(LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ) Using authentic materials to improve English major students'' reading skill at Thanh Do College of Technology

1 VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ MAI HẠNH USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS TO IMPROVE ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS’ READING SKILL AT THANH DO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY (Sử dụng tài tiệu thực nhằm nâng cao kỹ đọc hiểu cho sinh viên chuyên ngữ trường Cao Đẳng Công Nghệ Thành Đô) Field: Methodology Code: 601410 Course: 16 MA MINOR THESIS Hanoi - 2010 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ MAI HẠNH USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS TO IMPROVE ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS’ READING SKILL AT THANH DO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY (Sử dụng tài tiệu thực nhằm nâng cao kỹ đọc hiểu cho sinh viên chuyên ngữ trường Cao Đẳng Công Nghệ Thành Đô) MA MINOR THESIS Field: Methodology Code: 601410 Course: 16 Supervisor: Phạm Minh Tâm, M.Ed Hanoi - 2010 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration i Acknowledgements ii Abstract iii Table of contents iv List of abbreviations viii List of tables ix Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Rationale for the study and research problem statement 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3 Research hypothesis and questions 1.4 Methods of the study 1.5 Scope of the study 1.6 Significance of the study 1.7 Design of the study Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Background of reading 2.2 Intensive reading and extensive reading 2.2.1 Intensive reading 2.2.2 Extensive reading 2.3 Authentic materials in EFL 2.3.1 Definitions of authentic materials TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 2.3.2 Types of authentic materials 2.3.3 Considerations for selecting authentic materials 2.3.4 Advantages of authentic materials 11 2.3.5 Disadvantages of authentic materials 12 2.4 The use of authentic materials in teaching reading 13 2.4.1 The stages of a reading lesson 14 2.4.2 Applying authentic materials in teaching reading 15 2.4.3 Authentic tasks 17 2.4.4 Task authenticity and input authenticity 18 2.5 Conclusive remarks 19 Chapter 3: Methodology 20 3.1 Research context 20 3.2 Research questions 20 3.3 Research approach 20 3.3.1 An overview of an action research 20 3.3.2 Rationales for the use of action research 21 3.3.3 Applying authentic materials in extensive reading program 22 3.4 Participants 23 3.4.1 The researcher- The teacher 23 3.4.2 The students 23 3.5 Research instruments 24 3.5.1 Pretest and Posttest 24 3.5.2 Questionnaires 24 3.6 Procedure of data collection 25 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 3.6.1 Planning 25 3.6.2 Pre- Questionnaire 26 3.6.3 Pretest 26 3.6.4 Posttest 26 3.6.5 Post-Questionnaire 26 3.7 Procedure of data analysis 26 3.7.1 Data from pretest and posttest 27 3.7.2 Data from the questionnaires 27 3.8 Conclusive remarks 27 Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion 28 4.1 Initial data 28 4.2 Research question 29 4.3 Research question 30 4.3.1 Participants‟ attitudes towards the program 30 4.3.2 Participants‟ suggestions for the future program 32 4.4 Conclusive remarks 33 Chapter 5: Conclusion and Implications 34 5.1 Conclusion 34 5.2 Implications 34 5.3 Limitations of the study 35 5.4 Suggestions for the future research 36 References 37 Appendices I Appendix Pretest and posttest I TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com Appendix Pre-questionnaire IX Appendix Post-questionnaire X Appendix Lesson plan XII Appendix Authentic material XIV Appendix Non-authentic material XVI Appendix Result of pretest and posttest .XXII TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 10 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AR : Action research ER : Extensive reading ERP : Extensive reading program IR : Intensive reading L1 : First language L2 : Second language ESL : English as second language EFL : English as foreign language TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 11 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Sumary of characteristics of intensive and extensive reading approaches……….7Table 2: An overview of an extensive reading…………………………………………….22 Table 3: The level of students‟ interest in reading lessons and the needs and expectations of the students in the classroom ………………………………….28 Table 4: Descriptive statistics for the pretest and posttest of the treatment group……… 29 Table 5: attitudes Participants‟ towards the program…………………………………… 30 Table 6: Participants‟ suggestions for future program…………………………………… 32 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 12 1.1 Rationale for the study and research problem statement Reading is one of the language skills that should be acquired by any students who learn English It can provide the students with a richness of interesting information in a pleasant way Before we produce or make information, reading is needed to get and analyze information Reading is the most crucial in getting certain information or knowledge available in magazines, newspapers, story books, brochures, and other reading materials The purpose of teaching reading is to enable students to read English in the written form and comprehend the written materials Reading will be successful if students may comprehend the written materials or the text well An effective reading activity involves active students