On the Application of Multimedia in College English Reading 英语专业毕业论文.doc

on the application of multimedia in college english readingacknowledgements . iabstract .ii摘 要.iiichapter 1 introduction .11.1 current situation of college english reading teaching.11.2 problems in college english reading.21.2.1 the definition of reading.21.2.2 the existing problems in college english reading.3 1.3 the significance of the research.3chapter 2 literature review.5 2.1 english reading theories.5 2.1.1 j.s bruners theory of learning-cognitivism.5 2.1.2 information processing theory.5 2.1.3 schema theory.6 2.2 research on multimedia foreign language learning.7 2.2.1 the definition of multimedia.7 2.2.2 a brief history of multimedia foreign language learning.7 2.3 theory basis of integrating multimedia with english reading teaching.8 2.3.1 cognitivism.8 2.3.2 krashens input hypothesis.8chapter 3 the application of multimedia in college english reading10 3.1 characteristics of multimedia-assisted teaching.10 3.1.1 it makes individual learning possible10 3.1.2 it makes discovery learning possible.10 3.1.3 it makes human-computer interactive learning possible.10 3.2 teaching models of multimedia-assisted teaching in college english reading.11 3.2.1 classroom demonstration model11 3.2.2 virtual reality teaching model123.2.3 interactive model.12 3.3 the application of multimedia in the learning process of class reading and case study13 3.3.1 the application of multimedia in pre-reading section.13 3.3.2 the application of multimedia in fast reading section.14 3.3.3the application of multimedia in intensive reading section15chapter 4 discussion.17 4.1 the strengths of multimedia-assisted teaching in college english reading.17 4.1.1 provide vivid background knowledge.17 4.1.2 enrich teaching materials.17 4.1.3 enhance coherence and continuance of the teaching procedure. .18 4.2 the weaknesses of multimedia-assisted teaching in college english reading.18 4.2.1 teachers too much dependence on multimedia teaching ppt.18 4.2.2 teachers lack of ability to operate multimedia facility.19 4.2.3 tiredness brought by large flow of information from screen.19 4.3 suggestions.19 4.3.1 open teaching ppt to all students.19 4.3.2 activate communication between teachers and provide opportunity for learning advanced technology.20 4.3.3 vary teaching activities.20chapter 5 conclusion.21work cited.22chapter 1 introductioncomputer-assisted language learning (call) is a new mode of modern educational technology. it is an inevitable outcome of the combination of multimedia technique and educational theories since it entered the field of education. the modern educational technology, whose representative is multimedia computer, is gradually walking into the classroom and becoming an important issue of teaching reform. computer-assisted language learning is widely used in classroom teaching of colleges and universities since 1999, when most high institutes in china introduced the new mode into classroom. it helps to create a pleasant communication environment, stir up students motivation and enthusiasm to learn english, construct their cognitive schemata and develop their cross-culture awareness and ability. besides, it plays a positive role in the respect of developing english teaching resources, opening study outlets, enlarging the classroom teaching capacity, improving study methods, developing students thinking abilities and raising teaching efficiency. with the advance of quality-oriented education, more and more educators have realized that students have become active participants in learning and are encouraged to be explorers and creators of language rather than passive recipients of it. in this case, teachers feel it necessary and natural to establish highly interactive learning environments for students. multimedia with a lot of advantages can satisfy these requests.1.1 current situation of college english reading teachingcurrently, there are more than 1000 colleges and universities in china and each has established english as a public course for all students to participate in during their freshman and sophomore period. more than 50,000 college english teachers are engaged in this program, each of them taking charge of english study for nearly 200 students. in terms of english teaching, the teaching of reading has been extensively paid attention to during the past 20 years. the new syllabus of the college english course released by the ministry of education in 2004 has described the requirements for college students reading ability like this (xiong 51):table1.1 requirements on college students reading ability要求层次阅读速度（词/分钟）阅读要求一般要求70100能基本读懂一般性题材的英文文章快速阅读篇幅较长、难度略低的材料较高要求70120能基本读懂英语国家大众性报刊杂志的一般性题材快读阅读篇幅较长的材料更高要求未规定能读懂有一定难度的文章，理解其意义，能借助词典阅读英语原版教材和英语国家报刊杂志上的文章，能比较顺利地阅读所学专业的综述性文化。