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1、The Applicationof SchemaTheory in Senior High School EnglishReading Teaching1.Introduction.12. Three models of reading processing.32.1 The bottom-up model.32.2 The top-down model.42.3 The interactive model.53. Schema theory.63.1 The fundamental concept of schema theory63.2 Classifications of schemat
2、a.74. Theapplication of schema theory in senior high school Englishreading teaching94.1 Some considerations in the application of the schema theory in readinginstruction.104.1.1 The readers.104.1.2 Some preparations before reading in relation to schema theory. 144.2 Some technique in using schema th
3、eory in reading instruction164.2.1 Conceptually driven schema174.2.2 Data driven schema.184.3 Practical application of schema theory in reading class195. Conclusion.23References .251.IntroductionReading has always been considered one of the most important skillsin foreignlanguagelearning.Itisnotonly
4、 achiefmeans togaininformation and learn English culture, but also an important way toconsolidateandexpandforeignlanguageknow-ledge.Accordingtostatistics,about50%ofknowledge thatpeople obtainis from reading( 程世禄 ,张国扬 , 2004).Inthe traditionalway of Englishreadingteaching,senior high schoolteachers u
5、sually focus on teaching single words, phrases or grammaticalpoints.The analysis of English grammaris themain activityinthe processofteaching.But theyneglectthe pointthat lackingof language knowledge,background knowledge and passage structure knowledge tends to preventEnglish learners from reading e
6、ffectively.During the past few decades, the schema theory has been introducedto English readingclasses, which makesthe research ofschema theory inthe teaching of English reading a hot topic. Currently, the concept“ schema” isno longer strange totheinstructorsand researchersinthefield of reading. Sch
7、ema is a term first used in the field of cognitivepsychology by F.C. Bartlett (Remembering: A Study in Experimental andSocialPsychology.CUP. 1932).Though stilldebatable,schema isgenerally being referred as a mental structure. It is abstract becauseitdoes notrelatetoany particularexperience,althoughi
8、t derivesfromall the particular experience we have had. It is a structure because itisorganized;itincludestherelationshipsbetweenitscomponents(Christine Nuttall, 2002).Can schema theory be one of the most influential ways to improvestudents reading ability? And how is schema theory applied in thetea
9、ching of reading? In this thesis, we will discuss schema theory andits application in the English reading teaching to get the best answer.But thedecompositionof thereading processshouldbe done firstforthepurpose ofthe presentstudyon theapplicationofschematheroyinreading.Only after we unpack the read
10、ing process and have a good understandingof the component processing of reading can we investigate and speculatetheuseofschema theoryinreadingcomprehension.Fundamentally,psychologistshave distinguishedthreekinds of processing:the top-downprocessing,the bottom-up processingand the interactiveprocessi
11、ng.Herein part two, we will have a further research on these reading processes.2. Three models of reading processing2.1 The bottom-up modelIn bottom-up processing,the reader buildsup a meaning from the blackmarks on the page: recognizing letters and words, working out sentencestructure.Wecan make co
12、nscious use of itwhen an initialreadingleavesus confused. Perhaps we cannot believe that the apparent message wasreally what the writer intended; this can happen if our world knowledgeis inadequate, or if the writers point of view is very different fromour own. In that case, we must scrutinize the v
13、ocabulary and syntax tomake sure we have grasped the plain sense correctly. Thus bottom-upprocessingcan be used as a correctiveto tunnelvision (seeingthingsonly from our own limited point of view).Our image ofbottom-upprocessingmightbe ascientistwithamagnifying glass examining the ecology of a trans
14、ect a tiny part ofthe eagle surveys.The scientistdevelops a detailedunderstandingof thatone little area (which might represent a sentence in the text); but fullunderstanding only comes if this is combined with knowledge of adjacentareas and the wider terrain, so that their effects on one another can
15、 berecognized. In other words, bottom-up and top-down approaches are usedto complement each other.2.2 The top-down modelIntop-downprocessing,we drawonourown intelligenceandexperience the predictions we can make, based on the schemata we haveacquired to understand the text. As we know, this kind of p
16、rocessing isused when we interpretassumptions and draw inferences.Wemake conscioususe of it when we try to see the overall purpose of the text, or get arough idea of the pattern of the writers argument, in order to make areasoned guess at the next step (on the grounds that having an idea ofwhat some
17、thing might mean can be a great help in interpreting it.)Wemight compare thisapproach to an eagle s eye view of the landscape.From a great height, the eagle can see a wide area spread out below; itunderstands thenature of thewhole terrain, its generalpattern andtherelationships between various parts
18、 of it, far better than an observeron the ground. A reader adopts an eagleconsidersitas a whole and relatesits eye view of the text when he to his own knowledge and experience.This enables him to predict the writers purpose, the likely trend oftheargument and so on, and then use thisframeworkto inte
19、rpretdifficultparts ofthe text.The top-downapproach gives a sense ofperspectiveandmakes use of all that the reader brings to the text: prior knowledge,common sense, etc, which have sometimes been undervalued in the readingclass.2.3 The interactive modelThis model is the interaction of top-down and b
20、ottom-up processing.Althoughlogically wemight expect that we ought tounderstand theplainsense ifwearetounderstandanythingelse,inpracticeareadercontinually shifts from one focus to another, now adopting a top-downapproach to predict the probable meaning, then moving to the bottom-upapproach to check
21、whether that is really what the writer says. This hasbecomeknownasinteractivemodel.Until1970s,readingisfirstconsidered tobe an interactivemodel by Rumemlhart. The interactivemodelisa theorywhichcanentirelyexplainthereadingprocess.Theinteractive model is also called the schema theory model. The schem
