The effects of an extensive reading program on the second year non-English majors’ vocabulary acquisition at Ha Hoa Tien University. M.A. Thesis Linguistics: 60 22 15

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES  VŨ THỊ THU GIANG THE EFFECTS OF AN EXTENSIVE READING PROGRAM ON THE SECOND YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJORS’ VOCABULARY ACQUISITION AT HA HOA TIEN UNIVERSITY Ảnh hưởng chương trình đọc rộng khả phát triển từ vựng sinh viên năm thứ hai không chuyên ngữ trường Đại học Hà Hoa Tiên M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Hanoi, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES  VŨ THỊ THU GIANG THE EFFECTS OF AN EXTENSIVE READING PROGRAM ON THE SECOND YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJORS’ VOCABULARY ACQUISITION AT HA HOA TIEN UNIVERSITY Ảnh hưởng chương trình đọc rộng khả phát triển từ vựng sinh viên năm thứ hai không chuyên ngữ trường Đại học Hà Hoa Tiên M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: PROF NGUYỄN HÒA Hanoi, 2014 i DECLARATION To the best of my knowledge and belief, this minor thesis contains no materials which has previously been submitted and accepted for any other degree at any university The thesis is my own work and based on my own research It is submitted to Faculty of Graduate Studies, ULIS, Hanoi for Degree of Master in TESOL and has not been published anywhere Hanoi, August 2014 VŨ THỊ THU GIANG ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my special thanks to all the following people for having helped me complete this minor thesis First and foremost, I am deeply grateful for all the help of Prof Nguyen Hoa, my supervisor Without his extremely tremendous support, ultra-careful revision as well as thoroughly critical comments in a really intensive period of time, my thesis could not have been finalized In addition, my gratitude is reserved for all my colleagues and students at Ha Hoa Tien University for their valuable information, assistance and cooperation Last but not least, I am thankful to all of the members in my family, my husband, my son, and all of my dear friends who gave me so much encouragement and support in carrying put this research paper iii ABSTRACT Ha Hoa Tien University first implements the extensive reading program to improve students‘ vocabulary acquisition in March, 2014 This calls for the need to access the program to create a better path for the program in the future Therefore, the study is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the extensive reading program on the second year non-English majors‘ vocabulary acquisition In this case study, the data are collected by a vocabulary test and a survey questionnaire for students The results show that the program has the effectiveness on the second year non-English major students‘ vocabulary acquisition at Ha Hoa Tien University However, there is still room for improvement in terms of facilities, environment, teaching methods for students‘ extensive reading Based on the findings, the thesis suggests some recommendations to promote the maximum effectiveness of the for students‘ long-term benefits in learning English in general and in acquiring vocabulary in particular iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS vii PART A: INTRODUCTION .1 Rationale Aims of the study Scope of the study Methods of the study Design of the study Concluding remarks .3 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Overview of evaluation 1.1.1 Definition of program evaluation 1.1.2 Criteria of program evaluation 1.2 Extensive reading .6 1.2.1 Definition of extensive reading 1.2.2 Models and principles of an extensive reading program 1.3 Previous research of vocabulary acquisition through extensive reading 1.4 Concluding remarks .11 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .12 2.1 Restatement of research question 12 2.2 Participants .12 2.3 Setting of the study 12 2.4 The extensive reading program 13 2.5 Data collection instruments 17 2.5.1 Vocabulary Test 17 v 2.5.2 Questionnaire 17 2.6 Data collection procedures 18 2.6.1 Test procedure 18 2.6.2 Questionnaire survey procedure .18 2.8 Concluding remarks .20 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .21 3.1 Findings 21 3.1.1 Total test scores 21 3.1.2 Component test scores 22 3.1.3 Students’ perception on the ERP 23 3.2 Discussion 26 3.2.1 An evaluation on the effectiveness of the ERP based on the findings of vocabulary test scores 26 3.2.2 An evaluation on the effectiveness of the ERP based on the findings of survey