A study on the improvements of learners studying TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center. M.A. Thesis Linguistics: 60 14 01 11

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES -*** - NGUYỄN THỊ LỰU A STUDY ON THE IMPROVEMENTS OF LEARNERS STUDYING TOEIC PREPARATION CLASSES AT TIENGANH123 ENGLISH CENTER Một nghiên cứu tiến học viên học lớp luyện thi TOEIC trung tâm Tiếng Anh 123 M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HA NOI, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES -*** NGUYỄN THỊ LỰU A STUDY ON THE IMPROVEMENTS OF LEARNERS STUDYING TOEIC PREPARATION CLASSES AT TIENGANH123 ENGLISH CENTER Một nghiên cứu tiến học viên học lớp luyện thi TOEIC trung tâm Tiếng Anh 123 M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Assoc.Prof.Dr Nguyễn Phương Nga HA NOI, 2014 CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY I hereby certify that the thesis entitled “A study on the improvements of learners studying TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center” is my own study in the fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts at Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi Hanoi, 2014 Nguyễn Thị Lựu i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to my respectable supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Phuong Nga for her restless and sympathetic encouragement, valuable advice and patient guidance until the completion of this study My sincere thanks also go to my dear colleagues at TiengAnh123 English Center for all their help, support and encouragement when I encountered difficulties I wish to acknowledge my thankfulness to the three TOEIC preparation classes for their enthusiastic participation in the project Finally, I am deeply indebted to my beloved parents, my husband, my daughter, my siblings, and my post-graduate friends for their sacrifice, encouragement and care ii ABSTRACT In recent time, there has been an increasing number of those who want to sit a TOEIC test to get a desirable score for their college graduation or job application in Vietnam This has resulted in the fact that many English centers have included TOEIC preparation courses in their training program These centers usually state strongly about the effectiveness of their TOEIC preparation classes; however, there has been little investigation on this so far This study is intended to explore the improvements made by TOEIC learners in terms of (1) their test-taking strategies, and (2) their test scores The participants selected for the study included 43 learners from three TOEIC classes at TiengAnh123 English Center in Hanoi Through the instruments of preand post tests and survey questionnaires for learners, the study discovered that after taking a 2-month preparation course, the learners have significantly improved their TOEIC general and specific test-taking strategies In addition, regarding TOEIC scores, on average, learners have made an increase of approximately 200 points with about 80 points for Reading section and 122 points for Listening Comprehension section iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Pages CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLES OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES vi PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale for the study Aims and objectives of the study Methodology of the study Scope of the study Significance of the study Organization of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW I Language tests and language test preparation The need for language tests Kinds of language test Test preparation 3.1 Definition of test preparation 3.2 Types of test preparation 3.3 Test-taking strategies 3.4 Previous studies on improvements of learners at test preparation language courses 11 II The TOEIC test 14 What is TOEIC? 14 Suggested test-taking strategies for success in the TOEIC test 15 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 18 iv Context of the study 18 Methodology 18 2.1 Research questions 18 2.2 Participants 19 2.2 Instruments 19 2.3 Procedures of data collection 19 2.4 Procedures of data analysis 20 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 22 Learners’ personal information 22 Results addressing research question 1: Improvements on TOEIC testtaking strategies 24 2.1 Improvements on TOEIC general test-taking strategies 24 2.2 Improvements on TOEIC specific test-taking strategies 27 Results addressing research question 2: Improvements on TOEIC scores 33 PART C: CONCLUSION 37 Conclusion 37 Implications of the study 37 Limitations of the study 38 Suggestions for further study 38 REFERENCES 39 APPENDICES .I APPENDIX A I APPENDIX B XXXIV APPENDIX C LXIX v LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1.1: Gender of learners 22 Figure 1.2: Learners’ age 22 Figure 1.3: Learners’ current status 23 Figure 