The Application Of Schema Theory To English Listening Instruction In Junior High School

In traditional English teaching,teachers attached more importance to the instruction of pronunciation,vocabulary and grammar,ignoring the teaching of schematic knowledge closely related to listening.With the initiation of the curriculum reform in China,more and more teachers and scholars have done researches into listening comprehension instruction.In 2001,the Standard of English Curriculum formulated by the Ministry of Education set a higher requirement for junior high school students.They are required to achieve the fifth degree of listening ability when they graduate from the junior high school.The higher goal has imposed a new challenge on Chinese junior high school students.This paper,on the basis of prior researches,discusses the application of schema theory in listening comprehension instruction for the purpose of improving English listening teaching in junior high school.Based on schema theory,the paper expounds some pre-listening,while-listening and post-listening activities which are suitable for junior high school students.By conducting an experiment which includes questionnaires,pre-test and post-test,the author proves the effectiveness of using schema theory in listening instruction.In conclusion,the author argues that,by designing and carrying out adequate and purposeful listening activities in every listening class,teachers can not only activate the students' schema and help them improve their listening comprehension,but also make them become more confident and active listeners.