The effects of extensive reading on grade 10 students’ reading comprehension – an action research project at a high school in hanoi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES **************** TRẦN THANH THÚY THE EFFECTS OF EXTENSIVE READING ON GRADE 10 STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION – AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HANOI (Ảnh hưởng việc đọc mở rộng với khả đọc hiểu học sinh khối 10 – Nghiên cứu hành động trường trung học Hà Nội) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Hanoi, 2018 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES **************** TRẦN THANH THÚY THE EFFECTS OF EXTENSIVE READING ON GRADE 10 STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION – AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HANOI (Ảnh hưởng việc đọc mở rộng với khả đọc hiểu học sinh khối 10 – Nghiên cứu hành động trường trung học Hà Nội) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Supervisor: Dr Vũ Thị Thanh Nhã Hanoi, 2018 DECLARATION I certify my authority of the Study Project Report entitled “The effects of extensive reading on grade 10 students’ reading comprehension at a high school in Hanoi” is the result of my own research in the fulfillment of the requirement for Degree of Master of Arts at the Faculty of Post Graduate Studies – University of Languages and International Studies, Hanoi I commit that this thesis has not been submitted anywhere for any degree Trần Thanh Thúy Hanoi, 2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On completing this graduation paper, I would like to thank many people for their invaluable help during the conduct of the research First and foremost, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor Dr Vũ Thị Thanh Nhã, for her critical and timely feedback, her constant understanding and her unfailing encouragement, without all of which I would not have been able to complete this paper I would like to take this opportunity to express my special thanks to Dr Lê Văn Canh, from the Faculty of Post Graduate studies, University of languages and international studies for his interesting and informative lectures that suggested the idea for this study I would also like to say the sincerest thanks to 48 students at class 10 C1, Vietnam – Poland high school who have participated in the study Their participation has been crucial to the completion of the research Last but never least, my sincere thanks to my family and friends whose support has been a great significance to the success of my thesis ABSTRACT The role of reading in second and foreign language acquisition has been widely acknowledged Among different approaches to teaching and learning reading, extensive reading has received worldwide acceptance from researchers and educators for its many benefits to the learners Despite a wealth of research data in this area, there is a significant gap in insight into how extensive reading is practiced in the context of Vietnam, particularly at Vietnam – Poland high school In an attempt to improve the reading comprehension for grade 10 students, the researcher decided to carry out an action research with 48 students at class 10C1, Vietnam – Poland high school in 17 weeks A Questionnaire and two tests were used to explore student‟s attitudes towards reading extensively and its effectiveness The results of the study revealed that the program had positive effects on students‟ reading comprehension Besides, through the program, most students indicated that they improved their writing, speaking skills, and mastery of vocabulary and grammar structures Most of them also agreed that they gradually created reading habits in their free time It is hoped that the findings from the study will benefit not only researchers and teachers interested in reading but also students by raising their awareness of their own practice Table of Contents DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABSTRACT CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.2 AIMS OF THE STUDY AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY 1.4 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW READING AND READING COMPREHENSION 2.1.1 OVERVIEW OF READING AND READING COMPREHENSION 2.1.2 THE ROLE OF READING IN SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 2.2 EXTENSIVE READING 2.2.1 DEFINITION OF EXTENSIVE READING 2.2.2 EXTENSIVE READING AND READING COMPREHENSION 2.2.3 EXTENSIVE READING AND INTENSIVE READING 2.2.4 PRINCIPLES OF EXTENSIVE READING 2.2.5 BENEFITS OF EXTENSIVE READING IN SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 12 2.3 READING MATERIALS 14 2.3.1 GRADED READERS 14 2.3.2 UNSIMPLIFIED TEXTS 16 2.4 READING ATTITUDES 17 2.5 PREVIOUS STUDIES 18 2.6 SUMMARY 20 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 21 3.1 RESTATEMENT OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS 21 3.2 PARTICIPANTS 21 3.3 SETTING 21 3.4 RESEARCH DESIGN 22 3.4.1 DEFINITION OF ACTION RESEARCH 22 3.4.2 RATIONALE FOR USING ACTION RESEARCH 23 3.4.3 BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF AR 24 3.4.3.1 Benefits of action research 24 3.4.3.2 Limitations 25 3.4.3.3 Students‟ and teachers‟ role 26 3.4.3.4 Action research procedures 26 3.4.3.5 Action research procedures of the current study 28 3.5 READING MATERIALS 29 3.6 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS 31 3.6.1 TESTS 31 3.6.2 QUESTIONNAIRES 32 3.6.3 WEEKLY REPORT 32 3.7 DATA ANALYSIS 32 3.7.1 Mean score 33 3.7.2 Negative item and reverse scoring 33 3.7.3 Size of standard deviation (SD) 33 3.8 SUMMARY 34 CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 35 4.1 TO WHAT EXTEN DOES THE EXTENSIVE READING HELP STUDENTS IMPROVE THEIR READING COMPREHENSION? 