INTRODUCTION
Statement of the problem
IELTS test, which serves as a testimonial system, has been gaining its popularity in many countries around the world For many candidates, IELTS plays an important role for their future career or further study IELTS is the test of language ability, it concerns with the capacity to use various aspects of language including vocabulary, structure, grammar efficiently so having clear and strategic skills to handle the task would certainly helpful
Test-taking strategies have been the focus of many studies In spite of many attempts have made towards learning and test-taking strategies, few was devoted to test-taking strategies used in reading modules of IELTS while for many Vietnamese candidates, reading is regarded as the most challenging one All of these reasons stated have become the motivations that stimulate the researcher to carry out the study named “IELTS reading test-taking strategies employed by high score candidates in academic training module”.
Purpose of the study
Test taking strategies are considered as keys to success for not only researchers, teachers but also for learners, especially test takers For globally difficult standardized test like IELTS, it is necessary to have clear strategies to deal with the test best The study will examine the test taking strategies used by high score candidates in the reading module of IELTS and evaluate the effectiveness of those techniques, further indicate the differences in English test-taking strategies use among winning candidates The research will provide helpful guidance, example and assistance for readers in order to achieve their greatest potential.
Scope
The study is aimed to document the test-taking strategies of 100 Vietnamese English foreign language (EFL) learners who had already attended the IELTS test and gained their latest IELTS band score for reading module of at least 7.0
Furthermore, exclusive interviews among chosen candidates (06 people) who show diversity in their reading strategies are carried out.
Research questions
The study is going to answer the following research questions:
1 What test-taking strategies frequently used by Vietnam test takers in performing IELTS Reading tasks?
2 How are those English test-taking strategies related to test takers‟ performance?
3 To what extent do the uses of English test-taking strategy of successful candidates vary significantly with their gender and learning experience?
If yes, what are the main patterns of variation?
Expected outcome and significance of the study
By conducting this research, the researcher expects to find out the most commonly efficient used test-taking strategies among IELTS candidates and evaluate the effectiveness of those techniques Furthermore, an analysis of the difference in test-taking strategy among users will be revealed to answer the question how much is the variable?
Once finished the paper could serve as a good reference for those who wish to have a closer view into the test-taking strategies employed by students in response to some specific comprehension tasks Both IELTS candidates and IELTS trainers could refer to the findings of the study to have more effective using as well as teaching reading IELTS strategies.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Reading
According to Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics (1986), reading can be defined as the process of “perceiving a written text in order to understand its contents This can be done silently The understanding that result is called reading comprehension.” Collins English Learner‟s Dictionary describes reading as “an act of looking at and understanding point” On the other hand, Anderson (1985) considered reading as a complex process in which the reader had to construct the meaning of the text and used various interconnected informative sources to understand the real meaning of the passage Moreover, skilled reading needed to be constructive, fluent, strategic, motivated and a lifelong pursuit Another interesting definition of reading is reading is an energetic interactive process of “the reader's existing knowledge; the information suggested by the text being read; and the context of the reading situation” (Wixson, Peters, Weber, & Roeber, 1987) Simply defined, reading is a process of reducing the uncertainty about meanings a text conveys and it can be understood as a negotiation of meaning between the text and its reader The way the readers interact with the text is decided by the knowledge, expectations and strategies the readers use Importantly, most texts are understood in different ways by different readers
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment framework indicates that there are two main purposes of reading: reading for literary purposes and reading for informational purposes
Grabe and Stoller (2002) devided the purposes of reading into seven subtypes, including: searching for simple information; skimming quickly; learning from texts; integrating information; writing or searching for information needed for writing; criticizing text and getting general comprehension Actually, the aims and objectives of reading depend greatly on the readers and different readers will have different reading purposes.
Language learning strategies
“Learning strategies” is a familiar term since it can be applied into varieties of fields regarding both content and context such as math, science, history, languages and other subjects According to Weinstein and Mayer (1986), broadly defined learning strategies are "behaviours and thoughts that a learner engages in during learning" which are "intended to influence the learner's encoding process"
(Weinstein & Mayer, 1986) In 1988, Mayer developed the definition more specifically and described learning strategies as "behaviours of a learner that are intended to influence how the learner processes information.”
Speaking of language learning strategies, there have been numerous definitions about this category Foreign or second language learning strategies are specific actions, behaviors, steps or techniques students use often consciously to improve their progress in apprehending, internalizing, and using foreign language (Oxford, 1990) Strategies are the tools for active, self-directed involvement needed for developing foreign or second language communicative ability (O‟Malley &
Many scholars have attempted to categorize language learning strategies including some famous linguists like Wenden and Rubin 1987; O'Malley et al
1985; Oxford 1990; Stern 1992; Ellis 1994, Wenden and Rubin in 1987 classified language learning strategies into three main forms, consisting of learning strategies, communication strategies, and social strategies In contrast, Oxford‟s (1990) taxonomy includes direct and indirect strategies
In 1985, O'Malley and Chamot developed a classification of three types of language learning strategies:
Metacognitive strategies that comprise of thinking about (or knowledge of) the learning process, planning for learning, monitoring learning while it is taking place, and self‐evaluating of learning after the task had been completed
Cognitive strategies, which involve mental manipulating or transforming of materials or tasks, it is intended to enhance comprehension, acquisition, or retention
Social/affective strategies, as the name suggests, they concern with using social interactions to assist in the comprehension, learning or retention of information
Nevertheless, different scholars have proposed different categorizations for learning strategies (Brown, 1987; O‟ Malley & Chamot, 1990) Most of them recommend that students develop the following strategies:
Cognitive strategies: Learners employ cognitive strategies to focus on the important aspects of material to be learned, to comprehend input, to store for future use what they have learned, and to develop facility in using the learned material
Communication strategies: These strategies are developed to initiate conversation, to maintain conversation, to negotiate meaning, and to terminate conversation
Global strategies: They are used to read a paper in the second language, to make friends who speak the second language, to go to movies in the language, metacognitive strategies, to plan for learning, to monitor learning, and to check the outcome.
