Effectiveness of authentic materials on extensive reading in developing students’ vocabulary in Namdinh College of Education

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* PHAN THỊ THẮM EFFECTIVENESS OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS ON EXTENSIVE READING IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY AT NAMDINH COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (Hiệu việc sử dụng tài liêụ xác thực cho đọc mở rộng nhằm phát triển vốn từ vựng cho sinh viên trường Cao Đẳng sư phạm Nam Định) M.A.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.140.111 HANOI-2015 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* PHAN THỊ THẮM EFFECTIVENESS OF AUTHENTIC MATERIALS ON EXTENSIVE READING IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY AT NAMDINH COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (Hiệu việc sử dụng tài liêụ xác thực cho đọc mở rộng nhằm phát triển vốn từ vựng cho sinh viên trường Cao Đẳng sư phạm Nam Định) M.A.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.140.111 Supervisor: Ph.D Ha Cam Tam HANOI-2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I am much thankful to all lecturers at Faculty of Post Graduate Studies, University of Language and International Studies for giving us useful and precious lectures I would also like to express my sincerest gratitude to Dr Ha Cam Tam, my respected supervisor for her precious guidance, critical comments and constructive supervision throughout my research I am deeply indebted to my colleagues at NCE, especially Ms Tran Thi Thu Hien who have given me encouragement and advices during my research In addition, I am grateful to the Board of Management of Namdinh College of Education for their valuable support and concerns while my research was in progress Finally, I would like to express special thanks to my husband and family for their support and encouragement while the study was being carried out i DECLARATION I confirm that this is my own research, and that is has not been published or submitted for any other degrees Student’s signature Phan Thị Thắm ii ABSTRACT From the literature, we know that authentic materials have positive effects on learners’ second language acquisition When teaching at Namdinh College of Education, I find that English major students in our College seem to be bored with the reading texts in the course book and unmotivated in learning Moreover, they also find it difficult to express their opinion because they lack vocabulary and background knowledge of real life Therefore, I think that it is necessary to introduce authentic materials to students for extensive reading to improve students’ vocabulary learning This experimental research recruits 40 first year English major students at NCE They are then randomly assigned to be an experimental group and a control group (20 students per each) During the treatment of weeks, students receive the same course instructions; only one difference is that the students in the experimental group are required to read authentic materials extensively I use pretest, posttest and other two vocabulary middle tests as means to distinguish the difference of vocabulary knowledge between the two groups After the collection of the tests, the test results are analyzed using SPSS version 13 The study results indicate a strong relationship between authentic materials and students’ vocabulary learning iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i DECLARATION ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii PART A - INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale for the study Aims of the study 3 Research hypothesis Methods of the study Scope of the study Significance of the study Design of the study PART B - DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Theoretical background of reading 1.1.1 Definitions of reading 1.1.2 Types of reading 1.1.2.1 Intensive reading 1.1.2.2 Extensive Reading 1.1.2.3 The role of extensive reading in language learning 10 1.1.3.4 Practical principles of running an ER Program 10 iv 1.2 Authentic materials in EFL 11 1.2.1 Definitions of authentic materials 11 1.2.2 Types of authentic materials 12 1.2.3 Advantages and disadvantages of using authentic materials 14 1.2.3.1 Advantages of using authentic Materials 14 1.2.3.2 Disadvantages of using authentic materials 15 1.2.4 Considerations for selecting authentic materials 16 1.3 Intentional and Incidental Vocabulary Learning 18 1.4 Criteria of a good vocabulary test 19 1.5 Research into effectiveness of authentic materials on language acquisition 20 CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY ………………………………………23 2.1 Research hypothesis 24 2.2 The participants 24 2.3 Data collection instruments 25 2.3.1 The reading materials 25 2.4 Data collection procedure 32 2.5 Data analysis and discussion 33 2.5.1 Data analysis 33 2.5.1.1 Results from pretests 33 2.5.1.3 The results from the posttests 37 2.5.2 Discussion 41 v PART C: CONCLUSION 43 Conclusion 43 Implications 43 Limitations of the study and recommendations for further research 44 REFERENCES 46 APPENDIX I APPENDIX V APPENDIX IX APPENDIX XII APPENDIX XV APPENDIX XVI vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS NCE: Namdinh College of Education ER: Extensive reading ERP: Extensive Reading Program L2: Second language M: Mean SD: Standard