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【Abstract】Reading strategies are used to help students become efficient readers.Decoding is a key skill for learning to read. Many English instructors in vocational colleges are struggling with understanding and explaining English and sometimes resort to telling students that memorization is the only way to hold on to all those confusing words.Learning to read is challenging for many students and it is necessary to teach them the effective reading strategy-decoding.This paper introduces decoding to English instructors in vocational colleges.
【Key words】Decoding ；Reading Strategies；English learner； Vocational College
【作者簡介】邓雪梅（1977-），女，广西武鸣人，南宁职业技术学院副教授，教育硕士，研究方向：课程与教学、英语教育、语言文化。
【基金项目】新世纪广西高等教育教学改革工程项目《以个性化教学推进立德树人的实践——以高职高专英语阅读教学为例》，课题编号：2014JGA311。
1. Introduction
Learning to read is challenging for many students in vocational colleges.The English language is complex. Many English instructors in vocational colleges are struggling with understanding and explaining English and sometimes resort to telling students that memorization is the only way to hold on to all those confusing words. Reading strategies should be taught and used to help students become efficient readers.Decoding is a key skill for learning to read. This paper introduces decoding to English instructors in vocational colleges.
2. Importance of Teaching Decoding Reading Strategies in Vocational Colleges
Much importance is attached to English reading instruction in Chinese vocational colleges. There still exist some weaknesses in it . The fact is that English instructors overemphasize on the teaching of words and grammar， but not on the understanding the content of the article；nor relevant language background knowledge.What makes it worse is that there is no reading strategies introduction to English learners（林娟，2018：178）. Therefore， English learners in vocational colleges must be taught decoding strategies very explicitly and systematically， meaning that we start with the simplest sound/letter concept and build to the more complex.
A key skill to becoming a good reader is the ability to sound out words you don’t know. According to Reading Horizons Reading Program， decoding is the process of translating print into speech by rapidly matching a letter or combination of letters （grapheme） to their sounds （phonemes） and recognizing the patterns that make syllables and words. There is an area in the brain that deals with language processing and does this process automatically. 3.3 High Frequency Words
The master of high frequency words affects readers to understand the context. High frequency words include regular words and irregular ones. In contrast， there are no irregular words in Chinese. English instructors should bear the mind that irregular words do not conform to phonics principles and these words should be taught separately. Explicit， systematic instruction of both regular and irregular high-frequency words helps English learners gain confidence as they begin to decode longer and more complex reading passages.
3.4 Vocabulary Development
Vocabulary development is a primary determinant of reading comprehension（Beth Antunez）. It is possible for students to read completely phonetically and not comprehend what they have read because they do not have the vocabulary. In order to read fluently and comprehend what is written， students need to use not just phonics，but context. Therefore， vocabulary needs to be taught explicitly. For instance， when the career topic is taught in class， English learners should be introduced to the relevant words like profession，interview， interviewee， employer， employee，etc. English learners in vocational colleges may have the vocabulary to hold a conversation about weekend activities， but might not have the vocabulary to comprehend a science or social studies text. English instructors are suggested that they should teach the vocabulary of science or social studies in series， like how a butterfly is born or how to make a pancake.
3.5 Word Parts
It has been found that 97 percent of prefixed words in printed school English consist of 20 common prefixes （White， Sowell， and Yanagihara， 1989）.When students are decoding unknown multisyllabic words， it is to their advantage to know prefixes and suffixes.Such knowledge will also help in learning the meaning of a word （Chall and Popp， 1996）.Word parts， such as syllables， common prefixes and suffixes and their meanings， root words and phonograms such as oi， ar and igh are essential to help English learners read with increased speed and fluidity. In vocational colleges， English instructors are encouraged to carry out teaching activities， such as prefix and suffix simulations， expert modeling， detailed lessons， and supplied lists of the most common prefixes and suffixes.As students are exposed more and more rules about word parts， they will use their knowledge of word parts as a decoding strategy while reading .
3.6 Context Clues Using context clues to determine a word’s meaning is an important strategy to further reading comprehension. For example， if a student comes to a word like “career” in a reading passage“ Shu Pulong has helped at least 1000 people bitten by snakes.‘It was seeing people with snakes bites that led me to this career，’ he said...”， this strategy allows them to figure out the meaning of the word “career” referring to “job”by using the context clues evident in the rest of the sentence or paragraph.
4. Conclusions and suggestions
Automatic recognition of individual words leads to fluent reading of strings of words， which in turn leads to full comprehension-the goal of reading instruction. English instructors are expected to help learners develop the fundamental insight that letters and sounds work together in systematic ways to form words. This understanding provides the foundation for the development of decoding skills. Chinese English learners in vocational college are often confused with some letters and sounds such as /b/ /d/ or/f/ /v/. Therefor， phonics instruction must be explicit and systematic.
English instructors are also expected to help students be more skilled learners， who should be able to （1）process words automatically and rapidly （2） look for known word parts in unfamiliar words （3） use context to confirm pronunciation and meaning.
Once English learners know how to apply their knowledge of decoding reading strategies， more effective reading strategies， like top-down， bottom-up， interactive reading model will be introduced to them.
References：
[1]林娟.圖式理论在高职公共英语阅读教学中的策略研究[J].湖北函授大学学报，2018，19.
[2]Readinghorizons.What is decoding？A critical Foundation for Reading Success[OL].https：//www.readinghorizons.com/reading-strategies/decoding/what-is-decoding.
