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With the further deepening of English teaching reform in primary school, how to use the time in English classroom effectively to create a good English learning atmosphere, in which students can understand what they hear, can express themselves and have desire to talk in English has become a key issue in the reform(Ye 30).
White space is an open and witty teaching strategy and it has proved by some experiments that there are some excellent features in classroom teaching. Here are as followings: firstly, the process of white space is also a process of thinking actively, and it is easy to stimulate students’ interest of self-inquiry learning and exploring. At the same time, leaving white space can improve students’ ability to identify problems, analyze problems and solve problems. What’s more, it helps students to develop their sense of innovation and creativity. Secondly, from the perspective of memory，white space can stimulate students’ curiosity and desire for knowledge, lead them to learn, understand as well as master contents. Thus making the teaching contents much easier to memorize internalized. Thirdly, in the period of physical and mental development, white space is helpful to stimulate students’ curiosity, and to appreciate students’ thinking, so that students might have tasted the joy of success. In other words, white space gives students more self-confidence and self-esteem. At the same time, it helps teachers to improve the students’ enthusiasm and participation in class. Finally, white space follows the law of cognitive psychology, which emphasizes student-centered development and students’ subjective status. White space abandons the traditional model of teaching and advocates more interactions between teachers and students, so teachers can leave more spaces for students to take activities. From this point of view, white space mobilizes students’ learning enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, thereby increasing the efficiency of classroom teaching.
Absolutely, good aspects of white space should be passed on and defects should be avoided. As we all know, the classroom teaching is one of the most important ways that the students learn English. So teachers should manage to create a good English-learning atmosphere and arouse the students' interest so that they may learn better. There are many ways to arouse the students' interest and help them learn better, white space application in English teaching is an effective one.
Ⅱ. Necessity of White Space in English Teaching
Firstly, white space is the demand of three dimensional objectives. Acquiring knowledge, developing ability and experiencing sensibility, all of them need time to ruminate, to digest and to understand. From the perspective of teaching aims, English teaching attach importance not only to impart knowledge but also to develop students’ ability of thinking and communication as well as the ability to analyze and solve problems. What’s important is to educate people. In other words, there must be a process for students to realize and think about their knowledge, sentiment, desire and behavior, especially for the pupils who are at the first period of development which plays a great role in their growth, so teachers should leave white space objectively in classroom teaching.
Secondly, the law of cognition in psychology of student needs white space. Gestalt psychology pressure theory points out that when people are faced with defects or imperfections, they will have a strong desire to change it or make it perfect, and then it will cause a driving force to fill gaps and complete white space (Lv 47). That’s to say, white space in teaching can lead students to pursue a complete tendency in their psychology, which once achieved will give students a pleasant feeling, and inspire the enthusiasm of students to develop their imagination and consideration.
Thirdly, the rule of the second language acquisition requires white space. Anyone will have a process of psychological adaptation and atmosphere creation while learning a second language (Krashen 201). White space in English teaching is helpful for students to create a psychological and situational atmosphere, and to stimulate enthusiasm and initiative. English is a second language for Chinese students. Their abilities of listening, speaking, reading and writing are mostly achieved by themselves rather than by teachers. In other words, the role of English teachers should be a guider and a helper, that’s to say, the most efficient way for students to improve their abilities is to practice effectively in class. Therefore, scientific designs of white space in English teaching build a platform for students to practice, and provides opportunities for students to learn and digest, so as to help students to form the habit of thinking in English.