English listening also plays a significant role in rural schools. However, there are many problems in English education. Some students don’t grasp well the essential aspect, and their pronunciation hasn’t reached the international standard. In rural schools, some English classes have no chances to keep the normal teaching in order. English is spoken by teachers who are not professional, and the schools only have few radios, not to mention the multimedia. Teachers become radios when there is a special need. Under these circumstances, English listening teaching becomes a serious problem.
2.1.2 Lack of Interest and Attention to English Education
Because of parents’ traditional ideas and the teachers’ adopting of the traditional teaching methods, rural students have no interest in English learning. Most students think that there is no need to learn English. They do not realize that English has gradually come into our lives. As for the children in rural area, a new foreign language should have the new teaching mode, which is different from the traditional way of learning Chinese. However, in actual teaching activities, rural English teachers still adopt traditional “teacher-centered” teaching style. At the same time, because of the limited conditions, the English teaching activities can not arouse students’ interest in learning English. Some rural schools have put quality-oriented education in a significant position.
Because few students go outside to widen knowledge and broaden horizon, narrow learning, dull mind and poor ability to accept new things cause their defects on interpersonal communication abilities, comprehension, memory, thought and transfer ability. What’s more, the students in those areas do not find a proper way of learning for lack of essential instruction and training. In addition, countryside students are under the pressure of the entrance examination for university, so they regard learning English as an important thing. They care more about English score; they lose confidence once they meet setbacks in English.
According to a recent survey, English classes are seldom open completely. There are few normal English classes in rural schools. Some schools set up the classes just in the third grade, others at forth or fifth years, which led to the students’ not regarding English as important as the mathematics. Under these circumstances, there are many problems in rural middle schools, and it brings teachers a lot of troubles. 农村中学英语教育现状及对策(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_8427.html