to take apart actively in reading class whether in pre, while, and then in post-reading activities However, in many English classes, students seem to be not motivated and active in reading activities In this case, it is a challenge for teachers to consider techniques, materials, and atmosphere in teaching reading in which the students feel comfortable, curious, and motivated to learn the language enthusiastically I was in charge of teaching English reading skill at class 5A, which has 30 major English second year students at Thanh Do College of Technology I saw that the students seemed to feel bored and uninterested to learn English especially when they faced a reading text from their textbook The teaching and learning activities did not run effectively; because most of the students usually tended to keep silent when the teacher asked them to read the text individually in the silent reading, without knowing why they read and without caring what they were reading Some students also tended to disturb and cheat other friends then made the class noisy when they did exercises Realizing the problem faced by the students, I thought that it was very important to make reading lessons more interesting and efective by employing creative and interesting materials A reading course can be made more interesting if a variety of texts is used The creative materials which still focus on the topics of subject that can be used here is authentic materials Berardo (2006) says that: The use of authentic materials in the classroom is discussed, with the student benefiting from the exposure to real language being used in a real context Other aspects which prove positive TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 13 when using authentic materials are that they are highly motivating, giving a sense of achievement when understood and encourage further reading (p.1) Authentic materials might be used more effectively to develop student‟s interest and motivation in learning reading comprehension They introduce life into the classroom so that they enable the students to comprehend the text easily because they are closed to their environment or their real world From the fact mentioned above, it is of great urgency, scientific and realistic usage to lead an in-depth investigation on the application of authentic materials in reading in Viet Nam in order to affirm the effectiveness of a way to improve students‟ reading skill, and to create a relaxing and enthusiastic learning environment for students in reading lessons This has inspired me to conduct this study to find solution to the situation 1.2 Aims of the study This research is designed to investigate the effectiveness of the use of authentic materials on second year students‟ readings skill at the Department of English, Thanh Do College of Technology The aims of the study are to: Evaluate the effectveness of the use of authentic on students‟ achievement in reading comprehension in English Investigate the students‟ attitudes towards using authentic materials in reading lessons Propose some recommendations and suggestions for using authentic materials to improve reading skill by Vietnamese students 1.3 Research hypothesis and questions In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the study was designed to test the follow hypothesis: H1: Students who take part in the course with the text book and supplementary authentic materials will make more improvement in reading proficiency measured by a proficiency test than those who the course with the text book only The acceptance of this hypothesis would result in the injection to the following null hypothesis: TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIII for certain ailments – diabetes, for example - careful monitoring is required since such improvements may establish a need for an alteration in medication requirements C A ‘whole body’ Reiki treatment session typically lasts between 45 to 90 minutes The subject is required to lie down – often on a treatment table – clothed in comfortable and loose fitting attire Treatment may involve the practitioner placing their hands on the recipient in a variety of positions; however, some therapists take a non-touching approach, holding their hands a few centimeters away from the body Hands are usually held in one position for up to minutes before moving on to the next part of the body; between 12 and 20 hand positions are generally used Those who have undergone a Reiki treatment session often state that they experienced a pleasant warmness in the area of focus and a feeling of contentment and relaxation throughout the session D The healing energy is said to originate in the universe itself and is not the passing of personal energy from practitioner to patient; it is therefore thought to be inexhaustible and the personal wellbeing of the practitioner uncompromised While some masters and teachers hold that subjects must be receptive to the concept in order for energy to flow, others believe that the attitude of the patient is of no consequence and that benefits will follow regardless; for this reason, those following the latter school of thought say that since Reiki requires no conscious belief it can also benefit the wellbeing of animals and plant life E Controversy surrounds the practice of Reiki, some in opposition as they say that Reiki may offer only a perceived improvement in health and therefore only a ‘placebo’ effect Whilst the practice of Reiki itself is not necessarily considered potentially