A Study On Scaffolding Instruction In English Reading Class Of Junior High School

Reading teaching is an important part of English teaching in junior high school.Compulsory Education Curriculum Standard(2012)emphasizes the importance of the cultivation of students' English reading ability,but the current English reading status is still not satisfying.In the promotion of student-centered teaching,teachers should explore how to guide the students in a reading class and help them participate actively in the class activities.As one of the theories in foreign language teaching,Scaffolding Instruction has been paid great attention.This thesis is based on the theory of "Zone of Proximal Development" by Vygotsky and the theory of Constructivism.And the research subjects are respectively 35 students from class 1 and class2 in Grade 7 of Zhengzhou Foreign Language Middle School.Various research methods are adopted-questionnaire,interview and analysis of a lesson plan to do a research on the application of Scaffolding Instruction in English reading class of junior high school.The ultimate goal is to explore students' “Zone of Proximal Development" and find the best time for students to set up a scaffold.And then the goal is to verify the practical effects of Scaffolding Instruction to guide English reading,as well as its influence on English reading learning.The research lasts five months,takes classroom as the base and teaching material as the backing,in order to cultivate student's reading ability.The research combines the analysis of a practical example with the theory related to Scaffolding Instruction.The research result indicates that Scaffolding Instruction has a positive function on English reading learning.On one hand,it can arouse students' learning interests,mobilize their enthusiasm to participate in classroom activities,improve their English reading and analytical skills.On the other hand,teachers are able to better know about the development rules of students' psychology and cognitive level by using Scaffolding Instruction.At the same time,teachers can enhance their own teaching abilities,which paves the way for individualized teaching.It has to be admitted that there are certain disadvantages in this subject such as limited experimental subjects and insufficient experimental time.All in all,the research has attained the expected result-Scaffolding Instruction as a theoretical concept is successfully led into practical reading teaching.Theories related to English reading teaching are enriched and the application area of Scaffolding Instruction is also broadened.Feasible suggestions for the implementation of Scaffolding Instruction and researches in English reading teaching are put forward.