Strategies of successful language learners
There have been many studies investigated the characteristics and styles of good language learners as a way to improve and transfer them to less successful language learners Moreover, there have been many studies proved the close relationship between strategies application and the possibility of success of students (Rubin (1975), Stern (1975) and Naiman, Frolich, Stern, and Todesco (1978))
According to Rubin (1975), it was essential to enlighten less proficient language learners by encouraging them to learn the strategies of those who were more talented and she listed seven strategies which good language learners often applied, including: guessing, communicating, avoiding inhibition, attending to form, practicing, monitoring and attending to meaning
Stern (1975) also proposed 7 language learning strategies which he believed to be characteristics of good language learners, consisting of experimenting, planning, developing the new language into an ordered system, revising progressively, using the language in real communication, developing the target language into a separate reference system and learning to think in the target language
Brown in 2007 described an account of good language learners‟ personality and he emphasized the need for teachers to enhance students‟ acquiring information process instead of just delivering it
3 Are creative, developing a “feel” for the language by experimenting with its grammar and words
4 Make their own opportunities for practice in using the language inside and outside the language classroom
5 Use memories and other memory strategies to recall what has been learned
6 Make errors work for them and not against them
7 Use linguistic knowledge, including knowledge of their first language, in learning a second language
8 Use contextual cues to help them in comprehension
9 Learn to make intelligent guesses
10 Learn chunks of language as wholes and formalized routines to help them
11 Learn certain tricks that help to keep conversation going
12 Learn certain production strategies to fill in gaps in their own competence
13.Learn different styles of speech and writing and learn to vary their language according to the formality of the situation
Table 1: Characteristics of good language learners (Brown, 2007: 259-260)
Generally, many writers such as O‟Malley and Chamot (1990), Oxford
(1990), Wenden (1991), Cohen (1998), Cohen and Macaro (2007) and Griffiths
(2008) have suggested that learners might be able to learn language more effectively by the use of language learning strategies and those language learning strategies differ from users to users.
Reading comprehension and test-taking strategies
Comprehension is always the foremost purpose of any readers with different proficient level and the defining factor to decide the degree of command is reading strategies Most of the previous studies indicated that using effective and appropriate reading strategies would certainly enhance comprehension
Different learners will have distinctive reading comprehension strategies
However, generally there exist two most popular ones, they are top-down and bottom – up strategies The top-down strategies facilitate readers to comprehend a larger piece of text, such as paragraph This type of strategies help readers recognize the whole meaning of the passage easier On the contrary, the bottom-up strategies deal with sentence-by-sentence, which means in order to understand the whole text, readers need to read and understand each sentence first (Cohen, 1998; Phakiti, 2003; Rogers & Harley, 1999)
Each test taker has favorite strong tactics to deal with the test and it is important to explore and identify those strategies so that high-qualified ones should be encouraged to be adopted by test takers
There have been a number of studies into this field since as Cohen (1998) indicated, “In order to assess reading comprehension in a second or foreign language, it is necessary to have a working knowledge of what that process entails.”
As a result, an approach to test-taking strategies is necessary to understand how test-takers handle the task Test takers use different test-taking strategies, this is demonstrated in many studies (Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Cohen, 1998; Phakiti, 2003; Roger & Harley, 1999) According to Rogers and Harley (1999), test-taking strategies were processes which helped learners to use “the features and format of a test” to get more correct answers in a test-taking situation The test-taking strategies might be talked about were: “reading the rubrics and instruction carefully, planning the allocated time properly, making use of key words in the questions, delaying answering complex and difficult questions, and reading and evaluating the work in order to check the answers” In other aspects, Cohen (1998) claimed that test-taking strategies involved language use strategies and testwiseness strategies To “keep”,
“retain”, “remind”, and “apply” the information for the test, there were four useful kinds of language use strategies, consisting of retrieval, rehearsal, cover and communication strategies, meanwhile testwiseness strategies related more to test- taking experience and knowledge (Cohen, 1998; Goh, 2002) Phakiti in his study in
2003 concluded that the use of metacognitive and cognitive strategies had constructive association with the reading comprehension test performance
Moreover, higher examinees tended to use more metacognitive strategy than the lower successful examinees
Generally speaking, test-taking strategies are skills which can be learned and acquired It is obvious that among candidates with the same proficiency, the one equipped with specific test-taking strategies will certainly get higher score than learners that have not learned any test-taking strategies (Anderson, 2002; Bachman
& Palmer, 1996; Cohen, 1998; Khaldieh, 2000; Phakiti, 2003; Rogers & Harley,
1999) In addition, the knowledge of how to prepare for exams and take them can have a significant impact on learners‟ perceptions towards exam, decrease their test- anxiety, increase their self-confidence, make a difference in exam scores, and finally, help them to be more successful (Pour- Mohammadi & Abidin, 2012).
The IELTS test
Generally recognized as one of the most reliable testing system, IELTS- the International English Language Testing System is specifically designed to assess the language ability of candidates needing to study or work in English speaking countries IELTS certificate is the valuable ticket for those who wish to enter to university in not only the UK but also in other countries in the world Moreover, it is highly regarded by employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia IELTS conforms to the highest international standards of language assessment
There are two forms of IELTS testing: Academic and General Training versions Each test includes 4 skills: Speaking, listening, reading and writing This paper is going to focus on reading skill of Academic Training module, which measures English language proficiency needed for academic, higher educational environment.
