Using English Newspapers To Improve English Reading Ability Of Middle School Students

In recent years, some English teachers in secondary schools have begun to teach English newspapers as a supplement to the teaching of reading. English newspaper reading has become one of the focuses of English classroom teaching research. The trend has been reinforced in the newly promulgated Senior High School English Curriculum Criterion. As is required in the Curriculum Criterion, senior students should be capable of reading English newspapers or magazines after graduation. Although lots of efforts have been made by some researchers (including teachers) and students, how to improve the English reading ability and English learning of senior students through English newspaper reading is yet to be explored. The aim of the present thesis is to explore and apply English newspapers to the teaching of reading in senior schools and to verify its effectiveness and feasibility. The experiment was carried out among ninety-eight students in senior two from a key school in Baotou. Forty-eight students in the experimental class were involved in reading English newspapers and fifty students in the control class used the traditional reading materials. Three instruments were used in the research: the pre-test and post-test, questionnaires and self -evaluation. The findings are as follows:The reading abilities of the experimental class have evidently improved after the experiment.It is hoped that this thesis will offer a teaching method to improve the English learning of senior students through English newspaper reading and encourage more teachers to apply English newspapers to their own classroom teaching practice.