35 4.1.1 PRE-TEST RESULT 35 4.1.2 POST – TEST RESULT 36 4.2 RESEARCH QUESTION 2: WHAT ARE THE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE EXTENSIVE READING? 37 4.2.1 DATA COLLECTED FROM THE WEEKLY REPORTS 37 4.2.1.1 The students‟overall attitude towards reading materials 37 4.2.1.2 The students‟opinions on the level of difficulty of reading materials .39 4.2.2 DATA COLLECTED FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRES 41 4.3 DATA COLLECTED FROM TWO OPEN – ENDED QUESTIONS 49 4.4 EVALUATION OF EXTENSIVE READING PROJECT 51 4.4 SUMMARY 52 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 54 5.1 CONCLUSION 54 5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS 56 5.2.1 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS 56 5.2.2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEARNERS 57 5.3 LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES 58 REFERENCE APPENDICES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AR: EFL: ER: ERP: ESL: ESP: GE: RC: Action research English as a Foreign Language Extensive reading Extensive reading project English as a Second Language English for Specific Purposes General English Reading comprehension LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Figure Tri – component of reading attitudes Figure Action research process Table 4.1.1 The reading comprehension pre – test result Table 4.1.2 The reading comprehension post – test result Table: 4.2.1.1: Students general feelings about the books Table 4.2.1.2 The students‟opinions on the level of difficulty of reading materials Table 4.2.2 (a): Students „attitudes towards the extensive reading project (beliefs) Table 4.2.2 (b): Students‟atitudes towards the extensive reading (feelings) Table 4.2.2 (c): Students‟attitudes towards the extensive reading project (intention) CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION The current study was conducted to explore the effects of extensive reading on reading comprehension of grade 10 students at a high school as well as their attitudes towards reading in English This chapter including five sections presents the background to the study and the statement of the problems, the aims, the scope and the significance of the study The outline of the thesis is also stated in this chapter 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Nowadays, English has become one of the most important languages in the world Especially in the globalization trend, it is spoken as a second language and an official language in many countries, and as a foreign language in the global world as well Almost all the people from many different countries around the world use it to communicate At high schools in the whole country, English is now a compulsory subject for all students In view of this, the curriculum plan and syllabi of the high school education in Vietnam have focused on English learning In language learning, reading is a very important part among such other language skills as speaking, listening, and writing Especially, in EFL/ESL environment, reading is the basis of instruction in all aspects such as writing, listening, developing vocabulary and acquiring grammar With strengthened reading skills, ESL/ EFL readers will make greater progress and attain greater development in all academic areas (Anderson, 2003) Additionally, reading is a crucial skill in universal learning and communication In this sense, reading ability has always been viewed as critical to academic success (Carrell, 1991; Grabe & Stoller 1997, 2002) Furthermore, Nation (1997) states that success in reading and its associated skills makes learners come to enjoy language learning and value their study of English It is obvious that reading helps students become better readers Research in both L1 and L2 shows that we learn to read by reading The more our students read, the better reader they would become And the more vocabulary they know, the better they can read In addition, Krashen (1988) posited that the best way to 38 Penguin Readers Link38: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeOEp2VGVsWUhDbHc/view?usp=sharing 39 Penguin Readers Link39: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeTHNaV0trSHNSUHM/view?usp=sharing 40 Penguin Readers Link40: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeb01pZE5ONEs5a1k/view?usp=sharing 41 Penguin Readers Link41: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeafBFTHZnNDYxVFU/view?usp=sharing 42 Penguin Readers Link42: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJebTVRV0F0MWluV0U/view?usp=sharing 43 Penguin Readers Link43: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeWXJnQ2hBRVNPU0U/view?usp=sharing 44 Penguin Readers Link44: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeVzN2VVEteE5ZVjg/view?usp=sharing 45 Penguin Readers Link45: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeYkNCRUNhZnhETDg/view?usp=sharing 46 Oxford Bookworm Link46: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJebkk4OVQZeWhLMkE/view?usp=sharing 