applying graphic organizers in teaching reading new textbook – tieng anh 10

TABLE OF CONTENTS  Part I Part II I 2.1 2.2 2.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 5.1 5.1.1 5.1.2 5.2 6.1 6.1.1 6.1.2 6.2 CONTENT Introduction Reasons for the study Aims of the study Methods of the study Scope of the study New features in the study’s result Content Theoretical and practical background The importance of reading skill Stages of reading Pre-reading While-reading Post -reading What are graphic organizers? Types of graphic organizers employed in the study Cause & effect map Problem & solution map Compare & contrast matrix KWL chart Network tree Venn diagram Research context Setting and Participants Students Teachers Textbook and Reading materials Data analysis and discussion Data analysis and discussion of the students’ survey questionnaire Students’ attitude towards reading skill Students’ difficulties when learning reading Data analysis and discussion of the teachers’ survey questionnaire Page 3 4 4 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 14 II Solution III Results and discussion Part III Conclusion References Appendices 15 27 28 PART I: INTRODUCTION I Reasons for the study Reading is an essential skill for English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) For many, reading is the most important skill to master With strengthened reading skills, ESL/ EFL readers will make greater progress and attain greater development in all academic areas In Vietnam, English is taught and learned in a non – native environment so reading is not only an important means to gain knowledge but also a means by which further study takes place According to Carrell (1984:1): ―for many students, reading is by far the most important of the four macro skills, particularly in English as a second or a foreign language This is also true to the students at Ha Huy Tap High School since the reading skill offers them a wide range of interesting information as well as a variety of language expressions and structures which are of great usefulness for developing other language skills When dealing with a reading lesson, students find it hard to overcome some challenges in the classroom In addition to that, teachers are facing to their own problem as well when a new text book are introduced It means that most of their previous traditional methods should be changed to adjust to their new teaching object and new textbook One of the effective solutions to help both of them is using graphic organizers Graphic organizers actually have the power and potential to enhance the learning ability of students in all age groups Use of graphic organizers as visual tools for visual learners of comprehension will make comprehending a reading text easy and fun for students Through the use of graphic organizers, students are able to gain a better understanding of the underlying concepts that can be found within what is being read, allowing them to isolate text that is not important to their learning This will also enable teachers to determine main ideas so that they can help students entire stories from their reading It is hoped that this study will provide classroom English teachers as well as their students with an in – depth understanding about how and what they should with with graphic organizers in reasearch entitled “APPLYING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS IN TEACHING READING NEW TEXTBOOK – TIENG ANH 10” to keep the students much more involved in the reading process II Aims of the study This study is aimed at giving out a brief overview on graphic organizers, gaining an insightful look into the application of graphic organizers with a view to motivate students’ reading at Ha Huy Tap high school III Methods of the study The study was carried out on the basis of material collection, survey questionnaire and class observation, aimed to determine whether graphic organizers are able to enhance students’ motivation o r have a positive affect on the ability of students to make sense of what they read The author used data collection instrument to gather information about the students involved, monitor the progress of the students when they used graphic organizers throughout the research, and determine the effectiveness of the graphs based on survey questionnaire and class observation IV Scope of the study In general, reading lessons are not so exciting as students expect or many of them not want to answer comprehension questions according to their favorite learning styles Therefore, within this study, my purpose is to carry the research on using grapic organizers to motivate and enhance student thinking skills through the reading text by using images or visual illustrations instead of responding the questions given in the textbook V New features in the study’s result In my innovation, there are a lots of interesting graphic organizers which have high effectiveness and wide application And these available activities, which were suitably adapted for all levels of students, can help create environment for students to develop student’s reading skill and for teachers to use flexibly in their teaching Part II CONTENT I THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BACKGROUND The importance of reading skill Reading is a very important language learning skill It helps students improve all parts of the English language – vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and writing Improve and use their reading skills and they will improve all English skills In a second language classroom, reading plays a significant role in building both linguistic and background knowledge for other language skills Hoang et al (2006:191) even consider reading as the most effective means of improving students’ language competence Particularly, when there is a lack of language environment, reading is even more significant since it helps enlarge students’ background knowledge and vocabulary as well as supports other skills (Pham, 2005 cited in Hoang et al., 2005:515) Stages of reading A reading lesson can be divided into three stages which are prereading stage, while- reading stage and post-reading stage Each of these stages carries its own features and purposes and requires different techniques and strategies (William, 1984:37) A reading lesson can be divided into three stages which are pre-reading stage, while-reading stage and post-reading stage Each of these stages carries its own features and purposes and requires different techniques and strategies (William, 1984:37) 2.1 Pre-Reading Pre-reading stage has been considered as an effective learning tool to better comprehend reading texts and to avoid possible failure in understanding and extracting information during the reading processes They are commonly used to prepare students to understand what they are about to read Many studies have found pre-reading activities as facilitative for comprehension of texts as it links the learner's prior knowledge with understanding the text in hand It is claimed that such pre- reading activities are challenging and motivating in the sense that they challenge students to recall their previous knowledge Ringler, L H., & Weber, C K (1984) called pre-reading activities enabling activities as they elicit prior knowledge, provide background and focus attention They pointed out that such experiences involve understanding the purposes for reading and building the necessary knowledge needed for dealing with the content and the structure of the material In this early stage, teachers are expected to motivate students to read, especially by activating or building students‟ background knowledge of the subject and familiarizing them with some of the language needed in coping with the text According to Williams (1984:37), the purposes of the pre-reading stage are: - To introduce and arouse interest in the topic - To motivate learners by giving a reason for reading - To provide some language preparation for the text Normally, pre-reading phase often lasts from two to ten minutes depending on each lesson Before delivering activities for this stage, the teacher needs to take the objectives of the lesson, the situation of teaching and learning, the students‟ needs into account 2.2 While-Reading While- reading stage is the main part of a reading lesson Without this stage, the students will lose the chance to deal with the text to understand the writer‟s purpose and clarify the text’s content in detail Williams (1984:38) points out the aims of the while- reading stage: - To help to understand of the writer‟s purpose - To help to understand of the text structure - To clarify the text He also gives the teacher some questions to ask himself in order to deal with the above mentioned aims: What is the function of this text? How is the text organized or developed? (e.g.: a narrative, an explanation with various examples, an argument and counter argument) What content or information is extracted from the text? What may the reader anger or deduce from the text? What language may be learned from the text? What reading styles may be practiced? It is clear that, question (1) deals with the aims of understanding, the writer’s purpose, and question (2) helps to recognize the text structure and the rest help to clarify the text content The answers to these questions will be a guide for the teacher in this stage Depending on their answers, the teacher will choose suitable activities for students which focus them on exploiting the meaning of the text, and develop their reading skills Concerning the while- reading stage‟s activities, in his research, William (1984:39) has a more generating idea: “While- reading work should begin with a general or global understanding of the text, then move eto te smaller units such as paragraphs, sentences and words 2.3 Post-reading The post reading stage is the final but not the least important stageof a reading lesson because it is the time for students to apply what theyhave got from the text into real life communication In William’s opinion( 1984: 39) , the post reading stage aims at: - to consolidate or reflect uopn what has been read - to relate the text to the learner’s own knowledge interest or views In summary, each of the reading stage carries its own aims and activities It is very effective if these three stages are combined flexibly and appropriately for an efficient reading lesson In the while- reading