On Cultivating Students’ Autonomous Reading Ability in Senior High Schools.doc

毕业论文（设计）B.A. Thesis On Cultivating Students Autonomous Reading Ability in Senior High Schools B.A. Candidate: Zeng YiAdvisor: Deng Chunyan Foreign Language DepartmentJiaying UniversityMay 22, 2008AcknowledgementsI wish to express my thanks and appreciation to my tutor, Miss Deng, whose careful reading and suggestions have been valuable to me throughout my thesis writing. My thanks should also be given to all the teachers who have taught me my BA courses. Without their enthusiasm and support, this work would not have been possible. I am also grateful to my classmates and roommates for their psychological support and encouragement. In particular, I own a special debt of thanks to Cai Xiaofang, who has given me many suggestions to revise the paper. AbstractWith the development of the worlds politics, economy, and culture, the international communication is becoming more and more common now. As we know, most international organizations use English as their working language, and most of the international trades are done in English, so English is becoming more and more important. However, the efficiency of learning and teaching English in middle schools is not satisfying. The author of this paper thinks that cultivating students autonomous reading ability is an efficient way to improve students English.Autonomous reading is derived from self-access language learning, which means students read English according to the plans which they work out themselves. In the process of reading, they can use proper reading strategies to monitor their own reading and assess their reading. In the end, they can also check how they have carried out their plans and evaluate their own reading.In the paper, the author first discusses the importance and advantages of autonomous reading. The factors which affect students autonomous reading are mentioned. For instance, learners attitude, motivation, reading strategy, study objective and reading materials are all listed. And then some solutions are presented. To establish students habit of autonomous reading, teachers should change their roles in class. The first thing to do is to arouse students interest in reading English. And it is also important to stimulate students motivation of reading. At the same time, the author thinks that we need to pay much attention to developing students reading strategies in order to help them carry on autonomous reading smoothly; try to encourage students to make full use of all the materials so as to broaden their knowledge. Autonomous reading is an efficient way to improve students reading ability. It is not difficult for students to improve the ability of doing autonomous reading. As for teachers, they need to change their own role in teaching, to strengthen students motivation of reading and to protect students interest in reading and develop students reading strategies.Key Words: autonomous reading students in senior high schools attitude motivation strategy 摘 要随着世界政治，经济，文化的发展，国际交流日益密切。英语比以往任何时候更显重要。然而，我国中学英语教育的效果却不能赶上时代的节拍，难以令人满意。本文作者认为，要提高学习者的英语能力，培养其自主阅读能力是一个有效途径。自主阅读是由自主语言学习发展而来的，它是指学习者能管理自己的阅读行为，根据自己的情况制定阅读计划，选择阅读策略，监控阅读过程以达到逐步发展英语阅读能力的目的。本文以自主阅读的重要性和优点为开端，接着从学习者的态度，动机，阅读策略，学习目标和阅读材料出发，说明了学生自主阅读中所存在的问题，进而提出了解决问题的办法。为了使学生形成自主阅读的习惯，教师应首先转换自己的角色，从领导者，指挥者转换为引导者，协助者。同时，教师要注重唤起学生的阅读兴趣，激发他们的阅读动机，培养学生掌握科学的学习策略和学习目标，充分利用各种渠道，拓宽自己的阅读材料范围。自主阅读是提高学生英语阅读能力的一条有效途径。只要教师在教学过程中重视强化学生的阅读动机，提高学生的阅读兴趣，培养学生的阅读策略，学生是能够具备自主阅读的能力的。关键词: 自主阅读 高中生 态度 动机 策略 ContentsAcknowledgements.iiAbstract (English).iiiAbstract (Chinese). vContents.vi1. Introduction.12. Autonomous reading.2 2.1 The definition of autonomous reading.2 2.2 Importance of English reading in EFLL .3 2.3 Necessity of autonomous reading.42.4 The advantages of autonomous reading.6 3. The factors influencing development of autonomous reading. .8 3.1 Learners attitude .8 3.2 Motivation. .9 3.3 Reading strategy.103.4 Study objective.123.5 Reading materials.12 4. Solutions. .13 4.1 Fostering students positive attitude and motivation.13 4.2 Picking up reading strategy.16 4.2.1 Autonomous reading activities.164.2.2 Collaborative reading teaching strategy.17 Pre-reading period.18 Detail reading. . To get the general idea.18 Consolidation period. Summarize.194.2.3 Companion reading strategy.204.3 Helping students set goals and make reading plans.204.4 Making full use of materials .22 4.4.1 Text book.22 4.4.2 Authentic materials.23 4.4.3 Specially produced materials.245. Conclusion.25References2626 On Cultivating Students Autonomous Reading Ability in Senior High Schools1. Introduction English reading has always been considered as one of the most important parts in foreign language learning. Without reading, nothing can be done in the development of listening, speaking, writing and translating. In practice, however, autonomous reading is not always taken seriously in todays senior high schools, for most schools feel the current teaching hours are far too short for them to complete the in-class teaching content. In this case, the issuing of new curriculum standards has brought senior high schools a great challenge, in that the new curriculum standards require each junior high and senior high graduates to complete at least 15,000 and 36,000 words respectively within their three years of study (NCS, 2001). This is a dream of generations of scholars who have argued for the worth of extensive reading and who have wished to see students read naturally after years of English learning. “Give me fish，you feed me for a day; show me how to fish，you feed me for a life time.” In other more popular words, “tell me I will forget, show me I will remember, involve me I will learn.” In recent decade, autonomous learning has gained wider and wider attention. To cultivate learners ability to take charge of their own learning has widely been accepted as the desirable goal of education. The concept of autonomous reading stemmed from debates about the development of life-long learning skills and the development of independent thinkers. It is featured by being able to set clear goals and objectives, fostering positive attitude and motivation, selecting appropriate learning strategies, making learning plans, monitoring the learning process, and evaluating ones learning to train this kind of learner autonomy. Learner autonomy is of vital importance for a teacher to bear in mind what teachers have to do is to equip students with the means to cope with problems when teachers are no longer around.2. Autonomous reading.2.1 Definition of autonomous reading.Autonomous reading is that: guided by the teacher at beginning, the students make reading plans by themselves, monitor their reading process while they undertake independently the tasks, and assess the reading outcome. When becoming autonomous readers, they can fulfill the reading tasks without the teachers help. They are eager to read, activate to participant in the reading activities that they devise by themselves and fully show up their creativeness. They can find materials by themselves, and also make good use of time, resources and so on. The whole process is completed primarily out of class.Through the autonomous reading activities, learners will feel confident and have a sense of accomplishment. Some of the decision making and the responsibility for learning will be put in their hands, and over the long term it builds autonomy and self-reliance so that they can read on their own without being dependent on their teachers direction and supervision. It activates the students own learning spirals.In short, the ultimate aim of the autonomous reading of extra-curriculum is to make the learners become autonomous readers, and pave the way for them to be lifetime autonomous learners. 