Using mind maps to enhance reading comprehension of the third year english majors at thu dau mot university m a 60 14 10

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HCM CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE USING MIND MAPS TO ENHANCE READING COMPREHENSION OF THE THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY Submitted to the Faculty of English Linguistics & Literature in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL By NGUYỄN THỊ PHƯỚC BÌNH Supervised by LÊ HUY LỘC, M.A HO CHI MINH CITY - AUGUST 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Mr Lê Huy Lộc, MA., for his insightful discussions, constructive criticism, valuable comments, and continuing support in the preparation and completion of this thesis I am greatly indebted to all the lecturers of the TESOL graduate program at the University of Social Science and Humanities for their dedication and helpful instruction during the course from the year 2007 to 2010 I would like to thank the teaching staff of Thủ Dầu Một university, Dr Lý Quyết Tiến, the Dean of Department of Foreign Languages, Ms Tào Thụy Khê, MA., Mr Vo Duy Minh, without their assistance this thesis would not have been possible Further I would like to extend my thanks to my students at Thu Dau Mot University, who have participated in the study Last but not least, my deepest gratitude and special thanks are sent to my parents, my brother, my sister, my husband and especially my lovely children, who cared, encouraged, supported, and motivated me greatly during the time of completing this study STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY I hereby certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled: USING MIND MAPS TO ENHANCE READING COMPREHENSION OF THE THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY In terms of statement of Requirements for Theses in Master’s Program issued by Higher Degree Committee Ho Chi Minh City, August 2011 NGUYỄN THỊ PHƯỚC BÌNH ii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I, NGUYỄN THỊ PHƯỚC BÌNH, hereby state that I being the candidate for the degree of Master in T.E.S.O.L accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s theses deposited in the Library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for the care, loan or reproduction of the theses Ho Chi Minh City, August 2011 NGUYỄN THỊ PHƯỚC BÌNH iii LIST OF OBSERVERS Tào thị Thụy Khê, MA in TESOL Nguyễn Ánh Ngọc, MA in TESOL Nguyễn Quốc Việt, MA in TESOL Trần Thị Ánh, MA in TESOL iv LIST OF FIGURES & TABLES Figure 1.1: Mind map of “mind map” guidelines Figure 2.1: A spider-gram sample (extracted from Tipper, 2011) 18 Figure 2.2: A sample of outlining 20 Figure 2.3: Conceptual framework 22 Figure 2.4: A concept map showing the key features of concept maps 26 Figure 4.1: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 53 Figure 4.2: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 53 Figure 4.3: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 54 Figure 4.4: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 55 Figure 4.5: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 56 Figure 4.6: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 57 Figure 4.7: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 58 Figure 4.8: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 59 Figure 4.9: The pattern of students’ responses to Item of the questionnaire 60 Figure 4.10: The pattern of students’ responses to Item 10 of the questionnaire 61 Figure 4.11: The pattern of students’ responses to Item 11 of the questionnaire 62 Figure 4.12: The pattern of students’ responses to Item 12 of the questionnaire 63 Figure 4.13: The pattern of students’ responses to Item 13 of the questionnaire 64 Table 4.1: Teacher’s observation on students’ attention to mind maps 65 Table 4.2: Teacher’s observation on students’ ability to use mind maps 66 Table 4.3: Descriptive statistics for the pretest and posttest 68 Table 4.4: The paired t-test’s results 69 v TABLE OF CONTENT Acknowledgement i Certificate of Originality ii Retention and Use of the Thesis iii List of Observers iv List of Figures and Tables v Table of Content vi Abstract x CHAPTER – INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study 1.1.1 The current teaching reading comprehension at Thủ Dầu Một University 1.1.2 The use of mind maps to teach reading comprehension 1.1.2.1 Mind maps introduction 1.1.2.2 The advantages and disadvantages of using mind maps in learning activities 1.2 Purposes of the study 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Significance of the study 1.5 Delimitation of the study 10 1.6 Definition of terms 10 1.7 The organization of the study 11 CHAPTER - LITERATURE REVIEW 12 2.1 Summarizing texts 12 2.1.1 Summarizing texts overview 12 2.1.2 Theories of summarizing texts 13 vi 2.1.3 Summarizing texts in reading comprehension 15 2.1.4 Techniques of summarizing texts 17 2.1.4.1 Using spider-gram 18 2.14.2 Taking notes 19 2.1.4.3 Outlining 19 