Action Research Of The Multiliteracies Teaching Model On Teaching English Reading In Junior High Schools

Up to now,the grammar-translation method still dominates the township junior high schools English reading classes in China.Inadequate instructions in students’ reading strategies leads to their low interest and motivation in English reading.In view of this situation,this study attempts to apply the Multiliteracies Teaching Model to teaching reading in a junior high school,hoping to boost students’ interest in English reading and enhance their awareness of reading strategies through the action research.In the study,two rounds of action research have been carried out to in order to answer the following two questions: How does the Multiliteracies Teaching Model work with junior middle school students’ English reading teaching? How to revise and optimize the teaching plan and modulate program of the English reading in junior high schools in the two rounds of action research?Before the first round of action research,the researcher tested through questionnaires,interviews and reading tests,and found that students were not interested in reading materials,showing little motivation to participate in classroom reading activities.They also show very little awareness of self-monitoring and they are not proficient in using proper reading strategies.In the first round of the application of the Multiliteracies Teaching Model to junior high school English reading research,teaching was carried out according to the following steps: overt instruction to train reading strategies;critical framing to cultivate critical thinking;transformed practice to improve reading skills.The results of the first round of action research found that there were some problems in reading teaching,such as too much modal input by teachers,incomplete consideration of the difficulty setting of reading tasks,too much explanation by teachers and insufficient provision of reading materials that students were interested in outside textbooks.To address the identified problems,the second round of action research adjusted the teaching plan from four aspects,that is,reading modal selection should be reasonable,the difficulty of reading practice should be gradual,the reading class should be student-centered and the extracurricular reading materials should conform to students’ interests.A comparative analysis of questionnaires,interviews and test results of the two rounds action studies showed that most students preferred the present teaching model.The frequency of using reading strategies was significantly improved,and the overall reading score was improved,a proof of improved reading motivation and reading proficiency.It is found that Multiliteracies Teaching Model works well with English reading classes in boosting students’ motivation in English reading,raising students’ awareness of reading strategies,encouraging students to monitor their reading process effectively,and in the end,enhancing their reading comprehension ability and critical thinking.Moreover,the Multiliteracies Teaching Model also contributes to students’ confidence and autonomy in English reading,and the communication between students and teachers.