harmful, some medical practitioners are concerned that its benefits may be over-estimated by patients and that, as a result, they may ignore or abandon conventional treatments Others argue against the reliability of Reiki due to the lack of regulation of practitioners, holding that patients may be left vulnerable to illegitimate therapists who lack knowledge and skill While Reiki is not connected to any particular religious doctrine, some religious leaders oppose the practice for spiritual reasons; however, others hold that the meditative principles involved in treatment have enhanced their own ability to explore and embrace their own particular religion F Limited scientific studies in the authenticity of Reiki have been conducted During research conducted by the Institute of Neurological Studies at South Glasgow University Hospital it was observed that there was a significant decrease in heart rate and blood pressure amongst subjects receiving 30 minutes of Reiki treatment as opposed to a group receiving placebo treatment of 30 minutes rest Since the test group consisted of a small number of subjects – just 45 – the research recommendations concluded a requirement for further studies A similarly small preliminary study into the potential effects of Reiki on patients suffering mild dementia, conducted in the USA, tentatively suggested that treatment had a positive effect on the subjects’ memory abilities; however, research limitations included insufficient analysis of potential placebo affects G Other studies have also attempted to determine correlation between Reiki treatment and improvement in cancer and stroke patients Whilst investigations into the first condition indicated a seemingly positive effect on degrees of fatigue, pain and stress experienced by sufferers, the second project failed to reveal a link between treatment and improvement in the subjects’ condition and rehabilitation Theories have been put forward that the benefits of energy treatments such as Reiki may be scientifically attributed to the effect of electromagnetic fields; however, the majority researchers agree that more extensive investigation is required TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com IX APPENDIX PRE-QUESTIONNAIRE The purpose of this questionnaire is to gather data for research and for better preparing a reading course To help us find out the level interest in reading lesson needs and expectations in the reading course, please tell us how much you agree with the following statements: please tick (√) on one box for one statement Statements I am not interested in reading lesson because it’s very boring I not want to read long boring text in the book It will be helpful if the teacher introduces me more interesting and up-dated materials I want the teacher to give me authentic reading assignments rather than the text-book based I need to use authentic materials to improve my reading skill Strongly agree Agree No opinion Disagree Strongly disagree Thank you very much for your cooperation! TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com X APPENDIX POST- QUESTIONNAIRE This questionnaire is designed with a view to investigating student’s attitude towards the use of authentic materials in reading class All your responses are highly appreciated and kept anonymous Part 1: Students’ attitude towards the use of authentic materials in reading class Following are 13 statements about using authentic materials in reading lesson I would like you to indicate your opinion about each of them by putting a check ( ) in the column that best suits you (Y= Yes, NI= No idea, N= No) Statements Y NI N Authentic materials gave me more pleasure in learning reading The use of authentic materials in learning reading didn’t make reading lesson more enjoyable I wish I had been encouraged to use authentic materials before If this program does not continue in the following semester, I will keep going exploiting authentic materials for extensive reading My background knowledge has been broadened thank to authentic materials The reading text didn’t help to expand my grammar and vocabulary Authentic materials helped to improve my reading skill My writing skill has improved since authentic materials were applied in my reading lesson Post-reading activities makes me feel more confident in speaking English 10 The reading texts provided me with new language TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XI items Part 2: Students’ suggestions about the future use of authentic material in reading class In your opinion, what should be done to make the use of authentic materials more pleasure and useful? Put a check (√) in the column that best indicated your responses to each proposed suggestion (A= Agree; D= Disagree) Suggestions A D The teacher should choose the materials more carefully The teacher should explain more clearly the instructions of activities in the extensive reading part Post-reading activities in the class should be shorter There should be more post-reading activities in reading lesson The students should take part in the extensive reading part more actively Thank you for your co-operation! TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XII APPENDIX LESSON PLAN Week General description: Skill: Skimming, scanning and guessing new words Theme: Speaking of gender Material: IR: The text: speaking of gender ER: The passage: Two faces of gender equity in Vietnam Time allowance: 90 minutes (period 1-2, Tuesday) Place: Room 201- A4 Subjects: Class 5A (30 students) Procedure: Part Lead-in Reading IR 45’ Purpose - Introduce the topic of the text - Elicit Ss’ background knowledge of the topic Time 4’ - Practice reading skills including skimming, scanning and guessing new words 3’ 5’ 10’ 5’ 5’ Follow- - Stimulate Ss to use the 3’ 10 Teacher (T) - Ask Ss to work in groups, give their opinion about their future children - Introduce “Different ways of talking” and ask Ss to tell the difference between boy and girl - Ask Ss to read the first paragraph of the text Then answer the questions below the text Students (Ss) - Say: Boy, girl… - Say the reason for their choice - Ask Ss to work in pairs, read the whole text and choose True/False statements Check Ss answers - Read the text and answer the questions Ask Ss to work individually to choose the best answer Check Ss answers Ask Ss to work individually to - Tell the difference between boy and girl - Read the first paragraph and answer the questions - Say their answers and discuss them with the T - Read the text and answer the questions -Use the information from TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XIII up EX 45’ Two faces of gender equity in Vietnam information from the text to vocabulary exercise - Motive Ss in extensive reading complete vocabulary exercise the reading to vocabulary exercise - Divide the class into groups, each group read and play role as a woman and an advisor - Ask Ss to give their ideas about the gender problem in Vietnam - Play role as a woman and an advisor The woman gives her problem and the advisor gives the advice for each case - Give their ideas about the gender problem in Vietnam - Correct if necessary - Give comment IR: Intensive reading EX: Extensive reading TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XIV APPENDIX AUTHENTIC MATERIAL Two faces of gender equity in Vietnam Mai is twenty-eight and married to a medical practitioner, with whom she has a young daughter Their apartment in a fashionable part of Hanoi is smartly furnished; Mai is fluent in English and has a PhD in sociology from the Australian National University On paper, she has everything going for her in a country hungry for both education and English speakers But behind the confident appearance and serene smile, Mai is deeply unhappy – and her unhappiness is by no means uncommon in modernizing, bustling Vietnam “My husband doesn’t want an educated wife with a career; he wants a housewife,” she says quietly, her eyes lowered “All the time I was working on my thesis, away from my home and my child, I cried and cried All I can remember now is the crying and the sadness I think now it will always be there.” Why the tears? Mai takes a deep breath and looks to the sky There is a long pause “You know, not once did he ever ask me about my thesis Never Not a word It was as though this part of my life was invisible to him He didn’t want to know about it, and still doesn’t.” Hanh is thirty, with a Masters degree from an elite US university; she has a part-time job lecturing in business studies in Hanoi, and wants to pursue a long-term academic career “My family never talks to me about my work,” she says, “only the fact that I am still single It is all they think about, the only topic of conversation.” Hanh says she despairs of meeting a man who respects her career options “The men I have met, also educated and career-minded, have made it very clear to me that what they are looking for is a housekeeper and a mother, not an equal partner, and what I am hearing from my own family merely reinforces this.” TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XV Kim-Ly, twenty-eight, finds life easier, but she has reservations about changing perceptions of gender roles A fluent English speaker with a degree from a top American university, she is in heavy demand as a translator, working long and punishing hours to meet tight deadlines “I am much more fortunate than many women I know as my husband has some regard for my work, but…” Her voice trails away and she looks at her feet “Sometimes it is very hard for me, very hard…” I ask her what she means and she pauses, choosing her words carefully “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but no matter how hard I am working, he insists that I am home to greet him when he returns every night at 7pm It is often hard for me to just drop what I am doing and go home, but that doesn’t matter, he just insists that I am there.” What makes it even more frustrating for Kim-Ly is that it is her husband, a banker, who prefers to the cooking “He doesn’t want me to be there to cook, just to be there… Like I am an ornament that has to be in its proper place at a certain time.” Source: www.inside.org.au/two-faces-of-gender-equity-in-vietnam Read the passage and summarize it Play role as a woman and an advisor to give the problem and advise for each cases in the passage From the passage and your real understanding, write a small paragraph about the gender problem in Vietnam nowadays TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XVI APPENDIX NON-AUTHENTIC MATERIALS DIFFERENT WAYS OF TALKING A INTRODUCING THE TOPIC Read the first paragraph of the text Then write your answer to the following questions: How did Joy’s parents respond to the news that they were having a girl? What did they do? What did their friends and relatives do? What other things could they have done? What you think the reading will be about? Discuss your ideas with the class Then continue reading “Different Ways of Talking” A few hours after Joy Fisher’s