1.4: Learners’ years of learning English 23 Table 2.1: Learners’ responses to question of knowledge of TOEIC general testtaking strategies before the course 24 Table 2.2: Learners’ responses to question of knowledge of TOEIC general testtaking strategies after the course 25 Table 2.3: Mastery of TOEIC general test-taking strategies before the course 26 Table 2.4: Mastery of TOEIC general test-taking strategies after the course 27 Table 2.5: Learners’ responses to question of knowledge of TOEIC specific testtaking strategies before the course 28 Table 2.6: Learners’ responses to question of knowledge of TOEIC specific testtaking strategies after the course 29 Table 2.7: Mastery of TOEIC specific test-taking strategies before the course 31 Table 2.8: Mastery of TOEIC specific test-taking strategies after the course 32 Table 3.1: TOEIC pre- and post-test raw score data 34 Table 3.2: TOEIC pre- and post-test minimum, maximum, and mean score 35 Table 3.3: Detailed score difference between pre-tests and post-tests 35 vi PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study There is no doubt that English has been playing an important role in the modern world of highly advanced technology, information and business Facts have shown that the English language has become an indispensable element for success in the rapidly changing, competitive world Understanding its importance in individual educational and occupational career, users of English worldwide in general and in Vietnam in particular have had a growing demand for mastering this international language In addition, a widely accepted English certificate such as TOEIC is a desire of many learners of English In fact, today the TOEIC test is one of the most common international recognized English proficiency exams in the world This is because TOEIC is now one of the most popular assessments used by schools and employers to evaluate the English abilities of students and employees (Tokunaga, 2008) To be specific, there has been a rising number of companies in Vietnam and all over the world using the TOEIC for the purposes of hiring new employees, and for promotion to higher positions Apart from that, TOEIC is gradually being used within educational situations Specifically, according to Trew (2008) a significant quantity of Vietnamese and international universities and colleges used the test for the purposes of accreditation, course placement, and measuring progress within a curriculum Additionally, TOEIC has been adopted as a way of screening candidates for their graduate programs, especially in the fields of business or international studies by a growing proportion of educational institutions worldwide and in Vietnam In some cases, high TOEIC scores even bring candidates the right to apply for scholarships or special certifications The desire for a satisfactory score makes TOEIC candidates put a great deal of effort in preparing for the test In Vietnam, some of them spend hours of selflearning at home while the majority attends English courses for their test preparation These courses have various length and syllabi depending on the levels and the goals of learners, but in general they provide participants with both linguistic skills and test-taking skills TiengAnh123 English center, Hanoi is one of such places which provide learners with instructions on how to achieve their desired scores Courses have been given for several years, and it is claimed by TiengAnh123 that its learners have made great improvements after their courses However, there has not been any investigation on how much progress its participants have made so far The aforementioned reasons have brought the researcher a chance to carry out a research project entitled A study on the improvements of learners studying TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center Aims and objectives of the study The research project is aimed to investigate the improvements that TOEIC learners have made after a preparation course at TiengAnh123 English center The specific objectives of the study are to identify the extent to which learners have improved their test-taking strategies and their scores after attending a TOEIC preparation course provided by this center Research methodology In order to achieve the research aims and objectives, the study is to find answers to the following research questions: To what extent learners improve their TOEIC test-taking strategies after attending TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center? To what extent learners improve their TOEIC scores after attending TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center? To fulfill the research aims and objectives and answer the two research questions, a qualitative methodology was employed; specifically, it conducted survey questionnaires on TOEIC learners In addition, the results