stage, it is neccesary to help students improve and develope sub- reading skills such as skimming, scanning or reading for details If the students can acquire these skills, it is easier for them to understand efficiently the significance of the text To acquire these skills, students may be instructed to take part in various tasks or activities acording to each skill There are numerous tasks or activities in this stage The teacher should be flexible in choosing them for their reading lessons What are graphic organizers? A graphic organizer is a visual frame used to represent knowledge and understanding of a subject matter by arranging important aspects of a concept or topic into logical pattern using labels There are many types of graphic organizers namely maps, graphs, charts, diagrams, or clusters Each of these patterns can be expressed in different layouts but they have similar purposes that portray the relationship between facts, terms or ideas within a learning task In reading lessons, graphic organizers can be efficiently used in all lessons for students of all ages to check not only students, understanding but also motivate and improve their critical thinking In the words of Krasnic [6; p.24] students are able to clear their thoughts and sharpen their thinking by organizing and connecting key concepts related to what they are reading from the text This process can help students to enhance their critical thinking, a kind of cognitive activity appearing in many of cognitive process of language learning Types of graphic organizers employed in the study During my teaching process, four basic graphic organizers namely cause & effect map, problem & solution map, compare & contrast matrix, and KWL chart will be described The value of these organizers will be discussed and followed by their application in English reading lessons at upper secondary schools in Vietnam 4.1 Cause & effect map A cause and effect map is one of the effective organizers used to show relationships of all factors (causes) that lead to the given situation (effect) It is usually preceded by cause and effect analysis The teacher uses this organizer to help students realize that there are many causes that contribute an effect It also graphically displays the connections of the causes to the effect to each other Students can this task individually, in pairs or in groups and then share what the information in the diagram with the others 4.2 Problem & solution map The critical thinking necessary to problem-solve by posting and evaluating solutions is an important skill the students need throughout their lives Being able to write clearly and persuasively about proposed solutions is as important as being able to think clearly and logically in formulating solutions This reading guide helps students organize and write about problems and proposed solutions This activity is also applied into a writing class where students are aware of the relevant problem and discuss reliable methods Students can this task individually and then share what the information in the diagram with their partner or their group members 4.3 Compare & contrast matrix The compare and contrast matrix has a wide variety of classroom applications English teachers can use it as a means of comparing different historical events, geographical regions, cultural and traditional differences or political systems Students are able to clearly see similarities and differences between more than one by using this type of graphic organizer This reading activity can be done in the whole class, in groups or individually 4.4 KWL chart A K-W-L [7; p.1] chart helps students understand what they know (K), what they want to know (W), and what they learned (L) when reading or researching a topic This is an effective visual tool to improve students by tapping their prior knowledge and letting them set their own purposes for learning By analyzing the L column, both the teacher and students can evaluate students’ grasp of knowledge or content Then the teacher can make plans to enrich concepts or to remedy misconceptions KWL What I What I want What I Know to know learnt 4.5 Network tree Graphic organizer can help students organize facts and information related to the reading text A network tree is a type of graphic organizer that show connections A network tree is made up of a series of oval of two or three different sizes connected by many branches to show how facts and information develop from a main idea or a topic Also, this organizer is often used to indicate a work cooperation, a hierarchy or branding procedure The main type of question for this organizer are: what is the superordinate category? What are the subordinate categories? How are they related? How many levels are there? Students can it themselves , in pairs or on groups and then share what they have done with others 10 - industrial waste - mining activities - chemical fertilizers and pesticides - radioactive waste - urban development Effects: - the destruction of ecosystem of rivers - the pullution of ground water IV Noise pollution causes: - loud and annoying sounds of motor vehicles, railway, aircraft and jet engines, factory machinery and musical instruments - industrialization - poor urban planning - social events - construction activities Effects: - human psychological - health problems for humans such as increased heart rate and hearing damage Sample 3: Unit 9- Tiếng Anh 10- Student book 2, p.41- Education Publishing House and Pearson Objectives: By the end of this activity, students will be able to: - List out the problem and find out solutions for four types of polution - identify the anticipated results - Recognize their duty of protecting the environment Stage: Post-reading Time allowed: 10 minutes Procedure: - Divide students into groups - Deliver the problem & solution map template for students Group 1: air pollution 20 Group 2: noise pollution Group 3: water pollution Group 4: soil pollution - Ask students to list the topic or problem explored in the center of the organizer - Each group discuss the possible solutions of one type of polution - Ask students to present their ideas Evidence( optional) - acid rain damages water,soil, and vegetation - polar ice melting - rise of sea level - loss of land Possible solutions - use public mode of transportation - conserve energy - understand the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - emphasis on clean energy resources Use energy efficient devices 21 Sample 4: Unit 9- Tiếng Anh 10- Student book 1, p.9- Education Publishing House and Pearson Objectives: By the end of this activity, students will be able to: - identify the differences about responsibility for household chores in two cultures - recognize the value of sharing household chores between members of family Stage: Pre-reading Time allowed: minutes Procedure: - ask students to work in pairs - deliver the “Compare & contrast matrix” for students - ask them to discuss in minutes and fill in the matrix below - call them to give the answer - teacher gives feedback and lead in the reading lesson COMPARE AND CONTRAST MATRIX Questions Answer In Asian culture Who is the homemaker? Who is the breadwinner? Do family members share the household? Are children willing to help their parents? Is the husband willing to help his wife ? How is the atmosphere for the family when every one In Western culture 22 works together? Expected answer: Questions Answer In Asian culture In Western culture Who is the homemaker? The mother The mother Who is the breadwinner? The father The father Do family members share the household? Are children willing to help their parents? Is the husband willing to help his wife ? How is the atmosphere for the family when every one works together? Only in some families In most families Just a few Yes, always Just a few Yes, always positive positive Sample 5: Unit 2- Tiếng Anh 10- Student book 1, p.19- Education Publishing House and Pearson Objectives: By the end of this activity, students will be able to: - identify the differences and the similarity of acupuncture and acupressure - recognize the value of the old medical treatments in the world - know how to live a healthy life Stage: While-reading and post- reading Time allowed: 15 minutes Procedure: - ask them to read the passage about Acupressure - give some more new word if necessary: fatigue, bruising 23 - deliver the “Venn diagram” posters and the handouts for students - ask them to work in four groups - ask them to read the passage about Acupressure and the passage in the textbook again then discuss the ideas and fill in the diagram - instruct them to write the shared traits or characters in the overlapping section of the circle and the unique traits in the appropriate circle - go around to help if necessary - ask students to hang posters on board and present their ideas - gives feedback Notes: This activities is designed for the better students For the lower level, teacher can give some hints belowed so that sudents can use them as suggestion to the task their origin their basic idea their effect their technique their common side effect their precaution Acupuncture Acupressure 24 Handouts: Acupressure is another ancient Chinese method of healing that has also been practiced for thousands of years The main aim of this treatment is to achieve a balance of the “yin” and “yang” Acupressure works by applying simple pressure to specific points in the body This therapy is practiced by using gentle pressure, applied by the hands of the practitioner The fingers of the practitioner are used to press into the key points on the surface of the skin and this, in turn, helps to release muscular tension Acupuncture and acupressure both help in restoring proper energy flow throughout the body Since both of these therapies help in reaching the same goal – the reduction of mental or physical pain or the promotion of the healing of injuries – the benefits of these therapies are similar as well However, the most common side effects with acupressure can be fatigue, soreness, or bruising And if you have a cancer, a heart problem or you are pregnant, you should ask your doctor first Expected answer: Differences: Main ideas Technique 2.Common effect Precaution Acupuncture Placing hair-thin needles in various pressure points throughout the body side slight bleeding, discomfort Similarities Main ideas - People with bleeding problems - people