birth, her parents took pictures of her Joy’s mother put a pink hairband around Joy’s head, so that everyone who saw the pictures would know that the new baby was a girl Even before she was born, Joy’s parents knew that she was going to be female Joy’s mother had a sonogram when she was six months pregnant When the doctor said “I’m sure you have a little lady in there,” Joy’s parents told all their relatives and friends that their baby was a girl Gift soon arrived, including pink dresses and dolls Joy’s parents decorated her room in pink and white A few years later, Joy’s brother, Tommy, was born His room was painted blue, and he received books and a football as gifts Joy enjoyed helping her mother take care of the new baby She also enjoyed playing with other girls at school Now Tommy has also entered school, where he plays with other bys The games Joy and Tommy play are quite different Joy loves jumping rope with her two best friends Tommy likes to play ball with a large group of boys Sometimes, when they play a game, he is the captain He enjoys telling other boys what to Joy, in other hand, doesn’t like it when new girls join her friends and try to change they way they jump rope She thinks that some of these girls are too bossy TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XVII Both Joy and Tommy are growing up in the culture of the United States They are learning what it means to be a girl and a boy in this culture Their sex at birth, female and male is now becoming a gender- a way of thinking, speaking, and acting that’s is considered feminine or masculine Each culture has its own way of defining gender, and very early in life gender becomes a basic part of a person’s identity According to Deborah Tannen, a professor at Georgetown University, gender differences are even reflected in the ways that men and women use language Tannen and others who study communication believe that these differences begin early in life For example, in the United States, boys and girls usually play in a same sex-groups Boy might play in large groups in which every boy know hic place Some are leaders, others are followers Boys compete with one another for leadership Many boys like to get attention by boasting, or talking about how well they can things The games that they play often have complicated rules, and each boy tries hard to win Girls, in contrast, usually play in smaller groups Sometimes, they play with ony one or two “best friends” Most girls want other girls to like them, and this is more important to them than winning Girls may be interested in playing fairly and taking turns For example, when girls jump rope together, two girls hold the rope while other jump Then the rope holders take their turn jumping Tanner has found that these differences are reflected in the ways that children use language while they play Boys often use commands when they talk to each other For instance, when Tommy is captain, he might says “ you go first, don’t wait for me.” As the leader of the other boys, he tells them exactly what to But when Joy wants to influence her friends, she uses different forms of language Instead of using commands, she will say “let’s try it this way Let’s this.” This is how she tries to direct the other girls without sounding bossy By using the form “let’s”, she also emphasizes the fact that the girls all belong to the same group As Joy and Tommy grow up, they will continue speak differently In junior high school, Joy’s status will depend on her circle of friends If her friends are popular, then Joy might enjoy high status at school For this reason, Joy and many other girls are interested in gossip If Joy has some information to share about a popular girl at school, TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XVIII this proves that she has a friendship with this girl In this way, Joy can use gossip to gain more status in her school Tommy, on the other hand, may be less interested in gossip His status does not depend on who his friends are at school Tommy gains status through his own ability to play sports well or earn high grades Later in life, Joy may continue to be interested in talking about other people and their lives Tommy will be less interested in personal talk and more concerned with discussions of sports and news These give him a chance to gain status by showing others hic knowledge Different ways of talking are part of gender As adults, men and women sometimes face difficulty in their communication with each other Studies of communication show that if a woman tells her husband about a problem, she will expect him to listen and offer sympathy She may be annoyed when he simply tells her how to solve the problem Similarity, a husband may be annoyed when his wife wants to stop and ask a stranger for directions to a park or restaurant Unlike hic wife, he would rather use a map and find his way by himself Language is also part of the different ways that men and women think about friendship Most American men believe that friendship means doing things together such as camping or playing tennis Talking is not an important part of friendship for most of them American woman, on the other hand, usually identify their best friends as someone with whom they talk frequently Tannen believes that for women, talking with friends and agreeing with them is very important Tannen has found that women, in contrast to men, often use tag questions For example, a woman might say, “This is a great restaurant, isn’t it?” By adding a tag question