IELTS reading test
There is a distinctive difference between Academic and General Training modules in reading and writing tasks, while listening and speaking are the same for both versions General Reading texts are mainly taken from notices, advertisements, official documents, booklets… and tend to focus on survival reading skills, which aim at workers or employees On the contrary, Academic Reading, as its name suggests, is targeted at those who want to enter undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seeking professional registration This paper only concentrates on Reading test-taking strategies of Academic Training module that is of great concern in recent years
The topic chosen in Academic Reading module are various, including general science themes, the environment, health and social psychology, technological and social developments, gender and other issues (Everett & Colman, 1999) All of IELTS passages are taken from authentic sources and are generally international but neutral (Brook-Hart, 2012) since “texts which may cause the reader offence or anxiety, texts which require specialist knowledge, are too specific in content or rely on world knowledge or knowledge outside the texts would not conform to the guidelines of an objective testing procedure” (Everett & Colman, 1999, p23)
In the IELTS Reading Test (Academic Module), there are a number of types of questions to compose the test, consisting of:
- Note/ summary/ flowchart/ table completion
- Matching heading for identified paragraphs/ sections of the text
- Identification of information in the text: true, false or not given
Being familiar with reading strategies is essential for test takers as most of the reading texts in the IELTS test are complicated and challenging Moreover, a variety of question types is used in the reading passages so knowing certain techniques for each question type will be definitely helpful.
Summary of previous studies
Cognitive process underlying readers‟ performance has been a controversial topic for many scholars There have numerous studies related to this topic, some of the outstanding researches we can name, including Hosenfeld, 1977; Block, 1986;
Nevo, 1989; Block, 1992; Farr, Pritchard and Smitten, 1990; Sugirin, 1999; Ahmad and Asraf, 2004; Rupp, Ferne and Choi, 2006; Stahopoulou and Nikaki, 2009;
By using think-aloud protocol and follow-up oral interview, Hosenfeld (1977) illustrates clearly the close relationship between certain types of reading strategies and successful or unsuccessful readers He indicates that poor readers or less advanced readers tend to process language according to Bottom-up model, which means the reading process is considered a text-driven decoding process wherein the sole role of the reader is to reconstruct meaning embedded in the smallest unit of the text They tend to focus on individual words or phrases, on sequential manner of language itself Whereas, good readers take an opposite position which considers readers‟ interest, world knowledge, and reading skill as the driving force behind reading comprehension
Applying a multi-method approach including think-aloud protocol analysis, retelling or retrospection, in-depth interviews and casual observations Sugirin
(1999) demonstrated that poor readers tended to apply bottom-up model in reading comprehension, while good readers prefered to use top-down model which consisted of skimming the whole text, inferring, making association with prior knowledge, evaluating and paraphrasing As a result, there was a significant gap in the degree of comprehension and number of used strategies among EFL readers
In late 1990s, Block (1986) compared native and nonnative English-speaking college students using the similar procedure with the use of think-aloud protocols
The outcomes were illuminating; all participants mentioned a variety of strategies, but only a few were successful in using them to aid comprehension The findings also suggested that readers with higher reading scores employed top-down approach by integrating new information in the text with the old information, extracting main ideas from details, referring to their background knowledge and focusing on textual meanings of the words Readers with low scores, on the other hand, hardly employed these strategies In another study carried out in 1992, Block used the same method of collecting data to document the comprehension-monitoring process of English readers who were then classified as proficient readers and non-proficient readers The findings showed that proficient readers tend to assess their background knowledge and made use of context clues to figure out the meaning of the word while less proficient readers did not attempt to find out the word‟s meaning and failed to identify the key words in the reading text
Aimed at investigating the relationship between the test-taking behaviours and reading comprehension of a group of college students, Farr, Pritchard, and Smitten
(1990) employed introspective interviews and retrospective interviews after the participants completed a multiple-choice reading comprehension test The data analysis of the study revealed interesting patterns in the test-taking behaviors with three broad categories of reading comprehension behaviors which included an overall approach to the task, the specific reading strategies and test-taking strategies The finding of the study also reported difficulties encountered by the test- takers during the process The results of the study indicated that the most commonly used strategy utilized was using the questions to direct a search for relevant information in the text to answer the questions Moreover, there were certain test- prefered to read the questions first on both reading and listening comprehension tests administered in a multiple-choice format) Second, while reading strategies were generally used when readers engaged in a reading activity and thus “are related to text comprehension (Singhal, 2001, p1), test-taking strategies were only used when dealing with a test and were thus more “driven by the test questions”
According to Nevo (1989), since reading test-taking represented a problem- solving situation, high proficiency test takers tended to employ strategies that increased their chance of getting question items correct to a greater extent when compared to low-level test takers Having the same point of view, Bachman (1985) proposed that test takers who were highly proficient also exhibited skillfulness in using text-level comprehension Phakiti (2003) once again, counted the proficiency level as another factor affecting strategy use He suggested that high-proficiency test takers tended to exhibit more automatic use of such strategies as checking or monitoring than their low-proficiency counterparts did
Another research on the underlying strategies employed by second language learners in comprehending both the source text and target text was conducted in
2004 by Ahmad and Araf The author aimed at testing the hypothesis of whether there was a difference between good and average readers in their use of eight reading comprehension sub-skills The result proposed that there were remarkable difference in strategies used by good and average readers as good readers were much more focused on each question type than average readers The researchers suggested that to foster the learners‟ ability to react “critically to text”, reading comprehension skills and vocabulary learning skills should be equipped for students
On the whole, there have been a great number of studies concentrate on reading strategies Most of those tried to differentiate the difference in approach used by high-proficient and low-proficient readers However, little attention was paid to studying the reading and test taking strategies in the IELTS Test For this reason, the researcher decided to conduct the study on the topic “IELTS reading test-taking strategies employed by high score candidates in academic training module” with primary aim at seeking the most frequent and effective used strategies to handle the test.
