本科毕业论文-提高初中生英语阅读能力的策略.doc

学号11111012324院系国际关系学院 西安翻译学院XIAN FANYI UNIVERSITY 本科毕业论文Thesis for Bachelors Degree题 目：Study on Strategies of Junior Middle School Students English Reading 学生姓名： 指导教师： 学科专业： 英 语 2015年5月诚信声明本人郑重声明：本人所呈交的毕业论文，是在导师的指导下独立进行研究所取得的成果。毕业论文中凡引用他人已经发表或未发表的成果、数据、观点等，均已明确注明出处。除文中已经注明引用的内容外，不包含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或在网上发表的论文。本声明的法律结果由本人承担。签 名： 日 期： 年 月 日Study on the Strategies of Junior Middle School Students English Reading Abstract: Reading is an important means of obtaining information. Reading ability is one of the four basic skills for junior middle school students. For junior middle school students, their English reading ability greatly influences their English efficiency, because reading will affect the improvement of other basic skills. Reading ability generates learning power that helps junior middle school students know themselves and others better. Students should master the basic reading skills such as skimming and scanning so that they can provide the right way to enhance the reading ability efficiently. In a word, this paper aims to analyze the factors that influence the improvement of students abilities in reading comprehension, and mainly discusses the strategies to improve their English reading abilities. In other words, it will give some advice to help students overwhelm the blocks in the process of reading and help them master some reading strategies：meta-cognitive strategies, cognitive strategies and social strategies. Students can improve their reading efficiency if they use these strategies properly. Key Words: reading ability, strategies, junior middle school students 提高初中生英语阅读能力的策略牛敬利摘要:英语阅读在我们的日常生活和学习中非常重要。对中学生来说，阅读是四项基本技能中的一项，在英语学习中占有重要的位置。因此，阅读能力直接影响到中学生的英语水平。要想培养学生的英语阅读能力首先必须找到学生阅读方面存在的问题，进而对症下药。现在中学生在英语阅读方面存在很多问题：英语阅读量小；阅读兴趣不浓；没有掌握英语阅读的技巧等方面的问题。本文意在论述在阅读理解过程中，哪些因素阻碍了学生的阅读以及提高学生阅读能力的策略，本文首先介绍了策略的含义，策略的重要性，进而介绍了英语阅读策略的含义和分类以及国内外对英语阅读策略的研究，最后引出提高初中生英语阅读三种策略：元认知策略，认知策略，社会策略。通过培养学生的阅读能力,有助于学生形成良好的阅读习惯,从而对英语文本的内容和环境以及语气等有一定的认识,领悟作者在文章中的所表达的情感学生；通过培养学生的阅读能力,能有效的培养学生的英语阅读语感和促进记忆力的提升,从而为学生语言表达能力的提升奠定坚实的基础;只有在阅读过程中能够有效地利用这些策略并多加练习，才能提高初中学生的英语阅读水平。关键字：英语阅读能力；策略；初中生IIContentsAbstract in English I从Abstract in English至Introduction之前，页码设置为大写罗马数字（I、II），从Introduction开始至论文结束为阿拉伯数字（1、2、3数字左右不带横线）。目录格式为小4号，T，1.5倍行距。Abstract in Chinese II1. Introduction1 1.1 Background of the Research1 1.2 Purpose of the Research1 1.3 Structure of the Research22. Literature Review4 2.1 Definition of Strategies4 2.2 The Importance of Strategies4 2.3 Definition of English Reading Strategies5 2.4 Classification of English Reading Strategies5 2.4.1 Meta-cognitive Strategies, Cognitive Strategies and Social Strategies5 2.4.2 Direct Strategy and Indirect Strategy8 2.4.3 Language Learning Strategies and Language Using Strategies8 2.5 Study on the Strategies of Junior Middle School Students English Reading8 2.5.1 Study on the Strategies of Junior Middle School Students English Reading8 2.5.2 Study on the Strategies of Junior Middle School Students English Reading93. Methodology10 3.1 Research Objectives10 3.2 Research Questions10 3.3 Research Subjects10 3.4 Research Instruments10 3.4.1 Questionnaire10 3.4.2 Interview114. Results and Discussion12 4.1 Result of Interviews12 4.2 Result of Questionnaires125. Findings, Limitations and Future Suggestions156. Conclusion16Bibliography17Acknowledgments18Appendix191. Introduction1.1 Background of the Research Reading is a social-cultural skill which modern people should possess. Consequently, no matter in theory or in practice, reading is always the focus of language educators. In English reading, the importance of reading is more remarkable.We all know that listening, reading and writing play important roles in English learning. These four abilities are interrelated. However, along with the study of English learning and the wide use of English, many people take listening and speaking as the key points to master English. The current conversation materials are not all good for English learning, because they are generally based on the simple daily words. We can never learn language (especially English) mainly by listening and speaking. Take our mother tongue, Chinese, for example. We learned it by listening and speaking when we were young, but that is not enough. We still need to learn it by reading and writing at school. Whats more, if reading has been done regularly, the problem of listening and speaking can be solved in better environment. Because reading provides a suitable cultural background on which we can easily cope with the variation of information.In that case, how to improve students English reading comprehension ability comes to be an important role in English learning.In recent years, it is not uncommon that lots of students say that reading comprehension is the most difficult part in the English learning. Students want to improve their reading comprehension, but they can not find effective approaches to it. Therefore, to improve the English reading ability is one of the keys to learn English well.1.2 Purpose of the Research It is very necessary to use some effective ways to help the students of junior middle school improve their reading ability. The research of the application of 1strategies in their English reading supports the improvement of their English reading ability. English teachers can apply the findings of this investigation to help their students. The students will realize the significance and necessities of the strategies in English reading and promote the application of the strategies so that they can improve their English reading. Meanwhile, it may maximize their reading achievements by helping them identify the differences in English reading. And students will pay much more attention to their English