questionnaire 27 3.2.3 The correlation between vocabulary test scores and results of survey questionnaire .28 3.4 Concluding remarks 29 Recapitulation .30 Conclusion 31 Implications 31 Limitations of the study 32 Suggestions for further research .33 REFERENCES 34 APPENDICES I Appendix : Vocabulary Test I Appendix 2: The extensive reading program questionnaire .III Appendix 3: Lists of Graded Readers V Appendix 4: Reading Lesson VIII Appendix 6: A sample story XIII Appendix A sample of reflection story XIX vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL: English as a foreign language ESL: English as a second language ER: Extensive reading ERP: Extensive reading program vii LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS Chart 3.1 The validity of total test scores 21 Table 3.1 The validity of component test scores 22 Table 3.2 Students‘ opinions on the ERP 23 PART A: INTRODUCTION This chapter presents a brief of the rationale, the aims of the study, the research question, and the scope of the study, the research methods, and the design of the study to give reader an overview of the study Rationale Vocabulary is an important component of overall communicative competence It links all language skills as listening, speaking, reading, and writing together and helps communication smoothly According to Hatch (1983:74), "when our first goal is communication, when we have little of new language at our command, it is lexicon that is crucial The words will make basic communication possible" In deed, many students share the view that they have lots of difficulties in leaning English because of lack of vocabulary For example, many students have fairly good knowledge of grammar, but they are hardly able to express themselves properly with lack of vocabulary Therefore, vocabulary learning and improving become central to students‘ language acquisition In the case of Ha Hoa Tien University, where I am teaching English, students also have a lot of difficulties in learning English because of their limited vocabulary An inappropriate word choice and lack of vocabulary prevent students from expressing their ideas properly This increasing demand for improving students‘ vocabulary leads to an extensive reading program carried out at Ha Hoa tien University With an extensive reading program (ERP), the teachers here supplied more reading materials with more interesting topics and easier words to learners That can encourage them in learning vocabulary and develop their vocabulary acquisition For the long time, extensive reading has been studied and developed in many language aspects through research done by Krashen (1982), Lewis & Hill (1992), Cho & Krashen (1994: 662-667), (Huckin, 1999: 182-193), Pigada (2006: 1-28) These researches have shown that extensive reading program has positive effects on language learners Seeing the benefits of ERP in language learning, the educators have applied the program in teaching English in Vietnam for the past few years However, there has been no research conducted V Appendix 3: Lists of Graded Readers Number Title Author Words Publisher Love ME Jane Homeshaw 300-400 Collins English (level 1) library 300-400 Collins English (level 1) library 300-400 Collins English (level 1) library Dave Couper & 400 -500 Streamline Graded Chris Riddell (level 1) Readers Stephen Rabley, 400-500 Streamline Graded et al (level 1) Readers Peter Viney 400-500 Streamline Graded (level 1) Readers 400-500 Streamline Graded (level 1) Readers Tomorrow Journey to Leslie Dunkling Universe City Four Short Stories George Sees Stars The New Road The Locked Room Margery Morris (Level 1) A Song for Ben Sandra Slater (Level 1) 10 11 12 13 14 Bad dog! Good Rob Waring & 500-620 Foundations dog! (level 1) Maurice Jamall (level 1) Reading Library Sarah‘s surprise Rob Waring & 500-620 Foundations Maurice Jamall (level 1) Reading Library Rob Waring & 500-620 Foundations Maurice Jamall (level 1) Reading Library Rob Waring & 500-620 Foundations Maurice Jamall (level 1) Reading Library Rob Waring & 500-620 Foundations Maurice Jamall (level 1) Reading Library Rob Waring & 500-620 Foundations Maurice Jamall (level 1) Reading Library Rob Waring & 500 -620 Foundations Maurice Jamall (level 1) Reading Library Get the ball! Rain, Rain, Rain! Good bye, Hello Collection The Tickets! VI 15 16 Jane Eyre The Mill on the Charlotte Brontë George Eliot Floss 17 The Black Tulip 600 Heinemann Guided (beginner) Readers 600 Macmillan Readers (beginner) Alexandre Dumas 600 Macmillan Readers (beginner) 18 19 20 Death of