22、atheorymodelusestwomethodstodealwithinformation:oneis“ bottom-up ” model;theotheris“top-down ” model. Duringthereadingprogress, no matter in any moment, those two models are always carriedout at the same time. Bottom-up information dealing assures readers ofdiscoveringnew informationand informationw
23、hich is differentwith theirown supposing. Top-down information dealing helps readers distinguishdifferentmeanings and make correctchoice.Bothapproachescanbemobilized by conscious choice, and both are important strategies forreaders.Therefore,SchemaTheory model is not only a theorythatexplainsthe rea
24、ding process but also a theory that fits for English readingteaching (陈开顺 , 1988).3. Schema theory3.1 The fundamental concept of schema theoryTheaccomplishmentof Schema Theoryowes toAmericanartificialintelligence expert Rumelhart in 1970s. According to Rumelhart, schematheoryis basicallyatheoryabout
25、 human knowledge, about howtheknowledge is organized and stored in units in humans brain, and abouthow the knowledge is applied. His important conclusion on schema whichcan be regarded as the most significant in reading instruction is thatschemacontainsmanyvariables,whichleadtovariousoutputorinterpr
26、etation. The application of schema is associated in differentsettingswhichincludedifferentlearners,thelearners culturalbackground, and their linguistic competence at the time of instructionand so on. We believe it is this variable feature of schema that makesreadinginstructiona complex work thatis w
27、orthy of study in the practiceof reading instruction.3.2 Classifications of schemataGenerallyspeaking,schema canbedividedintothreetypes:linguistic schema, content schema and formal schema. Linguistic schemais readers mastering degree of the language materials. Content schemais readers familiardegree
28、 of the topicdiscussed in the article.Formalschema is readers understanding degree of the article style.Linguistic schema is the base of content schema and formal schema.Itis importantforstudentsto buildlinguisticschema, because languageis students weak points. Without linguistic schema, students ca
29、nnotmake use of the information of the reading materials to apply contentschema and formal schema in their mind. In this way, they can neverunderstand the articles.For example, a studentwho doesntknow Englishat all read a text on Christmas which he is familiar so much. No matterhow he is familiar wi
30、th that festival, he still cannot understand themeaning of the text, because linguistic schema is the base. Withoutlinguistic schema, content schema and formal schema cannot make effect.Instead, even though readers have firm linguistic schema but not befamiliar to thecontentand formal ofthe readingm
31、aterials, theycannotget better understanding of the reading materials.Look at the following passage：Business had been slow since the oil crisis. Nobody seemed to wantanythingelegantanymore. Suddenly the door opened and a well-dressedmanentered the showroomfloor. John put on his friendliest and most
32、sincereexpression as he walked toward the man.“I ll take it. Cash on the line.” The man asserted within a fewminutes.Later,as he was completingthe paper work, John murmured to himself,“ What does he reallyknow about elegance? ” (as citedin Chen xianchun).The words in this passage are not very diffic
33、ult. Many senior highstudents consider that there is no new word. However, when students areasked where the conversation happened, what is John, or where is“showroom”, almost no one can answer correctly.Someonesaid the conversationhappened in exhibitionhall.Students also understand the answer to “wh
34、atjohn is ”. Fewstudentscan explain“show room” well.But ifthe studentswere American, they can easilyknow that“show room” is car sellingplaceand the conversation happened in car selling place. They can even knowthat John is a businessman who sells cars while another person is a carbuyer.The wholepass
35、age didn tappeartheword “ car ”.However,American studentscan stillguess thatthe passage is about car business.Because there is content schema in their mind, they can suppose car oilfrom the words“oilcrisis” and suppose payment methods from “cash onthe line ”. Cars are rather widely used in America,
36、so almost everyAmericanstudent can understandthepassagewell.WhiletheChinesestudentshave no such schema in theirmind,theycannot thinkas Americanstudentsdo.From theconditionabove,although readers languageelement is important, somesimpleproblemshave to besolved by culturalbackground knowledge.The meani
37、ngisgainedfromspecialculturalenvironment.Gettinginformationfromthearticlesdependontheknowledge people have. If people want to comprehend the articles well,they should apply the three kinds of schema. Therefore, teachers shouldrealize thatreading isnot only a processofunderstanding words butalsoa pro
38、cessofreciprocitybetween mental elementand culturalbackground.In order to gain the best understanding of reading materials, teachersshould lead students to build perfect schema and enlighten students toapply schema.4. The application of schema theory in senior high schoolEnglish reading teachingRese
39、arch on teachingreading suggests thatschema theory can optimizethe readingdevelopment of studentsand ithas providednumerous benefitstoEnglishreadingteaching.Most currentESL/EFL textbooksattemptschema activation through pre-reading activities. In applying schematheory to the teaching of reading, whic
40、h emphasizes on getting the gistof thetexts, we can see a positiveinfluenceon the pre-reading activities,as itbuildsup absent schemata, activatesresident schemata and improveL2 reader comprehension in many situations (Scott 2001: 80).For example, when students are reading a passage about the solarsy
41、stem, previewing the text such as the title and figures helps thempredictwhatthey are goingtoread and activatestheircontentschemata (background knowledge of the world) of the solar system. Theway we interprettextsdepends on the schemata activatedby thetext; andwhether we interpret successfully depen
42、ds on whether our schemata aresufficiently similar to the writers. The application to schema theoryexplainsthe researchfindingson how personal background knowledge helpsthe literacy development.4.1Some considerationsintheapplicationoftheschema theory in reading instruction4.1.1 The readersReaders can be divided into different groups according to differentnorms.