The Application Of A Web-based Reading Instructional Model Among English Majors In China

With the rapid development of computer working and Internet, Web-based reading instruction has begun to be employed in some disciplines as an effective method, and its concept has been researched and advocated throughout the world. Compared with some reading instruction models in regular classrooms, Web-based reading instruction model breaks the limitation of time and space, makes interactive and selective reading possible, and stresses meaningful reading tasks based on students' collaboration. Therefore, it can be used as a useful adjunct to other reading instruction models in the aspects of language teachers, teaching resources and teaching effect. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the attitude of English majors in China towards online reading environment and their overall reading ability after the application of a Web-based Reading Instructional Model (WRIM). The study deals with the roles WRIM played on first-year English majors by attempting to answer the following questions: 1) What is the students' general attitude towards online reading environment provided by WRIM (focusing on students' reading motivation, reading autonomy and collaboration)? 2) Is WRIM helpful in promoting students' overall reading ability (including online reading amount, reading comprehension and reading strategies)?This study investigates the attitudes and beliefs of English majors regarding their experience with WRIM in a one-term EFL course in which online reading is the main focus. The participants in this experiment are 40 English major freshmen (1 boy and 39 girls) at a normal university in China. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used in the study. Data obtained for the study is derived from three major sources: questionnaires, online reading tests and students' feedback sheets. Two questionnaires before and after the program investigate students' online reading awareness and attitudes towards WRIM. Twelve computer-based reading tests are used to evaluate students' reading comprehension ability before and after the program. Students' feedback sheets mainly record the development of their reading process. Statistical analyses of all the collected data are performed by using the authorized Excel and...