from the pre-tests and the post-tests taken by these learners were compared and contrasted The detail of the methodology applied in the study is discussed in Chapter of Part II B He was told by his friend C He read it in a magazine D He saw it on the Internet 185 How many years of experience does Eric Smith have? A years B years C years D years Question 186 -190 refer to the following emails: Executives Manager PERFASHION shop 145 Kangley St Nevada 13.12.2012 Dear Sir, On December 12th I purchased a short white leather dress that called “Jiana” for $50.00 in your shop PERFASHION, 145 Kangley Str, Nevada I paid for this item by credit card and I received a receipt No 34560000000012 I bought that dress for my 15 year old daughter and when I got it home it didn’t fit her well We went back today to exchange it, but there were no dresses to fit her I asked for a cash refund, but the shop assistant refused point-blank saying only tokens were given out There were no signs explaining no cash refunds I explained there were no dresses to fit her and I needed to buy one somewhere else But your shop assistant rudely refused I couldn’t get back my $50.00 to go to another shop The shop now has my money and my daughter still has no dress I ask for you to solve this problem positively about my $50.00 refund I look forward to hearing from you Your sincerely, Mrs Kim Dear Mrs Kim, Thank you for shopping with us and I am deeply sorry to hear the predicament you are finding yourself in In most cases we try to keep our return policy as flexible as possible to accommodate the needs of our customers In normal circumstances our company allows for exchanges on most of our items, no questions asked LXIII Unfortunately, the “Jiana” dress you purchased was a promotional item that comes with different stipulations upon purchase Because this item is a season-end discount item, the offer fits within a different return policy If you look at your receipt you can read that the transaction terms states that discounted items are only available for exchange and not for full cash refund This policy is put in place to prevent overstock on discontinued items I am sorry for the inconvenience but this is a company-wide policy that I not have the power to reverse Although I cannot help you with your return, I promise we will work to make our policy clearer in the future to prevent any miscommunication with our customers again We value your patronage and wish for you to continue shopping with us Warm Regards, Peter Novio Executive Manager PERFASHION Shop 186 The word “accommodate” in line in the second email is closest in meaning to A provide space B try to assist C stay D change 187 Why does the woman return the dress? A Because her daughter didn’t like it B Because it didn’t fit her daughter C Because she found it faulty D Because she was not happy with the service 188 What can be inferred from these two emails? A The shop was running a promotional campaign B The shop specializes in female clothes C Mrs Kim usually visits PERFASHION Shop D Mrs Kim will get her refund 189 What does Peter Novio promise to do? A B C D Ask for an exception for the woman’s situation Adjust the shop’s policy Talk to the shop assistant Ensure the customers to be better informed of the policy LXIV 190 What is NOT true about the “Jiana”? A It is made of leather B It’s worth $50.00 C It was on sale D It was refundable Question 191 -195 refer to the following itinerary and email: ITINERARY 13 Jul, Fri 06:30 – Depart Singapore for Genting via Tuas 2nd link 10:00 – R&R stop at Yong Peng for breakfast 14:00 – Arrive in Genting, check-in to hotel Free and Easy for the rest of the day 18:00 – Enjoy course dinner at Genting Palace with Lady IronChef 14 Jul, Sat 10:00 – Set breakfast (venue TBC) After breakfast, enjoy a day filled with exciting fun at Genting outdoor themepark 18:00 – Intl Buffet Dinner at Coffee Terrace 20:00 – Catch Khalil Fong Live concert at Genting 15 Jul, Sun 09:00 – Dim Sum Breakfast at Genting Palace (food review by Chef Jacky & Ladyironchef) 12:00 - Hotel room check-out 13:30 – Coach departure from First World Bus Terminal – Singapore 20:00 - Home Sweet Home To Whom It May Concern, I have recently booked a package tour from Singapore to Genting through your company and I have a few questions about the itinerary Do you provide any type of transportation from your offices to the terminal or will I need to arrange my own transport? If you have any type of shuttle bus that runs from your office, I would like to take advantage of that service Looking through the itinerary I see that many meals are provided during the trip I am curious about the menu for the meals you are providing Are there any vegetarian options offered with the meals? I am not a strict vegetarian, but I would like to choose a meatless option if possible If not, is there any type