如何从初中阶段开始通过培养学生良好的英语阅读习惯和写作习惯，进而形成较强的英语信息捕捉能力和英语书面表达能力是英语教学中的一个重要课题。本文将结合自身教学实践，力图就此话题进行尝试和探索，以起到抛砖引玉的作用。 英语语言的学习可以被大致划分为语言输入和语言输出两个方面，语言输入又可以细分为听的输入和读的输入，而语言输出可以分为说的输出和写的输出。从学生的认知规律和思维习惯来讲，只有具备了足够的语言输入，才能进行正确的语言输出。鉴于此，我们必须对学生首先进行听和读的训练（在初中阶段尤其是读的训练），才能要求他们进行说和写（在初中阶段尤其是写的训练）。那么，如何有效进行读和写的训练呢？笔者经过多年教学实践，尤其是初三毕业班教学实践，总结出了一套初中英语阅读教学和写作教学的分合法，通过有意识地“卸妆”和“添妆”，使学生养成对语言良好的掌控感，从而达到提高其综合语言运用能力的目的。
我国传统英语教学重语法和课本词汇知识的讲解和传授，过分拘泥于课文中字、词、句知识的教学，而轻语言运用能力的培养，忽视了语篇层次上的教学，使得学生只见树木，不见森林。体现在初中英语阅读教学上则是过度指导学生分析阅读篇章的语法知识、句型结构和词汇搭配，如教师会花大量时间分析句型，如名词性从句、定语从句、状语从句和强调句型等连接词的使用，或者一些生僻词汇的特殊意思以及动词与介词搭配、动词与名词搭配等方面，而忽视提炼文章中心大意。长此以往，学生缺乏英语语感，不能使语言输入的内容内化为自己的积累，不能为下一步的语言输出，尤其是写作提供必要和足够的支撑，造成了一定程度上的“花时较多、收效甚微”的局面。
例如：在阅读下面一篇有关音乐家Frederic Chopin（肖邦）的文章时，对待同一篇文章有两种截然不同的方法。
Frederic Chopin has often been called the poet of the piano. He was born in a small town near Warsaw, Poland on March 1, 1810. His father was French and had moved to Poland in his youth. Chopin’s mother was Polish and she loved all her children very much.
Chopin was the second of four children, who were brought up in a modest but cultivated atmosphere. Like his brothers and sisters, he didn’t get good education.
Young Frederic showed musical gift early in his life. He performed in public at the age of nine. In July of 1831, Chopin decided to go to Paris — a decision which was to have decisive consequences（后果）on his life.
第一种方法，是对整篇文章的知识点，尤其是下面一些知识点进行过度讲解：
1. poet的意思：诗人。
2. had moved to ...过去完成时表示动作发生在过去的过去。
3. who were brought up in a modest but cultivated atmosphere引导的非限制性定语从句，注意在非限制性定语从句中不能使用who。
4. atmosphere在这里不是表示具体的“大气层”，而是表示抽象的“氛围”。
5. gift在这里不是表示“礼物”，而是表示“天赋、天资”。
6. which was to have decisive consequences on his life引导的定语从句，在这里which也可以被that代替，但是不能被省略。
第二种方法，是在阅读这篇有关Frederic Chopin的人物生平类文章后，笔者首先要求学生把一些修饰成分，如形容词、副词、介词加名词短语，现在分词、过去分词和动词不定式等成分去掉，然后去掉一些从句，如名词性从句（包括主语从句、宾语从句、表语从句和同位语从句）、定语从句和状语从句（包括时间状语从句、地点状语从句、原因状语从句、结果状语从句、目的状语从句、方式状语从句、比较状语从句和让步状语从句）等。留下主要信息：
Frederic Chopin has (often) been called the poet (of the piano). He was born (in a small town near Warsaw, Poland on March 1, 1810). His father was French (and) had moved (to Poland in his youth). Chopin’s mother was Polish (and) she loved (all her) children (very much).
Chopin was the second (of four children), (who were brought up in a modest but cultivated atmosphere). (Like his brothers and sisters), he didn’t get (good) education.
(Young) Frederic showed (musical) gift (early in his life). He performed (in public at the age of nine). (In July of 1831), Chopin decided (to go to Paris) — a decision (which was to have decisive consequences on his life).
从以上关键信息中，笔者要求学生分别提炼出每段的中心词：
Paragraph 1: Childhood
Paragraph 2: Education
Paragraph 3: Achievement
在提炼出文章三个段落的中心词的基础上，笔者进而要求学生概括出文章的中心思想：
Although Frederic Chopin didn’t get good education when he was young, he achieved a lot in music.
在掌握了文章的中心思想后，学生便可以很轻松地回答下面这道有关主旨概括的题目了：
What does the writer mainly talk about in this passage?