deviation N: Number of case df: Degree of freedom t: Obtained value p: Probability vii PART A - INTRODUCTION This part aims at presenting the rationale for the study, its aims and scope, significance, method, the research hypothesis, and design of the study Rationale for the study Namdinh College of Education is a college which has more than 13000 students There are five apartments in the college namely department of foreign languages, department of natural sciences, department of pre-school and primary education, department of social sciences Its main aim is to train teachers of all subjects to teach at primary and secondary schools for the whole province The Department of foreign languages at NCE has total teachers who are well qualified Among them, five teach General English for English non-major students and the rest teach English major students All of the teachers had formal training at ULIS Two of them have MA in TESOL and other two are taking a master-course They are creative in their teaching and willing to help students learn better When teaching English at this College, I find that the majored students are facing some problematic issues Firstly, they are not provided enough extra books, newspapers, magazines, and CDs by the library to study outside the class Yet, they are inactive to take any initiative to locate foreign language resources outside of class or to seek for solutions to the problem As a result, the language input, they receive is mostly from the class room Moreover, during classroom lessons, they seem to be bored with the reading texts in the course book and unmotivated in learning They also find it difficult to express their opinion because they lack vocabulary and background knowledge of real life That is because in the learning foreign language process, vocabulary plays the most vital role in learning a foreign language As Schmitt (2008) states that to use a second language successfully, learners need large vocabulary and it is necessary for them to set and pursue high vocabulary targets This means that students should acquire a great number of words and should put them into practice to communicate well in English However, 10 The market for all-inclusive holidays (in which customers pay for their flight, accommodations, meals are drinks in advance) has become very (Compete) II Match the word in the Column A with their definition in Column B A B original a, introduction of a new thing rigorously (adv): b, use pictures or examples to show the Herd meaning Administration c, spirit who serves God Illustrate d, group of animals Mess e, money received by the government Revenue f, Extremely thorough and careful Hug g, state of untidiness or dirtiness Innovation h, hold tightly in your arms 10 Acquiesce I, managing business and affairs K, first L, wealth M, work at something without serious intentions III Choose one suitable word from the box to complete each sentence ancient fortune decoration excessively distant license mine minerals quantity II rush seizes throughout Iron and gold are two examples of that can be found in the ground You must be 16 years old to have a driver’s in the United States A large amount of sap from sugar maple tree makes a small - of maple syrup Men are more likely than women to drink There is a large iron - in northern Sweden, where workers dig for iron The busiest traffic hours in big cities are called hours because everyone is trying to go to work or go home as fast as possible It is a tradition to put on a Christmas tree so the tree is very bright and beautiful Thousands of years ago, the Syrians learned how to make glass Many new kinds of glass have been developed the 20th century 10 Air travel and the telephone help keep people close to families and friends in parts of the world Even if you live in Canada and your family is in Japan, you can talk to them today or see them tomorrow if you must IV Decide which of the four underlined words or phrases would not be considered correct by circling it, then write the correction for the circled word or phrase at the end of the sentence Liberal arts colleges cultivate general intellectually abilities rather than technical or professional skills Goats are extremely destruction to natural vegetation and are often responsible for soil erosion III Wild plants were of considerable important to early settlers, and many are still used medically and as foods When a spacecraft is operating beyond the atmosphere, its fins and wings not longer serve to stabilize it The University of Chicago is unlike most other U.S universities in which it has emphasized graduate student program so much as undergraduate programs ever since it opened The mass production of paper bags cut costs so much that a bag soon became a routine part of near every purchase The male mandril baboon is one of the most colorful of all mammal Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted to human beings by animals Throughout his long career, Pete Seeger has been a lead figure in reviving folk 10 Hypnosis is sometimes employed as a means of helping people to quit to smoke IV APPENDIX Full name: …………………………………………………………………………… Middle Test Time allowed: 30’ I Give the correct written form of the word in the bracket (noun, verb, adjective or adverb) to complete the sentence Our boss is very helpful, but unfortunately he