從情態教授英詩

Abstract

本文旨在呈現如何在英詩課中以英文中的情態助動詞來引導學生詮釋文本。臺灣的學生一般均認為英文詩是艱澀難解的，然而事實上只要透過有效的途徑，即使不能讓英詩淺顯易懂，至少可以不再讓學生視讀詩為畏途。在臺灣，學習英文早已成了一種趨勢，可是傳統的聽、說、讀、寫四大技巧的訓練並不足以提供學生全方位的英語學習；唯有加入第五技巧―「想」的訓練，才能讓英文學習環境更加完備，而練習第五技巧的最佳方式則是語言與文學的融合，尤其因英文詩歌的閱讀有其困難度，更能激發學習者藉由思考來熟悉語言的使用。藉由開發詩歌裡的特殊語言要素，學習者可以結合文本的認知，提升語言的認知。正因為英文的情態助動詞並無直接對應的中文，所以從這個語言要素著眼，可以引導學生掌握已經習得的技巧，邁向其不熟悉的領域。如此一來，詩歌將不再是遙不可及的文本，學生也能對英文更進一步運用與開發。換句話說，從情態著手，學生既可複習其文法上的知識，也能領略語言在文本上的作用，更能產生對詩歌的詮釋。當教授詩歌與讀詩成了容易上手，可以靈活運用，激發創意的活動，使閱讀英文詩將成為增加英文語言與文本分析能力，充分讓學習者在思考後進而活用英文的趣味學習。

This paper demonstrates how a teacher can guide students to explore English modals to accentuate their interpretation of English poetry. Taiwanese students generally consider Englishpoetry to be complex; however, the difficulty can be lessened, or even eliminated, if a poem is approached using accessible methods. Learning English has become characteristic of the zeitgeist of contemporary Taiwan, and it is imperative for students to cultivate an advanced proficiency in the language. Traditional training in the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, is insufficient to improve language skills; a fifth skill, thinking, must be incorporated into the curriculum. The teaching of English poetry can fulfill this purpose, enabling students to learn the workings of the language and explore the meanings of the text. In other words, teaching English poetry can lead students to think and provide students with improved access to poetic texts. Because English modals have no counterparts in Chinese, using them as an apparatus for interpreting English poetry can enhance the language awareness of students and elevate this to a textual awareness. This approach should encourage students to determine how English modals can create diverse meanings in a poetic text and to use modals in their use of English. Thus, integrating the analysis of English modals into the interpreting English poetry highlights the creative and enjoyable aspects of the lingua franca of our times.