METHODOLOGY
Participants and setting
In the context of IELTS test receives lots of attention of many English learners, who aim at achieving specific score to serve different purposes such as institution‟s requirement, studying abroad or academic pursue, studies about reading strategies are encouraged to serve as guidance for learners The researcher decided to follow this approach
In order to select enough suitable participants, the study was announced widely to many subjects including teachers, students, English foreign language learners in many parts of Vietnam and having got at least 7.0 for Reading module in IELTS test taken placed at British Council or IDP centers The respondents were mainly researchers‟ friends, colleagues, and students studying and working at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University and School of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University The reason why 7.0 scorers are considered by researcher to be appropriate is according to British Council, 7.0 scorers are good users who have “operational command” of the English but only some irregular random mistakes and they have ability to comprehend complex argument
9 Expert user Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding
8 Very good user Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate words Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations Handles complex detailed argumentation well
7 Good user Has operational command of the language, though with occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate words Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations Handles complex detailed argumentation well
6 Competent user Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate words and misunderstandings Can use and understand fairly complex language particularly in familiar situations
5 Modest user Has partial command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate words and misunderstandings Can use and understand fairly complex language particularly in familiar situations
4 Limited user Basic competence is limited to familiar situations
Has frequent problems in understanding and expression Is not able to use complex language
Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations Frequent breakdowns in communication occur
2 Intermittent user No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English
1 Non user Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words
0 Did not attempt the test
Table 2: IELTS: Guide for Teachers (British Council, 2008)
The link to answer the survey‟s questions on google form was sent to over 100 people; thus, only 100 received feedbacks were satisfactory overall due to unqualified score As a result, the research sample was a group of 100 people at different aged groups and fields The primary requirements are meeting the score (at least 7.0 for Reading module) and certainly having taken the IELTS test Of the selected participants, 79 were female and only 21 were male
Figure 1: The number of participant according to gender
The participants also had diverse experience in English learning and teaching, 50 respondents reported to be the most experienced language learners (>10 years), 22 are experienced ones (5-10 years ), and 28 are less experienced ( 0.892> 0.8; 0.8> 0.774> 0.7; 0.8> 0.785> 0.7 Moreover, there was no item which had higher value than α value of 3 types of strategies As a matter of fact, the collected data were qualified to be analyzed
4.1.2 Reading test taking strategies used by IELTS c andidates
Oxford‟s (1990) key to understanding mean scores on SILL-based instruments was employed to report the frequency of English test-taking strategy use:
High use = 4.5 to 5.0 (always or almost always used and 3.5 to 4.4 (usually used)
Medium use = 2.5 to 3.4 (sometimes used)
Low use= 1.5 to 2.4 (usually not used) or 1.0-1.4 (never or almost never used)
1 Have a purpose of reading to answer the question only 3.24 1.208 Medium use
2 Budget your time 3.68 1.100 High use
3 Make predictions about what you are going to read by looking at any pictures with the text and bold word in title
4 Underline key words in the questions 3.41 1.264 High use
5 Highlight important information as you read the text 3.73 1.238 High use
6 Look for key words in the questions and words or phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement
7 Scan quickly for numbers, names, dates and words around it to get the answers
8 Remember that the questions follow the order of the passage 3.58 1.241 High use
9 Don‟t try to read every word 3.02 1.318 Medium use
10 Try to summarize after you read
11 Read the first sentence of each paragraph for main idea 3.33 1.256 Medium use
12 Look for how the text is organized and ignore details 2.86 1.223 Medium use
13 Try to predict where the author‟s points are leading 3.45 1.192 High use
14 Get the gist of each paragraph 3.22 1.284 Medium use
15 Pay special attention to the first part of the passage 3.51 1.283 High use
16 Find short sentences within paragraphs 3.18 1.123 Medium use
17 Form ideas about the text while reading 3.26 1.346 Medium use
18 Relate what you read to what you already know 3.34 1.265 Medium use
19 Look for context clues for the meaning of unfamiliar or difficult word
20 Answer the questions you know first 3.13 1.315 Medium use
21 Avoid answers that are too specific or too broad 3.22 1.079 Medium use
22 Always look for answers that sound consistent with the idea in the text 3.02 1.435 Medium use
23 Guess the meaning of any word in the stem you do not know 3.25 1.373 Medium use
24 Use prior knowledge to answer questions 3.10 1.460 Medium use
25 Guess if you cannot find the answer 3.16 1.448 Medium use
26 Make sure you find evidence in the text to answer the question, try not to use what you think is true
Table 8: Means and Standard Deviations Indicating Test-taking Strategy Use
In general, the mean overall strategy use was 3.00 on the 5-point Likert scale, which suggested “medium” use of strategy There were 09 “high” use strategies, in which strategy 06 (Look for key words in the questions and words or phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement) stood at the highest position with 3.87 mean and strategy 05
(Highlight important information as you read the text ) ranked second with 3.73 mean, the third was strategy 02 (Budget your time.) Strategies 07, 08, and 19 (Scan quickly for numbers, names, dates and words around it to get the answers;
Remember that the questions follow the order of the passage and Look for context clues for the meaning of unfamiliar or difficult word) also received lots of preference of IELTS test-takers 17 strategies were categorized into “medium” use; however, strategies 12 (Look for how the text is organized and ignore details) stood at the bottom of the overall mean
Almost all the readers advise IELTS test-takers to take a look at the questions first instead of reading the text immediately in order to know what they are being asked about, and then direct their attention to the piece of information containing the answers Sometimes they can paraphrase the questions and then find the similar information in the text All of interviewees when being asked to describe the step to do the tasks, reported they often looked at the questions first, then paraphrase it to know what they were being asked about, finally found the similar information in the text
