The effects of using internet based materials in developing learner autonomy in learning english reading skill for students at my hao high school, hung yen

1 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES   NGUYỄN THỊ HỒNG THÚY THE EFFECTS OF USING INTERNET-BASED MATERIALS IN DEVELOPING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN LEARNING ENGLISH READING SKILL FOR STUDENTS AT MY HAO HIGH SCHOOL, HUNG YEN Hiệu việc sử dụng tư liệu Internet để phát huy tính tự chủ việc học kĩ đọc hiểu tiếng Anh học sinh trường trung học phổ thông Mỹ Hào, tỉnh Hưng Yên MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 601410 SUPERVISOR: DO BA QUY, MEd HANOI – 2010 TA DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale Aims of the study Research questions Methods of the study Scope of the study Organization of the Thesis PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Reading 1.1.1 Definitions of reading 1.1.2 Extensive reading 1.2.1 Definition 1.2.2 Why develop learner auto 1.2.3 Characteristics of autonom 1.2.4 The role of teachers in lea 1.2 Autonomy 1.3 Internet-based reading materials 1.3.1 Internet-based reading materials improve reading comprehension 1.3.2 Types of internet-based re 1.3.3 Criteria for choosing Internet-based reading materials 1.3.4 Considerations in using Internet-based materials 1.4 Summary CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS 2.1 Setting 2.2 The participants 2.3 Data collection instrumentation 2.3.1 Interview 2.3.2 Questionnaires 2.3.2.1 Questionnaire 2.3.2.2 Questionnaire CHAPTER 3: DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS 3.1 Students‟ motivations, learning experiences and attitudes towards learning reading before the experiment 3.1.1 Interview 3.1.2 Questionnaire 3.2 Students‟ attitudes and ability after the experiment: Questionnaire CHAPTER IV: MAJOR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Major findings 4.2 Suggestions for the using of internet-based reading materials PART III: CONCLUSION Conclusions Limitations and suggestions for further study REFERENCES APPENDIX PART A: INTRODUCTION This part introduces the rationale, the aims, the research questions, the methods and the scope of the study It concludes with a presentation of the organization of the thesis Rationale for the study In all of the educational contexts in Vietnam (including primary, secondary, and higher education), no significant steps are being undertaken to promote autonomous language learning within and beyond the classroom, and learning is mainly directed and evaluated by the instructors With the predominance of teacher-led English language instruction in Vietnam, learners are seen as passive receivers of new information and are, therefore, unlikely to develop the necessary skills to learn how to assess and control their own progress In such cases, learners not sufficiently develop the skills to perform real-life communicative tasks effectively Consequently, although Vietnamese learners are more and more highly motivated to learn English for socio-cultural and economic reasons, teacher feedback and classroom observation at various institutions lead to the conclusion that their proficiency in English is not at the desired level In such a context, Vietnamese learners need to develop a critical awareness of language learning and learning communication These are the main considerations of learner-centred language curricula which promote language learning autonomy as proposed by Brindley (1990), Coleman (1988), the Council of Europe (2001), Hutchinson and Waters (1988), Munby (1991), Nunan (1989), and Wilkins (1976) The Common European Framework (CEF) (Council of Europe 2001) further elaborates upon the concept of language learning autonomy, describing in a comprehensive way what language learners have to learn to in order to use a language for communication and what knowledge and skills they have to develop to act effectively as autonomous learners Of the four language skills, reading seems to be the most important one because in the learning process, it helps students develop other skills and provides knowledge on the target language Educational researchers have found that “there is a strong correlation between reading and academic success” In other words, a student who is a good reader is more likely to well in school and pass exams than a student who is a weak reader Being aware of the importance of learning reading, authors of new English 11 have chosen interesting topics for reading lessons with the aim to promote students in reading and improve their reading comprehension However, some of them are not familiar with students, genres and contents of the readings in the textbooks only are not enough to enhance students‟interest in reading and reading comprehension From the researcher‟s teaching experience, successful reading depends on many factors such as reading stratergies for processing the text, background knowledge and linguistic competence Thus, besides the reading texts in the textbooks students need to read more outside the classroom to enrich their