reading habits.1.3 Structure of the Research This paper is composed of five parts, the main contents are as follows: Chapter one is the introduction of the whole thesis. It would give a general introduction of the study, the background, purpose and structure of the study. Chapter two is the literature review part. It introduces the definition and the importance of reading strategies. Then it states the definition of English reading strategy and its classification. In the last, it gives us the studies on the strategies of junior middle school students English reading abroad and at home. Chapter three is the experiment part. The author chooses students from Handan Junior Middle School. Twenty students will be interviewed about the application of reading strategies. There will also be a questionnaire to see how much the students master the strategies and their application in reading.Chapter four is the findings and discussion part. We can know thatstudentsuse reading strategiesin a relativelylow level. Cognitivestrategies and meta-cognitive strategieshave not been fullyused inthe reading process. Students should pay more attention to using the strategies in their English reading. Chapter five is the limitations of the research and future suggestions. The number of the participants was relatively small. Therefore, this topic has large space to study. In the conclusion part, those three reading strategies should be treated in a right way. Students should pay more attention to reading strategies. The strategies should be considered when the teachers instruct reading courses to middle school students. Both teachers and students should master reading strategies.2. Literature Review2.1 Definition of Strategies A number of researchers have defined what constitutes language learning strategies in different ways; however, these definitions convey similar concepts. About this(Ellis 99) gave us definitions oflearning strategies and languagelearning strategies as follows ： Ellis listedthe following five differentdefinitions of strategy： (1) “According to our view, the strategy can be best used to present that language learners can use the approach of the general trend or general characteristics, techniques for the specific situation to describe visual behavior.” (Wenstein 86). (2) “Language learning strategy is the practice or idea of language learning.”(Stern 67). (3) “Learning strategies are skills, methods or deliberate actions taken by students.”(Chamot 87). (4) “Reading strategy is a strategy helpful for students to construct their own internet language system, which can directly influence the development of language.” (Chamot 33). (5) “Language learning strategies are the acts or actions the learner take in order to make language learning behavior or action more successful, more autonomous, more pleasant.”(Oxford 67).2.2 The importance of strategiesStrategies in the second language or foreign language learning are extremely important and are driven by certain goals from the learners side. Language learning strategies can greatly benefit the effectiveness and efficiency of the learners to certain learning tasks in English, especially for those who are still at an early stage of the learning process. Therefore, Chamot looks at language learning strategy as one of the crucial factors in English reading (Veit 63 ).2.3 Definition of English Reading Strategies Strategies are “deliberate and conscious processes by which the reader attempts to overcome a problem” (Underwood 87). Blanchard regards reading strategies as “actions which are selected deliberately to achieve particular goals”. 2.4 Classification of English Reading Strategies2.4.1 Meta-cognitive Strategies, Cognitive Strategies and Social Strategies 2.4.1.1 The Definition of Meta-cognitive StrategiesCognition and meta-cognition are two important concepts in modern education science. Cognition refers to the process of acquiring knowledge (Markstein 19). Although the term has been part of the vocabulary of educational psychologists for more than twenty years, and the concept has existed for as long as humans have been able to reflect on their cognitive experiences, there is much debate over exactly what meta-cognition is. 2.4.1.2 Classifications of Meta-cognitive StrategiesAccording to (Brown 87), meta-cognition can be divided into two parts: the knowledge of cognition and the regulation of cognition. The knowledge of cognition refers to the subjects knowledge about his cognition ability, cognition strategies, and how to make best use of his ability. And the regulation of cognition means the regulating methods that a positive learner uses to solve his problems that he meets with during learning, including planning, checking, monitoring and being examined etc. Two parts are of different characteristics. The knowledge of cognition is stable, recognizable, and can be expressed. It will also develop with the increasing of age. The regulation of cognition is not too stable, usually unconscious, and so is not easy to express: It depends on the task and context，rather than on age.2.4.1.3 Meta-cognitive Strategies and Reading ComprehensionReading is a process of acquiring information conveyed in characters or other symbol. It is a very important means to shape a citizen of the modem society. We have all experienced the phenomenon of reading a page in a textbook and then realized we have not comprehended a single thing. By using meta-cognitive strategies we can avoid it.2.4.1.4 The Definition of Cognitive StrategiesBruner put forward the term cognitive strategy first in 1956. Until the 1970s, Gagne identified and categorized cognitive strategy as the field of academic study. Yet there is no official definition of it but a skill that is internally formed during the control