a Soldier The Truth Machine Dangerous Journey Philip Prowse Norman Whitney Alwyn Cox 600 Heinemann Guided (beginner) Readers 600 Heinemann Guided (beginner) Readers 600 Macmillan Readers (beginner) 21 Money for a John Milne Motorbike 22 23 24 25 26 Mystery in London New York Café 600 Macmillan Readers (Beginner) Brooke, Helen Dean, Michael 700 Oxford (Starter) Bookworms 700 Oxford (Starter) Bookworms Oranges in the Burrows, Phillip & 700 Oxford snow Foster, Mark (Starter) Bookworms Brilliant! Alan C McLean 600-800 New Wave (level 1) Readers Karen E 600-800 New Wave Spiller & Peter (level 1) Readers 600-800 New Wave (level 1) Readers 600-800 New Wave (level 1) Readers 600-800 New Wave Fire! Tucker 27 28 29 Free the Dolphins! The Music of Love The Bookshop Stella Martin Alan C McLean John Escott VII Trick 30 Star Picture John Escott (level 1) Readers 600-800 New Wave Readers VIII Appendix 4: Reading Lesson Why we yawn? Bears yawn Camels yawn Most mammals yawn Why we yawn? No one really knows the answer We know that everyone yawns in the same way First you open your mouth slowly Your mouth stays open for about five seconds Then you quickly close your mouth We also know that yawning is contagious, or catching When you see someone yawn, you yawn, too Many people say that they yawn because they are bored or tired This might be true However, we know that people also yawn when they are excited or nervous Olympic runners, for example, often yawn before a race Why is that? Some scientists believe that yawning makes you more alert When you yawn, you breathe more deeply You also stretch the muscles in your face and neck Maybe this makes you feel more alert Scientists don‘t spend much time studying yawning That is probably because yawning doesn‘t hurt It is just something we Before reading Read the sentences Check true, false, or don‟t know You open your mouth when you yawn It hurts when you yawn Many kinds of animals yawn While you read I Vocabulary: Put the right word in each blank The sentences are from the text Alert deeply Bored excited Contagious however muscles quickly might stretch race yawn …………, we know that people also yawn when they are ……….or nervous We also know that yawning is ……………, or catching Some scientists believe that yawning makes you more …………… Many people say that they yawn because they are……… or tired Olympic runners, for example, often yawn before a………… You also ……… the ………… in your face and neck Then you quickly close your mouth IX When you yawn, you breathe more ……… This ………… be true 10 Bears ……… II Vocabulary: New context Put the right word in each blank These are new sentences for the words in the text Alert deeply Bored excited Contagious however muscles quickly might stretch race yawn Soccer players have strong leg……… because they run a lot I…….go to the party, but I‘m not sure Headaches are not ……………… Airplane pilots need to be ………… on the job A kiwi is a bird……………, it doesn‘t have wings Children can‘t sleep when they are………… He doesn‘t like to swim in ………….water Swimmers are tired after a long………… Do you breathe……… when you are afraid? 10 Do you cover your mouth when you…………? III Vocabulary review: Find an antonym in column B for ach word in column A Column A slowly bored large before same cool above no one open 10 true IV Questions: Answer these questions a close b interested c everyone d false e after How people yawn? What happens to your muscles when you yawn? What usually happens when you see someone yawn? How long does a yawn last? Why Olympic runners yawn before a race? After you read Discuss and retell why we yawn? Column B f quickly g different h below i small j warm X Appendix 5: Supported Lesson of Word Study I Affix ‘-er’ = a person Example: Mr Brown is a teacher He teaches English Add –er to each word Then put the new words in the blanks Use the plural if necessary Play Work Farm Box Interpret Speak Listen sing Keiko is an………She speaks both Japanese and English Mr and Mrs Clark are ……They have a large cotton frarm Sarah is a famous…………She sing in Europe In the morning class, five students speak Arabic In the afternoon class, there are seven Arsbic………… Bill is not a good……………He talks all the time and doesn‘t listen II Suffix un- means not Add un- to each word Then put the new words in the blanks Happy Hurt Popular Afraid Like Kind Paid common A kiwi is ……………It lives only in New Zealand Sam is………with his classmates because he is often………to them Carol is only 12 years old She was alone n the house during the storm, but she was……… The baby fell off a