A Study On Application Of Scaffolding Instruction To English Teaching Reading In Senior High School

English reading is known as the most essential skill among the four basic skills in langauge learning.In addition,reading is a main way which can improve learners' comprehensive language using ability.Therefore,it is indispensable to strengthen English reading teaching.Cultivating and improving learners' reading comprehension ability is a key link and crucial task in senior high school English teaching.In the last few years,many experts and scholars have attached more attention to the research on the English reading teaching and have also explored some new teaching models to improve students' reading ability.Scaffolding instruction based on constructive learning concept is an important teaching method,which takes place within students' zone of proximal development.It helps students to plan,conduct and complete their learning by setting up scaffolds and situations.Its basic procedures include providing scaffolds,entering the situation,independent explorations,cooperative study and effective evaluation.In order to examine whether the application of scaffolding instruction to senior high school English reading class is feasible and effective.The paper aims to explore two research questions:(1)Can application of scaffolding instruction to Senior English reading classroom affect students' reading strategies?(2)Can scaffolding instruction help senior students improve their English reading achievements?In order to answer the two questions,the author conducted an experiment from September,2016 to December,2016 in Grade two of No.2 Senior high school in Jin Zhou.The research participants were 113 students selected randomly from two classes in Grade two.The traditional English reading teaching method was used in the control class.However,the experimental class employed the new teaching method named scaffolding instruction.A questionnaire was chosen as the first instrument to verify the situation and changes of using reading strategies in reading process before and after the experiment.Then,a pre-test and a post-test served as another instrument for examining participants' reading achievements after the reading training.Next,an interview for gathering more convincing information was carried out in EC.Finally,the data were assessed and analyzed by the Statistical Package for the Social Science(SPSS)program(Version 19).The results of the experiment prove that the students in the EC could use more strategies to instruct their reading process after the four-month reading treatment under the scaffolding instruction,and it can be also concluded that using scaffolding instruction in the reading comprehension could improve students' reading achievements evidently.Finally,the limitations and implications of the research are presented.Some suggestions for the English reading teaching and learning and for the future study are also proposed.