47 Oxford Bookworm Link47: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeaFgkZHpndDBqbWs/view?usp=sharing 48 Oxford Bookworm Link48: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJebFVMTk1We2lYbms/view?usp=sharing 49 Oxford Bookworm Link49: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeWW5Wc0F6MXhja2s/view?usp=sharing 50 Oxford Bookworm Link50: http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdxnAxckJeZFBiX3pSU2FPMHc/view?usp=sharing APPENDIX B: QUESTIONNAIRE The purpose of this questionnaire is to obtain information about your attitudes towards the extensive reading project Please complete the questions as accurately and honestly as possible All the information provided by you is solely for the study purpose, and you can be confident that you will not be identified in any discussion of the data Mục đích phiếu điều tra để thu nhập thông tin quan điểm, thái độ em dự án đọc mở rộng Các em vui lòng hoàn thành câu hỏi cách trung thực xác Các thơng tin em cung cấp sử dụng cho mục đích nghiên cứu em yên tâm em khơng bị nêu tên bàn luận Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the statement by ticking the suitable box 1= strongly disagree = disagree 3= neither agree nor disagree = agree = strongly agree Hãy mức độ đồng ý hay không đồng ý em với câu trả lời bên cách đánh dấu tích () vào phù hợp = Rất không đồng ý = Không đồng ý không phản đối pleasure in learning English Em thấy hoạt động đọc mở rộng không mang lại cho em nhiều điều thú vị việc học tiếng anh I believe that my background knowledge has been improved thanks to extensive reading Em tin kiến thức em tăng lên nhờ vào việc đọc mở rộng I wish I had been encouraged to read extensively before Em ước trước em khuyến khích đọc mở rộng I start to feel like reading stories and texts in English in my free time Em bắt đầu thích đọc truyện đọc tiếng Anh rảnh rỗi I think the extensive reading materials were suitable for me Em nghĩ tài liệu đọc mở rộng phù hợp với em I feel tired from participating in this extensive reading project Em cảm thấy mệt mỏi tham gia vào dự án đọc mở rộng I think the extensive reading project helped me develop English reading habits Em nghĩ dự án đọc mở rộng giúp em phát triển thói quen đọc tiếng Anh I find that the extensive reading materials were interesting Em thấy tài liệu đọc mở rộng thú vị I believe that writing weekly report was useful in improving my vocabulary retention and thus can help to improve reading skill Em tin viết nhật kí đọc giúp em cải thiện khả nhớ từ vựng nhờ cải thiện khả đọc hiểu 10 I not like the post – extensive - reading activities Em khơng thích hoạt động sau đọc mở rộng 11 I think the extensive reading activity help me to expand my vocabulary and thus help me improve reading skill Em nghĩ hoạt động đọc mở rộng giúp em mở rộng vốn từ vựng nhờ cải thiện khả đọc hiểu 12 I would like to continue reading extensively in the same way next year Em muốn đọc mở rộng vào năm học tới 13 Will you read more English books, newspapers, at home after the project? Why/ Why not? Em đọc thêm sách, báo tiếng Anh nhà sau chương trình kết thúc khơng? Tại sao? .14 What you suggest for future extensive reading program? Em có gợi ý chương trình đọc mở rộng tương lai? Cảm ơn hợp tác em! APPENDIX C: THE PRE-TEST Reading comprehension Time: 45 minutes In this section, you will read passages and answer the questions below Questions through are based on the following passage The lady who lives on plane Joanne Ussery, from Benoit, Mississippi, is a big favorite with her two grandsons because she lives on a jet plane Her home is a Boeing 727, so a visit to grandma is very special Joanne's front door is at the top of the plane's step, but you not need a ticket or passport when you visit There are three bedrooms, a living room, a modern kitchen, and a luxury bathroom The bathroom is in the cockpit, with the bathtub under the windows Next to this is Joanne's bedroom - in the first class section of the plane Then there's the living room with four emergency exit doors, which she opens on summer evenings On the wall there‟s a photo of the plane flying for Continental Airlines from Florida to the Caribbean There are also four toilets, all with No Smoking signs "The plane is 27 years old and it's the best home in the world," says Joanne "It has all the things you want in home: a telephone, air conditioning, an oven, a washing machine even a dish washer It's always very warm, even in winter, and it's very big, 42 meters long! My grandchildren love running up and down And my friends love parties here - but there aren't any flight attendants to serve their drinks!" The plane cost Joanne just $ 2,000 "Next time," she says, "I want a Boeing 747, not a 727, because they have an upstairs and a downstairs, and I want to go upstairs to bed" (Paragraph 1) Who lives on a jet plane? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 1) What is her home‟s name? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 2) How many bedrooms are there? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 2) What is on the wall? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 3) It‟s always ………………., even …………………., and (Paragraph 3) What does the expression “here” refer to? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 4) What does Joanne Ussery want in the future? …………………………………………………………………………………… Question through 15 are based on the following passage Financial management Financial management is important, interesting, and challenging It is important because today‟s capital investment decisions may determine the businesses that the firm is in 10, 20, or more years ahead Also, a firm‟s success or failure depends in large part on its ability to find the capital that it needs Finance is interesting for several reasons Financial decisions often involve huge sum of money Large investment projects or acquisitions may involve billions of dollars Also, the financial community is international and fast moving, with colorful heroes and a sprinkling of unpleasant villains Finance is challenging Financial decisions are rarely cut and dried, and the financial markets in which companies operate are changing rapidly Good managers can cope with routine problems, but only the best managers can respond to change To handle new problems, you need more than rules of thumb; you need to understand why company and financial markets behave as they and when common practice may not be best practice Once you have a consistent framework for making financial decisions, complex problems become more manageable To survive and prosper, a company must satisfy its customers It must also produce and sell products and services at a profit In order to produce, it needs many assets plant, equipment, offices, computers, technology, and so on The company has to decide which assets to buy and how to pay for them The financial manager plays a key role in both these decisions The investment decision, that is, the decision to invest in assets like plant, equipment, and know-how, is in large part a responsibility of the financial manager So the financing decision, the choice of how to pay for such investment To carry on business, companies need an almost endless variety of real assets Many of these assets are tangible, such as machinery, factories, and offices; others are intangible, such as technical expertise, trademarks, and patents All of them must be paid for To obtain the necessary money, the company sells financial assets, or securities These pieces of paper have value because they are claims on the firm‟s real assets and the cash that those assets will produce For example, if the company borrows money from the bank, the bank has a financial asset That financial asset gives it a claim to stream of interest payments and repayment of the loan The company‟s real assets need to produce enough cash to satisfy these claims (Paragraph 1) What are the financial management‟s factors? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 1) Why is the finance interesting? …………………………………………………………………………………… 10 (Paragraph 1) You have …………………………….for making………………………, complex problems become 11 (Paragraph 2) What does a company need? …………………………………………………………………………………… 12 (Paragraph 2) What does “both these decisions” refer to? …………………………………………………………………………………… 13 (Paragraph 3) How many assets are tangible and intangible? …………………………………………………………………………………… 14 (Paragraph 4) What does the company to obtain the necessary money? …………………………………………………………………………………… 15 (Paragraph 4) Give the example of the financial asset? …………………………………………………………………………………… APPENDIX D: THE POST-TEST Reading comprehension Time: 45 minutes In this section, you will read passages and answer the questions below Questions through are based on the following passage There is probably no one in Germany who can answer those questions- questions which are currently on everyone‟ mind-quicker or more precisely than Norbert Rӓth His response consists of a single number His office compiles all key economic data relating to Germany, including figures on building permits and hotel stays, poultry slaughter and automobile repaid, even data on the amount of tax paid on sparkling wine by wineries “We have data on every payment made,” says Rӓth The sources of all this information include tax offices, associations and a monthly survey of 23,500 production companies In the past, the data arrived in Wiesbaden on tons of paper, but today everything is done electronically Once every three months, Rӓth recompiles the data and comes up with a figure representing the value of all goods and services produced in Germany: the gross domestic product, or GDP In the second quarter of this year, German GDP amounted to €596.67 billion ($875 billion), up from the previous quarter‟ figure of €593.3 billion While the absolute totals are only of interest to the professional world, what makes headlines is the rate at which GDP changes According to Rӓth‟ latest figures, Germany‟s GDP increased in the second quarter of 2009 by 0.3 percent compared to the previous quarter It‟s a figure which is of vital importance to the country Everything revolves around this number, and everyone is fixated on it Hardly any political, whether they are from the center-right Christian Democrats or the centerleft Social Democrats, much less the pro-business Free Democratic Party, would ever think to seriously question it Growth generates jobs, growth produces social wellbeing, and growth creates affluence for all This, at least, is the economic policy gospel, proclaimed and eulogized on every market square in Germany during the current election campaign (Paragraph 1) Where does Norbert Rӓth live? