The Application Of Metacognitive Strategies To English Reading In Senior High School

It is known that reading comprehension is very important among the basic foreign language skills. Reading is regarded as the most efficient means to obtain scientific and technological information, and reading is one of the most important skills of the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). This is because not only English is learned primarily as a tool of gaining information but also reading provides the most efficient and important channel of language input and how to improve learners' English reading proficiency and reading level has long been a common concern of researchers and English teachers. The traditional teaching method for reading tends to overemphasize language form and overlook students'ability to use language. However; since the development of students'autonomy in learning is our ultimate goal of schooling, teachers should think over how to develop students'ability of independent learning. In the early times, great attention has been paid to the study of teaching in order to find the most efficient method to improve English reading. However, there are no perfect methodologies so far. In recent years, a gradual shift has taken place in English teaching, resulting in less emphasis on teaching and teachers and more stress on learning and learners, and the focus of research has been shifted from "how to teach" to "how to learn". This change has opened a new way to language education. Then teachers begin to know that training learners how to read is even more important, which is especially true of Chinese senior high school students. Nowadays, the class is very large in Chinese senior high schools and students vary a lot in English proficiency. Therefore, teachers need to consider how to improve learners' ability to read independently. Metacognition is very important for autonomous learning.The term metacognition was first advanced by the American psychologist J. H. Flavell in the 1970s. According to O'Malley and Chamot, metacognitive strategies function at a higher level than cognitive and social/affective strategies(1990),and have the most central role to play on improvement of learning(Graham,1997). Students without metacognitive approaches are essentially learners without direction and ability to review their progress, accomplishments, and future learning direction (O'Malley et al 1985a). So it's important for students to grasp metacogntive strategies in improving English reading comprehension level.In the recent years, many researchers have been enthusiastic over the research on metacognitive strategies, but few researchers have combined metacognition with the reading in senior high school. Few of them have studied the experimental research, On basis of the research on reading strategies, this thesis finally focuses on the metacognitive strategies training and how to integrate training into senior school English teaching, and puts forward a concrete model of metacognitive training. The major purpose of the present is to explore the effectiveness of metacognitive strategies training on reading comprehension of the senior school learners. Among all the learning strategies, metacognitive strategy is considered as more important than other strategies such as cognitive, affective strategies and so on, since metacognitive strategies involve an ability of consciously using metacognitive knowledge to plan, arrange, monitor, regulate and evaluate the learning process. In the course of using metacognitive strategies, the learner communicates relevant information to process responsible for task execution and collects feedback from the performance process to evaluate the success or failure of task execution so as to improve planning, hence the improved planning results in improved performance, and the cycle is repeated. Through metacognitive training, the students can learn how to set reading goals, map out reading plan, choose reading methods, monitor learning process and evaluate learning outcome, thereby gaining autonomous reading ability.In order to test whether or not metacognitive instruction can help to improve learners' English reading capability, the author makes her students assigned to a control and an experimental group. Both groups have received instruction on reading strategies. However, the experimental group received metacognitive strategy training. The training model used is based on the framework for direct language learning strategy instruction proposed by Chamot and O'Malley. During the experimental process, the teacher helps learners to be aware of their own strength and weakness in English reading, and makes learners realize the essential implication of reading comprehension, which should be seen as a kind of process - an active meaning-searching process; a process of application of different kinds of knowledge; a strategic process; and an interactive process. This process needs planning, monitoring, evaluating and eventually revising to ensure improved reading level. Since each students condition is different, every one of them should find out the most suitable reading method for themselves. Besides, the teacher also needs to help learners set a feasible reading goal. Teacher should remind learners to monitor their reading process by self-questing or paraphrasing. After reading, the teacher should ask learners to self-evaluate their reading level based on the self-evaluation questionnaire. The result of the study shows the explicit metacognitive strategy training has a positive effect on the reading comprehension of senior high school.The thesis consists of five chapters.In chapter one literature review is stated briefly, including a survey of language learning strategies, language learning strategy training, a brief review of the metacognition and metacognitive strategies abroad and at home.Chapter Two includes some important theories, focused on the definitions, classifications of language learning strategies, the definitions of metacogntion, metacognitive strategies and the classification of metacognitive strategies. The models of reading and the relation between metacognition and reading are mentioned.Chapter Three deals with the research methodology, including hypothesis, subjects, instruments, research procedures. Three case studies are conducted.1. How frequently do the students in senior high school use metacognitive strategy in reading?2. Can the training of metacognitive strategy improve the students'reading ability?3. How does the teacher instruct the English reading of students using metacognitive strategy?Chapter Four makes a description of the date analysis and findings obtained from the questionnaire and test before and after the training are presented and analyzed. The result of the study shows that explicit metacognitive strategy training has a positive effect on the reading comprehension of senior high school students.In chapter Five, the author presents the findings and suggestions of the research;(1) Students'metacognitive knowledge about their English reading is relatively low. As for this problem, the suggestions are: teaching Ss the knowledge of metacognitive strategy directly, directing Ss to use metacognitive strategy to read.(2) Metacognition plays an important role in English reading. Those who have a high level of metacognitive awareness perform better in their L2 reading.The suggestion is to improve the level of Metacognition of Ss.(3) Explicit metacognitive strategy training can improve Ss'metacognitive awareness and can improve the ability of reading. So it is valuable to train the students'reading by the model of metacognitive strategy training.In the end, the thesis gives a conclusion of the research in metacognitive strategy and show the importance of the metacognitive strategy. Limitations of the study are also pointed out.