A Study Of The Teacher’s Role In Facilitating Students’ Comprehension Of Original English Children’s Picture Books From Students’ Perspectives

Reading is significant for learners to achieve success in English learning.For middle school learners,original English children’s picture books can provide them with authentic language materials,compared with the simplified texts in their textbooks.Besides,the illustrations in these books are expected to be helpful while they are reading.The researcher’s confusion over her own role in learners’ reading comprehension grows in her teaching practice in a middle school in southern part of China.With the purpose to investigate how a teacher can facilitate learners’ reading comprehension on original English children’s picture books,the study is conducted to examine students’ perceptions on the teacher’s role in their reading comprehension.Focus group interviewing is adopted as the method to collect data.For the research,52 students in a class are required to finish reading four original children’s picture books within an academic semester in Grade 9.And the books are selected by the teacher and their topics center around family and school life,which are familiar to middle school learners.Out of 52 students,19 are randomly chosen for focus group interviewing to further understand their perceptions of the teacher’s role in their reading comprehension.The analysis of the collected data reveals that input availability,learner recognition,time pressure,homework feedback,instruction and assessment work together to help the teacher’s role put positive influence on learners’ reading comprehension.Making supportive input available is the first step for the teacher to play a positive role,because it helps to foster learner engagement.And supportive input availability enables learners to help themselves foster reading habits.Besides,learners’ recognition of the reading efficacy also helps to engage learners in reading and can have positive impacts on their perceptions of the teacher’s role.Homework feedback and time pressure are fundamental for the teacher’s role in enhancing learners’ reading comprehension.Inadequate reading time given by the teacher imposes great pressure on learners and lowers the quality of their assignments,which provides the teacher clues of learners’ understandings of the stories.Based on her feedback to their assignments,the teacher offers help to facilitate their reading comprehension.The decrease in assignment quality gradually draws off the teacher’s potential positive role.Therefore,the teacher should be considerate enough in deciding on the reading schedule by taking learner’s present English competency,the difficulty of texts and learners’ academic schedule into account.Moreover,the teacher’s positive assessment and effective instructions contribute to the construction of a positive learning environment where learners feel safe to engage themselves in learning.