Research on the Strategies of Cultivating Chinese Cultural Awareness in Junior High School English Reading Teaching

Shang Xiang

doi:10.63313/EH.9094

Authors

Shang Xiang China West Normal University, Nanchong 637000, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/EH.9094

Keywords:

Cultural Awareness, Reading Teaching, Junior High School, English Teaching, Teaching Strategies

Abstract

In 2014, the Ministry of Education issued Opinions on Comprehensively Deepening Curriculum Reform and Implementing the Fundamental Task of Cultivating Talents through Virtue, which identified the construction of a core competency framework as a crucial measure in advancing curriculum reform. The subsequent release of English Curriculum Standards for Ordinary Senior High Schools in 2017 accelerated a new wave of educational innovation. This document marked the first official proposal to cultivate core competencies as the central goal of English education, within which cultural awareness was accorded significant importance. However, in actual teaching practice, the cultivation of cultural awareness in junior high school English reading instruction remains largely neglected, and existing studies predominantly focus on senior high or tertiary levels. This paper aims to analyze the current deficiencies in cultural awareness cultivation within junior high school English reading classrooms and to propose practical pedagogical strategies, with particular emphasis on integrating Chinese cultural elements. Methodologically, this study adopts a literature review approach, combined with a critical analysis of teaching practices and classroom observation. The analysis identifies four major problems: relatively monotonous teaching methods lacking systematic guidance, limited and unevenly distributed instructional time, insufficient development of course resources, and teachers’ inadequate cultural literacy despite their awareness of cultural teaching. In response, this paper proposes a series of reading instruction strategies covering pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading activities to systematically enhance students’ cultural awareness. The findings may provide frontline teachers with some actionable references and suggestions for textbook interpretation, instructional design, and classroom implementation.

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