of alternative I can choose to replace the meals in my schedule? LXV Finally, I would like to know if I can have my own free time in the afternoon of the second day (14 July) as I have plans to meet my relatives later in the day I plan to make it to the events in the evening on Saturday, but I not want any kind of hold up on account of my actions Thank you for any kind of assistance you can provide I hope to hear from you soon so I can plan for my trip accordingly Sincerely, Elizabeth Warren 191 According to the schedule, what will the tourists after breakfast on Saturday? A Go to a park B Enjoy a festival C Go to the museum D Shop at a local market 192 Where will the visitors have dinner on July 13th? A On the bus B At Genting Palace C At the restaurant of a hotel D At Coffee Terrace 193 How will they travel from Genting to Singapore? A By airplane B By coach C By train D By both airplane and coach 194 What does Elizabeth Warren plan to after the breakfast in TBC? A Meet her relatives B Reunite with her friends C Participate in a local event by herself D Go shopping around 195 What does Elizabeth Warren NOT mention in her letter? A Menu selection B Types of transportation the company provides LXVI C Possibility of having some private time D Total travelling time Question 196 -200 200 refer to the following report and chart: UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS IMPOR Imports in the United Kingdom increased to 44802 GBP Million in August of 2013 from 44760 GBP Million in July of 2013 Imports in the United Kingdom is reported by the UK Office for National Statistics the United Kingdom Imports averaged 21569.90 GBP Million from 1955 until 2013, reaching an all time high of 45263 GBP Million in March of 2013 and a record low of 1031 GBP Million in June of 1955 United Kingdom imports mostly manufactured products (83 percent of total imports) and raw metals and fuels (12 percent of total imports) The most important manufactured products are Computer, Electronic and Optical Products (11 percent); Transports Transports Equipment (14 percent); Chemical Products; Food and Beverages; Chemical products; Apparel, Textiles and Leather; Basics Metals and Refined Petroleum Products U.K main import partners are China (8 percent), United States (7 percent), Norway (6 percent) percent) and European Union countries with Germany, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy and Ireland being the most important This page contains - United Kingdom Imports - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news 196 What time does the UK have the lowest import? A February 2013 B June 1955 C June 2012 D March 1955 197 What did the UK mostly import during the 1955 – 2013 period? LXVII A Raw material B Fuel C Manufactured products D Chemical products 198 According to the diagram, which month is the spending on import at minimum? A January 2012 B July 2012 C January 2013 D July 2013 199 During the 2012 – 2013 period, which month does the UK have the highest import on average? A April B May C June D July 200 From which source are these figures? A On the WTO’s official website B The Department of Trade and Industry C Report from an online survey D UK Office for National Statistics LXVIII APPENDIX C Questionnaire for TOEIC learners Dear TOEIC learners, This survey questionnaire is designed for my research into the learners’ improvements after studying TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center Based on the findings of the study, suggestions would be made to maximize the effectiveness of these courses All the information provided by you is solely for the study purpose and you can be confident that you will not be identified in any discussion of the data PART 1: GENERAL INFORMATION Please answer the questions by ticking the appropriate box: Gender: Female Age: 18‐21 You are: studying at university How long have you been learning English? 1-3 years Male 22‐24 25 or older 4-7 years working 8-10 years looking for a job over 10 years Your pre-test score: ……… /990 (Reading = ………./495, Listening = ………./495) Your post-test score: ……… /990 (Reading = ………./495, Listening = ………./495) PART 2: IMPROVEMENTS ON TOEIC TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES Please answer the following questions by ticking the most appropriate column as you think = Never or almost never true of me = Usually not true of me = Somewhat true of me 4= Usually true of me LXIX = Always or almost always true of me TOEIC test-taking strategies A General test-taking strategies Before the course, I knew: 7.1 the instructions in the test 7.2 how long to spend on each part of the test 7.3 how to identify main idea questions detail questions vocabulary questions inference questions 7.4 how to identify similar-sounding distracters meaning distracters 7.5 how to avoid distracters in the test 7.6 how to guess