are taking blood related medicine - people have electronic medical devices Acupressure Applying simple pressure to specific points in the body by hands bruising People have a cancer, a heart problem - People are pregnant Acupuncture/ Acupressure 25 Origin In China Basic idea Promoting the balance between yin and yang Effects - restoring proper energy flow throughout the body - reducing mental or physical pain - promoting the healing of injuries - soreness - fatigue( tiredness) Common side effects Sample 6: Unit 8- Tiếng Anh 10- Student book 2, p.29- Education Publishing House and Pearson Objectives: By the end of this activity, students will be able to: - lists different ways of learning English - compare their ideas with the others in the class - apply their most favourite or the most effective methods of learning a new language Stage: Pre- reading Time allowed: minutes Procedure: - divide class into groups - ask the students to exchange ideas with a friend in group to list out as many ways of learning as possible - call them to report their doing to the class - ask them to answer the questions: Which are the new ways to learn English? How often you use new applications to learn English: A smart phone, a camera, a recorder, a tablet, an English learning software? Which ones are the best choice? Why? - lead in the new lesson Ways of learning English 26 An Write on stick notes Electronic • dictionary • Binh Apps on ipads Practise with friends Hoang Hiring a tutor Pen pals Linh Attending extra classes Online games • III RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The forty-one students participating in this study were given the questionare before the study had been conducted in order to assess students’ attitude toward the reading lessons in the textbook Then, it was used one more time to find out if there were any changes The results of the final assessment are shown in the chart below 27 Chart 3: Students’ attitude towards the importance of reading skill and their reluctance to the reading tasks The chart shows that there is a dramatic change in the students’ interest in the reading lessons The number of students really appreciate the importance of reading has increased to 85,3 %( among those 36,5% think it is very important and 48,7% rather important) Beside that, only a few of them pay no attention to their reading lessons (about 4,8%) In comparision to the first survey, haft of the students admitted that they always did the reading tasks reluctantly and some times for the rest, but after nearly months applying the new adaptation, at least 60% ( 25 students) agreed to the tasks willingly and 29,2 % (12 students) really like doing them Based on the data discussed above, it is a satisfactory conclusion that practice with graphic organizers over the six reading lessons can get students more engaged in learning on their own initiative Teacher can assist students with increasing their reading motivation The students exposed to the graphic organizers were able to understand the material more and more as time went on By using the graphic organizers, the students were able to map out parts of the text, allowing them to concentrate on a specific part of the text, and apply that comprehension skill Part III CONCLUSION Graphic organizers, without a doubt, can be used as practical tools for students to organize information, to connect keys concepts or ideas presented in the reading text They also allow students to acknowledge and share their collective understanding or views on the lesson goals Teachers need to provide such wonderful means for students to organize information before, while, and after reading With the mentioned discussions about the value of graphic organizers and basic samples for their applications, teachers of English, especially Vietnamese teachers of English who are using the new English textbook of grade 10 become confident when integrating such effective organizers into their reading classroom practice It is strongly believed that graphic organizers can help teachers to activate students’ multiple modalities or their favourite learning styles while immersing themselves in reading books regardless of the age groups or content area 28 Vinh, 27th February 2020 Writer Le Thi Mai Huong 29 REFERENCES Tiếng Anh 10- Student’s book - Education Publishing House and Pearson Tiếng Anh 10- Teacher’s book - Education Publishing House and Pearson Bromley, K., Irwin-DeVitis, L & Modlo, M (1999) 50 graphic organizers for reading, writing & more: Reproducible templates, student samples, and easy strategies to support every learner New York: Scholastic Professional Books 40 Graphic Organizers That Build Comprehension During Independent Reading © Anina Robb, Scholastic Teaching Resources Ringler, L H., & Weber, C K (1984) A language -thinking approach to reading San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS –EFFECTIVE TOOLS FOR TEACHING READING SKILLS- Hoang Tang Duc- Vinh Univeristy- th International Conference on TESOL 13-14 August, 2015 https://toc.123doc.net/document/2147573-lopk09406-nhom-4-case-study-6ppt.htm 30 APPENDICES APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS This survey questionnaire is intended for