chair, but luckily she was……… I get a - two weeks, but unfortunately it‘s……… III Comparisons Sometimes we compare two things We tell how they are different Add –er to short words (words with only one syllable) to compare two things Use than with the word ending in – er Examples: A camel is big A polar bear is bigger than a camel Spelling: If a word has one syllable with one vowel in the middle and one consonant at the and, double the consonant when you add –er This is the one-one-one (1-1-1) rule Examples: big-bigger hot-hotter Put the right word in each sentence A kiwi is…….a bluebird (strange) Oman is……….Switzerland (hot) XI Italy is………… France (warm) Saudi Arabia is……… Kuwait (large) A dolphin is……… a polar bear (small) IV Collocations We often use certain adjectives and nouns together For example, we often use the adjective warm with the noun coat However, we don‘t use the adjective cold with the noun coat Example: I have a warm coat for the winter What adjectives we often use with the nouns below? Adjectives Nouns Flexible Popular a salary d Music Strong High b Activity e time What verb we often use with each noun below? Verbs Nouns Cause Increase a the Internet d money Earn Prepare b a job e a problem Enter Get c a meal g productivity V Context Clues: Choose the word that means the same as the word in bold type Do not use your dictionary Keiko has $100 Betty has $75 Betty has less money than Keiko a more c not as much b the same amount of d a lot of There are hundreds of square kilometers of forest in the Amazon River area There are trees everywhere a lot of trees b some trees c lots of water d some water The company promoted its new product on TV and radio Now the product is very popular a paid for b lost c wrote about d told people about Children start to attend school when they are five or six years old a finish b solve c go to d hold on XII Eskimos hunt the polar bear When they find one, they kill it a look for b study c hurt d appear VI Vocabulary review: finding antonyms in two cloumns Column A Column B Calm Different a thick d soft Thin Before b save e same Loud Store c after g nervous XIII Appendix 6: A sample story The last leaf1 From “O.Henry‟s American Scenes” adapted by Elinor Chamberlain In a small part of the city west of Washington Square, the streets have gone wild They turn in different directions They are broken into small pieces called ―places‖ One street goes across itself one or two times A painter once discovered something possible and valuable about this street Suppose a painter had some painting materials for which he had not paid Suppose he had no money Suppose a man came to get the money The man might walk down that street and suddenly meet himself coming back, without having received a cent! This part of the city is called Greenwich Village And to old Greenwich Village the painters soon came Here they found rooms they liked, with good light and a low cost Sue and Johnsy lived at the top of a building with three floors One of these young women came from Maine‘ the other from California They had met at a restaurant on Eighth Street There they discovered that they liked the same kind of art, the same kind of food, and the same kind of clothes So they decided to live and work together That was in the spring Toward winter a cold stranger entered Greenwich Village No one could see him He walked around touching one person here and another there with his icy fingers He was a bad sickness Doctors called him Pneumonia On the east side of the city he hurried, touching many people; but in the narrow streets of Greenwich Village he did not move so quickly Mr Pneumonia was not a nice old gentle man A nice old gentleman would not hurt a weak little woman from California But Mr Pneumonia touched Johnsy with his cold fingers She lay on her bed almost without moving, and she looked through the window at the wall of the house next to hers One morning the busy doctor spoke to Sue alone in the hall, where Johnsy could not hear Chamberlain, E 1994 o Henry's American Scenes Washington D.C.: Ladder Edition; XIV ―She has a very small chance,‖ he said ―She has a chance, if she wants to live If people don‘t want to live, I can‘t much for them Your little lady has decided that she is not going to get well Is there something that is troubling her?‖ ―She always wanted to go to Italy and paint a picture of the Bay of Naples,‖ said Sue ―Paint! Not paint Is there anything worth being troubled about? A man?‖ ―A man?‖ said Sue ―Is a man worth — No, doctor There is not a man.