to her speech (isn’t it), she is giving other people a chance to agree with her Unlike most women, men often speak more directly, giving direct commands such as “Close the door.” Many women, however, use more polite forms such as “Could you please lose the door?” The differences seem to be part of growing up in the United States’ culture and following its rules of gender If men and women can understand that many of their differences are cultural, not personal, they may be able to improve their relationships TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XIX They may begin to understand that because of gender differences in language, there is more than one way to communicate Did the reading include the information you expected? Look back at you list of ideas? B READING FOR MAIN IDEAS Read each statement and decide if it is true or false Write T or F if the statement is false; rewrite it to make it true A child’s sex at birth determines how the children will think and speak later in life People learn masculine and feminine behavior Men and women learn to use language differently Gender differences can be seen in the ways that children use language when they fight Differences in language between males and females are the same in all culture Girls gain status by showing their knowledge about sports and news Girls get much of their identify from being part of a group Men usually talk more about other people than women For women, talking with friends is an important part of friendship 10 Sex is biological and gender is cultural C READING FOR DETAILS Read the following questions Choose the best answer Write the number of the paragraph where you found the answer In what kind of group does Tommy like to play? a He likes to play in groups of both How did Joy’s mother first show that Joy was a girl? a She put a hairband around her head TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XX boys and girls b He likes to play in large groups b She put a pink dress on her c She painted her room blue c He likes to play in small groups What does Tommy like being a captain? How boys get attention? a They argue with others a He likes boasting b They talk about their ability b He likes telling other boys what to c They change the rules c He likes having other boys like him Who girls usually play with? a They play with small groups of girls What is one reason why girls are interested in gossip? b They play with large groups of girls a Gossip teaches them how to act c They play with groups of both boys b Gossip allows them to use command and girls Why might a woman get angry with her husband? a She feels that he doesn’t listen b She feels that his advice is wrong c She feels that he doesn’t care c Gossip can bring them status How American men show friendship/ a They show friendship by talking together often b They show friendship by agreeing with each other c They show friendship by doing things together Why women often use tag questions? a They want to speak directly 10 If people learn more about different ways of communication,… a They will speak more directly TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XXI b They want to be polite b They can have better relationship c They want to give other a chance to c They might understand children agree with them better D WORKING WITH WORDS Look at the summary of the reading below Fill in the blanks with one of the following words (You need to change the form of the word if necessary) Feminine Masculine Reflect Influence Gender Fair Prove Status Emphasize Compete Boys and girls learn different ways of behaving, talking and thinking These different behavior reflect differences in …(1)… In the American culture, boys learn to …(2)….with each other in games, trying hard to win and boasting about how well they can things These behaviors are considered…(3)… People expect boys to act in these ways On the other hand, girls learn to be….(4)….They would rather have their friends like them than compete with them to win a games Girls are more interested in being …(5)…, or equal, when they play As children grow up, their gender will …(6)… their behavior Language …(7)… the gender of children Boys usually give commands while girls often make suggestions When boys use commands, it (8)… their leadership As they grow older, their …(9)… in society will depend on different things Boys will gain respect by their achievements in school and in sports, by their leadership and by showing their knowledge Girls will gain respect by having friends who are popular Sharing gossip about a friend is one of the ways they …(10)… their leadership TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com XXII APPENDIX RESULT OF THE PRETEST AND POSTTEST Case 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Treatment Group Pretest Posttest Gain 5 6 7 6 5 7 6 5 5 6 8 7 7 7 6 6 8 5 7 1 -1 2 1 2 1 1 1 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ... designed to investigate the effectiveness of the use of authentic materials on second year students‟ readings skill at the Department of English, Thanh Do College of Technology The aims of the... to authentic materials The reading text didn‟t help to expand my grammar and vocabulary Authentic materials helped to improve my reading skill My writing skill has improved since authentic materials. .. exercises 2.3 Authentic materials in EFL 2.3.1 Definitions of authentic materials There are slightly different definitions of authentic materials in literature According to Morrow, authentic materials