A study on test-taking techniques for TOEIC reading comprehension test by students at vietnam maritime university. M.A. Thesis Linguistics

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ THI A STUDY ON TEST-TAKING TECHNIQUES FOR TOEIC READING COMPREHENSION TEST BY STUDENTS AT VIETNAM MARITIME UNIVERSITY (NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG CÁC THỦ PHÁP TRONG LÀM BÀI ĐỌC TOEIC ĐỐI VỚI SINH VIÊN TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC HÀNG HẢI VIỆT NAM) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI - 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ THI A STUDY ON TEST-TAKING TECHNIQUES FOR TOEIC READING COMPREHENSION TEST BY STUDENTS AT VIETNAM MARITIME UNIVERSITY (NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG CÁC THỦ PHÁP TRONG LÀM BÀI ĐỌC TOEIC ĐỐI VỚI SINH VIÊN TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC HÀNG HẢI VIỆT NAM) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh, Ph.D HANOI - 2014 DECLARATION I truly certify that this thesis is the result of my personal study in fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree Master of Arts and this thesis has not been published or submitted for a degree to any other university or institution wholly or partially Hanoi, June 2014 Nguyễn Thị Thi i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research has, in many senses, been accomplished with the help and encouragement of many people Therefore, I would like to express my deepest and humblest gratitude also warmest appreciation to the following people First and foremost, I would like to send my deepest gratitude to my ever supportive supervisor, Ms Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh, Ph.D for her valuable guidance, constructive advice, and unconditional support during the time I tried to complete this thesis I would also express my huge thanks to all of my lecturers at Faculty of PostGraduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies as their invaluable lectures and guidance laid the foundation for the fulfillment of this thesis I would also like to show my gratefulness to my colleagues who spent a great deal of time discussing some of the issues related to my research, offering their insights and perspectives as well as my students at Vietnam Maritime University in data collection process using survey questionnaire and semi-structured interview Last but definitely not least, I would like to dedicate this thesis to my family for their unconditional support and words of encouragement ii ABSTRACT This study was conducted at Vietnam Maritime University with a view to exploring test-taking strategies relative to learners’ performance in TOEIC Reading Comprehension as well as identifying differences in reading strategies among high proficiency and low proficiency students at Vietnam Maritime University The subjects involved in the study are over 100 students of Vietnam Maritime University (VMU) chosen randomly from TOEIC classes Two classes are at Elementary Level (TOEIC Level 1), the other classes are at Intermediate Level (TOEIC Level 2) The data was collected from survey questionnaires, interviews and administration of two TOEIC tests for students The results indicated that students at VMU put more emphasis on using reading strategies when they attended the TOEIC course In addition, this study also revealed some differences in reading strategy use among students of different proficiency levels However, when looking at the data, the researcher found some shared strategies between the two groups From the findings, the study suggested several pedagogical implications for teachers, students and test-designers at VMU, acknowledged limitations of the study and offered suggestions for further research iii ABBREVIATIONS CFL Center of Foreign Languages IELTS International English Language Testing System TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language TOEIC Test of English for International Communication VMU Vietnam Maritime University LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure1: A Heuristic for Thinking about Reading Comprehension Figure 2: Priority in Reading Passages 21 Figure 3: Reasons for Reading Single Passages First 22 Figure 4: Reading Approach 24 Figure 5: Comparison about the Priority of Reading Passage 27 Figure 6: Reasons for Reading Single Passages First 28 Figure 7: A Comparison about Reading Approach 29 Table 1: Types of Topic Texts often exploited 23 Table 2: Strategies to Deal with Reading Text 25 Table 3: Reading strategies in taking TOEIC Reading Comprehension 26 Table 4: Types of Topic Texts often exploited by Low Proficiency and 29 High Proficiency Students Table 5: Comparison about reading strategies iv 30 TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration i Acknowledgements .ii Abstract iii Lists of figures and tables iv Table of contents v PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study Research aims and research question Scope of the study Significance of the study Method of the study Organization of the study PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Reading 1.1.1 Definition of reading 1.1.2 Purposes of reading 1.1.3 Reading process 1.2 Reading comprehension 1.3 Reading TOEIC Test 1.3.1 Test 1.3.2 TOEIC Test 1.4 TOEIC reading comprehension strategies 10 1.5 Study of cognitive process 13 1.6 Summary 15 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 2.1 Settings 16 2.2 Participants 16 v 2.3 Research method 17 2.3.1 Data collection instruments 17 2.3.2 Data collection procedures 18 2.3.3 Data analysis 19 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 Research question 21 3.1.1 Types of Reading Passages and Topic texts often exploited 21 3.1.2 Reading Approach 24 3.1.3 Strategies to Deal with Reading Text 25 3.1.4 Reading strategies in taking TOEIC reading comprehension 26 3.2 Research question 27 3.2.1 A comparison about the Priority of Reading Passage 27 3.2.2 Types of Topic Texts often exploited by Low Proficiency and High Proficiency Students 28 3.2.3 A comparison about Reading Approach 29 3.2.4 A Comparison about reading strategies 30 PART III: CONCLUSION Summaries of the major findings 31 Pedagogical Implications 32 Limitations 34 Recommendations for further study 34 REFERENCES 36 APPENDIX I APPENDIX VII APPENDIX VIII APPENDIX XVI APPENDIX XVII vi PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study In the age of economic growth and global integration, English obviously plays a very important role However, the criteria for evaluating one’s English competence are more and more difficult In today’s context, the A, B, C certificates used for people wishing to find a job are out-of- date, and the so-called IELTS, TOEFL or TOEIC have been the best choices TOEIC, together with other requirements for job seekers, is preferred by most companies in order to assess their employees’ qualifications Therefore, a lot of people are trying hard to achieve the success in a TOEIC Test In addition, being a lecturer of English at VMU, through my teaching experience, I have found out that my students are always afraid of reading as compared to other skills Students find reading difficult and stressful, and unfortunately, they have to sit for a TOEIC- based test which includes Reading and Listening comprehension for the final examination Therefore, many of the students get an awful results because of low scores in English subject in which reading is always a target of blaming Previously, although much literature has been devoted to TOEIC related topics; little was revealed about the cognitive processes underlying the performance of Vietnamese candidates in the TOEIC Reading Test, except for the exploratory study by Phạm Đức Long (2013) on “teaching and learning of TOEIC reading comprehension skill” For all of the reasons stated, this paper is among the first attempts putting the emphasis onto “test-taking techniques for TOEIC Reading Comprehension to students at Vietnam Maritime University” so as being help to solve out their problems Research aims and research questions The original aim of this study is to gain an insight into how test-takers employ different reading strategies in TOEIC Reading comprehension As the first attempt to explore the ongoing thinking processes during performing reading tasks, once finished the paper could serve as a useful source for TOEIC candidates who are planning to sit for the test as well as TOEIC trainers who want to have a closer look at how their trainees would actually perform in the real test for better TOEIC preparation instruction To achieve this aim, the following research questions will be addressed: 1) Which test-taking techniques became more effective for TOEIC Reading Comprehension test to the students at Vietnam Maritime University? 2) What are differences in reading strategies among high proficiency and low proficiency students at Vietnam Maritime University? Scope of study This study aimed to document the test-taking techniques of 100 students who are taking TOEIC preparation course at Vietnam Maritime University in Haiphong 50 students are at Elementary level, 50 students are at Intermediate level Investigating the “test-taking techniques for TOEIC Reading Comprehension test to students at Vietnam Maritime University”, this study is expected to make certain contributions to the related populations including students taking TOEIC test, teachers teaching TOEIC, and researchers of the same subjects Significance of study First of all, through the problems pointed out and the suggestions made, the students may improve their performance in reading TOEIC test Similar to the students, the study would help TOEIC teachers to realize their problems in guiding their students in sitting for a test in