2.1.4.4 Highlighting 21 2.1.4.5 Visualizing 22 2.2 The use of mind maps 23 2.2.1 Mind maps overview 23 2.2.2 Differences between mind mapping and concept mapping 25 2.2.3 Theories of “mind maps” perception 27 2.2.3.1 Schema theory 27 2.2.3.2 Radiant thinking 28 2.2.3.3 Researches into the left and right hemispheres 28 2.2.3.4 The power of images 29 2.2.4 Advantages of using mind maps in summarizing texts 31 2.2.5 Prior studies with mind maps 32 2.3 Summary 36 CHAPTER - RESEARCH METHODS 37 3.1 The Research design 37 3.2 Participants in the study 38 3.2.1 Students 38 3.2.2 Observers 38 3.2.3 The researcher’s role 39 3.3 Instrumentation 39 3.3.1 The use of mind maps 39 3.3.1.1 Introducing mind maps 40 3.3.1.2 Activities using mind maps 40 vii 3.3.2 Questionnaire 41 3.3.3 Observation 42 3.3.3.1 Teacher observation 43 3.3.3.2 Team observation 43 3.3.3.3 Observation sheet and instructions 43 3.3.4 The one group pretest-posttest design 44 3.3.4.1 The pretest 44 3.3.4.2 The posttest 45 3.3.4.3 Paired t-test & Critical α value 46 3.3.4.3.1 Paired t-test 46 3.3.4.3.2 Critical α value 46 3.4 Variables 47 3.4.1 Independent variable 47 3.4.2 Dependent variables 47 3.4 Research procedures 47 3.6 Methods of data analysis 48 3.7 Materials 49 3.8 Limitations of the study 50 3.9 Summary 51 CHAPTER - DATA ANALYSIS & FINDINGS 52 4.1 Data analysis 52 4.1.1 Questionnaire 52 4.1.1.1 Item 52 4.1.1.2 Item 53 4.1.1.3 Item 54 4.1.1.4 Item 55 4.1.1.5 Item 56 4.1.1.6 Item 57 viii 4.1.1.7 Item 58 4.1.1.8 Item 59 4.1.1.9 Item 60 4.1.1.10 Item 10 61 4.1.1.11 Item 11 62 4.1.1.12 Item 12 62 4.1.1.13 Item 13 63 4.1.2 Observation activities 64 4.1.2.1 Teacher observation 65 4.1.2.2 Team observation 66 4.1.3 One group pretest-posttest design 66 4.1.3.1 Descriptive statistics 66 4.1.3.2 Paired t-test 67 4.2 Findings 68 4.3 Summary 74 CHAPTER – CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Conclusion 75 5.2 Implications 76 5.3 Recommendations 79 Bibliography 80 Appendix – Questionnaire (English and Vietnamese versions) 90 Appendix – Observation Sheet & Instructions 96 Appendix – Mind maps Introduction 99 Appendix – Pretest 103 Appendix – Posttest 112 Appendix – Some pictures from the reading classes …………………………116 ix Develop your own personal style of Mind Mapping Use emphasis and show associations in your mind maps Keep the mind maps clear by using radial horizontal, numerical order or outlines to embrace the branches 102 APPENDIX PRE-TEST READING SECTION Read each passage and answer the questions below it Reading passage A How you react to the taste of different foods, like coffee or lemon? Do they have a flavor that you like? Or they taste very strong to you? Why people react differently to different flavors? B We all know that different people have different food preferences Researchers have discovered some reasons for these differences Your culture and your life experience are partly responsible for your preferences for certain foods Your food preferences are also partly genetic (Your genetic preferences are the ones that you were born with.) In order to discover people’s genetic preferences, researchers use a chemical called PROP People taste it and respond to the taste To some people, PROP has no flavor The researchers classify these people as “nontasters.” To other people, the flavor of PROP is a little bitter, or sharp These people are “tasters.” Then there are the people who can’t stand the flavor of PROP They find it to be unbearably bitter These people are the “supertasters” Tasters have more taste buds on their tongues than nontasters do, and supertaster have many more taste buds than tasters This explains why supertasters are more sensitive to PROP and to the flavors in certain foods So if you think the flavors in coffee, grapefruit juice, and broccoli are very strong, you may be a “supertaster.” c d Which of the following is the best statement of the main idea of the reading passage? There are people who like different foods There are cultural and genetic reasons for the differences in people’s food preferences Some foods have a very strong flavor PROPs can be used to identify different types of tastes a b c Genetic preferences means the preferences for certain foods the preferences researchers have discovered the preferences of some people a b 103 d the preferences that people are born with a b c d What is PROP? a chemical something that people are born with a discovery a researcher a b c d Why researchers use PROP? because it has no flavor to find out the responses to foods people were born with to discover the flavors in certain foods because people like its flavor a b c d A food that is bitter has no flavor little flavor a coffee flavor a sharp flavor a b c d People who …………are classified as supertasters can’t stand the flavor of PROP think that PROP has no flavor think that PROP tastes a little bitter like bitter flavors a b c d Taste buds are probably tiny pieces of food the small bumps on the surface of people’s tongues chemicals in food