Abstract: This paper is based on the concept and characteristics of multi-modal teaching mode, taking a grammar review class as an example. It explores the practical path of integrating multi-modal teaching mode in grammar teaching through five levels: communicative introduction, grammar presentation, expanded practice, cultural connection, and transfer output. It elaborates on the CPPCO multi-modal grammar teaching model, which includes: “communicative introduction, related knowledge; grammar presentation, effectively grasped; expanded practice, internalized content; cultural connection, thematic exploration; flexible application, transfer output.”

Keywords: multi-modal teaching mode; multi-modal grammar teaching model; English teaching in junior high schools

1

Introduction

Multi-modal teaching refers to the application of multi-modal theory in education and is based on the theory of multi-modal discourse analysis. The interaction patterns between humans through sensory systems and the external environment are called modalities. Using three or more modalities is termed multi-modal. In 2018, the Ministry of Education’s “Education Informatization 2.0” action plan clearly required the implementation of innovative development actions in smart education. Integrating multimedia information technology deeply with the English subject and exploring and constructing multi-modal teaching methods is both important and necessary.

Currently, the theoretical research on multi-modal teaching in China is still in its early stages. Researchers such as Ruan Jin, Dai Peixing, and Liu Xiuli have concluded through extensive experiments that the multi-modal teaching model can fully mobilize students’ senses, efficiently achieve diverse input and output of information, enhance students’ memory, thereby stimulating their interest in learning languages and improving their sense of success in language learning.

This paper summarizes the CPPCO multi-modal grammar teaching model based on the theoretical foundation of relevant research on multi-modal teaching models. This model includes C-communication leading, P-grammar presentation, P-practice extending, C-culture connection, and O-language output, integrating grammar teaching with multi-modal teaching methods to explore the integration of grammar teaching led by grammar, supported by thematic discourse, and approached through multi-modal related activities, promoting the cultivation of students’ core competencies.

2

Theoretical Basis of Multi-modal Grammar Teaching Model

(1) Multi-modal and Multi-modal Teaching Model

The concept of multi-modal has a long history, originating from classical rhetoric, where the focus was on expressing through voice, gestures, etc. By the 1990s, Western countries began to study multi-modal theory, such as posture, music, gestures, writing, and new ways of constructing these elements. Zhang Delu believes that multi-modal refers to the ways people communicate through their own organs, such as expressions, actions, and language. Humans perceive the world through five senses, which generate five communicative modalities: visual modality, auditory modality, tactile modality, olfactory modality, and gustatory modality.

In 1996, the New London Group proposed the concept of “multi-modal teaching”. Multi-modal teaching involves both teachers and students as participants, utilizing multimedia technology as a carrier to vividly present the information that needs to be conveyed using videos, audio, and courseware. In this process, students’ visual and auditory systems are fully engaged, allowing them to acquire and process information more actively and efficiently, leading to more effective learning outcomes.

The application of the multi-modal teaching model provides teachers with various options; thus, during lesson preparation, teachers need to consider more comprehensively, based on learners’ needs, the knowledge being imparted, and the requirements for evaluating effectiveness.

(2) Multi-modal Grammar Teaching Model

The multi-modal grammar teaching model is an application of the multi-modal teaching model in junior high school grammar teaching, consisting of the following steps:

Step 1: C-communication leading

Step 2: P-grammar presentation

Step 3: P-practice extending

Step 4: C-culture connection

Step 5: O-language output

3

Grammar Teaching and Current Status of Grammar Teaching

Wilkings (1976) pointed out that acquiring a language’s grammatical system is the most important component of language learning. In actual English teaching, grammar teaching is also a key focus in English classrooms. However, in traditional grammar classes, teachers spend a lot of time teaching language structures and rules, while students’ pragmatic abilities have not improved.

The “English Curriculum Standards” set various level goals based on students’ ability to “do something” from different angles such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It also points out that teachers should avoid purely imparting language knowledge and advocate for task-based teaching methods to cultivate students’ comprehensive language application abilities.

Therefore, in junior high school English classrooms, teachers should consider how to link grammar teaching with the cultivation of students’ logical thinking, how to integrate grammar teaching into discourse contexts, and how to set different tasks for grammar teaching. Through practice, I found that the CPPCO multi-modal grammar teaching model can effectively address these issues.

4

Application Research of Multi-modal Grammar Teaching Model in Junior High School English Grammar Teaching

In grammar teaching based on the multi-modal model, teachers should focus on connecting old and new knowledge, leading with grammar teaching, relying on thematic discourse, and integrating multi-modal related activities to guide students in observation, analysis, and judgment. This paper will explore how to effectively implement the multi-modal grammar teaching model in junior high school English grammar teaching, using a grammar review class as an example.

