2.5.2 History
If students are not familiar with the of Britain and America, they will not understand the meaning of the reading material correctly. Take London by William Black for example:
“I wonder thro’ each charter’d street,
Near where the charter’d Thames does flow…”
The poem was written in the later of 18th century. At that time, capitalism Street. “Charter’d Street” and “Charter’d Thames” reflected the situation of that time.
2.6 Geography Environment
Geography knowledge is also very important in English reading comprehension. The following is a dialogue Britain and Ireland in Senior Student Book I Unit 22(SEFC, 1999):
“Zhoulan: ---Are you English? David: ---No, I’m not.?
Zhoulan: ---But you speak English.? David: ---That’s correct.?
Zhoulan: ---Where are you from then? Canada? David: ---No, I’m from Britain.?
Zhoulan: ---But I thought you said you weren’t English.? David: ---Right, I’m British, but I’m not English.? Zhoulan: ---What are you then?
David: ---I’m Scottish, I’m from Scotland. Zhoulan: ---Where’s that?
David: ---It’s to the north of England; it’s part of Britain.? Zhoulan: ---Have you got a map to show me? I’m puzzled.”
Why does Zhoulan feel puzzled about this dialogue? Because Zhoulan does not understand the background knowledge of the Britain and England. Although England and Britain are same to England, strictly speaking, English refers to People of England. England is only a part of Britain. England is bounteous, the populations larger, but it cannot represent Scotland, Wales and Ireland after all. As these local people, they are usually not willing to be regarded as
ScottishWelshIrish rather than as English. As British (English), they may be accepted as British. That is why David said: “I’m British, but I'm not English.” In this dialogue, if the students know this background knowledge, it is easy for them to understand this dialogue. Therefore, introducing the background knowledge in this dialogue to the students is of the extremely importance.
III. Suggested Teaching Strategies of Improving Reading Teaching through Background Knowledge
To make sure that students can understand the material properly and quickly instead of being their reading comprehension, and assist students to incorporate visual information to their pre-existing background knowledge. In this way students could practice awareness and skills to apply background knowledge in reading comprehension, achieving a satisfying effect. Some effective teaching strategies of this kind are suggested below. 3.1 Teaching Strategies 3.1.1 Class Discussion
Class discussion is a traditional yet effective method. Discussion makes it possible for most students to participate actively and improve their oral English evidently. Group discussion is a better choice, for more students could open their mouth and state their own ideas. Firstly the teacher may give a well-designed topic related to the text. And then students discuss the topic in small groups, four or five students at the most, and present their group idea after discussion. The teacher may make a summary finally and lead in the text.
In the text “why I teach”(college English: Intensive Reading), the teacher may requires students to discuss the profession as a teacher as well as the teaching methods they like. From primary school to college, students addition, some college students amateur teacher. So it is possible for all the students to state their own views. Based on reading and explaining the text, the teacher compares the author's idea and the students’ ideas so that students could understand the text better. 3.1.2 Writing and Presenting Personal Experiences
A satisfying effect can be reached especially when students express themselves
orally or literally. This activity may begin either before or during some key words or concepts. Then the teacher may explain the text related major points and pose some subjective questions such as “what do you think of...?” “What makes you think of...?”etc.. In answering those questions students are motivated to express themselves and incorporate the textual information to their knowledge base, and get their background knowledge strengthened. Or in another way students may choose short writing to express their ideas. Reading combined with writing is a good method if organized well.
In the text “Big Bucks the Easy Way” (College English: Intensive Reading), students may talk about their own experiences when doing a part-time job. They may oral or written presentation. Comparing the text with their own experiences, students may understand the text easily. Meanwhile they can know more about American students and enlarge their previous knowledge base. 3.1.3 Comparison between Native and Foreign Background
It is also a traditional but well-accepted method, for comparison impresses students deeply and inspires a good memory. In the text “There's only luck”(College English: Intensive Reading), the teacher may make a comparison of the law of gun ownership between in China and in America, so that students can awareness of the different background and the text “Big Bucks the Easy Way”, as cited above, students may be aware of the independence of American people through comparing the different way that Chinese and American parents educate their children. 3.1.4 Video and Slide Show
Reading can also be equipped with multimedia like video and slide show. Psychologically students incline to accept visual and audio information. An active and creative teacher would exert multimedia as a main approach to display background knowledge directly and vividly. In the middle school English textbook there is a text titled “The earthquake”. The teacher may make a video or slide show to display scenes when an earthquake irreplaceable role in imparting background knowledge and example the author witnesses at a model English class competition that is worth imitating.
3.1.5 Use of True-or-False or Multiple-Choice Exercises
Many textbooks arrange true-or-false or multiple-choice exercises to check the students' comprehension of the text. It is wise to make those exercises a good approach to check and teach background knowledge. Beyond that, the teachers are encouraged to create and compile more appropriate exercises to be an assistance of reading teaching. Exercises of this sort are more suitable for those students with strong comprehension but weak expression. In checking the answers, simply pointing out the correct answer is definitely not enough. The teacher should teach more than a single answer can afford. 3.1.6 Guessing and Inferring
The background knowledge permits the reader to provide coherence to the text, permitting better bridging inferences between non-coherent sections and also permitting additional elaborative inferences. We can see that background knowledge plays a vital role in making inferences in reading process. The teacher may select several key words which stand vitally in the text and require the students to infer what the text may talk about. With their assumption, students are impelled to read the text eagerly. This method needs additional work to select the key words elaborately and accurately. 3.1.7 Widely Reading
Except various background knowledge of different nations, share a large amount of the same knowledge known as common knowledge that is beyond the limitation posed by culture, region, or religion. For example, one plus one equals two everywhere around the world. So students are encouraged to read as widely as possible either in English or in Chinese. Common knowledge is, to some extent, equally or even more important than language itself. 3.2 Models of Classroom Practices
Take Unite15 The necklace Senior Book1B as an example; the text can be presented as follows: Pre-reading activities
pictorial collage that generates expectations that will be useful in anticipating and
As a motivational phase, “students should be introduced to situations of
predicting the content of the passage that will be read.” (Lin, 2003) In order to arouse the students’ interest, the following questions are an aid to elicit the students’ existing schemata and develop questions themselves associated with the title and picture.
1. Have you ever learned something about the Chinese plays? Beijing Opera, Huangmei Opera, Henan Opera, Shangxi Opera, etc. 2. Have you ever learned something about the foreign plays? 3. Introducing the author through showing the picture. While-reading
Step1. Read the introductory part first then ask the students to take notes about the characters and their relationship. Ask two students to write them on the blackboard. (Try to complete the following as a model)
Mathilde: a young lady, pretty but vain
Pierre: a government worker, not rich but ambitious
Jeanne: a young lady, rich but warm- and check the information written on the blackboard together.
Step3. Read the scene1 then ask the students to give the title and discuss the questions in groups: What do you imagine might a century ago?
Step4. Read the scene2 then ask the students to give the title and discuss the questions in groups:Why Mathilde was so eager to wear a new dress and an questions in groups:
1) Why does the play go like this? What was the main idea of the story?
2) What kind culture in that society?
Step6. Read the play again then discuss the following in groups
1) Think of the writer’s intention of writing this play. Is there any
significance for today?
2) How does the writer express by your book.
Post-reading (Assignment for about 200 words. 2) Make an ending for the play.
expensive necklace? (It can ask the students to give the title and discuss the
IV. Conclusion
As a text is read, there is a large cognitive load on the reader as the reader is