vocabulary as well as their background knowledge That means students must read extensively Through daily conversations with the teachers and students, the reseacher has found that the main reasons why students are not interested in reading lessons are their lack of background knowledge as well as vocabulary about the topics they are reading Some topics are unfamiliar, some others are boring so the students find it difficult to understand them Some students say that there are texts that they have read several times without understanding anything Moreover, time for reading lesson at high school is limited There are English lessons every week In five or six lessons, there is only one for reading, it means that there is not much time for reading In extra classes at school the teachers tend to pay more attention to grammar exercises The students have opportunities to practise vocabulary but in separated sentences, not in reading texts Because teaching reading is time consuming, the teachers often neglect it Large class size adds to the difficulties the students encounter in the reading lessons Another important reason is their lack of motivation „Practice makes perfect‟, that is the reason why teachers have to find ways to enhance students to read more so that they can improve their reading ability Materials for extensive reading are available everywhere But Internet-based materials seem to be the most suitable for high school students There are several reasons for choosing Internet-based materials First of all, in recent years, the use of the World Wide Web (BW) as a resource for language learning materials has gained increasing popularity among language teachers and learners The Internet can now be used for supplementing and reinforcing what we in the classroom as well as providing rich opportunities whereby students can start learning languages on their own Moreover, students generally have positive feelings about learning languages via the Internet For example, Kung and Chuo (2002) conducted a study of students‟ attitudes towards learning English through websites Despite some difficulties encountered, they found that students had an overall positive attitude to using websites in their learning of English Secondly, the Internet facilitates individualization of instruction and introduces a more interesting platform to learn by incorporating multimedia into the process (Soboleva, & Tronenko, 2002) Thirdly, it enhances the accessibility of information, language materials in this case, as well as offering various ways to connect with the target speech community (Warschauer, 1996) Unlike traditional textbook-based teaching, language materials on the Internet can be updated periodically Recent literature on methodological and pedagogical considerations requires language learners to become active participants in the process rather than passive recipients of information In this age of information explosion, language learners are encouraged to be explorers and creators of language, and assessors of their own linguistic progress (Brown, 2001; Su & Kinshuk, 2002) Two other important aspects are the issues of learner autonomy and motivation Learneroriented Internet-based language teaching materials demand that the individual background of learners, their needs, and learning styles are accommodated (Soboleva, & Tronenko, 2002) In other words, learner-directed language instruction provides learners with the control of choosing materials, sequencing it, as well as deciding on the pace of delivery (Su & Kinshuk, 2002) Communicative language teaching and learner autonomy have become increasingly important for language teachers in the last few decades Students are no longer expected to memorize 10 lists of grammar rules and vocabulary items but to understand and convey meaning with an adequate knowledge of the form, use, and appropriacy of the language (Brown, 2001) They not need to be spoon-fed all the time Mistakes are natural in the language acquisition process and learners are encouraged to be willing to learn and to take responsibility for their own progress Finally, students at this age are curious and they like reading something new, atractive and linked with modern technology Internet-based materials are plentiful with various topics In fact, at My Hao High school, teaching and learning reading are mostly based on textbooks Therefore, the sutents don‟t seem to be interested in reading lessons Many of them find reading difficult and boring and even some are afraid of reading After reading a text, they don‟t understand much about its content or they misunderstand the author‟s ideas As a high school teacher, I think that something has to be done about raising students‟interest in reading and helping them comprehend the texts better This minor study is inspired from the idea that whereas many educators enthusiastically embrace the use of Internet-based reading materials, little theoretical and empirical research exists that demonstrates how Internet-based reading materials are useful in improving high school students‟ reading comprehension