isn't very - (depend) The mistake was easily (rectify), but it would have been far more preferable if it hadn't happened in the first place There is access to the building, and all visitors will need to show a valid pass and some form of ID (Restrict) There are a few - between our old TZ18b model and the new TZ20 (similar) Despite a of company rules regarding dress, many still prefer to wear a suit to work (relaxed) The job was very and as a result it quickly became very boring (Repeat) Everybody was very - when we were offered the contract, but I was a little doubtful it would go ahead (Excite) Our new director isn't very - and needs to play a more active role in the day-to-day running of the company (Decide) Computer software designers need to be far more inventive if they want to keep up with a changing and - market (Change) 10 Health and issues should be a priority with any organization (safe) II Match the word in the Column A with their definition in Column B V A B dome a, help to the poor casualty b, A rounded vault forming the roof Pride of a building or structure Charity c, Consisting of several stages or Scheme Savage unaltered Mortgage Multistage 10 Nurture processes d, agreement using property as e, security for a debt f, having a high opinion of yourself g, someone killed or injured h, give care and food to i, Remaining the same; unchanged k, plan III Choose one suitable word from the box to complete each sentence Commercialized multiplicity undereducated oversimplification unrecognizable excellent Discouraged politicians Non-warlike programmer adolescents Paula dressed in strange clothes and put a lot of makeup on her face for a party She was completely No one knew who she was! One student said that his native country nationalized the oil companies because people were stealing the oil This is only part of what really happened This explanation is an - of the situation VI There is a - of problems in Third World countries, such as poor living conditions, few jobs, and very little medical care for people In the mountainous areas, most of the people are because of their poor living condition Carl is a computer - for a large company He writes programs for businesses and industries Christmas has become very in the United States Marketing experts make a lot of money because of this Don’t be if you can’t this exercise The words are very difficult are not children, but they are not grown up either The job is full-time, and offers an attractive salary and other - benefits, including a company car and free healthcare package 10 Tax laws are passed by who usually want to be re-elected IV Decide which of the four underlined words or phrases would not be considered correct by circling it, then write the correction for the circled word or phrase at the end of the sentence One important branch of linguistics is semantics, which analysis the meaning of words Unlike folk dancers, which are the product of a single culture, ballet is an international art form The strong of a rope is directly proportional to its cross-sectional area A person must be at least thirty years age in order to serve as a U.S senator No other state receives as little rainfall as the state of Nevada Because of refraction, the water in a tank ever looks as deep as it actually is Around 75 percents of the earth’s surface is covered by water VII Tornadoes can pick up objects as heavy as automobiles and carry them for hundreds of foot At beginning of the Civil war, Mathew Brady authorized to accompany the Union Army and take photographs 10 The development of transistors made possible it to reduce the size of many electronic devices VIII APPENDIX Full name: …………………………………………………………………………… Middle Test Time allowed: 30’ I Give the correct written form of the word in the bracket (noun, verb, adjective, or adverb) to complete the sentence We all stood up upon the (arrive) of the guest-of-honor Arturo (accident) broke the glass window while playing in the verandah She is a - mother (surrogacy) "Please pay ( attend ) when I am teaching," said Miss Chan The prime minister's wisdom won the (admire) of his citizens The policeman advises the driver to drive (careful) on the road This is the most ( comfort ) bed that I have slept in The beauty of the countryside is beyond our (imagine) Nobody wants to employ him because of his past (crime) record 10 We should (strength) ties with our neighboring countries II Match the word in the Column A with their definition in Column B A B Colony a better interior b half of the earth border c get away from delay d place that belongs to another predecessor (n): country e IX Serving as an example or explanation superior escape hemisphere illustrative f A person who held a job or office before the current holder g remote h inside i sled j Having the ability to evoke 10 resonant with enduring images, memories, or emotions III Choose one suitable word from the box to complete each sentence stand for personality strokes calm honest invented initials zones as long as hire imagination system The ………… of the author of this book are P.A Mike has a very nice …………… He is friendly to everyone Some people will travel anywhere ………………… They don’t have to fly Japanese write with a lot of short - Ms Davis tried to stay ……………… even though she was very worried about her daughter Cities in many countries have …………… for the postal system Each one has a number What does U.S …………… ? The United States The Bakers are going to …………….someone to their domestic work The person who …………… the typewriter had a wonderful idea 10 A handwriting analyst can tell if a person has a good …………………… IV Decide which of the four underlined words or phrases would not be considered correct by circling it, then write the correction for the circled word or phrase at the end of the sentence X The cacao bean was cultivated by the Aztecs not only to drink but also currency Her application for a visa was turned down not only because it was incomplete and incorrectly filled out but also because it was written in pencil Before she moved here, Arlene had been president of the organization since four years They are going to have to leave soon, and so we John lived in New York since 1960 to 1975, but he is now living in Detroit The continental shelves are the shallow area of the ocean floor that is closest to the continents I certainly appreciate him telling us about the delay in delivering the materials because we had planned to begin work tomorrow The pilot and the crew divided the life preservers between the twenty frantic passengers The information officer at the bank told his customers that there were several different kinds of checking accounts available 10 The higher the solar activity, the intense the auroras or polar light displays in the skies near the earth's geomagnetic poles XI APPENDIX Full name: …………………………………………………………………………… Posttest Time allowed: 30’ I Give the correct written form of the word in the bracket (noun, verb, adjective, or adverb) to complete the sentence Please give the handicapped some (consider) when building stairs Mr Lim has been having (finance) problems for a long time We need to give our local stars a lot of (public) Money is (second) Family comes first She displayed her (willing) to help him by giving him a cheque More local (novel) are getting recognition for their work Can I have an (extend) on the dateline of my project? It was (coincide) that both our birthdays fell in the same day A _ (nurse) for children has just opened near my workplace 10 Angie is quite (tolerate) of the screaming of her children II Match the words in column A with their definitions in column B A B Hire a Not able to be identified as different or distinct penetrate (verb): immigrant b Pleasant discrimination c Give a job to story d Frame XII indistinguishable e The unjust or prejudicial treatment respond f Legally ratify take (another’s child) and bring it up as discuss one’s own 10 adopt g Talk about h Go into or through i For the rest of his or her life Person who goes to life in another country j Answer k Sign or give formal consent to making it officially valid III Choose one suitable word from the box to complete each sentence dramatic Gradually instructions choice interesting Beginners Shortly scattered pattern campaigning consideration woefully You must read the carefully before you use the new oven We were taken aback at the changes in our village; each home owns a computer now he began to show his true character; we realized he is not a sincere person They are for a greener environment This work is beyond the required standard; I cannot accept it will find this lesson difficult to grasp; it is quite technical It is always to watch the cubs at play XIII Please give the handicapped some -when building stairs My mother advised me to be careful in my of friends 10 after feeding time, the bears were killed IV Decide which of the four underlined words or phrases would not be considered correct by circling it, then write the correction for the circled word or phrase at the end of the sentence Each of the nurses report to the operating room when his or her name is called Because blood from different individuals may different in the type of antigen on the surface of the red cells and the type of antibody in the plasma, a dangerous reaction can occur between the donor and recipient in a blood transfusion Both viruses also genes are made from nucleoproteins, the essential chemicals with which living matter duplicates itself Although the Red Cross accepts blood from most donors, the nurses will not leave you give blood if you have just had a cold Economists have tried to discourage the use of the phrase "underdeveloped nation" and encouraging the more accurate phrase "developing nation" in order to suggest an ongoing process Since infection can cause both fever as well as pain, it is a good idea to check a patient's temperature Nuclear powers production in the US is controlled by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC] The intent of the Historical Society is to restore old buildings and the increase of interest in the history of the area The volume four of our encyclopedia set has been missing for two months 10 Professor Duncan teaches both anthropology as well as sociology each fall XIV APPENDIX The results of the control group's vocabulary tests STT Pretest Middle test Middle test Posttest 6 7 6 6 8 5 5 5 6 5 6 4 4 4 5 10 6 11 5 12 6 6 13 4 4 14 8 15 7 16 5 5 17 6 18 7 8 19 5 6 20 4 5 XV APPENDIX The results of the experimental group's vocabulary tests STT Pretest Middle test Middle test Posttest 7 8 5 6 6 8 8 7 7 8 5 4 5 10 4 11 5 7 12 6 13 4 5 14 6 15 6 7 16 4 17 7 18 6 7 19 4 20 7 XVI