Application Of Critical Reading In English Teaching In Senior High Schools

In the age of rapid knowledge generation and information dissemination,and the increasingly fierce competitions and challenges,people need to have critical consciousness and critical thinking to choose,analyze,understand,infer,judge,and evaluate the received information.Reading is an important means to obtain knowledge and information.Critical reading is the product of the progress of the times and an inevitable trend of the times.Senior high school is an important period for students to obtain information and develop critical thinking,and reading is the most important method for them to obtain knowledge and information.What's more,critical reading has a very important effect on the development of their critical thinking and forming values of life.It is stated in English Curriculum Standards(2003)that students should develop the ability to analyze and solve problems,as well as the ability to think critically in the teaching and learning of English reading.Therefore,it is necessary for teachers in senior high schools to incorporate critical reading into teaching activities.As for English teaching in senior high schools,the application of critical reading not only has a positive influence on developing students' critical thinking ability and forming the habit of critical reading,but also is beneficial to students' lifelong study and construction of values about life.At the same time,this research can provide some reference for the majority of English teachers in their teaching to some degree.Besides,based on the analysis of reading comprehension part in College Entrance Examination from 2010 to 2018 and the observation of English teaching in class,the author found currently there is almost no critical reading in English teaching and learning in senior high schools.And students' critical thinking doesn't be emphasized.Considering the background and existing problems of teaching and learning of English reading mentioned above,based on Critical Discourse Analysis Theory,Schema Theory and Constructive Learning Theory,this article did some investigations and research on Critical reading's application in English teaching in senior high schools.The research methods included questionnaire survey,personal interview and experimental research.In order to know more about the existing problems of teaching and learning of English critical reading in senior high schools,this research conducted surveys and interviews on teachers and students' attitude towards critical reading and whether English teachers and students in senior high schools have applied critical reading to the English teaching and learning.The results of the investigations are as follows.On one hand,teachers know little about critical thinking and use fixed teaching models in reading classes.Because of the restrictions on the type setting in reading comprehension in College Entrance Examination,teachers seldom instruct students to read passages critically.On the other hand,students know little about critical thinking,and lack critical reading training,so their awareness of critical reading is weak,which obstructs the development of their critical thinking ability.Based on the results of the investigations,the author conducted an experimental research about critical reading's application in English teaching in Senior High Schools aimed at finding the solution of the existing problems of teaching and learning of English critical reading in senior high schools,proving critical reading plays an important role in improving students' critical reading ability and critical thinking and exploring the practical and effective teaching strategies of critical reading in the teaching and learning of English reading in senior high school.The author used critical reading teaching method in the experimental class,while the other class was as usual.The experiment lasted four months.After the experiment,both of the classes had two tests of English reading comprehension.One was about critical thinking,and the other was about some other basic reading strategies required in College Entrance Examination.The data of the tests showed that the performance of experimental class was significantly better than the other class.Besides,after the experiment,the students of experimental class had investigations and interviews again.Comparing and analyzing the results of the investigations and interviews before and after the experiment,the author found that students' awareness of critical reading and critical thinking ability had been improved significantly.Therefore,here comes the conclusion of the experimental research.At first,the teaching strategies of critical thinking applied in the research are practicable and effective.In class,through specific teaching activities such as setting up background knowledge and group discussions,students can read critically.And teachers should focus on proceduralheuristic questioning rather than resultant heuristic questioning.After class,as to specific reading materials,students will have discussions and communicate with each other in small groups.Secondly,critical reading has a positive effect on solving the problems existing in the teaching and learning of English reading.To be specific,critical reading can enhance students' critical consciousness and critical thinking ability and improve their ability of analyzing and solving problems.What's more,critical reading can also get them more interested in reading and enhance their reading ability.Finally,critical reading plays a positive role in promoting students' ability of using English comprehensively and English teaching in senior high schools.