Application And Assessment Of Reading Discussion Group At Secondary English Instructional Level In China

With the launch of the New Curriculum Standards for Middle School English (NCS), the reform of English instruction and assessment is imperative. Particularly, the traditional modes of reading instruction and its assessment have been criticized for focusing too much on grammatical knowledge passing and test-oriented reading exercise doing, failing to nurture students' competence for the integrated use of language skills, not paying enough attention to building students' active learning attitude, not being able to assess students' higher level of proficiency, and not fully involving students in the cooperative learning process of shared reading. To change this awkward situation, the author of this thesis, based on her experimental study in a local Beijing middle school and the related research literature, would like to recommend a practical and feasible cooperative learning model for English reading: Reading Discussion Group (RDG). On the basis of this, the author has also worked out a series of multiple-perspective assessment tools that enable middle school teachers to follow up and evaluate such mode of learning easily and scientifically. This mode of learning has incorporated the following major teaching, evaluatingtheories and practices: 1) interactive model of reading, reader response theory,discussion method; 2) book club and literature circles programs; 3) International Reading Association Literacy Assessment Standards, performance assessment, peer assessment, self assessment, etc. In this thesis, the author has discussed the significance of using RDG at secondary English level and ways to assess such mode of learning scientifically and multiple-perspectively. All the argumentation andverifications are based on the feasible experiment the author conducted in a local Beijing middle school, which has proved the following hypotheses:1. RDG learning mode can improve students' competence of using language skills integratedly more efficiently than traditional reading instructional mode;2. RDG learning mode can promote higher-level language proficiency such as critical thinking, inquiry ability, analyzing ability and problem-solving ability, etc.;3. RDG learning mode can foster students' positive affect and learning attitudes, especially in their confidence and collaborative awareness;4. Progress made in positive affect building and higher-level proficiency can be measured by well-designed assessment instrument tools of RDG;5. Students show favor and acceptance to RDG learning mode and its evaluative procedures;6. RDG can be applied effectively at secondary English level and can be a feasible interactive learning model for wider application.With the positive results achieved from the experiment, the author is firmly convinced that RDG combined with timely multi-perspective assessments can be effectively and favorably applied at secondary English level in China.