when I don’t know the answer 7.7 that I should work quickly but carefully 7.8 that I should mark only one answer per question 7.9 that I should choose only A (or B, or C, or D) for all the questions I don’t know the exact answers LXX After the course, I know: 7.1 the instructions in the test 7.2 how long to spend on each part of the test 7.3 how to identify main idea questions detail questions vocabulary questions inference questions 7.4 how to identify similar-sounding distracters meaning distracters 7.5 how to avoid distracters in the test 7.6 how to guess when I don’t know the answer 7.7 that I should work quickly but carefully 7.8 that I should mark only one answer per question 7.9 that I should choose only A (or B, or C, or D) for all the questions I don’t know the exact answers B Specific strategies Before the course, I used the following strategies in doing each part in the TOEIC test: LXXI TOEIC 7.11 Pre-listening Strategies - Identify all words about photos Part Photos - Self-ask and self-answer questions about photos quickly While– - Avoid similar-sounding listening distracters - Avoid meaning distracters - Only mark answers after listening to choices 7.12 Pre - listening - Check part answers again - Preview quickly part Part Question – While- - Focus on audio and answer listening sheet only Response - Identify question types - Take notes of question words - Avoid similar-sounding distracters - Avoid meaning distracters - Only mark answers after listening to choices 7.13 Pre-listening - Look at questions and answer choices quickly LXXII - Predict context Part While- - Avoid similar-sounding listening distracters Conversations - Avoid meaning distracters & Part Talks - Mark answers quickly 7.14 Part - Spend no more than 30 seconds per question Incomplete Sentences Word choice - Use context questions - Use grammar clues Word form - Look at suffixes questions Verb questions - Look for time clues 7.15 Part - Spend around 10 minutes on this part Text - Read more than one sentence to find the answer Completion when necessary Word choice - Use context questions - Use grammar clues LXXIII Word form - Look at suffixes questions Verb questions - Look for time clues 7.16 Part - Spend at least 45 minutes on this part Reading - Read questions carefully and identify key Comprehension words before reading texts - Identify easier questions and them first Main idea - Use skimming skill questions Detail - Use scanning skill questions Vocabulary - Use context clues questions After the course, I am now using the following strategies in doing each part in the TOEIC test: TOEIC 7.11 Pre-listening Strategies - Identify all words about photos Part Photos - Self-ask and self-answer questions about photos quickly While– - Avoid similar-sounding listening distracters LXXIV - Avoid meaning distracters - Only mark answers after listening to choices 7.12 Pre - listening - Check part answers again - Preview quickly part Part Question – While- - Focus on audio and answer listening sheet only Response - Identify question types - Take notes of question words - Avoid similar-sounding distracters - Avoid meaning distracters - Only mark answers after listening to choices 7.13 Pre-listening - Look at questions and answer choices quickly - Predict context Part While- - Avoid similar-sounding Conversations listening distracters & - Avoid meaning distracters Part Talks LXXV - Mark answers quickly 7.14 Part - Spend no more than 30 seconds per question Incomplete Sentences Word choice - Use context questions - Use grammar clues Word form - Look at suffixes questions Verb questions - Look for time clues 7.15 Part - Spend around 10 minutes on this part Text - Read more than one sentence to find the answer Completion when necessary Word choice - Use context questions - Use grammar clues Word form - Look at suffixes questions Verb questions - Look for time clues 7.16 Part - Spend at least 45 minutes on this part Reading - Read questions carefully and identify key Comprehension words before reading texts LXXVI - Identify easier questions and them first Main idea - Use skimming skill questions Detail - Use scanning skill questions Vocabulary - Use context clues questions Thank you very much for your cooperation! LXXVII ... effects of the teaching and learning at TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center The findings of the study are expected to help the researcher identify what aspect of TOEIC preparation. .. TOEIC test-taking strategies after attending TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center? 18 To what extent learners improve their TOEIC scores after attending TOEIC preparation classes. .. questions regarding learners? ?? improvements after studying at TOEIC preparation classes Based on the data collected from the pre- and post-tests and the survey questionnaires for learners at TiengAnh123