Based on such a background, the author makes the present research, aiming to analyze the problems and difficulties for teachers in the application of Situational Approach to English Listening and Speaking Class。

1。2 Research significance

The process of learning English as a foreign language in China is not easy, and there may exist some problems of teachers’ teaching in class。 For students, some of them may think it’s too difficult for them to learn it well and some others may feel it’s boring or even don’t like it。 However, according to what has been discussed earlier, learning English is quite important。 Since listening and speaking are two basic skills, they together play the essential role in English teaching。 The aim of doing this research is to get to know the current situation of the English listening and speaking teaching and also the ways how the teachers create language using situations for students’ better learning。 After we know the problems existing in English teaching, we can also try our best to bring up some useful suggestions for both the teachers’ teaching and the students’ learning。 

1。3 Research questions

As we all know, English is the dominant carrier of information and the most widely spoken language in the world。 The aim of learning English is to communicate with each other in most part of the world。 Concerning the New English Curriculum for Chinese Primary Schools and Middle Schools, the fundamental aim is to develop students’ comprehensive language competence which covers language skills, language knowledge, attitudes to learning, learning strategies and cultural awareness。 In the English teaching, students should be put at the center of the class。 NEC also serves students’ all-round development which helps strengthen their interest in studying English, improve their cooperative, investigative and thinking abilities, develop their memory, imagination and creativity and so on。 According to the request of NEC, applying the Situational Approach can be a good way to help English teaching in listening and speaking class。 Teachers should try to create real situation of English such as playing English songs or videos, making and using colorful pictures or cards and letting students practice dialogue according to what they learned。 However, there still exist some problems in English teaching by an application of the Situational Approach, so the research questions are as follows:

1。 What is the current situation of the English listening and speaking class?

2。 How do teachers create situations in English listening and speaking class?文献综述

3。 What is the significance of the Situational Approach for English listening and speaking teaching?

1。4 General structure

The paper consists of five chapters as follows:

Chapter one is an Introduction which include research background, research significance, research questions and also general structure。 The research background mainly talks about the importance and necessity of English learning and the current situation of the application of the Situational Approach in English listening and speaking class。 The research significance is to come up with some useful suggestions for the better use of the Situational Approach for teachers and thus it could be beneficial to students’ English learning。

Chapter two is the Literature Review including an introduction to the Situational Approach and the requirements for listening and speaking in the National English Curriculum。 The former contains both the origin and the current research of the Situational Approach。

Chapter three is the Research Procedure about the application of the Situational Approach in English listening and speaking class。 It contains research objects and research methods。 And also the content of the questionnaire will be included。