skills and how to organize Internet-based reading activities effectively Moreover, when seeking for materials to design the lessons, I realise that Internet is a useful source of information for high school students to increase their background knowledge And that‟s the reason why I decided to choose the topic “The Effects of Using Internet-based Materials in Developing Learner Autonomy in Learning Reading Skill for Students at My Hao High School, Hung Yen” In light of these circumstances, this paper will investigate whether Internet-based materials are effective in developing learner autonomy in learning reading skill for students at My Hao High School, Hung Yen To achieve this goal, the study will focus on the exploration of factors that affect the students‟ reading comprehension in My Hao High school, whether they are able to set language learning goals and work towards them, how the Internet-based reading materials used within and beyond the classroom promote autonomous learning 11 Aims of the study This study aims at improving the quality of teaching/learning to read English as a second language for grade 11 students at My Hao high school by using Internet-based materials To achieve this aim, the study sets out to obtain the three following specific objectives: To investigate the situation of learner autonomy in learning reading among high school students in My Hao high school To apply Internet-based materials in teaching reading and find out how effective they are in helping develop learner autonomy in learning reading skill To offer recommendations for the application of Internet-based materials to improve learner autonomy in reading comprehension skill of grade 11 students in My Hao high school Research questions In order to achieve the mentioned aims, the study is intended to find answers to the following questions: What is the current situation of students‟autonomy in learning reading? What are the effects of Internet-based reading materials on the level of students‟autonomy? What are the recommendations for improving learner autonomy in learning reading at My Hao high school? Methods of the study With the aim of finding out the role of Internet-based reading materials in helping improve learner autonomy in learning reading comprehension skill for students in high school, a survey approach is adopted for this study Participants will be 48 students of class 11A12 of My Hao high school First, interviews will be conducted on a group of 24 students These students will be randomly selected among the students of class 11A12 All the 12 interviews will be fully written down and analysed At the same time, a questionnaire will be given to discover the students‟attitudes towards reading skill and their learning experiences Data will be analyzed to identify the situation of learning reading, the factors affecting their reading comprehension Then all 48 students will be guided to use Internet-based reading materials for months Questionnaires will be conducted after that to find out if Internetbased materials help improve the students‟autonomy in learning reading comprehension skill Scope of the study Internet-based reading materials play a more and more important part in raising the effectiveness of teaching and learning foreign languages in general, English in particular This study focuses on the role of Internet-based reading materials in helping improve reading comprehension skills for students in My Hao High school and offers some suggestions for the intergration of Internet-based materials in high school teaching and learning curricular in Vietnam Organization of the thesis This minor thesis consists of three parts The first part “Introduction” includes the rationale for the study, the aims, research questions, methods, scope of the study as well as the organization of the thesis Part B “Development” consists of four chapters The first chapter “Literature Review” discusses the knowledge relevant to the research topic including the theoretical background of reading comprehension, learner autonomy and the roles of Internet-based materials The second chapter “Research methodology” presents the context of the study, the participants, research methods The third chapter deals with data and data analysis The fourth chapter mentions the major findings and recommendations to use Internet-based materials in improving learner autonomy in learning reading The last part of the study “Conclusion” summarizes the findings, giving out some limitations and recommendations for further study 13 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter reviews the relevant literature relating to reading comprehension, learner autonomy and the role of Internet-based materials in improving reading comprehension skill The chapter begins with definitions of reading and some information about extensive reading The second section of the chapter presents background knowledge about learner autonomy The last section discusses the role of internet-based materials in helping to develop students‟autonomy in learning reading 1.1 Reading 1.1.1 Definitions