A Study On The Application Of Theme-based Model Of CBI In English Reading Teaching In Junior High School

In the present English reading teaching in junior high school,teachers emphasize so much on the learning of words and grammar that the content of reading materials is neglected.As a result,the cultivation of reading proficiency is separated from context and practical application.Although the English Curriculum Standard for Compulsory Education(2011)has proposed specific requirements for the reading ability of junior high school students,a great deal of students cannot achieve the goals.Content-based Instruction(henceforth CBI)is a foreign language teaching method based on the idea of integrating language with content.A large number of scholars abroad and at home have studied its theoretical framework,teaching operation and effectiveness evaluation,which verifies that CBI is with many advantages in foreign language teaching.However,the studies on CBI at home mainly focus on the higher education instead of the basic education,so that it is necessary to apply CBI to junior high school.There are lots of models in CBI,among which the major ones are the theme-based model,the sheltered model,the adjunctive model and the skill-based model.Through the comparison of the four major models and the further discussion about the characteristics,rationales and researches of the theme-based model,this study holds that the theme-based model is more suitable for English reading teaching in junior high school and carries out corresponding empirical study.This study has explored the influence of the theme-based model of CBI on the English reading proficiency and learning motivation of students in junior high school.The research subjects are Class Two and Class Four in Grade Seven of Dalian No.22 Junior High School.During the one-semester experiment,Class Four serves as the experiment group and is taught English reading in the theme-based model of CBI,while Class Two is treated as the control group which adopts the traditional method.Pre-test,post-test,questionnaire as well as interview are applied as the research instruments.In addition,the data analysis resorts to Excel 2003 and SPSS 21.0.The results show that the theme-based model of CBI is effective in the enhancement of English reading proficiency and learning motivation of the students in junior high school.The study needs to be developed because of the restriction of the optional environment and personal research skills.