that give it its flavor something in broccoli, grapefruit juice, and coffee Reading Passage A After a cold, snowy winter, many people look forward to the long hot days of summer, as the normal heat of summer can be pleasant However, it’s important to be aware that excessive heat - that is too much heat - can be dangerous There are other summer weather dangers, for example, tornadoes, lightning, and floods, but excessive heat kills more people each year than any of these According to meteorologists (weather scientists), a heat wave is a period of excessive heat that lasts two days or more A heat wave stresses people and can cause illnesses These illnesses include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke The people who are 104 at the greatest risk during heat waves are the elderly, babies, and those with serious diseases B High humidity (moisture in the air) can make the effects of heat even more harmful As humidity increases, the air seems warmer than it actually is because it’s more difficult for the body to cool itself through the evaporation of perspiration During heat waves, meteorologists use the heat index to determine the level of danger The heat index measures how hot it really feels when high humidity is added to the actual air temperature For example, if the air temperature is 95° F (Fahrenheit) and the humidity is 35%, the heat index is 98 But if the air temperature is 95 and the humidity is 70%, the heat index is 124 Doctors say that even young, healthy people can die of heat stroke if they exercise outside when the heat index is high During a heat wave, it’s best to take it easy, drink plenty of water, and stay out of the heat as much as possible a b c d Which of the following is the best statement of the main idea of Paragraph A? People look forward to the long hot days of summer Too much heat can have dangerous effects Tornadoes, lightning, and floods are dangerous Meteorologists can define heat waves a b c d Which of the following is the best statement of the main idea of Paragraph B? Humidity is moisture in the air Meteorologists use the heat index during heat waves High humidity increases the danger of high air temperatures It’s important to stay inside during a heat wave a b c d The word excessive means too much important long coming in waves a b c d In the passage, lightning is mentioned as an example of excessive heat a storm a stress on people a summer weather danger 105 a b c d A meteorologist is a doctor a weather scientist a space scientist a dangerous weather condition a b c d The heat index measures… the amount of moisture in the air air temperature a person’s body temperature the temperature the body feels when heat and humidity are combined a b c d a b c d Based on the information in the passage, which statement is true? Young, healthy people are more likely to die from excessive heat than elderly people are The elderly, babies, and people with serious diseases are most likely to die from excessive heat, but it can kill young, healthy people, too Perspiration is a dangerous effect of excessive heat All heat waves include high humidity Why did the author write this passage? To warn people about the dangers of excessive heat and give suggestions about avoiding them To give people useful information about the weather in the summer To describe the work of meteorologists and their use of the heat index To let people know how body can cook itself naturally Reading Passage A Even though education is compulsory (required by law) for children in the United States, it is not compulsory for them to go to a conventional school to get that education In every one of the 50 states, it is legal for parents to educate their children at home, or to “home school” their children Although no states requires parents to have special training to home school their children, the regulations parents must follow vary widely from state to state New Jersey, for example, imposes virtually no requirements In contrast, New York requires home schoolers to notify their school districts, file instructional plans and frequent reports, and submit the results of tests or other forms of assessment for each child B Increasing numbers of American families have been opting for home schooling According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, about 1.1 million children were being home schooled in the spring of 2003 This represents an 106 increase from the 850,000 who were being home schooled in the spring of 1999 In addition, the home-schooling rate - the percentage of the school-age population that was being home schooled - increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.2 percent in 2003 C A survey conducted in 2003 asked parents to give their most important reasons for home schooling their children Thirty-one percent cited concerns about the environment in conventional schools, including safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure Thirty percent said that the most important reason was to