论文部分内容阅读
摘 要：本文对山西医科大学二年级三个本科班学生的英语阅读策略掌握过程进行了研究。结果显示，在通过阅读策略训练后，学生阅读效率有一定的提高，肯定了英语阅读策略的作用。
关键词：阅读策略；调查；阅读训练；建议
Abstract:This paper reports a study conducted among three classes of Shanxi Medical university sophomores on English reading strategies in order to find which strategies could be gained by training. The results indicate that students' reading proficiency could be improved by training. .
Key words: reading strategies;investigation;reading training;suggestions
An Investigation into English Reading Strategies among College Non-English Majors
1. Background
Reading is known as one of the most important information input in second language learning. While students lack enough correct input especially after class. So, reading is naturally regarded as the most efficient method for students.
2. Present Study
Many studies on reading skills were conducted to improve reading, for example, discourse structure and reading : Beck, McKeown, Sinatraq & Loxterman 1991; strategy instruction and reading development: Brown, Pressley, Van Meter & Schuder 1996; Fluency training on reading process: Stahl, Heubach & Cramond 1997; effects of individual learner differences on reading development: Guthrie, Wigfield, Metsala & Cox 1999.
In China, plenty of researches on English reading are doing in recent years. Twenty-seven articles were collected from year 2006 to 2010. Five of these investigations were being carried out under reading practice, and the rest were not.
3. Research Design
3.1 Subjects
Subjects are all non-English majors in Shanxi Medical University in grade two from three different classes taught by the same English teacher. Students are divided into three levels according to the mean marks of the past two terms' English test scores. Group A consists of students whose mean score is above 75; Group B consists of students whose mean score is between 60(60 included) and 75(75 included); Group C consists of students whose mean score is below 60. Twenty-seven students are in Group One; seventy-three in Group Two; sixteen in Group Three.
3.2Study Tools
Study tools are reading material of CET4 (2001-2009), questionnaire, spss13.0 and interview questions.
3.3 Before the Experiment
In the beginning, concept of reading and ten reading strategies were introduced to students. Ben E Johnson stated in Reading Edge (1998): "Reading is a process of constructing meaning from written texts. It is a complex skill requiring the coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information." And "Reading is the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among readers existing knowledge, the information suggested by the text being read and the context of the reading situation." Then, reading strategies in Urquhart and Weir's are introduced to students. 3.4 Experiment Steps
The experiment was divided into three stages. In the first stage (one week), students will be given some reading material, they finish the exercise by themselves, and at the same time an interview question will be given to students to get information on reading proficiency. In the second stage (two weeks), teacher will teach them the reading skills or strategies and reading material will be given to students who will use the reading strategies or skills to finish the exercise. In the third stage, reading material will be provided to check the results of training.
4. Results
4.1 Results of the Interview Questions
Reading strategies talked about by most students include skimming, scanning, translation and prediction. Ten of them say they do not know any of reading strategies even they could apply some of them unconsciously. Most students say that they can not use reading strategies. When asked the reasons, students give various answers. It can be concluded into two reasons: low English level and reading speed limitation.
4.2 Data Analysis
Two reading passages are selected, ten unanswered questions are provided immediately. Results are collected as following:
Table 1: Groups and results
In this table, we can see that Group one has the best accuracy The results are collected after reading for the first time before training.
In the end, new reading material is given to students to check their ability of applying the reading strategies. Two passages will be selected to test English reading accuracy. Test scores have been collected as following:
Table 2: Results after training
We can see that Group one's accuracy increased by 1.14%; Group two, 1.98%; Group three, 2%.
Five of skills are tested, and 116 students' answers have been collected as the following:
Table 3: Statistics of training
After observation, we can conclude that students' reading proficiency could be improved after training. No matter in high, in medium, or in low level, all of the students have improvements.
5. Limitations
First, the subjects only 116 students are involved and the number is not enough in the sense of quantity. If possible, some similar researches could be done in other kinds of schools, such as middle school, primary school, and other English training schools.
Second, the reading material is not suitable for each student. It is natural that some students have already done reading exercise of CET-4 before research.
Third, reading problems which are the main reading blocks when students in reading process are not mentioned, and they are good topics for future study.
References:
[1]Anderson,N J.Exploring Second Language Reading[M].Issues and Strategies Beijing Foreign Teaching and Research Press,2004.
[2]Urquhart and Weir.Reading In a Second Language[M].Longman,1998.
[3]Rod Ellis.Understanding Second Language Acquisition[M].Oxford University Press,USA,1997.
[4] Ben E.Johnson.Reading Edge[M].Houghton Mifflin College Div,1998.