‖ ―It is weakness,‖ said the doctor ―I will all I know how to But when a sick person begins to feel that he‘s going to die, half my work is useless Talk to her about new winter clothes If she were interested in the future, her chances would be better.‖ After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom to cry Then she walked into Johnsy‘s room She carried some of her painting materials Johnsy lay there, very thin and very quiet Her face was turned toward the window Sue stopped singing, thinking that Johnsy was asleep Sue began to work As she worked she heard a low sound, again and again She went quickly to the bedside Johnsy‘s eyes were open wide She was looking out the window and counting counting back ―Twelve,‖ she said; and a little later, ―Eleven‖; and then, ―Ten,‖ and, ―Nine‖; and then, ―Eight,‖ and, ―Seven,‖ almost together Sue looked out the window What was there to count? There was only the side wart of the next house, a short distance away The wall had no window And old, old tree grew against the wall The cold breath of winter had already touched it Almost all its leaves had fallen from its dark branches ―What is it, dear?‖ asked Sue ―Six,‖ said Johnsy, in a voice still lower ―They‘re falling faster now There days ago there were almost a hundred It hurt my head to count them But now it‘s easy There goes another one There are only five now.‖ ―Five what, dear? Tell your Sue.‖ - ―Leaves On the tree When the last one falls, I must go, too I have known that for three days Didn‘t the doctor tell you?‖ XV ―Oh, I never heard of such a thing,‖ said Sue ―It doesn‘t have any sense in it What does an old tree have to with you? Or with your getting well? And you used to love that tree so much Don‘t be a little fool The doctor told me your chances for getting well He told me this morning He said you had very good chances! Try to eat a little now And then I‘ll go back to work And then I can sell my picture, and then I can buy something more for you to eat to make you strong‖ ―You don‘t have to buy anything for me,‖ said Johnsy She still looked out the window ―There goes another No, I don‘t want anything to eat Now there are four I want to see the last one fall before night Then I‘ll go, too.‖ ―Johnsy, dear,‖ said Sue, ―will you promise me to close your eyes and keep them closed? Will you promise not to look out the window until I finish working? I must have this picture ready tomorrow I need the light; I can‘t cover the window.‖ ―Couldn‘t you work in the outer room?‖ asked Johnsy coldly ―I‘d rather be here by you,‖ said Sue ―And I don‘t want you to look at those leaves.‖ ―Tell me as soon as you have finished,‖ said Johnsy She closed her eyes and lay white and still ―Because I want to see the last leaf fall I have done enough waiting I have done enough thinking I want to go sailing down, down, like one of those leaves.‖ ―Try to sleep,‖ said Sue ―I must call Behrman to come up here I want to paint a man in this picture, and I‘ll make him look like Behrman I won‘t be gone a minute Don‘t try to move till I come back.‖ Old Behrman was a painter who lived on the first floor of their house He was past sixty He had had not success as a painter For forty years he had painted, without ever painting a good picture He got a little money by letting others paint pictures of him He drank too much He still talked of his great masterpiece And he believed that it was his special duty to everything possible to help Sue and Johnsy Sue found him in his dark room, and she knew that he had been drinking She could smell it She told him about Johnsy and the leaves on die vine She said that she was afraid that Johnsy would indeed sail down, down like the leaf Her hold on the world was growing weaker Old Behrman shouted his anger over such an idea XVI ―What!‖ he cried ―Are there such fools? Do people die because leaves drop off a tree? I have not heard of such a thing No, I will not come up and sit while you make a picture of me Why you allow her to think such a thing? That poor little Johnsy!‖ ―She is very sick and weak,‖ said Sue ―The sickness has put these strange ideas into her mind Mr Behrman, if you won‘t come, you won‘t But I don‘t think you‘re very nice.‖ ―This is like a woman!‖ shouted Behrman ―Who said I will not come? Go I come with you For half an hour I have been trying to say that I will come God! This is not any place for someone so good as Johnsy to lie sick Someday I shall paint my masterpiece, and we shall all go away from here God! Yes.