A Study On Cognitive Strategies And Their Application In Reading

The present paper aims at one of the learning strategy categories-cognitive strategies and their application in reading for Senior One students. The research instruments are a set of English reading test papers and a Strategy Inventory for Language Learning. From the results of cognitive strategy inventory, we find some strategies that are popular with the students, and the differences between strong readers and weak readers in cognitive strategy application in reading. On the base of this, we select the key strategies in which we are to train the students with their reading, make teaching plan for strategy training and train the students with cognitive strategies. The results of the reading tests indicate clearly that reading abilities of the students in Experimental Class are at a higher level than those of the students in Control Class, which proves cognitive strategies application in reading is effective for Senior One students. At last, some implications for English teaching and learning are put forward.The present paper is made up of five parts. In Part One, the author analyzes some problems Senior One students have in English reading and expounds the necessity and significance of the present study. Part Two is concerned with literature, involving definitions, classifications of learning strategies and cognitive strategies, strategy training models, and related research abroad and in China. Part Three is about rationale for the research. The study is based on cognitive theories, theory of individual learner differences and student-centered teaching in pedagogy. Part Four provides detailed description of the present study, including hypothesis research subjects procedures data collection and analysis, and conclusion of the study. Part Five is about applications for English teaching and learning, and limitations of the study.