the new syllabus requires a higher objective on students reading ability, and reading has occupied an overwhelming part of time that a student devotes to english learning. we can see this from the following graph:graph 1.1 current english curriculum layout (liu &dai 19)1.2 problems in college english reading1.2.1 the definition of readingdifferent from some very basic factors in linguistics or pedagogy which usually have clear concepts or definition, reading hasnt yet got a very authoritative definition. according to extensive reading in the second language classroom (day and bamford 12), reading is the construction of meaning from a printed or written message. in other words, reading comprehension involves extracting the relevant information from the text as efficiently as possible, connecting the information from the written message with ones own knowledge to arrive at an understanding. there are two broad levels in the act of reading: 1) a recognition task of perceiving visual signals from the printed page through the eyes; 2) a cognitive task of interpreting the visual information, relating the received information with the readers own general knowledge, and reconstructing the meaning that the writer had meant to convey (wang 181).1.2.2 the existing problems in college english readingin non-english major class, there are usually too many students, thus each student may find it difficult to express himself fully and in long run, will become lazy and reluctant to participate in classroom activities. besides, class periods for non-english major students are far from enough. most students have no english classes when in junior and senior, which makes them even harder to improve english. moreover, some students find it rather difficult to focus on and understand an english passage due to bad reading habits, such as reading with lip movement, pointing to words with pen, and a lack of vocabulary and relevant background knowledge. the most critical problem is the english exam system among college students that aims at a high score in exams rather than the cultivation of language ability and appreciation of the content. two most influential forms that almost all college students have taken part in are cet-4 and cet-6. in order to pass the exams, students devote most time to the reading part which occupies a large portion of marks. limited time stimulates students to just find out the right answers with a few tricks without understanding or appreciating the english language.1.3 the significance of the researchfrom the analysis of the current situation, we come to know that reading is of great importance in the procedure of english learning. meanwhile, problems exist, either from outside or inside or both and these prevent one from becoming an effective reader. however, with the introduction of new technology, especially the multimedia-assisted teaching into college english reading, students absolutely benefit a lot, for the series of advantages multimedia bring forth.the thesis will first make a review of the theories related to english reading and multimedia, and then focus on the models and methodology of integrating reading teaching with multimedia. discussion of the strengths and weaknesses will be carried out after that and a brief conclusion constitutes the last part.chapter 2 literature review2.1 english reading theories2.1.1 j.s bruners theory of learningcognitivismbruner held the view that “to perceive is to categorize, to conceptualize is to categorize, to learn is to form categories, to make decisions is to categorize.” this cognitivistic view emphasized the active mental processes the primary object of study and tried to discover and model the mental processes on the part of the learner during the learning process. in cognitive theories, knowledge is viewed as symbolic, mental constructions in the minds of individuals, and learning becomes the process of committing these symbolic representations to memory where they may be processed. it emphasized internal motivation and information collecting. the development of computers with a strict “input-processing-output architecture” from the 1960s and up till today certainly has inspired these “information-processing” views of learning. the teacher has to make advanced language learners aware of cross-cultural differences in communication.2.1.2 information processing theoryinformation processing theory has become a general theory of human cognition .g. miller holds the view that like computer, human mind takes in information, performs operations on it to change its form and content, stores and locates it and generates responses to it. thus, processing involves gathering and representing information; holding information; and getting the information when needed.5 in other words, the three stages of information processing model are input registry; short-term memory; long-term memory. input primarily from sight and sound, and must go to short term memory for actual processing information, for future reference is stored in long-term memory (lmt). lmt is thought to have unlimited capacity and duration. the theory emphasizes cognitive structure built by the learner. as to reading, information processing involves: students are actively processing, storing and retrieving information; teaching involves helping students to develop information processing skills and apply them systematically to mastering the curriculum.2.1.3 schema theory according to schema theory, all knowledge makes up a certain unit which is called schema. schema has three meaning, which is (sun 33):1) schema is made up of variables. each schema has a group of corresponding variables. 