Effects of Input Hypothesis Theory on Improving Students’ Reading Attitudes to English and English Reading Ability in Higher Vocational Colleges

Reading is a basic skill of English learning and the base of developing listening, speaking and writing skills. As a way of “knowledge input”, reading is also the major pathway for research and exchange of science and technology. In Higher Vocational Colleges, due to fewer reading classes and their relatively weak English foundation, most students produce negative reading attitudes towards English and their English reading ability is poor. In order to cultivate students with strong English reading ability to adapt to social development, the author chose 63 students from a higher vocational college as subjects and carried out a ten-week reading program under the guideline of Input Hypothesis Theory. Before and after the program, the students were asked to finish surveys about reading attitudes to English and do English tests. During the program, the students were asked to read a English novel every week. Meanwhile, the author monitored the program all the way to ensure its smooth progress. After ten weeks, by collecting, comparing and analyzing data from surveys and English tests, the author understood deeper the influence of Input Hypothesis Theory on students’ English study. The result indicated that, after the reading program, those students improved not only their reading attitudes to English, but also their English reading ability to a great extent.