A. Frederic Chopin was born in a small town in Poland.
B. Frederic Chopin became a famous pianoist through hard work.
C. Frederic Chopin was affected greatly by his parents.
D. Frederic Chopin performed a lot all over the world.
根据提炼出的文章主题，选项B与之最为契合，故正确答案为选项B。
在解答细节理解类题目时，学生应在把握文章中心的前提下挖掘文章细节，确定细节部分的内容在文章中的具体位置，然后再得出正确答案，此时学生应把注意力放到那些已经被“删除”的信息上，通过精确定位得出正确答案。例如：
What was the turning point of Frederic Chopin’s life?
A. His mother loved him very much.
B. He made up his mind to go to paris.
C. He performed in public at the age of nine.
D. He didn’t get good education.
此题根据文章细节Chopin decided to go to Paris — a decision which was to have decisive consequences（后果）on his life可推断出，“他去巴黎”是他人生中重要的转折点，所以答案为选项B。
阅读一篇文章，如果用第一种方法，阅读时间会相对较长，而且由于过度关注语法、句型和词汇知识，会影响学生对整篇文章整体理解，也会影响对文章细节内容的定位。而如果用第二种方法，即“卸妆”法，则能够使学生在较短时间内，以轻松的心态聚焦文章中心大意，然后在掌握文章中心大意的基础上辐射细节。由于学生对文章具有整体的掌控感，因此解题正确率会相对较高，真正实现了“较少投入、较大产出”的良性循环。
英语写作既是英语教学的重点也是弱点，从近几年我市的中考英语写作成绩来看，初中学生的英语写作能力令人担忧。由于学生英语基础较差，且受汉语的影响，不少学生所写的文章词不达意，语言单调，缺少文采，汉语式的表达更是屡见不鲜。
对待初中写作教学，由于初中学生词汇量较小，所学句型较少，所以很多时候教师在指导学生写作时总是从简单入手，往往就事论事，不再进行拓展和深化，造成的结果是学生往往不能在书面表达中取得高分。对于这种情况，笔者在初三阶段尝试在写作教学中进行“添妆”，即在主干成分上增加一些饰品成分，如连接词和高级句型等，从而使学生写出的文章具有文采且与众不同。
请看下面一篇中考书面表达：
假如你是Tom，请你根据下列表格内容写一篇英文小短文，向你的新老师和新同学作自我介绍。（不少于50个词）
完成本篇书面表达同样也有两种不同的方法。常规的做法是要求学生把这些信息串联成句子（往往以简单句为主），然后使用适当的简单连接词，如and，but等把句子串联成文。例如：
Dear teacher and classmates,
My name is Tom. I am 15 years old. My father is a manager and my mother is an English teacher. I graduated from No. 3 Middle School. I am good at computer and English. I like sports and collecting stamps. I like music, too.
但是如果使用“添妆法”，则可以增加一些内容，如使用增强逻辑性的连接词，把简单句、并列句改成复合句（如名词性从句、定语从句、状语从句和特殊句型）等，使文章内容更加丰富，结构更加紧凑。
同样是上面的那篇书面表达，我们可以试着把它修改如下：
Dear teacher and classmates,
Good morning / afternoon / evening, now let me introduce myself first. My name is Tom. I’m 15 years old. What makes me pleased is that both my parents love me very much but they are always busy. My father works as a manager while my mother is an English teacher. What’s more, I graduated from No. 3 Middle School. It was in that school that I learnt a lot of knowledge. Because of my hard work I am expert in computer and English. Besides, I am fond of sports and collecting stamps. Listening to music is another thing I am crazy about. Last but not least, I sincerely hope that I can make friends with those who share the common interest with me. That’s all. Thank you.
通过比较可以发现这两篇书面表达的差别主要体现在以下四个方面：
1. 增加了一些相关信息，使整篇文章更加自然，内容更加丰富。
Good morning / afternoon / evening
... now first let me introduce myself first.
What makes me pleased is that both my parents love me very much ...
It was in that school that I learnt a lot of knowledge.
Because of my hard work, ...
... I sincerely hope that I can make friends with those who share the common interest with me.
That’s all.
Thank you.
2. 使用适当连词，使文章更加符合逻辑。
表示并列关系的what’s more，besides
表示概括关系的last but not least
表示因果关系的because of
3. 词汇。
work as 作为……身份工作
graduate from ... 从……毕业
be expert in ... 擅长于……
be fond of ... 喜欢
be crazy about ... 喜欢
share the common interest 有共同爱好
4. 句型。
What makes me pleased ...（主语从句）
... that both my parents love me very much （表语从句）
while my mother is an English teacher （让步状语从句）
It was in that school that I learnt a lot of knowledge.（强调结构）
Listening to music is another thing I am crazy about. （定语从句）
I sincerely hope that I can make friends ... （宾语从句）
... with those who share the common interest with me. （定语从句）
在初中英语阅读教学和写作教学中，如果我们能够运用分合法，该简洁时简洁，该复杂时复杂，根据具体情况做到分合自如，这样真正使知识能够在能力运用中得到灵活运用，使语言输入与语言输出真正实现互通，从而达到语言学习的良性循环。