The teaching content of this class is from the New Curriculum English Ninth Grade Module 5 Look after yourselves Unit 3 Language in use, which focuses on first aid, including a dialogue about a classmate’s injury and an article titled “Five Rules for Healthy Living.” The teaching process comprehensively reviews the verb tenses learned in junior high, clarifying the concept of tenses, enabling students to master the use of tenses, especially in relation to the exam points.

(1) Communicative Introduction, Linking Knowledge

The process of classroom introduction is a process of linking existing knowledge and experience with new knowledge, which plays an important role in constructing knowledge and promoting cognitive development. This stage mainly introduces the lesson through language and visual modalities, such as teacher-student dialogues, watching short videos, and simple Q&A, helping students establish effective connections between their existing knowledge and the knowledge to be learned in this lesson, creating a good learning environment and stimulating students’ interest in learning.

[Activity]Teachers introduce themselves, using sentences in different tenses.

At the beginning of the class, the teacher mainly uses language modality to give a brief self-introduction, incorporating different tenses learned in junior high. While communicating with students, the teacher naturally introduces the theme of the lesson, bridging the distance with students and stimulating their metacognition, helping students revisit tense grammar and review verb changes, creating an expectation for review.

[Design Intent]:Through brief communication, highlight the review focus; the topic is light, making it easy for students to accept, thus better stimulating their interest and motivation in language learning.

(2) Grammar Presentation, Highlighting the Main Line

Combining course content for grammar review, highlighting the main line of grammar review in this lesson, emphasizing the theme, further clarifying the focus of the lesson. The teacher can use image and video modalities to allow students to grasp the characteristics of various tenses appearing in junior high through different forms of exercises.

[Activity 1]Read the dialogue and indicate the tense.

The teacher guides students to read a segment of the dialogue from the first unit, using image and visual modalities, allowing students to identify the different verb tenses appearing in the segment, helping them recall the basic structure of verb tenses and understand the general meaning of the dialogue.

[Design Intent]:By reviewing the dialogue related to first aid in this module, help students organize the topic of this module, marking the changes of verbs in different tenses, further highlighting the main line of tense review, presenting the relationship between verb changes and tenses.

[Activity 2]Teacher illustrates tense differences on a timeline.

The teacher presents the changes, concepts, and time markers of various verb tenses on a timeline, using image modalities to help students strengthen their understanding of the concept of verb tenses, especially in relation to different time adverbials, highlighting the differences between tenses.

[Design Intent]:List the changes of verbs in different tenses, using a timeline to showcase the differences between tenses, emphasizing the “different time concepts” in tenses and the changes of predicate verbs in sentences, helping students systematize the grammatical knowledge of tenses in preparation for later language output.

(3) Expanded Practice, Internalizing Knowledge

This stage solidifies the grammar foundation through expanded practice, where students utilize their understanding, judgment, and analysis skills to engage in expanded practice, internalizing the knowledge learned and laying a solid foundation for knowledge transfer output.

[Activity 1]Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms.

Select an exercise from the third unit of the textbook, where students choose the appropriate verb forms to fill in the blanks in the discourse, using language modalities to reinforce the grammar knowledge and key points reviewed in previous sections.

[Design Intent]:Students combine the discourse context to practice tenses based on the context, considering the overall perspective and understanding how to grasp key time concepts in the discourse to make tense choices.

[Activity 2]Complete the exercise.

Select questions related to verb tenses from past exam papers to help students master exam techniques, especially choosing different verb tenses based on the time adverbials in sentences.

[Design Intent]:Select past exam questions, using language modalities to gradually increase difficulty, highlighting the clues provided by time adverbials in multiple-choice questions, and enhancing difficulty in sentence completion to help students internalize knowledge through practice.

(4) Cultural Connection, Thematic Exploration

This stage is mainly based on the module theme, selecting content from the “Around the World” section, using language, visual, and auditory modalities to emphasize the module theme, allowing students to explore the module theme—”How to take care of oneself and face life with a smile,” deeply examining the language, meaning, and cultural connotations.

[Activity] Cultural Connection

Read the article and discuss how to understand the ancient proverbs mentioned, marking the changes of verbs in different colors.

[Design Intent]:Highlight the module theme through thematic exchanges, further helping students master English grammar and improve the accuracy of their English expressions.

(5) Flexible Application, Transfer Output

This stage mainly cultivates students’ ability to apply the language knowledge, cultural knowledge, emotional attitudes, and values learned to new contexts and solve practical problems.

