A study of difficulties in teaching and learning reading comprehension in the course book “New Headway (Pre-Intermediate) to the first year students at college of Broadcasting 1, Phu Ly city, Ha Nam province and some solutions

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ LAN HƯƠNG A study of difficulties in teaching and learning reading comprehension in the course book “New Headway (Pre-Intermediate) to the first year students at college of Broadcasting 1, Phu Ly city, Ha Nam province and some solutions (Tìm hiểu khó khăn việc dạy học kĩ đọc hiểu theo giáo trình NewHeadway (Pre-Intermediate) cho sinh viên năm thứ tai trường cao đẳng Phát thanh- truyền hình 1,Thành phố Phủ lý, Tỉnh Hà Nam số giải pháp khắc phục) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10 HANOI – 2011 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ LAN HƯƠNG A study of difficulties in teaching and learning reading comprehension in the course book “New Headway (Pre-Intermediate) to the first year students at college of Broadcasting 1, Phu Ly city, Ha Nam province and some solutions (Tìm hiểu khó khăn việc dạy học kĩ đọc hiểu theo giáo trình NewHeadway (Pre-Intermediate) cho sinh viên năm thứ tai trường cao đẳng Phát thanh- truyền hình 1,Thành phố Phủ lý, Tỉnh Hà Nam số giải pháp khắc phục) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Supervisor: Nguyễn Thị Vượng, MA HANOI – 2011 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Student's opinion on the course book "New Headway" (Pre-Intermediate) Table 2: Difficulties revealed by the students Table 3: Students' sources of difficulties and their desire from the teachers v TABLE OF CONTENT page Acknowledgement i Abstract ii List of tables i INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Aims of the Study Research Questions Methods of the Study Scope of the study Design of the study DEVELOPMENT Chapter I: Theoretical background 1.1 Definition of Terminology 1.1.1 What is reading? 1.1.2.Reading comprehension 1.2 Stages in teaching reading skill 1.2.1 Pre-reading stage 1.2.2 While-reading stage 1.2.3 Post-reading stage 1.3 Reading approaches and skills 1.3.1 Intensive reading 1.3.2 Extensive reading 1.3.2.1 Skimming 1.3.2.2 Scanning 1.3.3 Factors connected with reading success 1.3.3.1 Physical condition 1.3.3.2 Speed of reading 1.3.3.3.Oral reading vi 1.3.3.4 Vocabulary 1.3.3.5 Reading comprehension 1.3.3.6 Ability to use references 10 1.3.3.7 Pattern of reading 10 1.4 Difficulties of the second language reading comprehension process 10 1.4.1 Reading skill problem 10 1.4.2 Language problems 11 1.4.3 Cultural background knowledge 12 1.4.4 Learner-centeredness in foreign language education 13 Chapter II: An introduction of the course book “New Headway " (Pre- 15 Intermediate) and the current situation of teaching and learning this course book 2.1 General description of the course book “New Headway”(Pre-Intermediate) 2.1.1 Objectives 15 2.1.2 Topics, Terminologies and grammatical structures 15 2.1.3 Characteristics of reading texts and reading exercises 15 2.2 Current situation of teaching the course book 16 2.2.1 Length of the course and time allocation for reading skill 16 2.2.2 Teaching staff and teaching methods 17 2.2.3 Teaching facilities 17 2.3 Current situation of learning the course book 17 2.3.1 Students’ background 18 2.3.2 Students’ learning condition 18 2.3.3 Students’ attitude to learning English 18 Chapter III: The Study 18 3.1.The context of the study 19 3.2 The subject 19 3.3.Data collection methods 19 3.4.Data collection procedure 19 3.5 Data analysis and discussion 20 3.5.1 Discussion of the result collected by means of the questionnaire 21 3.5.1.1 Student's opinion on the course book "New Headway"( Pre- 21 vii Intermediate) 21 3.5.1.2 Difficulties revealed by the students 3.5.1.3 Students' sources of difficulties and their desire from the 22 teachers 23 3.5.2 Discussion of the result collected by means of the interview, classroom, observation and journal keeping 25 3.5.2.1 Teacher's opinion on the course "New Headway" (PreIntermediate) 25 3.5.2.2 Teacher's difficulties in teaching reading English in the course book "New Headway" (Pre-Intermediate) 26 3.5.3 Possible solutions 3.5.3.1 Training students to become efficient readers 29 3.5.3.2 Encouraging students to have extensive reading habit 30 3.5.3.3 Making students fully aware of their purpose of reading 30 3.5.3.4 Improving background knowledge for English teachers 31 3.5.3.5 Improving teachers' classroom techniques 3.5.3.6 Equipping teaching facilities 31 3.5.3.7 Adapting the course book 32 CONCLUSION 33 1.Summary of the study 34 2.Limitations and suggestions for further study 36 REFERENCES 36 37 39 APPENDICES Appendix 1: Interview questions for teachers I Appendix 2: Questionnaire for students II Appendix 3:Content of the course book "New Headway" (Pre-Intermediate) IV Appendix 4: Unit 3: The reading text" The name's Bond, James Bond" V (pages 26-27) Appendix 5: Unit 4: The reading text" Markets around the world" VII viii (pages 34-35) Appendix 6: Unit 8: The reading text "Jobs for the boys… and girls" (pages 66-67) X INTRODUCTION Rationale In the college of Broadcasting 1, Phu Ly city, Ha Nam Province, where the author works, there are some departments such as: Journalism, Accounting, Information Technology, Engineering, Telecommunication English is a compulsory subject at school It is taught with the purpose that students will use it effectively to fulfill their daily work in the future so it receives great