Cultivation of Senior English Reading Strategies Based on Cognitive Load
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63313/ESW.9108Keywords:
Senior English reading, Cognitive load, Reading strategiesAbstract
Against the backdrop of new curriculum reform emphasizing core competencies, English reading is increasingly valued for its role in language acquisition and holistic development. However, high school English reading instruction faces persistent challenges, as students often struggle to master effective strategies to improve efficiency. From a cognitive load perspective, suboptimal teaching approaches may impose excessive cognitive burdens on learners. To address this, this study investigates factors influencing senior high school students’ English reading through the cognitive load theory and proposes feasible reading strategies. By reviewing relevant domestic and international literature and analyzing teaching cases, this research examines the cultivation of English reading strategies within a cognitive load framework. Five practical strategies are proposed: time allocation, attention management, information processing, schema automation, and schema construction. These strategies aim to inform teaching practices, support learners in reading more effectively, and foster autonomous learning abilities, thereby equipping students to better navigate the information era and engage in knowledge innovation in the future.
References
[1] Atkinson, R.C. and Shiffrin, R.M. (1968) Human Memory: A Proposed System and Its Control Processes. The Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 2, 89-195.
[2] Kalyuga, S. and Sweller, J. (2014) The Redundancy Principle in Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press, New York.
[3] Plass, J.L. and Kalyuga, S. (2019) Four Ways of Considering Emotion in Cognitive Load Theory. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 339-359.
[4] Sweller, J. (1988) Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cognitive Science, 12 (2), 257-285.
[5] Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. and Paas, F. (1988) Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design. Educational Psychology Review, 3, 251-296.
[6] Wagner, R.K., Schatschneider, C. and Phythian-Sence, C. (2009) Beyond Decoding: The Behavioral and Biological Foundations of Reading Comprehension. Guilford Press, New York.
[7] Wallace, C. (1992) Reading. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
[8] Gu, Q. Y., & Yin, N. (2017). Cognitive load in discourse comprehension among Chinese EFL learners: A comparative study of three input modes. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 49(5), 754–766.
[9] Huang, X. F. (2019). A study on the current situation and countermeasures of students’ cognitive load in high school English classroom teaching: A case study of Changshengqiao Middle School in Chongqing [Master’s thesis, Chongqing Normal University].
[10] Li, J. Y., & Pu, Y. T. (2017). Research on L2 reading strategies in China: Review and prospect (2006-2015). Foreign Language Education, 38(3), 62–67.
[11] Liu, C. C., & Zhang, X. D. (2003). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and its enlightenment to contemporary education. Contemporary Education Sciences, (1), 45–46.
[12] Liu, D. D. (2002). A study on the reading strategies of Chinese English learners. Foreign Language World, (6), 13–18.
[13] Liu, Y. C.(2002). A study on the differences in English reading strategies used by successful and unsuccessful learners. Foreign Language Teaching Abroad, (3), 24–29.
[14] Lü, Z. S., & Tu, Y. C.(1998). A study on English reading strategies of Chinese students. Tsinghua Journal of Education, (4), 74–81.
[15] Luo, X. J. , Feng, X. Y. , Huang, X. R., et al. (2023). Practical English teaching skills training manual. Zhejiang Gongshang University Press.
[16] Luo, H. X. (2020). Research on guiding students’ mental cultivation in high school English teaching based on information processing theory [Master’s thesis, Hubei Normal University].
[17] Pang, W. G. (2011). Cognitive load theory and its instructional implications. Contemporary Education Sciences, (12), 23–28.
[18] Tang, J. L., & Zhou, Y. (2008). Cognitive load theory and its research progress and reflections. Journal of Guangxi Normal University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 44(2), 75–83.
[19] Wan, X. C. (2015). A brief introduction to Gagne’s information processing theory and teaching practice. Educator (Higher Education Forum), (6), 74–75.
[20] Wang, Q. (2017). English reading teaching in the context of core competencies: Problems, principles, goals and paths. English Learning (Teacher’s Edition), (2), 19–23.
[21] Wang, R. S. (2020). Reading strategies and reading methods. Curriculum and Teaching, (7), 72–77.
[22] Yan, J., & Zhao, D. M.(2021). A study on the effectiveness of middle school English reading teaching from the perspective of cognitive load theory. Teacher Education Forum, 34(8), 48–52.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 by author(s) and Erytis Publishing Limited.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
