Research Into Autonomous Learning Of Reading In Vocational English Program

Reading comprehension constitutes an important part in English examinations as well as one of the main skills in English learning. Although we have always attached great importance to the teaching of English reading ability, however, English reading classroom activities is often "teacher-centered", which can never initiate students' interests. As far as the current English reading classroom activity is concerned, teaching bears a disproportionate share of the vocabulary, grammar and other basic knowledge of language teaching tasks, which is not conducive to the development of students' consciousness, initiative and creativity. Therefore, how to cultivate students' autonomous learning ability in English reading curriculum becomes a new topic. In addition, fostering students' autonomous learning capability both helps to develop and expand the autonomy ability of students.Autonomous learning is "students-centered" and requires that the students shall take responsibility for their own learning activities. Based on Benson's framework of learner autonomy at the learning management level and Wenden's three-stage distinction of self-management behaviors for learner autonomy, this paper analyzes the autonomous learning behaviors of the students in one vocational school in Wuhan by using the data from the questionnaire and interview. Particular attention was given to their control over learning management of English reading manifested in their performance of autonomous behaviors of planning, monitoring and evaluation in accordance with the three phases of the reading process, namely before reading, while reading and after reading. Furthermore, by analyzing behaviors of each phase involved in English reading, this paper illustrate in detail some possible factors which incur the existing autonomous learning conditions in vocational school.According to this research, the writer has made some conclusions, as follows, (1) The students in general can exert some control over their English reading management, but the extent of their autonomy is low and varies at the different phases of the learning process. (2) Specifically speaking, they display a relatively high degree of autonomy in monitoring during reading, while tend to be less autonomous in planning before reading and evaluation after reading is especially lacking from the behavioral repertoire of the majority of the subjects. (3) The research further reveals that motivation, sense of self-efficacy, self-controlling ability, teacher dependence and learning atmosphere are main factors to leading the low degree of autonomous behaviors in English reading.By exploring the students' exercise of autonomy in English reading, the paper is aimed to gauge students' readiness for autonomous learning of English reading as well as to help teachers identify the students' different performance in order that the current reading classroom activities in vocational school can be changed to some extent and more students can be appropriately trained as the autonomous learners of English reading. The present research has a greater theoretical and practical significance concerning English reading teaching in vocational schools.