An Investigation On The Application Of Lead-in In English Reading Class Of Senior High School In Rural Areas

Lead-in is seen as the beginning of a class,although the proportion it takes in a class section is not large and the duration is not long,yet there is no doubt that it plays an important role in attracting students' attention,stimulating their interest in learning,and creating an lively classroom atmosphere.It cannot be ignored that lead-in can give students specific teaching objectives and make connections between new and old knowledge as well.With the reform of English teaching,more and more attention has been paid to the cultivation of students' comprehensive competence of foreign languages,such as reading and understanding ability.Both textbooks and English tests of College Entrance Examination are presented in reading texts,so it is necessary to investigate the English reading class in senior high school.The lead-in of reading class directly affects whether students are interested in the reading material,whether they can actively participate in the class,whether they are clear about what they will learn,and whether they can connect the old and the new.Therefore,there is no denying that lead-in plays an effective part in the reading class.However,in the actual teaching,although teachers have realized the importance of the lead-in in reading class,there are still some inefficient lead-ins which fail to achieve the planned effects as a result of teachers' lack of whole understanding and overall grasp of the present situation.Therefore,it is of great significance to investigate the present situation of lead-in in English reading class of senior high school,with the aim of finding out the existing problems and the causes and then exploring the suggestions of improving the quality of English reading teaching.On the basis of previous researches,the author investigated the present situation of lead-in in reading class in Shenqiu NO.1 senior high school with three methods: classroom observation,questionnaire and interview.The research questions are as follows:(1)What types of lead-in are adopted in English reading teaching in senior high school? What are the effects of them?(2)What are the existing problems of lead in in actual reading teaching?(3)What are the causes of these problems in reading class? The author observed 5 senior 2 classes for one semester mainly including observing the behavior of five English teachers and 200 students.Each class was observed for 10 times,all of which were reading classes.Each class lasted for 45 minutes and the total time added up to 2250 minutes.The questionnaires were aimed at the observed teachers and students,while the interview was only designed for teachers.Through analysis and discussion of the data collected,the major findings are as follows:(1)Lead-in is frequently adopted in English reading classes of senior high school and among the different types of lead-in,audio-visual lead-in and question and answer lead-in are commonly used,apart from which,there are also other frequently-used lead-in,such as discussion,introduction of the background information and brainstorming.The effect of these methods is different and has its own advantages and disadvantages.In general,the above-mentioned lead-in of reading class can arouse students' attention,stimulate students' interest and create an active classroom atmosphere.However,there are still some existing problems,for instance,failing to give students teaching objectives in lead-ins,and connecting no link between the old and new knowledge.(2)The problems existing in the actual teaching of reading lessons are mainly showed as follows: first,the duration of lead-in is random,which is not controlled within a reasonable range for lack of scientific planning before class.Second,the method of lead-in adopted is not adequate,which is also conventional,lacking in creativity.Third,the design of lead-in is not quite practical,whose objectives are not clear.Last,lead-in of reading class fails to meet the needs of students,which goes against student-centered class.(3)The main causes of these problems are as follows: first,from the dimension of teachers,English teachers in senior high school lack scientific theoretical support of lead-in.In general,teachers fail to attach enough significance to lead-in,which results in less time and energy devoted to the design of lead-in,and less teaching reflection on reading class;teachers' different teaching experience and ability lead to different effects of lead-in in reading lessons;neglecting the dominant role of students,teachers are short of a comprehensive understanding of students when planning for lessons.Second,from the dimension of students,they are not confident enough to participate in class;students' need can hardly be satisfied in lead-in when in large-scale class due to different knowledge levels of students;students pay less attention to the significance of lead-in,while paying more attention to the examination grades,and ignore the cultivation of ability.