deal concern of teachers and students here In English, students have to learn both General English and English for Specific Purposes General English play a very important role with the object to enhance the first year students’ general knowledge in English Because General English will support students general knowledge to learn further English Moreover, students in the college of Broadcasting will use English as a means of communication and receive information when they graduate Basing on the characteristics of the future work, students must study English with four related skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing In teaching and learning English as a foreign language in Vietnam, reading has always received a great deal attention This is understandable, English is learnt and taught in non-English environment, so reading is not only one of the four language skills that students of English need to acquire but also a means of further study Although in the course book “New Headway” four skills are taught, reading is more important than other three skills because students have to take the examinations which are grammar and reading based However, the students’ reading proficiency is not satisfactory That is because teachers and students have difficulties in receiving especially reading skill though this course book has used for some terms If those difficulties are not found out and no solutions to overcome are given, it is certain that reading class cannot be successful Despite the above mention reason, no study on this matter has been carried out It has encouraged the author to the research Aims and significance of the study The study is aimed at: investigating the areas of difficulties that students and teachers are coping with in their daily of teaching and learning reading comprehension in the course book "New Headway" (Pre-Intermediate) for the first year students offering some solutions to overcome difficulties encountered The study is carried out in terms of both theory and practice with a hope to be of some help to the improvement of reading comprehension teaching and learning efficiency for the first year students in the college of Broadcasting Research questions In order to achieve the above aims, the study concentrated answering the research questions: - What are difficulties experienced by teachers who are teaching and first year students who are learning reading comprehension in the course book "New Headway" (PreIntermediate) in the college of Broadcasting ? - What are feasible solutions to overcome those difficulties? In order to find out the answers to the research questions, many sub-questions shall be deal with: - What are teachers' and students' opinions on the course book "New Headway" (PreIntermediate)? - What are difficulties in learning Reading comprehension in this course book revealed by students and is there any relation between students' difficulties and their teachers’ teaching method? - What are difficulties in teaching Reading comprehension in this course book revealed by teachers? Once the difficulties are found, appropriate solutions to overcome those difficulties will be suggested Scope of the study This study limits itself to the investigation of - a sample of the first year students - Teachers of English - Reading comprehension in the course book "New Headway" (Pre-Intermediate) Methods of the study In order to get the most exact information for the study, two methods of research (qualitative and quantitative) were employed with the following instruments: - survey questionnaires to students - classroom observation - informal interview with teachers of English - journal keeping The data can be formally and informally recorded Interview and classroom observation are used to record information from teachers A survey questionnaire to students will identify common difficulties the students encounter in their reading comprehension Design of the study The study will be organized into parts: Part I: Introduction: Presents the rationale, aims and significance of the study, research question, scope of the study and methods of the study Part II: Development: This part consists of chapters: Chapter 1: Discusses the theoretical background, which is relevant to the purpose of the study Chapter 2: Gives a brief introduction on the course book used in this study “New Headway” (Pre-Intermediate) and current situation of teaching and learning this course book Chapter 3: Deals with the study: context of the study, the subject, data collection method, data collection procedure Also in this chapter, the data will be analyzed and the findings of the study will reveals teachers’ and first year students’ difficulties in teaching and learning reading comprehension of General English Basing on difficulties, solutions to overcome will be suggested Part 3: Conclusion: Summaries the study and offers some suggestions for further study ... speaking, reading and writing In teaching and learning English as a foreign language in Vietnam, reading has always received a great deal attention This is understandable, English is learnt and taught... are teaching and first year students who are learning reading comprehension in the course book "New Headway" (PreIntermediate) in the college of Broadcasting ? - What are feasible solutions to. .. learning reading comprehension in the course book “New Headway (Pre-Intermediate) to the first year students at college of Broadcasting 1, Phu Ly city, Ha Nam province and some solutions (Tìm hiểu