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English Vocabulary and Comprehension Instruction in Secondary Schools in ChinaThe purpose of this qualitative study was |
Ran Hu |
Abstract |
The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe English vocabulary and reading comprehension instruction at three secondary schools under the most current English curriculum in Beijing, China, where English is taught as a foreign language (EFL). Twenty English teachers in three secondary schools in Beijing participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, field observations, and documents including curriculum standards, instructional materials, and teaching artifacts. The results suggested that vocabulary and comprehension remain the most important aspects of English reading instruction at the secondary school level under the current curriculum. For vocabulary knowledge, instruction focused on five aspects: pronunciation, spelling, meaning-usage-collocation, size, and application. For comprehension knowledge, instruction had three foci: testing strategies, stages of reading, and extensive reading. The importance of the findings was discussed, and teaching recommendations were made. Keywords: vocabulary instruction, comprehension instruction, Chinese teachers of English, EFL. |
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