作者简介：张晓蓉（1981-），女，山西太原人，山西财经大学英语教育专业硕士研究生，从事英语教育研究。
关键词：阅读策略；调查；阅读训练；建议
Abstract:This paper reports a study conducted among three classes of Shanxi Medical university sophomores on English reading strategies in order to find which strategies could be gained by training. The results indicate that students' reading proficiency could be improved by training. .
Key words: reading strategies;investigation;reading training;suggestions
An Investigation into English Reading Strategies among College Non-English Majors
1. Background
Reading is known as one of the most important information input in second language learning. While students lack enough correct input especially after class. So, reading is naturally regarded as the most efficient method for students.
2. Present Study
Many studies on reading skills were conducted to improve reading, for example, discourse structure and reading : Beck, McKeown, Sinatraq & Loxterman 1991; strategy instruction and reading development: Brown, Pressley, Van Meter & Schuder 1996; Fluency training on reading process: Stahl, Heubach & Cramond 1997; effects of individual learner differences on reading development: Guthrie, Wigfield, Metsala & Cox 1999.
In China, plenty of researches on English reading are doing in recent years. Twenty-seven articles were collected from year 2006 to 2010. Five of these investigations were being carried out under reading practice, and the rest were not.
3. Research Design
3.1 Subjects
Subjects are all non-English majors in Shanxi Medical University in grade two from three different classes taught by the same English teacher. Students are divided into three levels according to the mean marks of the past two terms' English test scores. Group A consists of students whose mean score is above 75; Group B consists of students whose mean score is between 60(60 included) and 75(75 included); Group C consists of students whose mean score is below 60. Twenty-seven students are in Group One; seventy-three in Group Two; sixteen in Group Three.
3.2Study Tools
Study tools are reading material of CET4 (2001-2009), questionnaire, spss13.0 and interview questions.
3.3 Before the Experiment
In the beginning, concept of reading and ten reading strategies were introduced to students. Ben E Johnson stated in Reading Edge (1998): "Reading is a process of constructing meaning from written texts. It is a complex skill requiring the coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information." And "Reading is the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among readers existing knowledge, the information suggested by the text being read and the context of the reading situation." Then, reading strategies in Urquhart and Weir's are introduced to students. 3.4 Experiment Steps
The experiment was divided into three stages. In the first stage (one week), students will be given some reading material, they finish the exercise by themselves, and at the same time an interview question will be given to students to get information on reading proficiency. In the second stage (two weeks), teacher will teach them the reading skills or strategies and reading material will be given to students who will use the reading strategies or skills to finish the exercise. In the third stage, reading material will be provided to check the results of training.
4. Results
4.1 Results of the Interview Questions
Reading strategies talked about by most students include skimming, scanning, translation and prediction. Ten of them say they do not know any of reading strategies even they could apply some of them unconsciously. Most students say that they can not use reading strategies. When asked the reasons, students give various answers. It can be concluded into two reasons: low English level and reading speed limitation.
4.2 Data Analysis
Two reading passages are selected, ten unanswered questions are provided immediately. Results are collected as following:
Table 1: Groups and results
In this table, we can see that Group one has the best accuracy The results are collected after reading for the first time before training.
In the end, new reading material is given to students to check their ability of applying the reading strategies. Two passages will be selected to test English reading accuracy. Test scores have been collected as following:
Table 2: Results after training
We can see that Group one's accuracy increased by 1.14%; Group two, 1.98%; Group three, 2%.
Five of skills are tested, and 116 students' answers have been collected as the following:
Table 3: Statistics of training
After observation, we can conclude that students' reading proficiency could be improved after training. No matter in high, in medium, or in low level, all of the students have improvements.
5. Limitations
First, the subjects only 116 students are involved and the number is not enough in the sense of quantity. If possible, some similar researches could be done in other kinds of schools, such as middle school, primary school, and other English training schools.
Second, the reading material is not suitable for each student. It is natural that some students have already done reading exercise of CET-4 before research.
Third, reading problems which are the main reading blocks when students in reading process are not mentioned, and they are good topics for future study.
References:
[1]Anderson,N J.Exploring Second Language Reading[M].Issues and Strategies Beijing Foreign Teaching and Research Press,2004.
[2]Urquhart and Weir.Reading In a Second Language[M].Longman,1998.
[3]Rod Ellis.Understanding Second Language Acquisition[M].Oxford University Press,USA,1997.
[4] Ben E.Johnson.Reading Edge[M].Houghton Mifflin College Div,1998.
作者简介：张晓蓉（1981-），女，山西太原人，山西财经大学英语教育专业硕士研究生，从事英语教育研究。