Abstract: Referential Questions help train students’ creative thinking and improve their foreign language communicative competence. This thesis first introduces the definition and characteristics of Referential Questions, and then points out problems of questioning in present English reading teaching of junior high school. Combined with the functions of Referential Questions, it proposes that teachers should consciously increase the proportion of Referential Question in junior English reading class so as to stimulate students’ autonomous learning interest and improve their reading ability. With the help of cases, it also discusses how to design Referential Questions to make students involved in classroom activities and express their opinions to the greatest extent. At last, it concludes the meanings of the application. The conclusion of the thesis is that in English reading teaching of junior high school, Referential Questions are interactive, instructive and hierarchical. Combining Referential Questions and Display Questions or transforming some Display Questions into Referential Questions helps construct students’ understanding, extend students’ speaking in class and emphasize the meaning of language, and at last improves students’ foreign language competence and expression ability.

Key words: Referential Questions; junior high school; English reading teaching

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要：

1.Introduction.1

2. Referential Questions.2

  2.1 Definition

  2.2 Characteristics  

3. Problems of Questioning in English Reading Teaching of Junior High School3                

  3.1 Confined Origin of Questions

  3.2 Invariant Forms of Questioning

  3.3 Limited Aims of Questioning

4. Application of Referential Questions in English Reading Teaching of Junior high school.3    

  4.1 Principles for Designing Referential Questions

 4.1.1 Principle of Wholeness  

 4.1.2 Principle of Applicability   

  4.2 Practical Application 

    4.2.1 To Design Referential Questions with Interactivity

4.2.2 To Design Referential Questions with Enlightenment

4.2.3 To Design Referential Questions with Hierarchy 

4.2.4 To Combine Referential Questions with Display Questions

4.2.5 To Transform Some Display Questions into Referential Questions

5. Significance of Application5

5.1 To Construct Students’ Understanding

5.2 To Expand Students’ Thinking Space

5.3 To Emphasize the Meaning of Language

5.4 To Improve Students’ Communicative Competence 

6. Conclusion9                

Bibliography..12

Acknowledgments...13