The Impact Of Reading Aloud On Reading Comprehension An Empirical Research On Grade Eight Students

Reading aloud is a traditional method in language learning. In China there is an old saying, “When a book has been read a hundred times, its meanings will naturally become clear.” Reading aloud is highly valued in language learning and teaching. It is an important and efficient way in foreign language learning. However, in order to meet the demands of the high school entrance examination and academic evaluation,reading aloud is greatly ignored especially in Grade Eight and Grade Nine. In English learning, reading aloud is generally thought to be beneficial for a beginner’s speaking.However, when it comes to the relationship between reading aloud and reading comprehension, little research has been done by teachers and scholars.The English textbooks published by Oxford University(Shanghai edition) have the following features. In Grade Six and Grade seven, its focus is on oral practice;while in Grade Eight and Grade Nine, the focus shifts to reading comprehension. So the majority of teachers let students read silently by translating the words, analyzing the grammatical structures, introducing reading skills to enhance students’ understanding of reading materials. This process requires the learners to analyze the texts consciously, just like solving a math problem, which is relatively slow.An efficient foreign language learning mode requires learners to understand and use the language correctly and quickly. Reading aloud can improve the speed and efficiency of reading comprehension. The author attempts to explore relations between reading aloud and reading comprehension.The participants of this experiment include two Grade Eight classes in No.2Experimental School Affiliated to Shanghai Normal University. Class one is the experimental class and Class Two is the controlled class. Before the experiment, the two classes would have the same pre-test. During the experiment, two classes would read the same materials. Students in the experimental class will spend five minutes in reading aloud the material while students in the controlled class will read the reading materials silently for five minutes. Both classes would receive no advice from the teacher while they are reading. The experiment would last for eight weeks. Then the students will do a post-test.