order to achieve the best Các em thường sử dụng kĩ đọc đây? A Đọc lướt để lấy thông tin chung, hiểu chủ đề B Đọc qt để lấy thơng tin chi tiết C Đốn từ văn cảnh D Đoán nội dung đọc E Đọc nhanh để trả lời nhanh F Tóm tắt nội dung đọc III APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE FOR STUDENTS I am Nguyễn Thị Thi, a teacher of English at Vietnam Maritime University In support of Dr Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh, I am conducting a research on TOEIC Reading Comprehension Strategies I would like to ask for your help in participating in the interview You are in class: TOEIC Level TOEIC Level Regarding strategies in taking TOEIC reading comprehension and differences between the reading strategies employed by high proficiency and low proficiency students Which types of reading text below you often read to practice TOEIC reading comprehension? A Report E Manual B Letter F Advertisement C Form G Memorandum D Notice H News and Article Which reading approach you use in TOEIC reading comprehension? A Top-down approach B Bottom-up approach C Interactive approach Which you read first? A Single passages B Double passages If you read single passages first, answer question If you read double passages first, answer question IV What are your reasons of reading single passages first? A Single passages are short and simple B There are fewer questions in single passages C I can use reading skills better D Single passages are familiar with me What are your reasons of reading double passages? A Double passages’ questions are easier B Double passages have more questions, it means more points C I can use reading skills better D Double passages are familiar with me When I practice reading comprehension, I: Students mark in one of four columns A Read questions before looking at the texts B Read instruction to know reading passage types and N S O A question numbers C Adjust structures/patterns to know the organization of reading texts D Watch out synonyms or paraphrases and implied answers E Classify question types to arrange in order of priority F Watch out too general, too vague or too specific answers G Choose B/C if I can’t find the answer Note: N= never (0%), S= sometimes (30%), O= Often (70%), A= always (100%) V What reading strategies you use in taking test? A Skimming the text for general information B Scanning the text for specific information C Guessing new words in the context D Predicting the content of the texts E Reading quickly to answer quickly F Summarizing the content of the texts VI APPENDIX 2: SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS A Brief Introduction I am Nguyễn Thị Thi, a teacher of English at Vietnam Maritime University In support of Dr Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh, I am conducting a research on TOEIC Reading Comprehension Strategies I would like to ask for your help in participating in the interview B A few specific questions used in the interview Which reading approach you follow? (Top-down approach, Bottom-up approach, Interactive approach) And give your reason? What are your strategies while taking TOEIC reading comprehension? Single passages or double passages should be read first? Why? Why you prior letter and advertisement text? Why don’t you like memorandum and manual text? What are your steps to a reading text? Why? For reading skills, which you use frequently? (Skimming, scanning , guessing new words in the context, predicting the content or summarizing the content) Do you choose the answer B or C when you don’t know what is correct? Note: The interview questions would be flexible when addressed? VII APPENDIX 3: SAMPLE OF TOEIC READING COMPREHENSION LESSON 11 SINGLE PASSAGE FOCUS ADVERTISEMENT Skimming and scanning are good strategies for reading advertisements You will quickly look for the answers to these questions: What is being advertised? Who is it for? Reading fast is a very important skill to develop Reading every word in an advertisement is not necessary When you skim advertisements for the general idea and scan them for specific information, you will learn to read faster  Advertisement Sale! Sale! Sale! McGruder’s Department Store announces its biggest sale of the year You’ll find fantastic savings throughout the store 25% off all men’s and women’s business suits 25%off all men’s and women’s shoes 50% off all women’s summer clothes Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to get stylish designer items at bargain prices With prices like these, you can’t afford not to shop Now through Saturday at all McGruder’s locations: Park Avenue Mall Springfield Center Downtown SKIMMING Look quickly at the advertisement to answer these questions Manchester Depot What is on sale? Who is the sale for? (A) Business supplies (A) A.M Men – P.M Open Monday – Saturday, 8:30 (B) Clothes (B) Women Closed Sunday (C) Both men and women VIII