[Activity] Writing Practice

Select a writing prompt from the 2018 exam, leading students to analyze the information points in the prompt, especially choosing the appropriate tense based on different time adverbials and the key points to be expressed. After the practice, conduct a comprehensive sentence correction exercise, listing common errors related to verb tenses that students make in writing, helping them correct their mistakes systematically.

[Design Intent]:Utilizing visual, language, and other modalities to emphasize the writing output stage, achieving knowledge internalization and transfer output, improving the accuracy of students’ language use and their flexibility in applying language in real-life contexts.

5

Effects of Multi-modal Teaching Mode in Junior High School English Grammar Classes

Through teaching practice and student feedback after class, the use of images, videos, audio, adjusting volume and tone, expressions and actions, and multimedia technology in the CPPCO teaching model significantly engages students in the classroom learning process compared to traditional grammar classes. In students’ feedback after class, this model has also gained recognition from students.

First, multi-modal parallelism visualizes grammar knowledge, enhancing students’ abilities to acquire, analyze, and understand information, solidifying the knowledge learned and strengthening knowledge internalization.

Under the multi-modal model, information acquisition becomes more diversified, visualized, and intuitive, allowing for efficient information input. Multi-modal parallelism fully engages students’ enthusiasm and interest in learning, stimulating their brain memory, deepening their understanding of grammatical phenomena, and enhancing knowledge internalization.

Second, multi-modal interaction enhances classroom participation and stimulates and maintains students’ interest in learning grammar.

In classroom teaching, creating a relaxed atmosphere for students enhances classroom efficiency, while teachers should value students’ experiences, allowing students to enjoy the joy of successful learning. Compared to traditional grammar classes, the multi-modal model can effectively increase communication between teachers and students, allowing students to experience the joy of learning, mitigating the dullness of grammar learning, and achieving effective language input.

Third, multi-modal considerations optimize junior high grammar classes, enabling students to efficiently achieve knowledge transfer output during grammar learning and enjoy the joy of successful learning.

The multi-modal teaching model integrates various teaching methods, such as communicative methods, research methods, and exploratory methods. Applying the multi-modal teaching model in junior high school English classrooms allows for the comprehensive utilization of various teaching methods, complementing each other’s advantages and achieving an efficient grammar classroom.

6

Conclusion

With the continuous advancement of technology, many emerging technical methods will constantly enter English classrooms. Ultimately, language is a tool for communication between people, and grammar is the study of language rules. When teachers apply the multi-modal teaching model in junior high school English grammar classrooms, they should wisely utilize various modalities to maximize the effects of each modality, applying them comprehensively and complementing each other’s strengths. At the same time, they should adopt different modalities for each stage. Finally, teachers should emphasize the language output stage in the classroom, enabling students to achieve language internalization and realize language transfer output, making grammar teaching truly enjoyable for students.

References

[1] Zhu Yongsheng. Theoretical Foundations and Research Methods of Multi-modal Discourse Analysis [J]. Foreign Language Research, 2007 (5).

[2] Zhang Delu. Preliminary Exploration of Design and Modality Invocation in Multi-modal Foreign Language Teaching [J]. Chinese Foreign Language, 2010 (3).

[3] Hu Yongjin. The Theory of Multi-modal Discourse Analysis and Its Application in Foreign Language Teaching [M]. Hefei: Anhui University Press, 2018.

[4] Yuan Ruilin. Research on Junior High School English Listening Teaching from the Perspective of Multi-modal Theory [J]. Comparative Study of Cultural Innovation, 2019.

[5] Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. Compulsory Education English Curriculum Standards (2017 Edition) [S]. Beijing: People’s Education Press, 2018.

A Study on the Application of Multi-modal Teaching Mode in the Teaching of English Grammar in Junior High Schools

Li Yan Sun Lan

Abstract: Based on the concept and characteristics of multi-modal teaching mode, this paper takes a grammar review class as an example, explores the practical path of integrating multi-modal teaching mode in grammar teaching from the perspective of communicative introduction of grammar presentation and five levels of cultural link transfer and output, and expounds communicative introduction and relevant knowledge. Grammar presentation, effective grasp; expand the exercise, internalize the content; Cultural links, topic exploration; Flexible application, migration output of CPPCO multi-modal grammar teaching model.

Key words: multi-modal teaching mode, multi-modal grammar teaching model; English teaching in junior school

(This article was first published in the Journal of Basic Education Foreign Language Teaching Research, 2021, No. 12)

Source: Yongda English

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