characteristics, and the twists and turns, joys and sorrows along the way are beyond words. However, in terms of reflecting teaching reform achievements and serving teaching reform, it is our bounden duty. From the perspective of shaping the publishing identity and culture of our press, it holds profound significance and great value. In the new historical period of reform and opening up, what can sustain a publishing house? What can it compete with? What can drive its development? What can it offer? The answers could be many, and strategies could be numerous. But the fundamental pillars should not be lacking these two: one is the core project, and the other is renowned premium products. The core project is the strategic layout of a publishing house, while premium products are its soul and lifeblood. Their perfect integration forms the quality, credibility, reputation, and cultural taste of a publishing house—it is the foundation of its existence, the means of competition, the driving force for sustainable development, the core of cultural accumulation, and the fundamental guarantee of offering outstanding culture to the people. With this understanding and pursuit, we have published this series. Of course, we also have several other series. We look forward to the readers' judgment. We welcome the test of the market. We also long for the support of the educational and theoretical communities. We will continue to strive as always, doing our utmost to offer more premium products to education, the nation, and the future.
Guangxi Education Press
Book Description
Chinese language teaching is a blend of science and art. If there is no teaching art in the classroom, half of the students' interest in learning is lost; even if the remaining half consists of scientific knowledge, students remain passive and rigid. Teaching cannot lack art. This book reveals the mysteries of Chinese language teaching art from aspects such as lesson preparation, classroom instruction, classroom management, and optimizing teaching, using successful teaching examples from excellent teachers to focus on the techniques and methods of implementing Chinese language teaching art. It provides outstanding practical guidance for teaching, with distinctive operability. The language is elegant and vivid, offering rich artistic enjoyment during reading.
Excerpt: On one day in May 1848, the great German poet Heinrich Heine, despite being ill, went to the Louvre in France to bid farewell to the goddess Venus. In the postscript to his long poem Romanceri, he wrote: That day was my last time going out, and I bid farewell to the beloved idol I revered in my happy times. With great effort, I dragged my feet to the Louvre Museum. When I entered that noble hall and saw the goddess of boundless beauty—the lovely woman from the island of Milo standing on her pedestal—I almost cried out in pain. I lay at her feet for a long time, crying heartbrokenly, even a stubborn stone felt pity for me, and the goddess looked down on me with sympathy, helpless as if to say, "You didn’t see it—I don’t have arms, so I can’t help you!" For this rare statue, the poet felt her "real life" and her magic; touching the statue, he even felt it was warm and compassionate. This exquisite humanistic art gave the poet infinite strength.
The renowned Soviet writer Maxim Gorky once recounted in his memoirs how, as a child, he was deeply moved while reading the short story A Simple Heart by the French writer Gustave Flaubert during a holiday. He secretly climbed onto the roof of a grocery store and, while reading, became so captivated by the characters, events, and scenes in the story that he entered another world, unable to hear or see anything outside. Like a deaf and blind person, the festive noise and the beautiful fields under the setting sun seemed distant from him. Only the protagonist of the story—a simple kitchen maid—walked around him and talked to him warmly. This inspired his love and pursuit of beautiful things. Excitedly, he ran outside with the book, opened its pages to the sunlight, and hoped to find the secret that had enchanted him behind the words. A single story could captivate a young, lonely heart like Gorky’s.
Musical, sculptural, and literary works possess a magical and enchanting power that draws people in, leaving them spellbound and stopping them in their tracks; they touch the depths of one’s emotions, bringing joy; and subtly influence one’s temperament, moral character, will, and integrity, shaping the soul and inspiring courage and creativity. This is the undeniable strength of art. It can be said without exaggeration that whoever possesses the power of art can transform everything and achieve what it is meant to achieve.
Teaching is also an art, and it can produce a similarly enchanting power. People often say that listening to a good lesson is an artistic pleasure, which is precisely praise for the teacher’s "teaching art." For a teacher, the reason a lesson is well-delivered lies in the successful application of "teaching art." In the past and even now, many teachers have turned Chinese language lessons into "unpleasant classes," "classes where students just sit there," "rest classes," or "classes for doing other homework," making them unpopular with students. Many students "prioritize science over humanities," and the reasons are multifaceted, but the teachers’ lack of focus on "teaching art" is undoubtedly one of the main causes. To optimize classroom teaching and improve teaching quality, research on Chinese language teaching art is essential.
Teaching art is an objective reality with a long history and deep roots. Confucius pioneered the heuristic teaching method, a masterful teaching art. "Do not enlighten until one is eager to learn; do not explain until one is ready to understand. If you do not illustrate one corner without being able to generalize to the others, do not repeat it again," still shines with irreplaceable brilliance. Mencius proposed "to draw out without directly teaching, as if leaping," inheriting Confucius’ teaching art while emphasizing "teaching employs many methods" (Mencius·Gaozi Xia), instructing teachers to pursue the diversification of teaching art to reach the optimal teaching realm. Comenius, in the preface to Great Didactic, made a famous assertion: "Great Didactic is the art of teaching all things to all people," and he defined "didactics" as "the art of teaching with certainty and pleasure." His incisive summary revealed the fundamental ideas of pedagogy and highlighted the extreme importance of teaching art in teaching.
Sukhomlinsky, summarizing his educational experience, profoundly pointed out: "Teaching and the educational process have three sources: science, skill, and art."① By listing teaching art alongside science and technology, he demonstrated its value and role.