How to Improve College Student’s Reading Ability如何提高大学生的阅读能力.doc

College of Arts & Science of JiangHan University毕业论文(设计)论文（设计）题目：如何提高大学生的阅读能力 （英文） How to Improve College Students Reading Ability 姓 名： 学 号： 院 （系）： 外语学部 专 业： 商务英语 指导老师： 2011年5月AbstractThe most common problem college students have nowadays, including English majors, is that they have difficulty in understanding the long sentences, or sentences with complicated structures. Therefore, how to improve reading ability of college students draws more and more attention. Reading ability is very important in our daily life and studies. So the first thing we meet when we are reading is the vocabulary, that is, how to deal with the unfamiliar words will be a very important aspect in our discussion. Next, we must have a good knowledge of English grammar which will help us understand the English passages better. As the people said, practice makes perfect, so we should read a large number of English material except the textbooks. Finally, we should eradiate the bad reading habits and form good ones. The author of the paper has analyzed some common reading skills and put forward some suggestions to the further improvement of college students reading ability with the authors own learning experience, which may help to improve the students reading competence.Key words: Reading ability Vocabulary Grammar Reading habits摘要如今大学生面临的多数问题，包括英语专业的学生，就是在理解英语长句或者复杂结构句上有困难。因此，如何提高大学生的英语阅读能力引起了越来越多的关注。英语阅读能力在我们的日常生活和学习中都非常重要。然而，阅读过程中遇到的首要问题就是单词，如何处理阅读中不熟悉的单词在我们的讨论中是非常重要的一部分。其次，我们也必须掌握好语法知识以便我们理解文章。俗话说，熟能生巧，所以，除了我们的教材外我们还应该大量阅读英语材料。最后，我们应该摒弃坏的阅读习惯培养良好的阅读习惯。本文作者对常见的一些阅读技巧进行了分析，同时结合自身学习经验，为学生阅读能力的提高提供了一些建议，希望对他们有所帮助。关键词：阅读能力 单词 语法 阅读习惯ContentsI. Introduction. 1II. The significance of reading ability for college students .22.1 The definition of reading.22.2 The importance of reading.32.3 The problems that students have.5 2.3.1 Lack of vocabularies.5 2.3.2 Weak at grammar.5 2.3.3 No interests5 2.3.4 Wrong reading habits and skills.52.4 Components and Solutions of English reading comprehensive ability.6 2.4.1 Enlarge vocabularies.6 2.4.2 Improve grammar ability.8 2.4.3 Change the reading habits.9 2.4.4 Skimming and Scanning.10 2.4.5 Read at a super speed.122.4.6 Extensive and Intensive reading.13III. Conclusion.17Reference.19Acknowledgements.20I. IntroductionClasses should be learner-centered, with meaningful, functional activities, classes begin by finding out what the students dont know. These classes operate on the assumption that there is a great deal of information that students lack and that the teacher and textbooks will impact that information to the students. Teachers who hold this assumption view students as plants waiting passively to be fed and watered. But I think the students should be regarded as explorers, active learners who bring a great deal to the learning process and at the same time, draw from their environment as they develop new understandings. The basic principle will be used in the teaching of reading. And the teachers should cultivate the students consciousness of learning how to improve these essential English learning skills.The purpose of college English teaching is to improve the students skill of learning English by themselves, take reading for example, with the base of necessary phonetics, large vocabulary and good grammar.Some people think that reading is a very simple matter. You move your eyes along the line, and the author's message appears somehow in your mind. When a person is highly skilled as a reader, it does seem that something like that takes place. However, the actual reading process is quite complicated. Try to think back when you were first learning to read, or observe a young child learning to read. It is a very difficult, complex, sometimes, painful process.Reduced to its simplest elements, we might say that comprehension is a part of the communication process of getting the thoughts that were in the author's mind into the reader's, but how does one reader can get the idea clearly? It depends on the reading ability of the reader's. How can the readers make improvements in reading? Especially for the college students. There are many skills to improve one's ability of reading comprehension, this thesis will show the main idea of how to improve college students reading skills.II. The Significance of Reading Ability for College Students2.1 The definition of readingGenerally, reading is about understanding written texts. But understanding a written text is not simply looking. It is a complex activity that involves both perception and thought. It consists of two related processes: word recognition and comprehension. Word recognition refers to the process of perceiving how written symbols correspond to ones spoken language. Comprehension is the process of making sense of words, sentences and connected text. Birkley (1970) defines reading as “the recognition and perception of language structures as wholes in order to comprehend both the surface and deep meaning which these structures communicate.” According to National Reading Panel (2001) that reading is a set of skills that allows readers to rapidly decode text while maintaining high comprehension.For the purposes of The Partnership for Reading, the National Reading Panel, and the Reading First law, reading is defined as a complex system of deriving meaning from print that requires all of the following:1) The skills and knowledge to understand how phonemes, or speech sounds, are connected to print2) The ability to decode unfamiliar words.3) The ability to read fluently.4) Sufficient background information and vocabulary to foster reading comprehension.5) The development of appropriate active strategies to construct meaning from print.6) The development and maintenance of a motivation to read.In a word, reading is the process of constructing meaning from written texts. It is a complex skill requiring the coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information.2.2 The importance of readingWith the development of society, English reading not only appears in exams but also exists in looking information, getting Info, entertaining or chatting online. English articles are getting more and more, and the range of them is getting wider and wider. English, be the world nowadays international social intercourse language the success that it obtain is an unprecedented in history of. So improving students reading ability is of great urgency.The score takes about 40% in the college English test band 4. In a certain extent, doing well or not in the reading comprehension directly influences the grades of English tests. Moreover reading could maintain the interesting of learning English, strengthen knowledge and improve ability and be helpful for students to have a better understanding of the world. We can not study foreign language well without improving the reading ability.On many of the other pages of advice on this point I have emphasized how important reading is as far as learning English is concerned. However, there