A Case Study On Middle School Students' English Reading Strategy Training Based On Field Cognitive Style

According to the theories of modern psychology and cognitive psychology,reading is a complex cognitive process,and reading strategy is a mental activity which refers to the approach employed by readers in the reading process.Therefore,the appropriate selection of reading strategies makes a positive impact on the reading process and its effect.At the same time,learners' different cognitive methods and styles affect their strategy use and learning achievements,and field cognitive style has received more extensive attention at home and abroad.Although some studies indicate that learners' cognitive styles are relatively stable,their use of reading strategies can possibly be influenced by strategy training or instruction for the purpose of improving their reading ability.On the basis of exploring the condition of students' field cognitive style and the employment of English reading strategies,this study analyzed the correlation between these two factors.Then the individual training of reading strategies was designed and implemented in terms of the characteristics of participants' field cognitive styles,and the effectiveness of training was discussed.The research questions include:(1)What is the situation of the middle school students' field cognitive style and the use of English reading strategies?(2)What is the correlation between students' field cognitive style and reading strategy use?(3)What is the effect of individual reading strategy training based on the features of learners with different field cognitive styles?To answer these three research questions,the study was conducted by applying both quantitative and qualitative methods,taking 45 students in Grade 8 from amiddle school in Hangzhou as participants and choosing four of them for the individual training for two months.The results show that:(1)There is not a wide gap between the numbers of field independent(FI)students and field dependent(FD)students in the class,with their use of overall reading strategies being at a middle level.(2)FI cognitive style is positively correlated with the metacognitive strategy,negatively correlated with the social/affective strategy,and has little correlation with the cognitive strategy;FD cognitive style has a positive correlation with the social/affective strategy.(3)Reading strategy training based on the characteristics of students' field cognitive style can enhance their awareness of applying different reading strategies,and effectively improve reading ability.In accordance with the major findings,this study provides some implications for teachers' reading instruction,students' strategies application as well in their language learning.Moreover,the limitations of the study have been summarized and suggestions for related studies are presented for reference.