An Action Research On English Reading In Junior Middle School

Reading plays a significant role in the modern world. Reading is one of the most important language skills for ensuring students at all educational levels. Reading is also regarded as a basic skill for foreign language learners and the basis for students to develop comprehensive ability and communicate in real circumstances. Therefore, English reading is a crucial element in English teaching. Since the 1980s, great changes have taken place in Chinese English teaching. New teaching methods have been adopted into English teaching of junior middle schools. Both Communicative Language Teaching and Task-based Language Teaching have made greater changes in the instruction of conversations than in long articles. Many Chinese teachers still pay a lot of attention to new words, phrases and grammar instead of the instruction of reading strategies and the development of students' good reading habits. In class, teachers talk so much that students sometimes feel sleepy because they are deprived of rights of talking in most of class time. Long articles in tests and exams still remain the main obstacle for the students.This action research is aimed to explore the possible effects of strategy instruction in English reading of junior middle schools. First, the definition of reading and three models of reading are thoroughly examined. Then it is concluded that interactive model is an ideal model for readers. Then the instruction of English reading in China is mentioned next. In this part, the motivation of junior middle school students and the factors which cause the difficulties of English reading are also analyzed and raised. Second, action research and the functions of action research in Chinese English teaching are examined in the third chapter of this thesis. Then, a ten-week action research is carried out. A hypothesis about the students' reading difficulties is put forward before the action research. Then an interview and questionnaires are carried out to testify the hypothesis. Then the main problems in students' English reading are generated. Lack of vocabulary, complex syntax, lack of reading strategies and less extensive reading are the main existing problems in the students' English reading. 131 students of Grade 9 who are from the Middle School Attached to Shandong University participate in the action research, in the process of which students are taught the word formation and reading strategies whereas they do the extensive reading such as news sharing. Teacher's logs are kept to record what happens in the action research. The same questionnaires are distributed to students so as to find out the changes of students' reading strategies.According to the analysis of the results of two questionnaires, we find that that it's necessary to give the students instructions about reading strategies. After the action research, the students have realized the importance of reading strategies and tried to apply them in their reading practice. During the action research, the teacher reflected on the teaching and enhanced the teaching ability. Because Go for it! is the most widely used textbook in junior middle schools of China, the findings in this action research will be beneficial for the teachers who use this series of textbooks and they will, in turn, shed light on my next action research as well.