An Empirical Study Of Grammar Teaching Based On Self-reference Effect In Senior High Schools

English is considered as a basic course in different kinds of schools in China. There are many attempts on English teaching, but seldom on English grammar teaching. And PPP(presentation, practice, production) teaching method still dominates the English grammar teaching in many districts of China, which is exam-oriented. The function of grammar cannot be realized and students cannot use the knowledge of grammar to discuss the things in their real life. The thesis focuses on the grammar teaching based on self-reference effect, which makes use of the people and things in the real life to give grammar examples and carry out grammar activities. And it gives students a chance to use the knowledge of grammar to discuss the things in their real life and try to explore the preference of the type of self-reference by senior high school students,and find whether the grammar teaching based on self-reference effect can improve students’ comprehension and production of grammar and try to improve students’ attitude, interest and behavior of English grammar.This study was carried out in a senior high school and 82 senior high school students from two classes in grade 2 were chosen as participants. One class is chosen as the experimental class and the other class is the control class. The pre-test of grammar was carried out in the two classes to ensure the level of grammar of the two classes is similar. Meanwhile, the questionnaires were sent to the two classes to explore the attitude, interest, behavior and specific type of self-reference. During the experiment, grammar teaching based on self-reference effect was carried out in the experimental class and the traditional PPP teaching method was for the control class. After the experiment, the post-questionnaire and post-test of grammar was carried out in the two classes. All the data of the experiment was put into SPSS to get the result.The major findings of the study are: 1) Senior high school students prefer teachers to make use of the specific type of self-reference to give grammar examples and carry out grammar activities. The specific aspects may include teachers themselves, the classmates, and favorite idols of the students. However, most students do not like teachers to make use of their relatives to give grammar examples and carry out grammar activities. 2) The grammar teaching based on the self-reference effect can improve students’ comprehension of grammar. 3) The grammar teaching based on the self-reference effect can improve students’ production of grammar. Compared to students’ comprehension of grammar, the level of their production of grammar is unsatisfactory. 4) The grammar teaching based on the self-reference effect can improve students’ attitude, interest and behavior of English grammar learning.According to the results of the experiment, the grammar teaching based on the self-reference effect is more effective than the traditional PPP teaching approach in different aspects. Teachers in senior high schools are suggested to use the people and things in real life to give grammar examples and carry out grammar activities in the process of grammar teaching to promote the grammar learning of the students.