As one way to reconstruct text to make learning better, picture stories are being paid more and more attention. With the introduction of English lessons to EFL children in many countries, the use of English picture books has attracted much attention from EFL researchers. For example, some researchers suggest that stories are a rich resource for EFL teachers to revise or introduce vocabulary and sentence structures in a memorable and meaningful context (Brewster et al. 2002; Ghosn 2002) and have the potential to transfer EFL learners from mechanical language learning to a more personal involvement context (Collie& Slater 1987). Some point out that pictures in picture story books can serve to clarify the text and facilitate language learning (Smallwood 1987; Johnston 1994). These researchers have provided important insight into understanding the rationale of using English picture story books in the EFL classroom.

But even so, in the actual operation, because of the lack of certain theoretical guidance and practical experience of the system, English teachers reconstruct through picture stories are facing with obstacles and problems. The text they reconstruct through picture stories can’t meet the actual needs of students to improve students' comprehensive language using ability.

1.2 Purpose and questions of the study

How to reconstruct texts is now a heated area English teachers are exploring. Concerning pupils’ psychological characteristics and previous study that  the picture stories provide students with a more personal involvement context , a more native language environment , interesting stories, cartoon characters to arouse their interest, and repeated appearance of target language points, it’s a good way to reconstruct texts. This research is to study what is text reconstruction through picture stories, the theoretical frameworks and principles of text reconstruction through picture stories with two basic questions:

1) What is text reconstruction through picture books?

2) How to reconstruct text through picture books?

 1.3 Organization of the thesis

The thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter one introduces the background, purpose and questions of the research. Chapter two reviews the relevant literature at home and abroad, introduces the definition, characteristics, principles of text reconstruction. Chapter four describes the application of text reconstruction through picture stories, including the questions, methods and discussions with case studies.   Chapter four is the conclusion of the research, which presents the major findings and limitations of the research and gives some suggestions for the pre-service teacher to further study.

2. Literature review

2.1 Previous studies at home and abroad

2.1.1 Previous studies abroad

From what I can search in the foreign related research materials, there is yet no one having put forward a concept of text reconstruction though picture stories, even text reconstruction. But it can be seen in the related research that, in fact, foreign teachers have very large autonomy and creativity on the adjustments of teaching materials and they will use picture books to teach. Actually, their choice, adjustment and creativity of the teaching materials have already been involved the related factors of text reconstruction. So, we can get their studies of using picture stories to learn English and text reconstruction separately. 

 Mcnough and Shaw (1993) mentioned two factors related to text reconstruction in the aspect of teaching material, that is, external and internal factors, which they also pointed out that the adjustment of teaching materials should consider and regard as a starting point. They thought that the characteristics of learners, the implementation of teaching environment, the teaching resources and the number of students and learning atmosphere constitutes the teaching characteristics of situation, namely, external factors. And the teaching content, language skills, language level and the level of practice constitutes the internal characteristics of the teaching material, that is, the internal factors. In their view, the creative implementation of English teaching material is essentially a process of matching, that is to say, the change of internal characteristics like teaching content and the degree of difficulties of the teaching materials to make it more adaptable to the external characteristics like the needs of learners, learning environment, and needs of teaching, etc. 绘本再构文本在小学英语课堂中的研究(3):http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_49918.html