Abstract This paper presents an exploratory research on the application of the Input Hypothesis (Stephen Krashen, 1977) to promote the development of English reading abilities among Chinese secondary students.   Being credited with introducing concepts in the study of SLA (Second-language Acquisition), Krashen is renowned for the Acquisition-learning Hypothesis, the Input Hypothesis, the Monitor Hypothesis, the Affective Filter, and the Natural Order Hypothesis. Input Hypothesis, by and large, emphasizes the significance of comprehensible language input. Attempting to provide Chinese middle school students with modified teaching and learning experiences based on Krashen’s input hypothesis, this author carried out a one-month experiment to foster the development of English reading capability. This thesis mainly carries out six parts of analyses: theoretical analysis, English reading class procedure, interview, pre-test, post-test, and data analysis. The research questions are:

(1)    What are initial levels of students’ English reading abilities?

(2)    What can students achieve after one month’s treatment in language support, cultural background provision, reading strategies training, coupled with direct instruction curriculum model in between? There are questions that this paper mainly discussing.

The subjects are 46 students in Grade Nine, Class Five from The No.2 Middle School of Jinyun. After their Grade Seven’s final-exam, Class Five is randomly constituted by students from Class One to Class Eight, regardless of their academic performances. Thus, the English language competence of students in Class five (the new-formed class) is comparably random as other classes are. Based on three data source, students from Class Five are separated into three hierarchical ranks. After the three research instruments (interview, pre-test, and post-test), the experimental results reveal that the Input Hypothesis is beneficial to the improvement of Chinese Middle school students’ English reading ability.  

Keyword: input hypothesis; Chinese middle school students; reading ability

 摘要本文以克拉申的输入理论为基础，旨在为中国初中学生的英语阅读能力提高进行研究讨论。 克拉申以他在二语习得方面的建树而闻名，主要的理论有习得与学习假说、输入假说、监控假说、情感过滤假说、和自然顺序假说等五个系列假说。总而言之，输入假说侧重于可理解性语言输入的作用。基于克拉申的输入理论，作者进行了为期一个月的实验， 旨在给中国初中生提供适合的英语教学方法和培养其英语阅读能力。为了测试输入理论的实用性，本文主要包含了六个主要部分: 理论分析、英语阅读课堂示范、访谈、前测、后测和数据分析。47831

1. 学生的初始英语阅读水平如何？

2. 在一个月的语言支持、文化背景的提供、阅读水平的训练和直接教学模式的带领下，学生能达到何种水平？以上是本文主要研究的论题。

实验对象是缙云第二中学九年级（五）班的46名学生。此班的学生是在七年级期末考试之后，随机组合起来的一个新的班级。所以，在分班重组之后，学生的英语水平是相对平均且并无明显高低的。经过访谈、前测与后测三种实验手段，我们可以得到一个结果：克拉申的输入理论对于中国初中生英语阅读能力的提高有积极的促进作用。

毕业论文关键词：输入理论；中国初中生；英语阅读能力

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

2.1 About Second Language Acquisition 2

2.2 About the Input Hypotheses