Applying Meta-cognitive Strategies To Improve Senior Middle School Students’ Comprehension Ability In Out-of-Class English Reading

As the most important component of the study strategies, Meta-cognitive strategies include how to plan, monitor, evaluate and regulate the whole process of study. While out-of-class English reading takes place after class, during which time learners choose large numbers of English materials to read based mainly on their interest and English proficiency. When applying meta-cognitive strategies, learners try their best to make the whole reading process under their own control. In the long run, they promise to become the real master of their reading, as a consequence of which, their reading comprehension ability will be greatly improved.Based on the previous studies on applying meta-cognitive strategies in English reading, the author put forward the hypothesis that it is feasible to improve senior high school students’comprehension ability in out of class extensive English reading, and carried out an experiment to prove it.The author chose two parallel classes in Grade3in Gazhouba Senior Middle School as experimental class and control class respectively, comparing the differences meta-cognitive strategies have brought about to students’comprehension ability in their extensive reading. Before the experiment, students in both classes took part in a questionnaire concerning their out-of-class English extensive reading, besides, they were asked to take a reading comprehension test, the paper containing five reading passages. From the analysis of the questionnaire, the current situation of students’out of class English reading is far from satisfying. Meanwhile, the analysis of the scores in the test showed that as for the reading comprehension abilities, both the two classes are at the same level, without significant differences. Next, the experiment stage began. The differences between the two classes are that besides the discussion of reading strategies in both classes, the experimental class is also taught important knowledge on meta-cognitive strategies. In addition, they are also required to put all these two types of strategies into practice in their out-of-class extensive reading. Every piece of reading is followed by a reading report, which embodies students’employment of planning, supervising, evaluating and regulating strategies. The whole process lasted five months. At the end, they once again took another reading comprehension test sharing the same coefficient difficulty as the pre-test. And students from experimental class were asked to write a summary on what out-of-class extensive reading has brought to them. After the analysis, the author can easily conclude that the initial hypothesis put forward before the experiment proved to be right. According to students’summaries, conclusions are drawn that extensive reading after class can also cultivate their lasting interest and enthusiastic for English learning, develop their good habit of reading and thinking and build up their confidence in overcoming any difficulty in learning English.