SCANNING Mark the words that appear in the ad, and circle them in the ad (A) bathing suit (B) business suit (A) summer (B) winter (A) department (B) apartment Find and circle these days in the ad Some may appear more than once Monday Saturday Sunday CONTEXT Find these words and phrases, and guess their meanings in this advertisement What does “25% off” mean? (A) It costs $25 (B) It costs one quarter less than the usual price What does “Now through Saturday” mean? (A) Beginning today and ending on Saturday (B) Beginning on Saturday READING COMPREHENSION Mark the best answer What is not on sale? 10 What is the first day of the sale? (A) Men’s shoes (A) Today (B) Women’s business suits (B) On Saturday (C) Men’s summer clothes (C) On Sunday (D) Women’s shoes (D) Next week 11 How much women’s summer clothes 12 The word “Mall” in the line 12 is closest cost? in meaning to (A) $50 each (A) Shopping area (B) $50 less than the usual price (B) Parking lot (C) Half the usual price (C) Food stall (D) One quarter of the usual price (D) Pedestrian track TYPES OF ADVERTISEMENTS  Products  Job openings  Events TYPES OF QUESTIONS GENERAL QUESTIONS Questions about the advertisement What is the advertisement about? What position is advertised? Who is the advertisement intended for? DETAILED QUESTIONS When will the offer be effective? Where will the conference be held? Who are invited to the event? What are the requirements for the job? IX TACTIC PRACTICE For your convenience, The State Street Bank Grand Opening! is opening a new full-service branch at the City Airport Now it will be easier than ever to take care of all your banking needs as you leave or return from your trips Join us at our new location for our ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY FOOD! Next MUSIC Saturday, September 15, from 1:00 – 4:00 P.M There will be food, music, and a variety of entertainment activities for the whole family Representatives of local TV station WXYZ will be there to report on the event So come on by and bring the whole family Customer service specialists will be on hand to explain all the services our bank has to offer Find out about:    The special benefits of opening a State Street checking or savings account How to qualify for our special low-interest loans State Street’s custom-designed financial planning services Prizes! Prizes! Prizes! There will be prizes for the first 50 customers to open a checking or savings account at the new branch In addition, all Grand Opening guests will be automatically entered in our Grand Prize Drawing You could win a Caribbean Cruise for two! See you there! SKIMMING Look quickly at the advertisement to answer this question What kind of information does this advertisement give? (A) A list of things for sale (B) An explanation of an event SCANNING Look quickly at the advertisement to answer these questions What is the name of the bank? (A) State Street Bank (B) City Bank What is the name of the airport? (A) City Airport (B) Bank Street Airport What hours you see in the advertisement? X (A) 1:00-4:00 A.M (B) 1:00-4:00 P.M CONTEXT Find these words and phrases and guess their meanings in this advertisement 5.Branch Grand opening (A) Part of a tree (A) A special celebration for a new business (B) A business location (B) The hours that a bank does business READING COMPREHENSION Mark the best answer What is being advertised? (A) A bank (B) A restaurant (C) A concert (D) A travel agency Where will the grand opening take place? (A) On State Street (B) At the airport (C) At a TV station (D) In a park The word “Representatives” in paragraph 2, line 2, is closest in meaning to (A) Legislators (B) Staff (C) Siblings (D) Specialists 10 When will the grand opening take place? (A) In the morning (B) In the afternoon (C) In the evening (D) At night XI READING COMPREHENSION Mark the best answer What kind of position is advertised? (A) Director of Human Resources (B) Lawyer (C) Administrative assistant (D) Computer programmer What is one skill required for this job? (A) The ability to talk pleasantly on the telephone (B) The ability to write legal documents (C) The ability to develop computer programs (D) The ability to find new clients What is a benefit of this job? (A) They will pay for your vacation expenses (B) You can make all the phone calls you want (C) You only have to work from 10-4 (D) They will pay for your health insurance The word “Duties” in line is closest in meaning to (A) Taxes (B) Benefits (C) Classes (D) Responsibilities EXTRA PRACTICE OFFICE SUPPLY SALE This week only  Computer paper (white only) 25% off  Envelopes (all colors, including pink, purple, and gold) 50% off  Notebooks – buy five, get one free  Pens (blue, black, and red ink) 12 for $1 Sale ends Saturday Store closed Sunday What kind of computer paper is on sale? (A) White (B) All colors (C) Pink, purple and gold (D) Red, blue and black XII