Many previous studies did prove the same result In 1981, Lunenfeld claimed that having a view of the questions before reading the passage would “save time and direct one‟s attention on certain information” Weir, Hawkey, Green, & Devi,
(2006) also stated that key word identifying was employed by all participants as the main test-taking strategy This strategy appeared to be effective in helping the participants locate the relevant information for the answers Pour Mohammadi &
Abidin (2011) and Zare (2012) once again demonstrated that questions previewing supported examinees know where to look for needed information However, some participants when being asked why they did not preview questions first said that if they looked at the questions without skimming the whole text, it was very difficult to answer the questions without knowing the main ideas of the text and sometimes they would miss some key information that might help figure out something
P4: The first step to answer any type of question is looking at the question and then underlining the key word My teacher often requires us to do this step first, as a result, now I am familiar with it Moreover, I also often notice the similar words in the text with the questions Usually, the key is here
P5: In any type of question, I always read the questions first and pay attention or remember or even underline the key word in the questions
P6: Identifying key word in the question is really crucial to know what information I have to find in the text
Some interviewees also said it was essential to highlight important information in the text because this step would help them find the key easier and formalize the main ideas about the text while reading That is the reason why
“highlight important information as you read the text” ranks second in terms of frequency
“Scanning”; “Remembering the answers follow the order of the text” and
“Looking for context clues for the meaning of unfamiliar or difficult word” are familiar tips with high score IELTS test takers Most of the previous studies on reading strategies also revealed the significance of scanning strategies (Bachman &
Palmer, 1996; Brown, 1987; Chastain, 1988; Cohen, 1998; Ellis, 2008; Phakiti,
P1: I often read the words or phrases before and after the word that I don’t know to figure out the meaning of that word because I think they often explain or indicate some information related to that word such as the definition, the related terms or some important things
P2: When I do not know the exact meaning of a new word I often look for context clues, which will certainly provide some information about this one
P3: Context plays a crucial role in helping readers guess the meaning of the word that they do not know I always follow this strategy
On the contrary, some strategies prove not to be efficient with the majority of participants One of the typical tactics is “Look for how the text is organized and ignore details” It is quite comprehensible when it is the test, the more answer test takers get, the higher score they have As a result, they do not need to read everything in the passage or pay attention to the text‟s organization This is in agreement with Phatiki‟s (2003) findings which revealed that scanning technique enabled the readers to “cover a vast amount of material very rapidly” without reading and understanding every word of a text (Cohen, 1998, Pearson, 1988;
The analysis of the data collected from the survey also point out that IELTS takers employed varieties of strategies when reading including general strategies, text-related strategies and question-related strategies By utilizing a wide range of strategies, the participants are able to comprehend the passages better.
How are those English test-taking strategies related to test takers‟ performance?
Correlation analyses were also run to investigate the relationship between English test-taking strategy use and students‟ test performance by using ANOVA analysis, the results of which are shown in the following table:
* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed)
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)
Table 9: Correlation between English Test-taking Strategy Use and Students’
With Sig< 0.05, it means the data are acceptable and there is a significant correlation between students‟ test performance and English test-taking strategies in the research According to the analysis, general strategies have greatest impact with β= 0.355, the text-related strategies come second with β = 0.259 and the last is
Chiu (2011) and Scharnagl (2004) also stated that the application of test- taking strategies could facilitate test performance or increase the students‟ reading comprehension test scores O‟ Malley & Chamot (1990) and Oxford (1990) in their thorough studies once again affirmed that the employment of test-taking strategies
“facilitate and improve language learning and assist language learners in different ways” and certainly learners‟ test scores would be improved
When being interviewed, all interviewees agreed that test-taking strategies had influence on test performance to some extent, especially in IELTS – the test of language ability
P1: Test- taking strategies help me to do the test quicker, easier and I often follow my own familiar strategies when taking any test I think the score could be improved thanks to those strategies
P2: Of course test-taking strategies support me a lot I feel more confident when taking the test if I prepare in advance, especially when I practice doing the test many times I follow those strategies because I can do the test quicker They help me to find the answers easier and to get more correct ones
P3: I think test-taking strategies are extremely helpful My teacher often requires us to follow some basic skills such as skimming, scanning, reading the question first, underling key words Those strategies help me to know what I am being asked about and where to find the answers By applying test-taking strategies,
I feel I can do the test better, quicker
P4: Test-taking strategies are good, I think it is essential to apply when taking the IELT test
Overall, the data analyzed from the survey and the interview sections demonstrated clearly that test-taking strategies affect IELTS score to some degree.
Is there any difference in English test-taking strategy use among
By using frequency analysis on SPSS system, the researcher can point out the average mean of using different test-taking strategies of various groups of test- takers
First, it is the difference in test-taking strategies of male and female groups
1 Have a purpose of reading to answer the question only 2.86 1.621 3.34 1.164
3 Make predictions about what you are going to read by looking at any pictures with the text and bold word in title
4 Underline key words in the questions
5 Highlight important information as you read the text 3.71 1.271 3.73 1.237
6 Look for key words in the questions and words and phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement
7 Scan quickly for numbers, names, dates and words around it to get the answers 4.05 1.203 3.57 1.195
8 Remember that the questions follow the order of the passage 3.81 1.250 3.52 1.239
9 Don‟t try to read every word
10 Try to summarize after you read
11 Read the first sentence of each paragraph for main idea 3.10 1.221 3.39 1.265
12 Look for how the text is organized and ignore details 2.76 1.221 3.18 1.217