2.2 Importance of English reading in EFLL (English as foreign language learning)In respect to English reading, it is an indispensable part in English teaching. Also, to the student, reading widely is a highly effective means of extending our mastering of language, so it has an important place in classrooms where language learning is the central purpose.Further, reading is suggested to be an indispensable cognitive activity in human society. Frank Smiths slogan says: We learn to read by reading (Frank Smith, 1988). When we reading a lot, we will find this slogan is true, and this provides another slogan: The best way to improve your knowledge of a foreign language is to go and live among its speakers. The next best way is to read extensively in it.(Nuttall, 2002:129) Through reading, we grasp sufficient language knowledge, understand how to communicate with foreigners smoothly. Reading materials, it is believed that, provide good models for English writing. When we teach the writing skill, we will need to show students models of what we are encouraging them to do. Reading materials also provide opportunities to study language: vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, and the way we construct sentences, paragraphs and texts. Moreover, good reading materials can stimulate students interest, then they can learn initiatively if they are interested in the reading materials.Since we are in an era of globalization, the upgrading of knowledge and transmission of information is becoming greatly rapid. It is no doubt that English is becoming the international language nowadays. It is statistic that among the world populations, over 40 percent speaks English or can speak English. In addition, about 20 percent people are learning English; almost 85 percent of the letters are written in English. Rather, 90 percent of information in various systems of electronic communication in the world is in English, too. In addition, half of the newspapers are published in English, and three to five of news broadcast use English as well(Wang,2002:1). Today, English is becoming the general language widely used on the Internet.2.3 Necessity of autonomous reading.Teachers want students to read better and faster with full understanding. In order to do this, they need to read more, and there are two ways to achieve this: requiring them to do so and tempting them to do so. The best way to do that is to provide opportunities for them with maximum autonomy. Thus, autonomous reading is one of the necessary methods in English learning.According to the standard of English curriculum, students should reach the level of “8 band” when graduate form senior high school. The demand for reading like this:The students should be able to:(1) Comprehend the different viewpoint and attitude of the reading material;(2) Identify the features from different styles of writing; (3) Comprehend the difficult sentences; (4) Appreciate light literary works with the teachers help; (5) Get information from Internet and process it according to the needs of learning task.Besides the textbook, the number of extra-curriculum reading should add up to above 30,000 words (2002).However, the level of the students reading in high school is far form the related provision: they have only five classes once a week and they study English only in class. They seldom touch English when finishing the assignment after class, and as a consequence, many a student is with a narrow field of reading, less amount of reading, slower reading speed, and also less English culture knowledge, which result in low reading competence. Some of them even cannot understand English material or understand the real idea of an article correctly though after many years of English learning.It is really not enough for learners to master a foreign language merely depending on classroom setting within the limited time, the single textbook, by a certain stereotype way. How to reach the reading goal is becoming more and more urgent in English teaching. However, the spare time is relatively adequate for them to draw on, and they can fulfill their reading tasks out of classroom. So autonomous reading can overcome the shortcomings.Autonomous reading can overcome learners anxiety, heighten their self-confidence and reduce other negative effects in English learning. Formal classroom teaching deprives students of the freedom to decide what to read and how to read. Autonomous reading, on the other hand, returns them the long-lost right to exercise responsibility for their own reading. As a result of this freedom, autonomous learners usually are more motivated than students who are teacher-dependent, and are more efficient in learning. There is a convincing evidence that people who take the initiative in learning learn more things and learn better than people who always need the guidance of teachers. To this point, giving students some control over their reading procedure can benefit them a lot: it provides broader space of freedom for them to select the reading materials for their own level. It allows learners arrive at the reading goal in terms of their own interests and preferences. Learners draw on effective techniques and reading strategies. Also, adjustment and regulation can be made when they realize that they are in a wrong way.Autonomous reading, however, shows the features of diversity and flexibility. The reading activity is conducive for them to read lots of books in a broader space. So, autonomous reading, whether from a long run or not, is quite necessary for teachers to enhance their students language proficiency and competence.2.4 The advantages of autonomous reading.Autonomous reading means that students are interested in reading English and are eager to improve their ability to read English. With the help of teachers, they first set up their goals, and select the English materials that they are interested in and that are suitable to their English level. They are able to use the reading strategies correctly while reading to get the information they need and reach the goal they have set. Students are also capable of monitoring their reading in the process of self-access reading and still they can assess and evaluate their own reading.From the concept of autonomous reading, we know students read because they are fond of reading and they are interested in what they are reading, so it is natural for students to concentrate on what they are reading. 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