A Case Study Of Interpretative Function Of Anaphora Resolution Strategy In English Reading Comprehension

Reading is a very important language skill for foreign language learners. The significance of language learning strategies in reading comprehension is self-evident. However, there are few studies on single language learning strategy such as anaphora resolution strategy. This case study aimed to explore the use of anaphora resolution strategy in English reading comprehension. Three research questions were addressed as follows: (1) What obstacles do readers meet in English reading comprehension? (2) What is the relationship between anaphora resolution and English reading comprehension? (3) How does anaphora resolution strategy training promote readers' English reading comprehension?This study collected two sources of data in order to answer the above three research questions. It took the questions selected from Part A of reading comprehension in NETEMC as research instrument. The researcher analysed the texts and the attached comprehension questions in these NETEMC texts from 2002 to 2007, and selected the questions that could be directly or indirectly answered by anaphora resolution, which constituted the first source of data. The subjects were three English-major students in Grade 3 of a normal university. The researcher separately trained the subjects in employing the method of think-aloud; then asked the subjects to report the process of their thinking in answering eight questions taken from the first data source; four in the pre-test before the anaphora resolution strategy training and four in the post-test after the training. After the subjects had finished answering the four questions in the pre-test, the researcher instructed the subjects how to answer the questions by anaphora resolution. It was the process of anaphora resolution strategy training. Then the subjects were asked to answer the four questions in the post-test. The second source of data came from the protocol of the think-aloud records of the subjects.The research findings respectively answered the three research questions raised in this study. Firstly, the researcher analysed the protocol of the pre-test think-aloud data and found that the subjects had the obstacles of background knowledge abuse, insufficient language knowledge and insufficient text knowledge in reading comprehension. Secondly, the researcher identified 23 reading questions that can be answered by anaphora resolution out of the total of 120 questions in NETEMC (2002-2007), demonstrating that anaphora resolution could play a significant role in reading comprehension. Finally, it was found that the subjects responded differently to the anaphora resolution strategy training in the post-test: (1) Null effect of the anaphora resolution strategy training, i.e., the subject still adopted her original approach to English reading comprehension; (2) partial effect, i.e., the subject raised her awareness of the anaphora resolution strategy but failed to use it to find the right answer; (3) full effect, i.e., the subject employed the anaphora resolution strategy to improve her reading comprehension and increased her accuracy in comprehending the text.The research results of this study have the following implications: the interpretative function of anaphora resolution strategy in reading comprehension deserves the attention from English learners and teachers; however, language learning strategies are not panacea and overemphasis on one strategy is misleading; language learning strategy training should take the learners' individual differences into account and the goal of strategy training is to help learners select appropriate language learning strategies.