the study “APPLYING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS IN TEACHING READING NEW TEXTBOOK – TIENG ANH 10” We are grateful for your goodwill and cooperation in truthfully completing the questionnaire, which hopefully takes you just little time Please be assured that the information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence Thank you very much! Please tick or write answer where necessary How is reading skill important to you? A Very B Rather C Little D Not at all Do you think reading can help you ……? A improve other language skills C enrich your vocabulary B broaden your knowledge of D improve your grammar the world What you think about reading tasks in the new textbook? A Boring B Difficult C Easy D Normal Do you feel reluctant to reading tasks? A Yes, always B Yes, sometimes C No, I like doing them very much D No, I them willingly Besides reading tasks in the textbook, does your teacher design other reading activities to make you more interested in reading? A Always B Usually C Sometimes D Never If yes, what kind of exercises does your teacher often use and which you feel enjoyable? • Reading tasks • Questions and answers • T/F • • •Your teacher often use •You enjoy • • 31 • Multiple choice • Deciding the best title • Finding synonyms and antonyms • Gap filling • Reordering • Completing the table • Matching • Finding equivalents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • What problems are you facing in learning reading? A Your limitation of vocabulary and grammatical structures B Lack of background knowledge C The limited time D Lack of appropriate reading techniques What you often to overcome difficulties? A Wait for the answer when the teacher correct B Ask the teacher for help C Discuss with friends to find out the right answer D Search for reading materials on the Internet How would you like to participate in reading tasks? A Work individually C Work in groups B Work in pairs D Whole class What you expect from your teachers to help you overcome difficulties? 10 A Encourage you to activate your previous knowledge into reading text B Offer you as many chances to read the passage as you expect C Provide you with certain key words D Suggest you essential reading techniques needed for each kind of reading tasks E Exploit different kinds of reading materials suitable to your reading ability and your interest F Others (please specify): …… Thank you very much for your cooperation! 32 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS This survey questionnaire is intended for the study “APPLYING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS IN TEACHING READING NEW TEXTBOOK – TIENG ANH 10” We are grateful for your goodwill and cooperation in truthfully completing the questionnaire, which hopefully takes you just little time Please be assured that the information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence Thank you very much! Please tick or write answer where necessary How is reading skill important to your students? A Very B Rather C Little D Not at all What you think about reading tasks in the new textbook? A Boring B Difficult C Easy D Normal Besides reading tasks in the textbook, you design other reading activities to make your students more interested in reading? A Always B Usually C Sometimes D Never How often you use the following reading tasks in a reading lesson? • Reading tasks • Questions and answers • T/F • Multiple choice • Deciding the best title • Finding synonyms and antonyms • Gap filling • Reordering • Completing the table • • • • • • • • •Your teacher often use •You enjoy • • • • • • • • • Matching • Finding equivalents • • • • What problems are you facing in teaching reading ? A Students’ limitation of vocabulary and grammatical structures B The lack of students’ background knowledge C The limited time D Students’ lack of appropriate reading techniques E Large classes F Others (please specify) What you often to help your students overcome difficulties in reading? A Encourage your students to activate their previous knowledge into reading text B Offer your students as many chances to read the passage as they expect C Provide your students with certain key words D Suggest your students essential reading techniques needed for each kind of reading tasks E Exploit different kinds of reading materials suitable to your students’ reading ability and their interest F Others (please specify): …… Thank you very much for your cooperation! ... with graphic organizers in reasearch entitled ? ?APPLYING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS IN TEACHING READING NEW TEXTBOOK – TIENG ANH 10? ?? to keep the students much more involved in the reading process II Aims... questionnaire is intended for the study ? ?APPLYING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS IN TEACHING READING NEW TEXTBOOK – TIENG ANH 10? ?? We are grateful for your goodwill and cooperation in truthfully completing the questionnaire,... questionnaire is intended for the study ? ?APPLYING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS IN TEACHING READING NEW TEXTBOOK – TIENG ANH 10? ?? We are grateful for your goodwill and cooperation in truthfully completing the questionnaire,