provide religious or moral instruction Sixteen percent said that the most important reason was dissatisfaction with academic instruction at conventional schools Parents gave other reasons, too; for instance, many said that they wanted to strengthen family bonds or allow their children more freedom D It is difficult to show whether conventional schooling or home schooling works better Home-schooled children tend to score significantly higher than the national average on college entrance tests But educators say that it isn’t easy to determine how meaningful the figures are, given the complexities of making direct comparisons In the debate about home schooling, socialization is more of an issue than achievement Advocates of conventional education believe that home-schooled children are at a disadvantage because they miss out on the kinds of social interaction and relationships with peers that are an essential part of a total education Advocates of home schooling say that home-schooled children are not socially isolated; they think that home-schooled children have a larger social structure because they can be out in the world, in contact with people of different ages, and having experiences that they could never have in conventional schools Directions: For each question, choose the best answer based on the reading passage a b c d The word conventional means relating to a meeting following what is normal or usual following a religion educational According to the passage, increasing numbers of American families are choosing home schooling What information does the author give to support this statement? a In every one of the 50 states, it is legal for parents to educate their children at home 107 b d Thirty-one percent of parents say that the most important reason for home schooling is concerns about the environment in conventional schools The number of children who were being home schooled increased from 850,000 in 1999 to about 1, million in 2003 A survey was conducted in 2003 a b c d Scan (look quickly through) the passage to find the answer to this question: How many of the parents surveyed in 2003 said that the most important reason for home schooling their children was dissatisfaction with academic instruction at conventional schools? 1.1 million 30 percent 16 percent 2.2 percent c a b c d a b c d a b c d Three of the following statements give facts, and one gives an opinion Based on the reading passage, which one is the opinion? Home-schooled children are at a disadvantage because they miss out on some kinds of social interaction and relationships Thirty percent of parents who home school their children said that the most important reason was to provide religious or moral instruction The home-schooling rate increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.2 percent in 2003 The regulations that parents of home schoolers must follow vary widely from state to state Which paragraph gives information about the number of home-schooled children who attend college? Paragraph B Paragraph C Paragraph D Not given In Paragraph D, the author implies, but does not state directly, that home-schooled children tend to score significantly higher than the national average on college entrance tests it should be easy to make direct comparisons between conventional and home schooling parents are not academically qualified to teach their children there is controversy about the benefits of home schooling 108 a b c d Based on Paragraph D, we can conclude that advocates of conventional education object to home schooling mainly because home-schooled children cannot achieve academically cannot be compared to conventionally educated children are socially isolated have too much freedom Reading Passage A In recent years, the game of golf and golf tourism have grown in popularity in many places in the world Golf, which traces its roots back to 15 th century Scotland, is often viewed as a pleasant and harmless way to relax in a natural setting But golf courses are not natural developments They are artificial constructions that have a big environmental impact As a result, there is often controversy about the building of golf courses B Opponents of the use of land for golf courses bring up a number of environmental concerns One is that a golf course covers a great deal of land, typically up to 200 acres, and in the process of developing this land into a golf course, it is common for fragile native ecosystems such as wetlands, rainforests, or coastal dunes to be destroyed Indigenous grasses, shrubs, and trees are removed and replaced by foreign vegetation The construction process causes soil erosion and results in the loss of biodiversity and habitat for wildlife Another concern is the amount of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers used to maintain the grass on a golf course once it is established These chemicals can result in toxic contamination of the air, the soil, the surface water, and the underground water, and this in turn leads