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Meta-cognitive strategies play a very important role for junior high schoolstudents to improve their English reading ability.In this part,definition ofmeta-cognition as well as definition and classification of meta-cognitive strategies areintroduced for the purpose of clearly displaying meta-cognitive strategies.

2.1.1 Definition of Meta-cognition

Meta-cognition was first proposed by John Flavell in 1976.He definedmeta-cognition as any knowledge of one’s own cognitive process,cognitive results orany cognitive activities that regulate one’s own cognitive behavior.On the basis of it,lots of scholars have further discussed the definition of meta-cognition.

Kluwe(1982)extended and developed Flavell’s definition of meta-cognition.He supplemented that meta-cognition was cognitive subject’s knowledge of one’s ownand others’thinking.In his opinion,meta-cognition embodied knowledge andstrategies and these two dimensions were different from each other.Besides,Wendenand Robin(1987)modified Flavell’s definition from the perspective of linguistics.They insisted that meta-cognition contained meta-cognitive knowledge andmeta-cognitive strategies.Apart from them,Brown(1987)pointed out thatmeta-cognition consisted of knowing about one’s own knowledge and controllingone’s own cognition,namely cognitive knowledge and cognitive regulation.Similarly,Martinez(2006)considered meta-cognition as a process of consciously monitoringone’s own cognition and controlling one’s own cognition.

2.2 English Reading Ability

It is well known that English reading teaching is a significant component ofEnglish teaching.In this part,definition of English reading and definition andclassification of English reading ability is respectively illustrated.

2.2.1 Definition of English Reading

English reading plays an important role in English teaching.It is a significantway for students to obtain information in the manner of reading.Different views ofthe definition of English reading are put forward by various scholars.

First of all,English reading was considered as an active communicative processbetween readers and writers.Widdowson(1978)viewed that the successful readingwas on the basis of the interactive process between readers and writers for creating themeaning of texts.Nuttal Christine(1982)also regarded reading as an interactiveprocess which was aimed to understand the real meaning of the written texts from thelinguistic symbols to the author’s thoughts and purposes.According to Hudelson(1994),reading was a transaction in which readers constructed meaning byinterpreting the texts.Besides,successful interpretation was affected by backgroundknowledge,prior experiences and cultural knowledge.Zhu Chun(1994)concludedthat readers understood the author’s purpose in order to achieve the goal ofcommunication in the process of reading.Catts(2009)put forward that reading was aprocess of communication between readers and writers,which was also considered asa communicative process between readers and texts.

Chapter 3 Research Methodology .................... 30

3.1 Research Questions ................................ 30

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