2) schema is an individual theory. its central function is to build an explanation to an event, an object or a situation.3) schema is an active activity and has a clear organization structure, similar to computer program. everyone has many varieties of schemas. the ways to activate schema are top-down conceptually driven and bottom-up data driven.clarke and silberstein (136-137) capture the essence of schema theory: research has shown that reading is only incidentally visual. more information is contributed by the reader than by the print on the page. that is, readers understand what they read because they are able to take the stimulus beyond its graphic representation and assign it membership to an appropriate group of concepts already stored in their memories. skills in reading depend on the efficient interaction between linguistic knowledge and knowledge of the world. the reading process involves identification of genre, formal structure and topic, all of which activate schema and allow readers to comprehend the text. it is assumed that readers not only process all relevant schemata, but also that these schemata are actually activated. when this is not the case, some disruption of comprehension may occur. in fact, it is likely that there will never be a total coincidence of schema between writer and reader.62.2 research on multimedia foreign language learning2.2.1 the definition of multimedia the term multimedia means different things to different people. mayer (21) defines multimedia as the presentation of material using both words and pictures. by words, he means that the material is presented in verbal form, such as printed or spoken text. by picture, he means that the material is presented in pictorial form, such as static graphics, including illustrations, graphs, photos, or maps or dynamic graphics, including animation or video. the definition is broad enough to cover each of the multimedia scenarios. according to the investigation conducted by college english teaching committee in 2001, there are mainly three types of multimedia-assisted teaching form, namely teaching by overhead projector, independent study with the assistance of computer and distance education or campus network-based study, with the first type occupying 70.6 percent of the whole.2.2.2 a brief history of multimedia foreign language learning the first computers used for language learning were large 1950s mainframes that only available at research facilities on university campuses. the high cost of these early machines and demands upon them for pure research made it unlikely to be widely used in teaching and learning. among the first and the most significant applications for the teaching and learning of language at the computer were those used on the programmed logic/learning for automated teaching operation (plato) system, developed in 1959 by the university of illinois working with a business partner, control data corporation (merrill 88).7in 1975, microcomputers were first sold in kit form (merrill 85). this spurred the development of small applications on computers, but many of these platforms were extremely limited by their processing power. high-end mainframe computers continued to be available and used for foreign language learning and teaching throughout the 1970s and 1980s in university laboratories and commercial institutions. videodisc technology was one of the focuses of multimedia foreign language research during this period. with high speed and storage capacity, videodisc technology made it possible for computers to go beyond behaviorist models of instruction on less powerful computers that generally relied upon textual exercises.thousands of new multimedia foreign language learning and teaching programs have been published since 1990s, and murray, moregenstern and furstenberg (97-118) provide guidelines as to what might be usefully included in multimedia learning environment. the guidelines also serve to suggest how narrative-driven multimedia learning environment might be evaluated.2.3 theory basis of integrating multimedia with english reading teaching2.3.1 constructivismconstructivism learning theory is one of the most important branches of cognitive learning theory. it holds that ones cognitive development is deeply related to his learning process. learning process is the acquirement of new knowledge through assimilating and constructing under certain context, or with the help of other people or necessary material. what distinguish it from traditional educational psychology is that it emphasizes the role students play during the process. students are the principal part in cognizing, processing and constructing the information; teachers are the organizer, helper and promoter. teachers teaching performance should be based on constructive learning environment which includes context, cooperation, dialogue and meaning construction (guo 80). multimedia can provide perfect learning environment in the process of english teaching by video, audio and its interaction with learners.2.3.2 krashens input hypothesis8the hypothesis simply says krashen and terrell (32), that we acquire (not learn) language by understanding input that is a little beyond our current level of acquired competence. krashens claim is that learning will occur when unknown items are only just beyond the learners present level. krashen has a formula that neatly expresses his idea of comprehensible input. he describes the acquirers present level of competence as i, and the level immediately following i as i+1(keith johnson, 2002:93). the input hypothesis claims that learners progress by understanding language containing i+1, language just above present competence.in multimedia-assisted reading class, with the help of various media, such as cd-roms, internet, overhead projector, etc., the teacher is able to offer enough background and relevant information to the class taking place. but the teacher should bear in mind that the new information provided cannot be too much, which excess students present level and will decrease students i