Abstract

In this study, we explore the current situation of teaching college English reading in China and offer suggestions for improving it from the perspective of invitational rhetoric, mainly in terms of the three external conditions it advocates, safety, value and freedom, and its core, understanding. We distributed the questionnaire about the current situation of college English reading instruction to students majoring in English and analysed the results. Concerning the conditions of safety, the teachers respected students’ views, but the students were not confident and were unwilling to participate in teacher-student interaction; therefore, teachers should create a safe external environment so that students trust them. Concerning the conditions of value, teachers allowed students to fully express their perspectives, and they prepared and conducted classroom activities from the students’ standpoint. Regarding the conditions of freedom, students were selective in accepting teachers’ views and formulated their own views, but when their views differed from those of teachers, few presented their opinions; teachers must acknowledge their weaknesses at the right time so that students can realise disagreeing with teachers is not equal to offending them. Regarding the conditions of understanding, teachers no longer aimed to instill knowledge; they paid more attention to students’ understanding and encouraged them to form their own ideas while understanding students and accepting reasonable feedback.

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