How can you get a free notebook? (A) Pay one dollar (B) spend $25 on computer paper (C) buy colored envelopes (D) Buy five notebooks When is the sale? (A) All weekend (B) On Sunday only (C) All week On Saturday only What is this ad for? (A) an airline (B) a travel agency (C) a vacation place (D) a sports club What is one thing you cannot at Sea Island Resort? (A) swim (B) play tennis (C) eat (D) play golf The word “private” in line is closest in meaning to (A) not public (B) large (C) sandy (D) personal How can you make reservations for Sea Island Resort? (A) Call a travel agent (B) Write a letter to the resort owner (C) Call the airport (D) Sea Island Resort Spend your next vacation with us Enjoy our:  private beach  two swimming pools  four tennis courts  five restaurants  beautiful weather all year It's easy to get here We're just eight kilometers from the airport XIII to make reservations Call your travel agent DOUBLE PASSAGE LESSON 23  FOCUS Useful Tips     Quickly read through the passages and the questions Select the easy questions to answer first Questions that require careful reading of the whole passages should be answered later Quickly read through the questions and the answer choices to grasp the key information Identify the passage that contains the key information Focus on that passage and choose the correct answer Pay attention to paraphrasing Answer the remaining questions from step Identifying the passage that contains the keywords/ the information needed Exercise 1: Questions 1-5 refer to the following letter and form ENVIRONMENT DEFENSE 317 Adelaide St W., Suite 705 – Toronto, Oritario, Canada – MSV 1Pg Tel: 617.323.9521 Fax: 617.323 9301 www.environmentaldefense.ca April 6, 2006 Henrietta Rose 49 Brennan Drive Shelburne, ON L9P 7R4 Dear Mrs Rose, Thank you for being an Environment Defender and supporting Environmental Defense with monthly donations from your credit card Our records show that the credit card number you have given us is expiring in May 2006 To assist us in processing your valued contributions, we are enclosing a new monthly donation form Please complete and return it in the enclosed envelope If you have any further questions or concerns, please not hesitate to contact me at (617) 323-9521, ext 250 Again, thank you for your continued generous support Sincerely, Lori Rapentio enci XIV ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE MONTHLY CREDIT CARD DONOR FORM Types of credit card: VISA _√ _ MasterCard American Express Name appearing on card: Henrietta Rose-Williams Credit card number: _5446 7809 3343 1002 Expiry date: (MM/ YY): 07/09 Monthly contribution amount: $10 $25 $50 _ $100 √ _ other amount: $15 _ Cardholder signature: _ Why did the group send this letter? (A) To request she become a member (B) To ask for more money (C) To defend the environment (D) To continue receiving her support Why does Mrs Rose support this group? (A) She cares about nature (B) She likes to grow flowers (C) She has a credit card (D) She has questions and concerns How much is Mrs Rose giving each month? (A) $10 (B) $15 (C) $25 (D) Other How is Mrs Rose making her donation? (A) By check (B) VISA (C) MasterCard (D) American Express Why might this form be rejected? (A) They don’t accept her credit card (B) She has been a member for too long (C) Her credit card has expired (D) She forgot to sign it XV APPENDIX 4: THÔNG BÁO TUYỂN SINH LỚP TOEIC TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC HÀNG HẢI VIỆT NAM TRUNG TÂM NGOẠI NGỮ HÀNG HẢI Add: P.102 Nhà A5 – Trường Đại học Hàng Hải Việt Nam Tel: 0316.280.167 Facebook: Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ Đại học Hàng Hải LUYỆN THI TOEIC 350+, 450+ CAM KẾT ĐẦU RA Khóa luyện thi TOEIC đảm bảo đầu 350+, 450+ (học viên nộp học phí lần nhất) khóa học Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ cam kết học viên đạt theo nhu cầu Trường hợp học viên chưa đủ điểm tiếp tục học miễn phí đạt điểm chuẩn - Học viên trang bị đầy đủ kiến thức từ vựng, ngữ pháp, kĩ làm thi TOEIC đạt kết mong muốn - Các tập luyện sát đề thi TOEIC quốc tế - Giáo viên đặc biệt trọng luyện kĩ nghe, đọc tiếng Anh cần thiết để học viên đạt kết cao kỳ thi TOEIC quốc tế - Tài liệu luyện thi TOEIC cập nhật phát miễn phí - Liên tục làm test trước kì thi thức để rèn luyện kĩ làm tự tin bước vào phịng thi *Mức học phí phụ thuộc vào trình độ đầu vào sinh viên: Khóa học Trình độ đầu vào Thời gian Điểm đầu TOEIC Level Elementary 100h 350+ TOEIC Level Pre-Intermediate 100h 450+ Lịch học: buổi/tuần Giờ học: Sáng: 8h00 - 10h00 Chiều:14h30 - 16h30 viên chọn học ca cố định) Học phí 2.900.000đ 2.900.000đ Tối:17h30 - 19h30 (sinh Để biết thêm thông tin, liên hệ trực tiếp: Văn phòng Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ - P.102 Nhà A5 & P.101A Nhà C1 - ĐHHH - 484 Lạch Tray, Ngô Quyền, Hải Phòng Điện thoại: 0316.280.167 TOEIC S XVI APPENDIX 5: READING STRATEGIES XVII