The Effectiveness Of The Application Of Reading Strategies For Improving Students' Achievements In Senior High School ESL Classroom

Within the field of education over the last few decades, a gradual but significant shift has taken place, resulting in less emphasis on teachers and teaching and great stress on learners and learning. This change has been reflected in various ways in language education. This article provides an overview of key issues concerning on consequence of the above shift-the focus on the application of language learning strategies in senond language learning and teaching.In recent, with the reform of University Entrance Examination Systems, senior high school students are demanded of higher English levels. English teaching is changing from the accumulation of knowledge to the application of knowledge. This is a stronger proficiency of English output . To achieve such proficiency , Senior high school students must have great input, especially in the respect of English reading. Senior high school students are demanded not only to understand some articles that are difficult to read, but also to inference the best answers according to the deep meaning of the passages. It is argued in this paper that if senior high school students want to get ideal achievements in the University Entrance Examination, not only must they grasp rich English knowledge, but the application of reading strategies will help them improve their achievements.Following a cognitive and social-constructivism theoretical framework,this paper first traces some of the major developments in the learning society and their implications for educational practice and then reflects on the higher demands that English teaching in common senior high school of our country should follow.That is that senior English teaching should be connected with scientific learning strategies. Compared with traditionalteaching ways, this connection will help to improve the effectiveness of students' learning. It will also help to foster the students' interests and reduce their pressures; It will help to enhance the students' confidence and their intrinsic motivation. It will greatly accelerate the students' meaningful study and hence foster the students' ability to practise the English language.It is also acknowledged in this paper that not all the reading strategies are suited to all the reading contexts and all the readers. We should continuously be thinking and creating new strategies. So it is believed that it's very important to teach students to think from the angle of cognition in the practical teaching and hence promote a new teaching model with thinking strategies in order to improve the students' achievements more effectively.The thesis consists of five chapters:Chapter One: Introduction: The Necessity and Significance of Applying Reading StrategiesThis chapter gives a brief account of the context of the present research. It also gives a short description of the literatures published in China and abroad in this field. In the end the author points out the necessity and validity of carrying out this present study.Chapter Two: Theoretical Basis on Human Language LearningThis chapter mainly builds up the theoretical position of second language acquisition. In this part the author gives a detailed description of some well-known liguistists' opinions of language learning and the author points out that language learning is a process of interactive use of declaretive and procedural knowledge and at the same time, it's a problem solving process.Chapter Three: Theories for Language Learning StrategiesThis chapter provides a detailed discussion about language learning strategies and the present topic—reading strategies. It deals with the different types of definition, classifications in this field. Then it illustrates the cognitive aspects of language learning stategies. Finally some previous researches on reading strategies are stated. The author's opinions concerning with second language learning of senior middle school students are especially stated.Chapter Four: The Effectiveness Of Applying Reading StrategiesThis chapter focuses on the present research. In this part, the author introdu...