A Study On The Development Tendency Of English Reading Theories And Their Implications For English Reading Teaching In China’s Universities

As one of the most important means of acquiring information and understanding the world and the important foundation of improving language behavior and language competence, reading has always been a significant part in the process of the human society development. In addition, English reading is not only the principal source of language input, but also is the important foundation of the development of listening, speaking, writing and translating. Reading also plays the dominant role in the English teaching in China’s universities and colleges. English reading theories and English reading teaching methodology under their influence have been in continuous development. English reading theories can provide the corresponding theoretical basis for teachers to select the appropriate teaching methods. However, although large quantities of trainings and drills are adopted for students, little improvement has been made in current English reading teaching. It can be suggested that it should be urgent and important to study the English reading theories.Admittedly, previous studies about English reading theories so far have not offered a whole picture of the development tendency of English reading theories. Hence, the primary purpose of the present study is to globally investigate the development tendency of English reading theories and also to provide some suggestions for English reading teaching in China’s universities. The research subjects of the present study include 197 English articles and 214 Chinese articles published on the core journals and 9 research publications about English reading theories. The research method of the present study involves literature research method.The development tendency of English reading theories can be analyzed from the perspectives of linguistics, psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology and structural linguistics. The main finding of the study is that the research focus of English reading theories has shifted from linguistic factors to extra-linguistic factors and has finally laid equal stress on the text factors and reader factors. Findings from the study revealed that the study of the development tendency of English reading theories is of great importance to the development of English reading teaching and English reading teaching methodology and to achieve effective and efficient college English reading teaching, the future studies are recommended and encouraged to focus more on English reading theoretical ontology exploration, micro and empirical studies on college English reading teaching and learning as well as innovative teaching methods based on teachers’ personal teaching practice.