is a further, very important reason why college students should try to develop their reading skills: Educational researchers have found that there is a strong correlation between reading and academic success. In other words, a student who is a good reader is more likely to do well in school and pass exams than a student who is a weak reader.Good readers can understand the individual sentences and the organizational structure of a piece of writing. They can comprehend ideas, follow arguments, and detect implications. They know most of the words in the text already, but they can also determine the meaning of many of the unfamiliar words from the context - failing this, they can use their dictionary effectively to do so. In summary, good readers can extract from the writing what is important for the particular task they are employed in. And they can do it quickly!Educational researchers have also found a strong correlation between reading and vocabulary knowledge. In other words, students who have a large vocabulary are usually good readers. This is not very surprising, since the best way to acquire a large vocabulary is to read extensively, and if you read extensively you are likely to be or become a good reader! So if you want yourself to be successful at college or at work, encourage yourself to read. Reading non-fiction in English is probably the most important, but English fiction and any reading in the mother tongue - if done extensively - will help your college students develop the reading competence that is essential for academic achievement.Even though reading is so indispensable and useful, the consciousness of reading has been deteriorating rapidly. One of the prominent causes for this is the technology boom, wherein you can get whatever information you need with just a click! Reading, however, doesn't mean making it through your school texts to clear the approaching tests. Neither is it restricted to educational purposes only. You can read almost anything including encyclopedias, novels, dailies, magazines.the list is pretty long, but that hardly matters, as long as you like doing it. Whether you like fiction or non-fiction is not important, but whether you like reading or not is! Sadly, however, people nowadays seem to have totally lost interest in this activity. College students are too busy with their computer games and chatting on Internet to make friends, they are glued on to their computer screen, amassing the wealth of knowledge through Internet search engines. Reading does have its loyal fan following, but the fan base is rapidly decreasing. It is a well-known fact that when there were no televisions or computers, reading was a primary leisure activity. People would spend hours reading books and travel to lands far away-in their minds. The only tragedy is that, with time, students have lost their skill and passion to read. There are many other exciting and thrilling options available, aside from books. And that is a shame because reading offers a productive approach to improving vocabulary and word power. It is advisable to indulge in at least half an hour of reading a day to keep abreast of the various styles of writing and new vocabulary.Reading helps in mental development and is known to stimulate the muscles of the eyes. Reading is an activity that involves greater levels of concentration and adds to the conversational skills of the reader. It is an indulgence that enhances the knowledge acquired, consistently. The habit of reading also helps readers to decipher new words and phrases that they come across in everyday conversations. The habit can become a healthy addiction and adds to the information available on various topics. It helps us to stay in-touch with contemporary writers as well as those from the days of yore and makes us sensitive to global issues.To make a conclusion, reading is essential especially for college students. It is useful to have a strong consciousness of reading and own a good knowledge of reading skills.2.3 The problems that students have2.3.1 Lack of vocabulariesThe English vocabulary, is the most basic part of English study and its dispensable. However, most college students reading ability is not hopeful cause of the lacking vocabularies. The quantity of English words decides the quality of English study, so, we should know this and enlarge our English words day by day with certain plan and goal.2.3.2 Weak at grammarThe grammar, is also the essential and difficult part of English study, its the students weak segment of English study, let alone the reading part, so, we cant neglect the grammar.2.3.3 No interestsThe vocabulary and the grammar are all the basic segment of English reading, if you dont master them well, they will effect your reading quality, and then, the students confidence of English study must be influenced, at the same time, the students may lose the interest of English study. Therefore, you should read the passages which you are interested in, and find more opportunity to practice your spoken English, communicate with foreign friends, so that you can improve your desire for English study. As the people say, interest is the best teacher of study, so , we should own the strong desire and interest for English reading.2.3.4 Wrong reading habits and skillsWhen we have the good grammar and certain vocabularies, we should own the correct reading habits and skills. Good learning habits are the necessary premise of successful study. Lots of college students complain that reading is a difficult task. It cant give them any benefits and useful information. After an examination in reading, they often say that their reading speed is too slow; they cant understand what the meaning of the materials is; their reading abilities are poor. If they have good reading habits, they can flexibly use various reading skills in a test to get high marks, and they can improve their reading abilities. Some conclusions can be drawn that there are several reading habits which hinder students reading comprehension: (1).sub vocalizing (forming the sounds of the words you are reading, and even murmuring them aloud); (2).finger-pointing; (3).head movements; (4).regressions and so on. All of these are bad for them in reading. College students should aware that efficient readers do not have these habits. These habits are harmful. The improvement of college students abilities in reading comprehension cant be isolated from the cultivation and training of reading skills and comprehension skills. In order to help college students to improve their reading abilities and master some reading skills, teachers should pay attention to the training of the following reading skills in reading teaching.2.4 Components and Solutions of English reading comprehensive ability2.4.1 Enlarge vocabularies Many students probably consider that their main problem in reading is not having a big enough vocabulary. It has been suggested that a vocabulary of about five thousand words is needed to start independent read