Wild Reading Based On Social Constructivist Theory

No successful reading, no successful EFT. The purpose of this research is to find out whether wild reading based on social constructivist theory helps to improve Chinese high school students'English reading ability notably. Wild reading, a new strategy for English reading instruction in Chinese high schools, is the summary of my years'research.Novelty of the research:(1) Marriage of SCT and TTMTalking of constructivist learning theory (CLT), it is not unusual that quite a few people set it against the traditional teaching model (TTM). Despite it, I strongly insist that CLT and TTM should complement each other. Only the marriage of the two in the Chinese educational contexts is the most direct route to successful EFT. Wild reading based on SCT combines CLT and TTM artistically, providing us with a new thinking on EFT.(2) Wild ReadingWild reading is a unique strategy of reading. By wild reading, we mean a process in which we cultivate and develop our sense of language subconsciously through amounts of reading in varieties of contexts. The new term does not refer to reading for grammar, does not refer to reading for vocabulary, does not refer to reading for tests, does not refer to reading for information, and even does not refer to reading for pleasure. Wild reading only refers to reading for reading.'wild'here means: uncontrolled; enjoyable and exciting.The precise nature of wild reading lies in the fact that it provides students with a constructivist strategy that is freed from care. According to the literature on EFT, wild reading is the only non-anxiety strategy we have explored for reading instruction and the marked difference between wild reading and extensive reading etc. is non-anxiety.(3) Revision of ZPDTo meet the need of EFT, I revised and concretized the formula of ZPD (zone of proximal development). The revision is a more purposive formula:L2 = L1 + Z1 + Z2.L2, in EFT, refers to a level at which the learner, with the help of the previous successful learning in the ZPD, will be capable of finishing a target-task independently such as English test of the national college entrance examination.L1, in EFT, refers to a level at which the learner, with the help of his ready-made language ability, has been capable of finishing a target-task independently.Z1, in EFT, refers to formal English education; Z2, in EFT, refers to wild reading based on SCT.Key finding of the research:Wild reading and the revision of ZPD remove the conflict between CLT and TTM, as well as realizing the marriage of the two, giving a clear picture of the route to successful reading. We have every reason to believe that they will serve a dual purpose in both theory and practice.