‖ Johnsy was sleeping when they went up Sue covered the window, and took Behrman into the other room There they looked out the window fearfully at the tree Then they looked at each other for a moment without speaking A cold rain was falling, with a little snow in it too Behrman sat down, and Sue began to paint She worked through most of the night In the morning, after an hour‘s sleep, she went to see Johnsy‘s bedsiee Johnsy with wide-open eyes was looking toward the window ―I want to see,‖ she told Sue Sue took the cover from the window But after the beating rain and the wild wind that had not stopped through the whole night, there still was one lea to be seen against the wail It was the last on the tree It was still dark green near the branch But at the edges it was turning yellow with age There it was hanging from a branch nearly twenty feet above the ground ―It is the last one,‖ said Johnsy ―I thought it would surely fall during the night I heard the wind It will fail today, and I shall die at the same time.‖ ―Dear, dear Johnsy!‖ said Sue ―Think of me, if you won‘t think of yourself What would I do?‖ But Johnsy did not answer The most lonely thing in the world is a soul when it is preparing to go on its far journey The ties that held her to friendship and to earth were breaking, one by one XVII The day slowly passed As it grew dark, they could still see the leaf hanging from its branch against the wall And then, as the night came, the north wind began again to blow The rain still beat against the windows When it was light enough the next morning, Johnsy again commanded that she be allowed to see The leaf was still there Johnsy lay for a long time looking at it And then she called to Sue, who was cooking something for her to eat ―I‘ve been a bad girl, Sue,‖ said Johnsy ―Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how bad I was It is wrong to want to die I‘ll try to eat now But first bring me a looking-glass, so that I can see myself And then I‘ll sit up and watch you cook.‖ An hour later she said, ―Sue, someday I hope to paint the Bay of Naples.‖ The doctor came in the afternoon Sue followed him into the hall outside Johnsy‘s room to talk to him ―The chances are good,‖ said the doctor He took Sue‘s thin, shaking hand in his ―Give her good care, and she‘ll get well And now I must see another sick person in this house His name is Behrman A painter, I believe Pneumonia, too He is an old, weak man, and he is very ill There is no hope for him But we take him to the hospital today We‘ll make it as easy for him as we can.‖ The next day the doctor said to Sue: ―She‘s safe You have done it Food and care now - that‘s all.‖ And that afternoon Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay She put one arm around her ―I have something to tell you,‖ she said ―Mr Behrman died of pneumonia today in the hospital He was ill only two days Someone found him on the morning of the first day, in his room He was helpless with pain ―His shoes and his clothes were wet and as cold as ice Everyone wondered where he had been The night had been so cold and wild ―And then they found some things There was a light that he had taken outside And there were his materials for painting There was paint, green paint and yellow paint And — XVIII ―Look out the window, dear, at the last leaf on the wall Didn‘t you wonder why it never moved when the wind was blowing? Oh, my dear, it is Behrman‘s great masterpiece - he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell.‖ -The End - XIX Appendix A sample of reflection story Name:…………………… Week: Group: REFLECTION Name of the story: The last leaf Author: O Henry Question for discussion: At the end of the story, Sue said that Behrman’s drawing of a leaf on the wall was a masterpiece Why you think she said so? Why thinking about a great masterpiece of a painter, we often think about one which is very beautiful and well-known all over the world However, in some cases it is not In fact, the Behrman‟s drawing of the leaf was neither outstanding nor famous, but it was said to be a masterpiece by Sue It is because it saved the life of her friend – Johnsy It brought Johnsy hope and the feeling of confidence It helped her recover from her illness It was the magic medicine for her mind Furthermore, Behrman had to sacrifice his life to finish the drawing which saved Jonhsy‟s life So, it was not a normal picture It was the symbol of a noble and beautiful love – the love among poor people Although they were poor in money but rich in love The drawing of Behrman was a great masterpiece because it expressed love, humanity and sympathy