研究生: |
高郁茗 Yu-Ming, Kao |
---|---|
論文名稱: |
以課外廣泛閱讀輔助高中英語教學之研究 A Study of Using Extensive Reading as a Supplement in a Senior High School English Curriculum |
指導教授: |
卓江
John Truscott |
口試委員: | |
學位類別: |
碩士 Master |
系所名稱: |
人文社會學院 - 外國語文學系 Foreign Languages and Literature |
論文出版年: | 2004 |
畢業學年度: | 92 |
語文別: | 英文 |
論文頁數: | 124 |
中文關鍵詞: | 廣泛閱讀 |
外文關鍵詞: | Extensive Reading, Comprehensible Input, Input Hypothesis, Pleasure Hypothesis, Affective Filter Hypothesis, Bookstrap Hypothesis, Graded Reader, Young Adult Literature, Children's Literature |
相關次數: | 點閱:1 下載:0 |
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中文摘要
長久以來,廣泛閱讀(Extensive Reading)在母語以及第二語言的學習上,儼然成為增進學習者閱讀態度以及語言程度的一個強而有力的工具。為了面對大學學測以及大學閱讀原文書籍的需要,台灣的中等英語教育一直很重視閱讀教學。不過,雖然老師會補充課本以外的閱讀材料,這些補充教材往往效果有限,因為不是內容太過艱深就是閱讀的份量還是不夠充足。其實,訓練學生擁有英語閱讀能力並不能保證他們就會自發性的閱讀英文。為了刺激學生的閱讀動機並且提供他們大量可理解性的輸入(Comprehensible Input),也就是大量為學生製造接觸語言的機會,廣泛閱讀的活動在台灣高中的英語學習環境裡是一個不錯的選擇。
因此,本研究旨在驗證在正規英語課程裡嵌入一個廣泛閱讀活動是否對學生的閱讀能力、閱讀速度、以及英語閱讀動機和態度有顯著的影響;調查廣泛閱讀量與閱讀能力的成長以及閱讀速度的成長是否具有相關性;以及探討廣泛閱讀活動在台灣高中英語課程實行的可行性。
本研究在台北一所女子高級中學的某一個班級實行,研究者在這個班級帶領一個輔助性質的廣泛閱讀活動。實驗組是一班高二文組的女生四十一人,對照組是另一班高二理組的學生。實驗組也就是文組每週比對照組理組多一節英文課,兩班學生的英文老師以及英文實習老師都相同,除了研究者在實驗組帶領的廣泛閱讀活動以外以及他們英文課時數的些許差異,兩個班級上課內容一致。這個活動利用文組班多出來的英文課(50分鐘),平均每隔兩週上一次,從2002年十月底到2003年五月底,總共約七個月。
給學生的讀本包括學者Hill (1997),Day以及Bamford (1998)大力推薦的兩套簡易讀本,分別是牛津書蟲系列(Oxford Bookworm Library)以及Heinemann Graded Readers。另外也包括學生在下學期分享的小說以及簡易讀本、還有研究者本身的一部分兒童文學與青少年文學的收藏。除了閱讀以外,學生們每看完一本書,要寫一份簡短的閱讀心得,中英皆可,一來可以讓研究者監督學生的閱讀情形,二來提供研究者與學生更多的互動空間。
在這七個月裡,實驗組每人平均看了12本讀物。評量的方法包括1999年以及2000年聯考的閱讀測驗題、克漏字測驗題,與SRA 能力檢定。這些評量結果顯示實驗組與對照組的閱讀能力在這段期間都有顯著的進步,但是兩組進步的幅度沒有顯著的差異。不過,兩組聯考閱讀測驗的成績顯示實驗組的進步幅度比對照組的要稍微好一些。雖然本研究無法更進一步證明閱讀量(以頁數計算)與學生成績進步幅度之間的相對關係,亦無法找出閱讀量與學生閱讀速度之間的相關性,本研究的實驗組閱讀速度成長幅度的確比對照組有顯著的表現。
除此之外,問卷結果指出大量閱讀的經驗對學生的閱讀態度與動機有正向的影響。這個閱讀活動成功地提高受測學生對英語閱讀的舒適程度、喜愛程度、以及自信程度。另外實驗組在此活動中表現出來的良好學習自主(learning autonomy)亦可以觀察得到。除此之外,這個閱讀活動也影響了學生使用字典的習慣,實驗組學生傾向較少使用字典,他們也自認比較有能力選擇適合自己閱讀能力的讀本。
由於本研究的大量閱讀活動屬於輔助性質的課外活動,本實驗的閱讀量在原本就很強調閱讀的該兩班英語課程裡顯得有些力道不夠,因此無法突顯出這樣的閱讀活動對閱讀能力的增進是否有影響。不過本研究結果顯示在高中課程裡輔以大量閱讀的活動是很可行的,並且也顯示這項活動對學生閱讀動機與態度的提升很有效。另外,這項研究提供了對廣泛閱讀感興趣並且想把這項活動納入一般課程的老師們一個值得依據的參考典範。根據本研究成果,建議未來能夠進一步探討將廣泛閱讀運用到主流課程的可行性,以補充課本不足的地方,其中包括研究在傳統的英語教學課程裡納入更多廣泛閱讀的元素、廣泛閱讀對國高中程度較落後學生的影響;以及廣泛閱讀(extensive reading)與精讀(intensive reading)分別對寫作風格的影響。
ABSTRACT
Extensive reading has long been recognized as a powerful tool for improving learners’ attitude toward reading and increasing their language proficiency, in both their first and their second language. In Taiwan, reading has long been emphasized in the secondary English education in preparation for the English-language test of the scholastic ability examination and authentic reading demands in the university. Although students are provided with additional materials other than textbooks, these materials are usually ineffective due to the inappropriate level of difficulty or the insufficient quantity. In fact, being trained to read does not ensure that students will do English free reading voluntarily. In order to stimulate students’ motivation for reading and to provide them with as much comprehensible input as possible, an extensive reading program could be a good choice for pedagogical implementation in Taiwanese senior high school contexts.
This study, thus, aimed to examine whether an embedded extensive reading program has any significant impact on the students’ reading proficiency gains, reading speed, motivation and attitude towards reading; whether there is any correlation between extensive reading quantity and reading proficiency gains; the correlation between reading quantity and reading speed; and if it is feasible to implement an extensive reading program in the Taiwanese senior high school English curriculum.
