| After about four years' English education in China, most college students can not read English well, especially when they are dealing with original English texts. The majority tend to view reading as equivalent to translating it into Chinese. This tendency has been fostered by the traditional translation method and the lack of cultural background knowledge of the target language.;Reading holds an important place in Chinese students' English education because most of them do not have spoken contact with the native speakers whose language they are learning. That is why good reading materials with strong relevant cultural background information are very important in reading instruction.;This study intended to draw the attention of Chinese professionals and the students as well to the relevance of cultural knowledge in improving students' reading comprehension. The purpose is to provide a very basic but comprehensive overview of the close relationship between cultural background information and language study.;This study compares the traditional method of reading instruction with an alternative method based on the current theories, ideas, and findings in the field, which is designed to facilitate the students with more relevant background information in what they read.;This study is based on the premise that language is a phenomenon structured and motivated by its culture. Culture and language are tightly related that they may be considered as part of the same thing. Cultural changes tend to occur along with language changes, then the two proceed to reinforce each other. One must understand the culture in order to fully understand the language.;Finally, the present study reports the results of an experiment conducted on a sample of eighty students of the Shenyang Institute of Technology in China. The study indicates that providing strong relevant cultural background knowledge is more effective in facilitating Chinese students' reading competence in English instruction. |
