A Study On The Application Of Discourse Analysis Theory To English Reading Teaching In The 1^st Grade Of Junior High School

English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education in 2022 highlights the importance of English instruction being centered around a theme,utilizing discourse,and fostering student’s skills in various dimensions through activities.Hence,the significance of teaching English discourse reading is quite apparent.Over the past few years,scholars both domestically and internationally have made remarkable strides in the realm of discourse analysis theory,resulting in favorable outcomes in the implementation of this theory in language teaching practices within higher education.Nonetheless,research on the practical application of discourse analysis to English reading instruction in junior high school is still in its infancy,with much work still needed to be done in order to conduct systematic and comprehensive studies.Thus,this study aims to apply discourse analysis theory to English reading instruction in junior high school and investigate the effectiveness of this approach in improving reading abilities of students.Using the principles of discourse analysis,this study conducted a four-month teaching practice from March 2022 to June 2022,focusing on 60 participants from two parallel classes in the first grade of a junior high school in Luanping County,Chengde City,Hebei Province.The experimental group was taught using reading techniques based on discourse analysis theory,while the control group received traditional reading instruction focused on vocabulary acquisition,sentence analysis,and grammar explanation.Research tools utilized included questionnaires,tests,and interviews,while experimental data was analyzed with the SPSS24.0system.The study aimed to answer three primary questions:(1)What is the impact of discourse teaching in the first year of junior high school on students’ ability to comprehend microstructural features of discourse?(2)What is the impact of discourse teaching in the first year of junior high school on students’ ability to comprehend macrostructural features of discourse?(3)What is the impact of discourse teaching in the first year of junior high school on students’ reading quality of discourse?The results showed that(1)applying discourse analysis in the first year of junior high school English reading teaching can assist students in focusing on the microstructure of discourse,acquiring knowledge of cohesive markers within the text,comprehending the meaning of words and sentences,identifying the author’s logic,understanding contextual cues,and analyzing crucial details;(2)applying discourse analysis in the first year of junior high school English reading teaching can help students focus on the macro context.By utilizing background knowledge to make predictions,it not only stimulates their curiosity to explore but also enhances their ability to summarize the main idea.Concurrently,students can promptly identify different genres and efficiently obtain the primary concept of the article by determining the characteristics of discourse types,swiftly distinguishing meaningful information,undertaking logical thinking,and constructing the discourse framework;(3)the application of discourse analysis in the first year of junior high school English reading teaching effectively enhances students’ comprehensive understanding of discourse.By integrating discourse framework and comprehending article structure,students can efficiently identify details and obtain accurate information,resulting in significant improvements in reading speed and comprehension.Thus,students’ overall reading performance is significantly enhanced,and the quality of their reading is comprehensively improved.Overall,the teaching of English discourse in junior high school has a beneficial impact on students’ reading proficiency,leading to a shift in their approach from solely translating to targeted comprehension.However,the effects may vary depending on the students’ proficiency levels.The findings of this study can guide teachers in adopting adaptable teaching methods and incorporating discourse analysis to cater to the diverse needs of their students.