13 Try to predict where the author‟s points are leading 3.29 1.231 3.49 1.186
14 Get the gist of each paragraph 3.14 1.389 3.24 1.263
15 Pay special attention to the first part of the passage 3.24 1.446 3.58 1.236
16 Find short sentences within paragraphs 2.95 1.244 3.24 1.089
17 Form ideas about the text while reading 3.24 1.446 3.27 1.327
18 Relate what you read to what you already know 3.14 1.424 3.39 1.224
19 Look for context clues for the meaning of unfamiliar or difficult word 3.05 1.322 3.73 1.184
20 Answer the questions you know first 3.14 1.389 3.13 1.304
21 Avoid answers that are too specific or too broad 3.00 1.095 3.28 1.073
22 Always look for answers that sound consistent with the idea in the text 3.19 1.504 2.97 1.423
23 Guess the meaning of any word in the stem you do not know 3.57 1.363 3.16 1.372
24 Use prior knowledge to answer questions 2.90 1.446 3.15 1.468
25 Guess if you cannot find the answer 3.48 1.250 3.08 1.492
26 Make sure you find evidence in the text to answer the question, try not to use what you think is true
Table 10: Means and Standard Deviations Indicating Test-taking Strategy Use of Male and Female
The results indicate that overall male tend to use strategy 07 most (Scan quickly for numbers, names, dates and words around it to get the answers) and then strategy 06 (Look for key words in the questions and words and phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement)
On the contrary, strategy 12 receives the least attention (Look for how the text is organized and ignore details)
The strategy use of female differs from male group If strategy 06 (Look for key words in the questions and words and phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement) is the second choice of male, it is the best option of female Strategies 05 and 19 rank second with 3.73 mean (Underline key words in the questions; Look for context clues for the meaning of unfamiliar or difficult word) Strategy 16 is the least preferred ones of female
(Find short sentences within paragraphs)
The difference in strategy use of female and male is obvious; however, both groups tend to apply general strategies more than other types of strategy
Nevertheless, it is interesting to notice that the score in IELTS test of both groups do not differ much
Table 11: Correlation between gender and IELTS test score
The difference in strategy use among English learning experience groups are also explored by using the frequency analysis
Items Statements < 5 years 5-10 years >10 years
1 Have a purpose of reading to answer the question only
3 Make predictions about what you are going to read by looking at any pictures with the text and bold word in title
4 Underline key words in the questions 3.39 1.397 3.27 1.202 3.48 1.233
5 Highlight important information as you read the text
6 Look for key words in the questions and words or phrases with similar and related meanings in
3.75 1.236 3.82 1.097 3.96 1.177 the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement
7 Scan quickly for numbers, names, dates and words around it to get the answers
8 Remember that the questions follow the order of the passage
9 Don‟t try to read every word 2.57 1.620 2.55 800 3.16 1.267
10 Try to summarize after you read 3.07 1.386 3.23 1.412 3.50 1.233
11 Read the first sentence of each paragraph for main idea
12 Look for how the text is organized and ignore details
13 Try to predict where the author‟s points are leading
14 Get the gist of each 2.71 1.150 3.14 1.283 3.54 1.281 paragraph
15 Pay special attention to the first part of the passage
16 Find short sentences within paragraphs 2.82 1.124 3.27 985 3.34 1.154
17 Form ideas about the text while reading 2.86 1.325 3.18 1.296 3.52 1.344
18 Relate what you read to what you already know
19 Look for context clues for the meaning of unfamiliar or difficult word
20 Answer the questions you know first 3.11 1.397 3.27 1.518 3.08 1.192
21 Avoid answers that are too specific or too broad
22 Always look for answers that sound consistent with the idea in the text
23 Guess the meaning of any word in the stem
24 Use prior knowledge to answer questions 2.75 1.404 3.64 1.364 3.06 1.490
25 Guess if you cannot find the answer 2.68 1.389 3.18 1.435 3.42 1.444
26 Make sure you find evidence in the text to answer the question, try not to use what you think is true
Table 12: Means and Standard Deviations Indicating Test-taking Strategy Use based on English learning experience
As the above tables show, less than 5 years‟ English experience prefer strategy 02 (Budget your time) and strategy 06 (Look for key words in the questions and words and phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement) On the other hand, strategy 01 is employed least (Have a purpose of reading to answer the question only) It is a quite understandable fact that less experienced learners often pay a great deal of attention to timing, especially during preparation step and they usually in the habit of reading all the word in the text to generate the main ideas of the passage instead of going straightforward to answer the questions That is also the sharing of one interviewee coming from this group
P6: When taking the test, I often look at my watch to locate the time At the first time when I learned IELTS, I often had the habit of reading the text carefully to know the main ideas of the passage I think early learners often have mistakes like this
From 05 to 10 years‟ English learning experience group shows many dissimilarities with less than 5 years‟ English learning experience group Strategy ones are strategies 06 and 07 (Look for key words in the questions and words and phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement; Scan quickly for numbers, names, dates and words around it to get the answers) The last stand is strategy 12 (Look for how the text is organized and ignore details) It seems that experienced group are accustomed to the test and reading skills, as a result, they do not pay attention to the text but getting the answers
The most experienced group show many resemblances with the second group Strategy 19 (Look for context clues for the meaning of unfamiliar or difficult word) is the most frequent used one, then strategy 06 (Look for key words in the questions and words and phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement) Standing at the bottom place is strategy
24 (Use prior knowledge to answer questions) When being asked why they did not use prior knowledge to answer the questions, they said it “it is wrong to apply prior knowledge to answer reading questions but only base on the information in the text”
(P5) Some said that only when they could not find the answers in the text, would they utilize previous understanding to answer questions because in many situations the knowledge does not match with the information in the text, especially in an IELTS Reading
Interesting that the result of the data analysis about the connection between IELTS score and English learning experience also strongly support that the more experienced the learners, the higher score they achieve
Table 13: The correlation between English learning experience and IELTS score
Overall, there exist many differences in what, when and how to use strategies among individual participants However, still some resemblances between identified groups (gender, English experience) may have.
