Abstract:Recitation, a traditional method of learning still widely practiced in China, plays a profound role in English learning and teaching. It is propitious to improve students’ comprehensive language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. Besides that, recitation has many invisible functions. For example, it can also help to internalize English, making it natural and free for students to use English. Though the importance of recitation has been mentioned a lot and there is much information about recitation, the awareness of effective recitation and proper application of recitation to English teaching and learning have not so deeply and roundly. Thus this thesis aims to discuss the significance and functions of English recitation, to change teachers’ and students’ wrong attitude towards recitation, to call on them to carry out this important learning and teaching strategy and mainly to advise them to learn to apply recitation to learning and teaching with proper techniques. 

Key word: recitation; English teaching; English learning; application

中文摘要:背诵，作为一种传统的以及在中国仍被广泛适用的学习方法，在英语学习和教学中起着非常重要的作用。背诵有利于提高学生的综合语言能力，包括听说读写等。除此之外，背诵还有许多无形的作用。例如，背诵可以帮助学生英语的内化，使学生能够更加自然地运用英语。尽管人们大量提及背诵的重要性，也有许多关于背诵的信息和研究，但是人们对于提高对背诵的认识和如何恰当地将背诵引入到英语学习和教学中并没有深入和全面地探究。因此，此文的目的就在于探讨英语背诵的重要性及其功能，改变教师和学生对背诵的态度，号召教师和学生将背诵策略贯彻落实到英语教学和学习中，对于如何运用适当技巧和方法将背诵应用到英语教学和学习提出建议。

关键词：背诵；英语教学；英语学习；应用