to health problems for people who live near the course or downstream from it, for people who work at the course, and even for the golfers Yet another concern is that golf courses require an enormous amount of water everyday Their water consumption can lead to depletion of scarce fresh water resources These and other concerns about golf courses have provoked protests, most recently in east and Southeast Asia, against planned golf projects C Designers, developers, and operators of golf courses have become increasingly aware of the environmental issues and of the protests Consequently, they have sponsored research into more environmentally sensitive ways of constructing and maintaining courses They believe that it is possible to build golf courses which protect and preserve the natural features of the landscape and natural habitats for wildlife Their suggested practices include using native trees and shrubs, planting types of grass that require less water and are best adapted to the local climate, and using reclaimed water Proponents of golf courses believe that these “green” golf courses can actually provide environmental benefits to their sites 109 D However, even a “green” golf course is likely to result in some environmental degradation and loss of habitat Therefore, many biologists and wildlife ecologists, such as Lawrence Woolbright, a professor at Siena College in Albany, New York, contend that the best places to construct new golf courses are places that are already degraded, such as former landfills (garbage dumps) and old industrial sites, rather than on undeveloped land A golf course that transforms a degraded site into a scenic landscape with wetlands and woodlands and habitat for wildlife could actually be a benefit to the environment a b c d Which of the following is the best statement of the main idea of the reading passage? Golf courses are artificial constructions, and are often built with no regard for the environment Controversies about golf courses affect the tourist trade Golf courses have significant effects on the environment, and these effects lead to controversy Golf and golf tourism are growing in popularity internationally, leading to a more negative effect on the environment a b c d What word is opposite in meaning to the word indigenous ? native foreign natural vegetation a b c d Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a negative environmental impact of a golf course? the destruction of fragile native ecosystems soil erosion caused by cutting down trees pollution caused by traffic and maintenance equipment depletion of scarce fresh water resources a b c Which of the following best summarizes the environmental concerns of opponents of the use of land for golf courses? They are concerned about the amount of land that a golf course covers They are concerned about the impact of the process of constructing new golf courses They are concerned about the impact of the maintenance of established golf courses 110 d All of the above a b c d Based on paragraphs C and D, we can infer a “green” golf course is one that consumes a great deal of water is environmentally sensitive is new and not degraded has grass, shrubs, and trees a b c d Based on the information in paragraph C, we can conclude that it is certain that “green” golf courses have already been built it is certain that “green” golf courses will be built in the future it is not certain that any “green” golf courses have already been built or will be built in the future opponents of golf courses accept the idea that “green” golf courses can actually provide a b c d Based on paragraph D, we can infer that the author of the passage agrees with Lawrence Woolbrightt disagrees with Lawrence Woolbrightt willing to accept some environmental degradation and loss of habitat is opposed to all golf courses a b c d What would be an appropriate title for this reading passage? A Brief History of Golf Golf’s Dirty Side Why Make Golf Green? The Beauty of Golf 111 APPENDIX POST-TEST Section 1: Reading Comprehension Answer the questions about the reading passage that appear below (3 marks each) A People who are thinking about changing careers are often afraid of what will happen if they quit their job Will they find another one? Will they like another field as well as the one they are in now? Will they be able to grow and advance in a new organization? B As these questions come to mind, they should try to figure out the answers so they can reach a decision Although there is a high rate of unemployment in some countries, there are usually jobs for skilled workers who can use computers or other equipments Those who have specialized training in these areas can generally find a position without too much effort C The question of whether they’ll like another field more than their current one is also a crucial one While it’s nice to dream about having another job, the reality may be that they aren’t suited for it For example, if an architect likes to cook but has no idea