CONCLUSION
Summary of the major findings
First and foremost, on average high score test takers have “medium use” of test-taking strategies The majority of testees agree upon that they come to the test with the position of a test taker; as a result, they often have the purpose of reading to answer the questions only This approach somehow affects the strategies to handle the task such as they often read the question first, some even underline the key words in the questions to clear about what information to find in the text and finally look for similar or related paraphrases in the text Moreover, while reading the text, they often have the habit of marking important information to easily follow the ideas of the text and locate the answers Testees also watch the clock when taking the test because the time is neat, especially with new English learners who show greater concern about this aspect than the others Some other familiar strategies are scanning, looking for context clues, and remembering that the answers follow the order of the passage On the other hands, some strategies receive little preference of participants, for instance, “reading every word in the text”, “looking for how the text is organized and ignore details”, and “using prior knowledge to answer questions”
In terms of how reading strategies affect the test takers‟ performance, the findings demonstrate a close correlation between those variables Of three examined strategies, general tactics have greatest influence, the second is text-related strategies and the third is question-related ones The findings of the study have lots of common with previous famous research (Chiu, 2011; Scharnagl 2004; O‟ Malley
& Chamot, 1990; Oxford, 1990; Cohen, 1984; Nevo, 1989; Phakiti, 2008;
Radojevic, 2009; Rezaee, 2005) Moreover, the collected data from the interview section also strongly support this conclusion, 100% of interviewees agreed that test- taking strategies played a crucial role in helping test takers improve their IELTS scores
Concerning the last proposed research question, the results show a great deal of variety as well as similarity in test taking approaches of different user groups
While male prefer scanning skill most, female tend to use looking for key words and paraphrasing more However, the priority of female is also the second priority of male Moreover, both groups illustrate a clear favor of general strategies Another noticing fact is that the IELTS scores of both groups do not differ much English learning experience also have an effect on the strategy use of learners If less than 5 years‟ English experience group shows great concern about timing and comprehending the text, other more experienced groups seem to be more proficient and apply test-taking purpose strategies more (looking for key words, paraphrasing, looking for context clues) but do not pay attention to the text organization or use prior knowledge to answer questions The results also indicate that experienced readers can get higher scores than less experienced test-takers.
Implications for IELTS test takers and IELTS trainers
It can be concluded that test-taking strategies improve test performance in one or another way Accordingly, being familiar even having clear steps to deal with different task types needs to be prepared in advance, especially IELTS takers
IELTS trainers and English teachers should integrate test-taking strategies into teaching curriculum An awareness of strategy instruction, even being presented or modeled will certainly help learners to benefit from test taking strategies and employ them effectively (Alderson, 2000) Anyone having tension to take the IELTS test can consult the findings of the study to apply into practice.
Limitations and suggestions for further study
One of the obvious drawbacks of the study is the number of participants
The study‟s results would be more reliable if the number of the participants was increased Therefore, the standard deviation in the data analysis process is somehow higher than expected Moreover, the number of male and female participants in the study are not equal so it is hard to generalize the results representing for the whole group of people
The study only focuses on IELTS high scorers so the results are not diverse
Any researcher attempts to investigate in this field can conduct a study about the strategies employed by low scorers and high scorers to compare the similarities and the differences in test-taking employment of these two groups Besides that, an approach to examine the test taking strategies of singular task type such as Multiple Choice, Yes/ No/ Not Given or True/ False/ Not Given, Matching Headings or Cloze Test, Chart or Graph Filling can be considered as a new necessary topic for further study
Ahmad, I S & Asraf, R M (2004) Making sense of text: Reading strategies used by Good and Average readers The reading Matrix, 4(1), 26-37 Retrieved from: http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/asraf_ahmad/article.pdf
Anderson, R.C (1985) Role of the reader‟s schema in comprehension, learning, and memory In H Singer & R.B Ruddell (Eds.), Theoretical models and processes of reading (3rd ed., pp 372–384) Newark, DE: International
Bachman, L F., & Palmer, A (1996) Language Testing in Practice Oxford
Block, E (1986) The Comprehension Strategies of Second Language Readers
TESOL Quarterly, Vol 20, Issue 3, pp 463-494
Block, E (1992) See how they read: Comprehension Monitoring of L1 and L2
Readers TESOL Quarterly, Vol 26, Issue 2, pp 310-343
Brook- Hart, G (2012) Preparing students for the Ielts Academic Reading Module
Brown, D.H (2007) First Language Acquisition Principles of Languages Learning and Teaching, 5 th Ed Pearson ESL Pgs 24-51
Cohen, A D (1998) Strategies in learning and using a second language London:
Cohen, A D & Upton, T A (2007) “I want to go back to the text‟: Response strategies on the reading subtest of the new TOEFL
Dinh Phuong (2014) A study on IELTS tes-taking strategies: reading section
Dửrnyei, Z (2003) Questionnaires in second language research: Construction, administration, and processing Mahvah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Everett, R & Colman, J (1999) A critical analysis of selected IELTS preparation materials University of New England
Farr, R., Pritchard, R & Smitten, B (1990) A Description of What Happens When an Examinee Takes a Multiple-Choice Reading Comprehension Test
Journal of Educational Measurement, Vol 27, No 3, pp 209-226
National Council on Measurement in Education
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F (2002) Teaching and researching reading Harlow:
Goh, C (2002) Exploring listening comprehension tactics and their interaction patterns System, 30(2), 185–206
Griffiths, C (2003) Patterns of language learning strategy use System, 31, 367–383
Hanks, P., et al (Eds.) (1989) Collins English Learner’s Dictionary London,
Hatch, J A (2002) Doing qualitative research in education settings Albany, NY:
State University of New York Press
Hosenfeld, C (1977) A Preliminary Investigation of the Reading Strategies of Successful and Nonsuccessful Second Language Learners System, 5,
Jack C R et al., (1986) Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics
Joseph, A.G, & Rosemary, R.G (2003) Calculating, Interpreting, and Reporting
Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability Coefficient for Likert-Type Scales Retrieved from http://www.ssnpstudents.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Gliem- Gliem.pdf
Khaldieh, S.A (2000) Learning strategies and writing processes of proficient vs less- proficient learners of Arabic Foreign Language Annals, 33(5), 522-533
Mayer, R (1988) Learning strategies: An overview In Weinstein, C., E Goetz, &
P Alexander (Eds.), Learning and Study Strategies: Issues in Assessment, Instruction, and Evaluation (pp 11-22) New York: Academic Press
Nevo, N (1989) Test-taking strategies on a multiple-choice test of reading comprehension Language Testing, (6)2, pp 199-215
O‟ Malley, J M., & Chamot, A.U (1990) Learning strategies in second language acquisition Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press
Oxford, R L (1990) Language Learning Strategies: What every teacher should know New York: Newbury House
Phakiti, A (2003) A closer look at the relationship of cognitive and metacognitive strategy use to EFL reading achievement test performance Language Testing, 20(1), 26-56
Pour-Mohammadi, M., & Abidin, M J Z (2012) Does instructing test-taking strategies significantly enhance reading comprehension test performance?
