Abstract:Reading comprehension is a complicated processing of information combined with language, cultural background knowledge and learners’ personal experience. However, traditional teaching approach which neglects the cultivating of cultural background knowledge, lays unduly emphasis on grammar, vocabulary, translation and so on. As a result, students’ English level in reading comprehension is far from satisfaction. In recent years, with more frequent communication between China and other countries, the cultivation of students' reading ability raise a lot of researchers' attention. At the same time, a lot of research findings and achievements have been yielded. Yet, these research findings focus only on theoretical approaches and practical exploration is pitiably wanting. Thus，the author, utilizing others’ research findings and works, attempts to discuss the importance of the effect of cultural background knowledge on the improvement of students’ reading ability. Besides，advice on how to enhance students’ cultural background knowledge in the hope of being some help to improve students’ ability of reading comprehension.
Key words: English Reading Course; cultural background knowledge; introduction of English cultural background knowledge
中文摘要:阅读理解是一个集语言知识、文化背景知识和阅读者生活经验为一体的复杂信息加工过程。然而在传统英语阅读课程教学中，最为关注是语法、词汇以及材料本身的翻译，而对相关文化背景的解读相当忽视，教学效果差强人意。近些年来，随着中国与世界交往的日趋频繁，学生阅读能力的培养引起诸多研究者的关注，相关研究成果大量刊出.不过，综观这些成果，理论广度、深度有余，实践指导意义不足。有鉴于此，本文在借鉴吸收前人研究成果的基础上，从语言文化出发，探讨了英语文化背景知识对提高学生阅读能力的必要性以及具体方法，并对如何加强学生文化背景知识提出了自己的建议，希望有助于学生阅读能力培养问题研究的不断深入。
关键词：英语阅读课程；文化背景知识；英语文化导入