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 2) What does his office include? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 3) What is the word "recompiles" closest in meaning to? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 3) How many production companies are there? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 4) What does the expression “it” refer to …………………………… (Paragraph 5) ……………………… any political, whether they are from the center right ………………………………… or the center-left ………………………, much less the pro-business Free Democratic Party, would ever think to seriously question it (Paragraph 5) What is the economic policy gospel? …………………………………………………………………………………… Question through 15 are based on the following passage Advertising informs consumers about the existence and benefits of products and services, and attempts to persuade them to buy them The best form of advertising is probably word-of-mouth advertising, which occurs when people tell their friends about the benefits of products of services that they have purchased No providers of goods and services rely on this alone, but use paid advertising instead Indeed, many organizations also use institutional advertising, which is designed to build up their reputation rather than to sell particular products Although large companies could easily set up their own advertising departments, write their own advertisements, they tend to use the services of large advertising agencies These are likely to have more resources, and more knowledge about all aspects of advertising and advertising media than a singer company is The most talented advertising people generally prefer to work for agencies rather than individual companies as this gives them the chance to work on a variety of advertising accounts The client company generally gives the advertising agency an agreed budget; and an overall advertising strategy concerning the message to be communicated to the target customers The agency creates advertisements and develops a media plan Agencies often produce alternative ads or commercials that a pre-tested in newspapers, television station, etc in different parts of a country before a final choice is made prior to a national campaign The agency‟s media planners have to decide what percentage of the target market they want to reach and the number of times they are likely to see them Advertising people talk about the frequency and the threshold effect The choice of advertising media strongly influenced by the comparative cost of reaching 1,000 members of the target audience The timing of advertising campaigns depends on factors such as purchasing frequency and buyer turnover How much to spend on advertising is always problematic Some companies use the comparative-parity method to avoid advertising wars Others set their ad budget at a certain percentage of current sales revenue Both these methods disregard the fact that increased ad spending or counter-cyclical advertising can increase current sales On the other hand, excessive advertising is counter-productive because after too many exposures people tend to stop noticing ads, or begin to find them irritating And once the most promising prospective customer has been reached, there are diminishing returns, i.e an ever-smaller increase in sales in relation to increased advertising spending (Paragraph 1) What is the best form of advertising? …………………………………………………………………………………… (Paragraph 1) Indeed, many organizations also use ………………………………, which is designed to ……………… their reputation rather than to sell particular ……………… 10 (Paragraph 2) What large companies despite setting up their own advertising departments? …………………………………………………………………………………… 11 (Paragraph 2) Why the most talented advertising people generally prefer to work for agencies rather than individual companies? …………………………………………………………………………………… 12 (Paragraph 3) How many things does the client company generally give the advertising agency? …………………………………………………………………………………… 13 (Paragraph 4) What does the expression “they” refer to …………………………………………………………………………………… 14 (Paragraph 4) How many members are there in the target audience? …………………………………………………………………………………… 15 (Paragraph 5) What will happen if excessive advertising is counter-productive? …………………………………………………………………………………… APPENDIX E: WEEKLY REPORT (1) Your name: Title of book: Author: (2)I read a) Great! (I loved it) b) Good (I like it) (3)How difficult was the book for you? Please circle one Very easy (4) Write a summary of book and your feelings after reading the book Then list new words you have learnt after reading the book Did you meet any difficulties while reading the book? (You can write in either English or Vietnamese) ... an important part in teaching and learning a foreign language in general and reading in particular Someone has said that it is the act of understanding what you are reading and is an intentional,... reading attitudes In addition, the chapter will also review the concept of reading materials and reading attitudes READING AND READING COMPREHENSION 2.1.1 Overview of reading and reading comprehension. .. to examine the impact of attitudes towards reading in native language (Japanese) and target language (English) on extensive reading in English among 61 Japanese second – year students The author