A Study on the Application of Narrow Reading to Continuation Writing Instruction in Senior High School English

Xiandi Luo

doi:10.63313/EH.9090

Authors

Xiandi Luo China West Normal University, Nanchong 637000, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/EH.9090

Keywords:

Narrow Reading, Continuation Writing Task, Senior High School English, Schema Theory, teaching strategies

Abstract

As a task that integrates language comprehension with creative production, continuation writing has become an important component of senior high school English instruction. However, in teaching practice, students frequently encounter problems such as failing to grasp the plot accurately, using monotonous language, and producing continuations that are stylistically inconsistent with the original text. These problems largely stem from students’ insufficient background knowledge on relevant topics, limited linguistic resources, and weak awareness of textual structures. Narrow reading (Krashen, 1981, 2004), which refers to the practice of reading multiple texts on the same topic, of the same genre, or by the same author, facilitates the internalization of linguistic knowledge through repeated exposure to language items in similar contexts, thus offering a potential solution to the above difficulties. Grounded in the Input Hypothesis, the Output Hypothesis, and Schema Theory, this study explores the application strategies and implementation approaches of narrow reading in senior high school continuation writing instruction. It proposes principles for material selection (thematic consistency, appropriate difficulty, and interest), input implementation strategies (activating schemas before reading and constructing schemas during reading), and output guidance strategies (discussing and predicting before writing and consciously applying accumulated language knowledge during writing). A teaching case based on the 2025 National College Entrance Examination (Volume I) continuation writing task is also presented. This study constructs a teaching framework of “same-theme input - schema construction - continuation output,” which offers practical references for frontline senior high school English teachers.

References

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