[3]Roxanne Hudson.2005.Word Work Strategies to Develop Decoding Skills for Beginning Readers[OL].http：//www.fcrr.org/staffpresentations/rhudson/word_work_rf_longisland_fcrr.pdf.
【Key words】Decoding ；Reading Strategies；English learner； Vocational College
【作者簡介】邓雪梅（1977-），女，广西武鸣人，南宁职业技术学院副教授，教育硕士，研究方向：课程与教学、英语教育、语言文化。
【基金项目】新世纪广西高等教育教学改革工程项目《以个性化教学推进立德树人的实践——以高职高专英语阅读教学为例》，课题编号：2014JGA311。
1. Introduction
Learning to read is challenging for many students in vocational colleges.The English language is complex. Many English instructors in vocational colleges are struggling with understanding and explaining English and sometimes resort to telling students that memorization is the only way to hold on to all those confusing words. Reading strategies should be taught and used to help students become efficient readers.Decoding is a key skill for learning to read. This paper introduces decoding to English instructors in vocational colleges.
2. Importance of Teaching Decoding Reading Strategies in Vocational Colleges
Much importance is attached to English reading instruction in Chinese vocational colleges. There still exist some weaknesses in it . The fact is that English instructors overemphasize on the teaching of words and grammar， but not on the understanding the content of the article；nor relevant language background knowledge.What makes it worse is that there is no reading strategies introduction to English learners（林娟，2018：178）. Therefore， English learners in vocational colleges must be taught decoding strategies very explicitly and systematically， meaning that we start with the simplest sound/letter concept and build to the more complex.
A key skill to becoming a good reader is the ability to sound out words you don’t know. According to Reading Horizons Reading Program， decoding is the process of translating print into speech by rapidly matching a letter or combination of letters （grapheme） to their sounds （phonemes） and recognizing the patterns that make syllables and words. There is an area in the brain that deals with language processing and does this process automatically. 3.3 High Frequency Words
The master of high frequency words affects readers to understand the context. High frequency words include regular words and irregular ones. In contrast， there are no irregular words in Chinese. English instructors should bear the mind that irregular words do not conform to phonics principles and these words should be taught separately. Explicit， systematic instruction of both regular and irregular high-frequency words helps English learners gain confidence as they begin to decode longer and more complex reading passages.
3.4 Vocabulary Development
Vocabulary development is a primary determinant of reading comprehension（Beth Antunez）. It is possible for students to read completely phonetically and not comprehend what they have read because they do not have the vocabulary. In order to read fluently and comprehend what is written， students need to use not just phonics，but context. Therefore， vocabulary needs to be taught explicitly. For instance， when the career topic is taught in class， English learners should be introduced to the relevant words like profession，interview， interviewee， employer， employee，etc. English learners in vocational colleges may have the vocabulary to hold a conversation about weekend activities， but might not have the vocabulary to comprehend a science or social studies text. English instructors are suggested that they should teach the vocabulary of science or social studies in series， like how a butterfly is born or how to make a pancake.
3.5 Word Parts
It has been found that 97 percent of prefixed words in printed school English consist of 20 common prefixes （White， Sowell， and Yanagihara， 1989）.When students are decoding unknown multisyllabic words， it is to their advantage to know prefixes and suffixes.Such knowledge will also help in learning the meaning of a word （Chall and Popp， 1996）.Word parts， such as syllables， common prefixes and suffixes and their meanings， root words and phonograms such as oi， ar and igh are essential to help English learners read with increased speed and fluidity. In vocational colleges， English instructors are encouraged to carry out teaching activities， such as prefix and suffix simulations， expert modeling， detailed lessons， and supplied lists of the most common prefixes and suffixes.As students are exposed more and more rules about word parts， they will use their knowledge of word parts as a decoding strategy while reading .
3.6 Context Clues Using context clues to determine a word’s meaning is an important strategy to further reading comprehension. For example， if a student comes to a word like “career” in a reading passage“ Shu Pulong has helped at least 1000 people bitten by snakes.‘It was seeing people with snakes bites that led me to this career，’ he said...”， this strategy allows them to figure out the meaning of the word “career” referring to “job”by using the context clues evident in the rest of the sentence or paragraph.
4. Conclusions and suggestions
Automatic recognition of individual words leads to fluent reading of strings of words， which in turn leads to full comprehension-the goal of reading instruction. English instructors are expected to help learners develop the fundamental insight that letters and sounds work together in systematic ways to form words. This understanding provides the foundation for the development of decoding skills. Chinese English learners in vocational college are often confused with some letters and sounds such as /b/ /d/ or/f/ /v/. Therefor， phonics instruction must be explicit and systematic.
English instructors are also expected to help students be more skilled learners， who should be able to （1）process words automatically and rapidly （2） look for known word parts in unfamiliar words （3） use context to confirm pronunciation and meaning.
Once English learners know how to apply their knowledge of decoding reading strategies， more effective reading strategies， like top-down， bottom-up， interactive reading model will be introduced to them.
References：
[1]林娟.圖式理论在高职公共英语阅读教学中的策略研究[J].湖北函授大学学报，2018，19.
[2]Readinghorizons.What is decoding？A critical Foundation for Reading Success[OL].https：//www.readinghorizons.com/reading-strategies/decoding/what-is-decoding.
[3]Roxanne Hudson.2005.Word Work Strategies to Develop Decoding Skills for Beginning Readers[OL].http：//www.fcrr.org/staffpresentations/rhudson/word_work_rf_longisland_fcrr.pdf.