of their mental processes. (Hennings 20) says the cognitive strategies are closely linked with specific learning aims. After above points, the author concludes the definition in short: when you deal with a new problem, cognitive strategies are the thoughts, ideas and actions that you take to solve it. Meta-cognitive strategies are different. It means the plan and thought about learning monitoring your own behavior, while cognitive strategies only deals with basic learning problems.2.4.1.5 Classifications of Cognitive Strategies According to Chamots and Omalleys view, there are 4 items of cognitive strategies, (1) Resourcing: employing reference materials from target language, such as textbooks. (2) Translation: when you produce the second language, you may think about your first language or mother tongue. (3) Recombination: by combining the known elements in a new way, they create a new sentence. (4) Summarizing: making a summary of the information you get in the oral, mental or written form. In China, Qiufang (Wen 72) defines learning strategies as management strategies and language learning strategies. Management strategies concern with the process of learning and language learning strategies concern with the material, such as text books. 2.4.1.6 Cognitive Strategies and Reading Comprehension Readers can obtain meaning from a text during reading. Readers begin to process information at a level of sentence by using bottom-up strategies. In other words, they concentrate on grammatical category of a word and identification of the meaning, text particulars, syntax of sentence, and so on. Cognitive strategies are also known as heuristics. To be exact, a cognitive strategy is a guide or a heuristic which help or support the learner when she or he develops inner procedures. They can perform the higher level operations through developing internal procedures. A cognitive strategy is not an algorithm which can be precisely followed. It is also not a direct procedure.2.4.1.7 Definitions of Social StrategiesSocial strategies refer to strategies including the interaction with other learners or the management of affection. When compared with meta-cognitive strategies and cognitive strategies, social strategies are thought to be more applicable to various tasks. Oxford defines social strategies as “the techniques learners use to collaborate with others, to verify understanding or to lower anxiety”. More specifically, the definition of social strategies adopted in the present study is in the following: social strategies mean to get new information through interaction with others. 2.4.1.8 Classifications of Social StrategiesWith the development of studies on social strategies, some classifications are put forward by researchers. OMalley recognizes three kinds of social strategies: cooperation, self-talks and questions of clarification.Another classification of social strategies is connected with the problems of social and affective processes on learning. Social strategies contain asking questions for clarification and cooperative learning, which lead to the necessity of increasing interaction with the target language; Affective strategies are connected with the learners emotional requirements. And then, according to Oxford, the three main sets of social strategies are: (1) asking questions for clarification and for correction; (2) cooperating with others which includes cooperating with proficient users of the language and cooperating with peers; (3) empathizing with others that covers becoming aware of others thought and feelings and developing cultural understanding. In light of the previous studies, the present study will conduct social strategy training on reading. The training will focus on six types of social strategies which are adopted from the classification by Oxford. These six types of social strategies include taking emotional temperature, group interaction, cultural background learning, self-talk, lowering anxiety and questions of clarifying.2.4.1.9 Social Strategies and Reading ComprehensionThe social strategy training on reading in the present study has effect on participants awareness of strategy use. Participants awareness of strategy use is enhanced after the training. Among these six types of social-affective strategies, cultural background learning is more sensitive to strategy training than the other strategies. Participants use cultural background learning strategy more frequently after the training. The strategy training in the present study helps participants with their reading, participants reading size got expansion after the training.2.4.2 Direct Strategy and Indirect Strategy2.4.2.1 The Definition of Direct Strategy and Indirect StrategyDirect strategy is a strategy in which the readers contact with the language directly. Direct strategy includes of memory strategies,cognitive strategies, compensate strategies. Indirect strategy is a strategy in which readers contact with language indirectly. Indirect strategy includes of planning strategies, thinking strategies, interview strategies.2.4.3 Language Learning Strategies and Language Using Strategies2.4.3.1 The Definition of Language Learning Strategies and Language Using Strategies It was divided according tothe purpose of using language (Paris 56). The language learning strategiesrefers to the language learning. The language using strategies refers to the use oflanguageand the use ofstrategies.2.5 Study on the Strategies of Junior Middle School Students English Reading 2.5.1 Study on the Strategies of Junior Middle School Students English ReadingAbroad The climax of the research in second language reading has begun to focus on reading strategies since the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Research in second language re