最近发展区在英语阅读中的应用.docx

最近发展区在英语阅读中的应用.docx

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最近发展区在英语阅读中的应用

TheApplicationofZoneofProximalDevelopmentTheorytoMiddleSchoolEnglishReadingTeaching

I.Introduction

Livingintheworldofglobalization,it’simportanttohaveagoodcommandofEnglishifonewantstofitintothesocietybetter.Learners’readingcompetencedirectlyaffectstheefficiencyoflanguageinput.Englishreadingcomprehensionhasbeenasubstantialandcompulsorycomponentinanylanguagetest.However,someteachersstillemploythetraditionalteachingmethodstoteachstudentsandmakethempreparefortheexams.

Vygotskymainlystudiesthechildren’spsychologyandeducationalpsychology,focusingontherelationshipbetweenteachinganddevelopment.TheconceptoftheZPDiswidelyusedintheworldtostudychildren’smentaldevelopmentasitrelatestoeducation.ManyresearchersstudytheapplicationsofZPDtootherareas,suchastherelationshipsbetweenteachersandstudents,secondlanguageacquisition,dynamicassessmentandsoon.AljaafrehandLantolf（1994）studiedtheprocessoftheteacherscorrectingstudents’grammarmistakesincompositionpracticeanddiscoveredstudents’abilitiesofcorrectinghavebeenimprovedwiththehelpoftheteachers.Butfewhavefocusedonreadingteaching.ThispapermainlydiscussestheapplicationsoftheZoneofProximalDevelopmenttoEnglishreadingteaching.InthispapertheoreticstudiesontheZoneofProximalDevelopmentaretobeillustrated.Threeteachingmethodsaretobeintroducedasfollows:

scaffoldinginstruction,interactiveteachingandsituationalteaching.Then,undertheguidanceofZPD,fivereadingstrategiesbasedonscaffoldingaretobeillustratedasfollows:

establishingcontextandpurpose,settingexamples,settingquestions,interactingwithpeers,liberatingthestudentsandgivingadvice.TheimplementationofZPDistobeelaboratedwiththehelpofanexample.Furthermore,theinspirationsareconcludedasfollows:

choosingreadingmaterialsbasedontheprincipleof“i+1”,inputtingenoughroughreadingmaterials,allowingthestudentstohaveaperiodofsilenceandchoosinginterestingandrelevantreadingmaterials.Finallytheconclusionwillbeobtained.

Ⅱ.GeneralReviewofVygotsky’sZPDTheory

2.1WhatisZPD

TheZoneofProximalDevelopment,oftenabbreviatedZPD,isthedifferencebetweenwhatalearnercandowithouthelpandwhatheorshecandowithhelp.[1]ItisaconceptintroducedyetnotfullydevelopedbySovietpsychologistVygotsky.Vygotskyformulatedthistheoryinmultipleways,butthemostcommonlyquoteddefinitionisthatZPDisthedistancebetweenthelearner’scurrentdevelopmentallevelandthedevelopmentallevelthatthelearnercanattainwiththeassistanceofamoreknowledgeableperson,[2]whichisalsodefinedasthedistancebetweentheactualdevelopmentallevelasdeterminedbyindependentproblemsolvingandthelevelofpotentialdevelopmentasdeterminedthroughproblemsolvingunderadultguidance,orincollaborationwithmorecapablepeers.

Vygotskystatesthatachildfollowsanadult’sexampleandgraduallydevelopstheabilitytodocertaintaskswithouthelp.[3]VygotskybelievesthatwhenastudentisattheZPDtosolveaparticulartask,thetimelyandproperhelpwillbeadriveforhim/hertocompletethetask.Vygotskyandsomeeducatorsbelieveeducators’roleistogivechildrenexperiencesthatwerewithintheirZonesofProximalDevelopment,therebyencouragingandadvancingtheirindividuallearning.[4]

2.2SeveralApplicationsofZPD

2.2.1Scaffolding

TheZPDconceptisseenasascaffolding,astructureof“supportpoints”forperforminganaction.[5]“Scaffolding”isoneofthemostimportantapplicationsofhistheoryinrecentyears.ItwasputforwardbyAmericaneducationalpsychologistBrunerdependingontheZoneofProximalDevelopment.Woodetal.（1976）offersthefollowingdefinitionofscaffolding:

“Thoseelementsofthetaskthatareinitiallybeyondthelearner’scapacity,thuspermittinghimtoconcentrateuponandcompleteonlythoseelementsthatarewithinhisrangeofcompetence.”“Scaffoldingisthewaytheadultguidesthechild’slearningviafocusedquestionsandpositiveinteractions”.[6]

2.2.2InteractiveTeaching

AnotherapplicationoftheZoneofProximalDevelopmentisinteractiveteaching.Interactiveapproachisa“student-centered,text-based,andability-aimed”model.Thisapproachoffersteachersaguidingprinciple,theyshouldsupplystudentswithenough“ComprehensibleInput”,whileorganizingclassactivities.AccordingtoVygotsky,interactionwithothersistheoriginofindividualthinking.[7]Creatinglearningsituationbetweenclassmateorteacherisnecessary,andstudentscansolveproblemswitheachothers’help.Theydevelopthemselvesthroughdiscussionandcooperation.Teacherscanusedifferentstrategiestohelpstudentswiththeirproblem