Approaches To ESL Reading And Its Application To ESL Reading Teaching

Reading ability is considered the most important one among the four basic language skills. Different from the other three, it is an individual behavior process.Research of reading process and the nature of reading has undergone many years, from the first 揵ottom-up approach, top-down approach?to nowadays popular 搃nteractive approach? The thesis will start with the nature of reading and reading process, together with the theory of ESL reading. It also makes an analysis of those elements influencing ESL readers?reading performance. And finally it combines the theory with teaching practice, aiming at enhancing ESL readers?reading ability to the largest degree. The whole thesis is divided into five chapters.Chapter one is the introduction of the history of our understanding of reading, especially ESL reading.Chapter two starts with the problem of?what is reading and reading process? emphasizing on the psychological process of reading.Chapter three is an analysis of ESL reading mode from 揵ottom-up, topdown, and interactive?perspectives respectively. By comparing the three approaches, the emphasis is put on the popular interactive approach.Based on the above ESL reading theory, chapter four makes a discussion of those elements influencing ESL readers?reading performance.All of the researches are served for teaching practice. So based on the above ESL reading theory and analysis, chapter five is an application of the theory to the teaching practice, aiming at how to improve the ESL readers?reading ability to the largest degree.