about how to run a business, it may be risky for him to open a restaurant He can cook for his friends on weekends and satisfy his dreams of being a chef in that way D Another good way for a person to find out if she will be successful in a new field is to try it out as a part-time job Being an event planner sounds glamorous, but helping friends with parties or weddings might show her that it’s also very stressful However, if she has the creativity and organization necessary for such a position, she can continue to plan events for friends until she builds up a reputation Then she can leave her current job to look for a job in event planning knowing that she’ll be successful in this area E Once a person has found his or her specialty and decides on the change, it’s necessary to stick with it until the business gets off the ground This usually takes about five years If the move has been from one company to another, the person should stay until it is clear he is doing a good job and can advance to a higher position Following this advice will make the transition smoother and the career change successful (371 words) 112 According to the reading, people who think about changing careers generally a quit their jobs b are afraid of quitting their jobs c find another one right away d grow and advance in a new organization There is a high rate of unemployment in some countries, but skilled workers a lose their jobs b try to reach a decision c use computers d with training can still get jobs If a person dreams about doing another job, a he is suited for it b he can run a business c he still may not be able to it d he will be satisfied as a chef Having a part-time job a is a good way to try another career b sounds glamorous c is very stressful d builds up a person’s career You should stay in a new career at least five years because a it’s your specialty b you moved from one company to another c you can a good job and advance in that time d the transition will be smoother Section II Strategy Answer the questions below (3 marks each) An event planner (Paragraph D) is a person who a helps friends b sounds glamorous c is very stressful d arranges parties and weddings To stick with it (Paragraph E) means to 113 a b c d find a specialty decide on a change stay for a few years change companies A business that gets off the ground (Paragraph E) a is successful b stays until it is clear c can advance to a higher position d makes a smooth transition The pronoun “those” in paragraph B refers to a jobs b skilled workers c computers d Areas The pronoun “it” in paragraph D refers to a another good way b a new field c creativity d organization Section III New Words Fill in the blanks with words from the Academic Word List from Chapter (4 marks each) career counselors job security keep up with leisure telecommuting on the move outsourcing overworked stress upgrade Nowadays, workers are…1 changing careers for many reasons Some have lost their jobs due to….2… caused by companies searching for cheaper labor Others feel that they are…3… , and are looking for a job with less…4… Still others need to take time off to…5… their skills and learn about computers so they can…6… the latest technology Some…7… advise people looking for work to consider several 114 things before they accept another position First of all, if they just lost a job, they should ask about the…8… of the next one Second, they should make sure they have enough….9… time so they don’t feel so pressured by the demands of work Third, they should consider…10…, if possible, and working from a home office This way, they’ll have time to take courses that build their skills so they can get a better job in the future Section IV Building Vocabulary Find the words in the box that complete the following phrases and write them in the blanks Each word can only be used one time (3 marks each) agencies classified confidence drawbacks hopping manufacturing part personnel workforce worldwide A great number of……… Jobs have been outsourced to Asia, and factories here have closed To find a job quickly, go to the…….ads of an online job board Some people enjoy job…… , while others prefer to stay at one company for many years To work in sales, a person needs a lot of self-……… Although mothers sometimes take…….-time jobs to stay home with young children, most women need to work full-time Everybody has a dream job in mind, but the reality is that all types of work have…… Employment…….usually charge the company looking for workers a fee, not the people looking for jobs Now there are more women in the ……than ever before Many universities have a…… office where students can find work after graduation 10 The decrease in manufacturing jobs is about eleven percent……… TOTAL……/100 m 115 APPENDIX SOME PICTURES FROM THE READING CLASSES Picture 1: Students’ Mind maps Picture 2: Students present their Mind maps Picture 3: student presents Mind Picture 4: The students really enjoy their classmate’s presentation maps with the teacher 116