The case of Iranian EFL learners International Journal of Linguistics, 4(3), 293–297
Richards, J., Platt, J Weber, H., (1985) Longman Dictionary of Applied
Rogers, W., & Harley, D (1999) An empirical comparison of three-and four- choice items and tests: Susceptibility to testwiseness and internal consistency reliability Educational and Psychological Measurement,
59(2), Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00131649921969820 Rubin, J (1975) What the „good language learner‟ can teach us, TESOL Quarterly,
Rupp, A A., Ferne, T & Choi, H (2006) How assessing reading comprehension with multiple-choice questions shapes the construct: a cognitive processing perspective Language Testing, Vol.23, p.441
Singhal, M (2001) Reading Proficiency, Reading Strategies, Metacognitive
Awareness and L2 Readers The Reading Matrix, An International Online
Journal, 1(2) Retrieved from: http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/singhal/index.html
Stern, H H (1975) What can we learn from the good language learner?, Canadian
Sugirin, (1999) Studying the academic reading comprehension process:
Responding to methodological concerns HERDSA Annual International
Weinstein, C., & Mayer, R (1986) The teaching of learning strategies In M.C
Wittrock (Ed.), Hand-book of research on teaching, (pp.315-327) New York; MacMillan
Wenden, A L & Joan Rubin (eds) (1987) Learner strategies in language learning
Wixson, K., Peters, C., Weber, E., & Roeber, I (1987)."New directions in statewide reading assessment."The Reading Teacher
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ON IELTS READING STRATEGIES OF
This survey questionnaire is designed to find out how successful English language learners use reading strategies to take the IELTS academic reading test to serve as data for my M.A thesis titled “ EL S reading test-taking strategies employed by high score candidates in academic training module” Your information will be used for study purpose only It is highly appreciated if you could cooperate by providing truthful information and spending your time in answering the following questions
How long have you been learning English?10 years
What is your most recent IELTS Reading score?………
You took the test to: satisfy the requirements of your institution to study abroad others (specify) ………
Direction: Please rate each item as to the degree that you adopt when taking the reading IELTS tasks using the following scale:
5 Always 4 Often 3 Sometimes 2 Rarely 1 Never items Statements 5 4 3 2 1
1 Have a purpose of reading to answer the question only
3 Make predictions about what you are going to read by looking at any pictures with the text and bold word in title
4 Underline key words in the questions
5 Underline key words in the questions
Look for key words in the questions and words and phrases with similar and related meanings in the texts, look for a paraphrase of each statement
7 Scan quickly for numbers, names, dates and words around it to get the answers
8 Remember that the questions follow the order of the passage
9 Don‟t try to read every word
10 Try to summarize after you read
11 Read the first sentence of each paragraph for main idea
12 Look for how the text is organized and ignore details
13 Try to predict where the author‟s points are leading
14 Get the gist of each paragraph
15 Pay special attention to the first part of the passage
16 Find short sentences within paragraphs
17 Form ideas about the text while reading
18 Relate what you read to what you already know
19 Look for context clues for the meaning of unfamiliar or difficult word
20 Answer the questions you know first
21 Avoid answers that are too specific or too broad
22 Always look for answers that sound consistent with the idea in the text
23 Guess the meaning of any word in the stem you do not know
24 Use prior knowledge to answer questions
25 Guess if you cannot find the answer
26 Make sure you find evidence in the text to answer the question, try not to use what you think is true
Thank you very much for your cooperation!
1 Do you often use reading test-taking strategies in IELTS test?
2 Can you describe in details some basic/ familiar steps to do IELTS Reading tasks in general?
3 Why do you follow the described steps?
4 Do you think the reading strategies that you often follow affect the results of the test?
5 What are the advantages of your reading strategies?
6 What are the disadvantages of your reading strategies?
SAMPLED INTERVIEW Interviewer: Hi, How are you? Thank you very much for being here The interview supposes to be very comfortable
Interviewee: I‟m fine It is OK I have time
Interviewer: I printed your answers in the survey part here This interview section will mostly refer to the result of the survey OK?
Interviewer: So let‟s get started
Interviewee: OK Interviewer: First of all, I would like to ask whether you often use reading test- taking strategies in IELTS test or not?
Interviewee: Definitely, yes When I prepared for the IELTS test I often followed some tips of my trainer and I practiced them After that, I am familiar with those strategies
Interviewer: Can you describe in details some basic/ familiar steps to do IELTS reading tasks in general?
Interviewee: First of all, I often look at the questions first to know what I am being asked While reading the questions, I sometimes underline the key words in the questions After that, I come back to the text, scanning through the text, then finding the answer for the first question Often, the answer will follow the order of the text so if I can find the answer for the first question, I continue to read to find the answer for the next question While reading, I also always mark some important information in the reading passage It helps me to easily summarize the content of the text Those are some basic steps that I often follow
Interviewer: Why do you follow the described steps?
Interviewee: I think IELTS is the test of language proficiency, the more correct answer I get, the higher score I gain so I it is not necessary to understand the text
That is the reason why I often look at the question first Moreover, underlining the key word help me to focus on what I need to find in the text Furthermore, I feel I am quite familiar with those steps, sometimes I do it naturally
Interviewer: Do you think the reading strategies that you often follow affect the results of the test?
Interviewee: I think the reading strategies have some effects on the result of the test Those strategies help me to do the test quicker, more confident
Interviewer: So what are the advantages of those strategies?