A Study On Using On-line Resources On Self-Designed Websites To Improve High School Students' English Reading Ability

With the increase of interaction among nations, people have gradually developed the awareness on the importance of a foreign language as a tool for global communication. Reading is the most important purpose and means of language learning. After three years of learning, many senior high school students do not get a high level in reading ability, even far behind from other students. This problem has attracted great attention from many linguistics and English teachers of middle school. Reading resources have been found to be prominent among various factors affecting foreign language reading by researches. With the development of computer technology and generalization of its application, the employment of network technology in foreign language teaching may, under the multi-media network environment, offer us a most realistic, direct, positive and advanced environment for interactive English study. In addition, the application of multi-media technology brings a good opportunity for the reforming of English teaching and the well employment of the modern technology could enrich the selection of English reading material and application of teaching methodologies as well. By taking the on-line resources of our self-designed websites to improve high school students' English reading ability as a quite novel method in daily teaching and instruction, it could enhance students' interest in English reading, help them acquire more information necessary and contribute greatly to the second language acquisition and teaching. The research took senior high school students as subjects and aimed at investigating the Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI for short), in particular the discrepancy of using the self-designed website in improving their reading ability as well as the influence and relationship between them so as to instruct senior high school English teacher and help them have a good understanding of the features of CAI which is helpful for students to have correct employment of the self-designed website and improve their reading ability at last. The purpose of such move is to throw light on how to apply CAI in English teaching to improve students reading ability. This study is carried out both quantitatively and qualitatively. The data was collected by using tests, questionnaire and interview. The subjects in the experiment come from two grade-two classes in senior high school whose English proficiency is at the same level. One was chosen as the experimental class, in which the teaching of reading was conducted by providing students with reading materials on self-designed websites, and the other, the control class still adopts the traditional way of teaching. The result indicates that in the experimental class, students' vocabulary and reading ability are greatly improved.