In the current study, a supplemental extensive reading program was implemented in a normal English curriculum of a class of a prestigious girls’ senior high school in Taipei. The subjects of the experimental group were a humanities class of second-year female students (n = 41) who had one more class unit (50 min) each week than the control group, a science class. Taught by the same English teacher and intern, both classes received the same amount of normal English instruction except for the extensive reading program. The extensive reading program was carried out during the extra class unit every other week on average and lasted from the end of October, 2002, to the end of May, 2003, including approximately seven months.
Reading materials consisted of two series of graded readers, Oxford Bookworm Library and Heinemann Graded Readers, which are both highly recommended by Hill (1997), Day and Bamford (1998), other books including graded readers from students’ temporary ‘donation’, and some of the researcher’s collection of children’s and young adult literature. Apart from reading, students were required to write a short summary of the book they read, either in Chinese or English, for the researcher to monitor their reading progress and for more teacher and student interaction.
During this period of seven months, the participants read 12 books on average. Measures including JCEE reading comprehension tests and cloze-tests year 1999 and 2000, and SRA placement tests showed that both the experimental and control groups’ reading proficiency improved significantly, but there was no significant difference between two groups’ gain scores. However, the results of JCEE reading comprehension tests indicated that the difference between the groups’ gain scores favoring the experimental group. Although this study was not able to further demonstrate the correlation between the extensive reading quantity (number of pages) and students’ gain scores and the correlation between extensive reading amounts and reading speed, the experimental group showed significantly better performance of reading rate than the control group.
In addition, the results of the surveys showed that the experience of extensive reading has shown its impact on students’ attitude and motivation. This program succeeded in boosting students’ degree of comfort, their fondness for English reading, and their confidence. The experimental group’s good learning autonomy can also be observed. Furthermore, the effect of the program also showed in the experimental group’s lesser use of dictionary and in their comparatively better ability of choosing reading materials that suit their reading proficiency.
Although the current study’s amount of extensive reading as only a supplemental role in a normal curriculum which contained already large amounts of reading instruction and reading demands was seemingly insufficient. The results of the current study still suggest that using extensive reading as a supplement in a senior high school English curriculum is feasible and effectual in boosting students’ reading motivation and attitude. Moreover, this study has provided a model for those teachers who are interested in integrating extensive reading into the normal curriculum. For future research, the feasibility of an extensive reading program as a more important part of the main English instruction should be further investigated, as well as the feasibility of such program for secondary learners with lower proficiency levels. In addition, the effect of intensive and extensive reading instruction on the difference in learners’ writing styles deserves a further investigation, too.
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