Graded Readers as an Effective Strategy in Elementary ESL Teaching in China
Liqun Feng *
Boda College of Jilin Normal University, Siping, Jilin Province, China.
Hongyang Dong
Yousi Education, Beijing, China.
Jingzhao Cao
Sichuan Foreign Studies University, Chongqing, China.
Xiaoqian Fu
Jilin Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The current mode of teaching English in primary and secondary schools in China mainly revolves around reciting words and studying grammar, which are not only less efficient, but also very uninteresting to the students. This paper, by referring to the Input Hypothesis proposed by Stephen D. Krashen and some previous studies, discovers that introducing graded readers to elementary ESL classrooms in China can effectively build up the students’ language competence and spark their interest in learning this second language, which will be very beneficial to their future study.
Keywords: ESL, graded readers, elementary English, teaching strategy