of reading Reading is a huge topic It is a receptive skill Reading can be defined as a process, which involves a reader, a text and a resultant interaction between the two (Goodman, 1996; Rumelhart, 1977 as cited in Singhal, 1998) Brindley (1994) in her introduction to the reading section of teaching English offers a helpful starting point: “Reading is a complex area We can use the term to mean the process itself, or a respond to literary text It can mean the retrieval of information in a non-literary text, or take on the wider meanings like „reading the situation‟ Reading is not confined to print in a book It is central to the debate about meaning and the construction of the reader It is linked to the issues of standards in education, and to one of the functions of education itself – the production of the literate society” This is a relatively focused view of reading Anderson et al (1985) provides a broader view of the same territory: “The majority of scholars in the field now agree on the nature of reading: Reading is the process of constructing meaning from written texts It is a complex skill requiring coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information.” Reading is a holistic act Success of reading comes from practice over long periods of time And also, there may be more than one interpretation of a text The interpretation depends on the background of the reader, the purpose for reading, and the context in which the reading occurs Reading is very necessary for daily life Harmer (2003) emphasized the 47 REFERENCES Benson, P (2000) Autonomy as a learner‟s and teacher‟s right In B Sinclair, et al (Eds) Learner Autonomy, Teacher Autonomy; 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The second language curriculum (pp 63-78) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Brown, H D (2001) Teaching by principles An interactive approach to language pedagogy Chun, D M., & Plass, J L (2000) Networked multimedia environments for second language acquisition In M Warshauer & R Kern (Eds.), Network-based language teaching: Concepts and practice (pp 151-170) New York: Cambridge University Press Clemente, A M (2001) Teachers' attitudes within a self-directed language learning scheme System, 29(1), 45-67 Coleman, H (1988) Analysis of language needs in large organizations English for Specific Purposes, 7(3), 155-169 Council of Europe (2001) Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 10 Davis, C (1995) Extensive reading: an expensive extravagance? ELT Journal 49; 4, 329- 336 48 11 Esch, Edith (1994) Self-access, not self-service: Tesco versus Taylor‟s In Edith Esch (ed.) Self- Access and the Adult Language Learner London: CILT, 63-67 12 Gardner, D (1999) Self-assessment for autonomous language learners Retrieved December 22, 2005 from http://www.bib.uab.es/pub/linksandletters/11337397n7p49.pdf 13 Harmer, J (2003) Popular culture, methods, and context ELT Journal, 57(3), 288-294 14 Harris, M (1997) Self-assessment of language learning in formal settings ELT Journal, 51(1), 12-20 15 Ho, J & Crookall, D (1995) Breaking with Chinese cultural traditions: Learner autonomy in English language teaching System, 23(2), 235-243 16 Hoang, V.V et al (2007) Tieng Anh 11 Educational publisher 17 Holden B & Usuki, M (1999) 19 Learner Autonomy in Language Learning: A Preliminary Investigation Retrieved January 26, 2010 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/ 18 Holec, H 1981 Autonomy in Foreign Language Learning Oxford: OUP 19 Hutchinson, T & Waters, A (1989) English for specific purposes: A learning centred approach Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 20 Kennedy, G (1989) Computers in language teaching In Little, D & Meadhra, B (Eds.): Media technologies and language learning Proceedings of an IRAAL Seminar Dublin: Ireland 21 Kim, M (2002) The use of computer in developing L2 reading comprehension: Literature review and its implications ERIC Digest: 472 671 Retrieved April 1, 2010, from the ERIC database 22 Kung, S-C & Chuo, T-W (2002) Students' perceptions of English learning through ESL/EFL websites TESL-EJ 6, (1), Retrieved October 20, 2009, from 49 http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/tesl-ej/ej21/a2.html 23 Kvale, S (1996) Interview: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing Thousand Oasks, CA: Sage 24 Little, D (1995) Learning as dialogue: The dependence of learner autonomy on teacher autonomy System, 23(2), 175-181 25 Little, D (2003) Leaner autonomy and second/foreign language learning Retrieved November13, 2009 from http://www.lang.ltsn.ac.uk/resources/goodpractice.aspx?resourceid=1409 26 McGrath, I (2000) Teacher autonomy In B Sinclair, I McGrath and T Lamb (Eds.), Learner autonomy, teacher autonomy: Future directions (pp 100-110) London: Longman 27 Munby, J (1991) Communicative syllabus design Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 28 Narcy, J-P (1994) Autonomy: Evolution on Revolution Die Neuter Sparche, 93:5, 430441 National Council for Educational Technology (1998) Supported Self-study London: NCET 29 Nunan, D (1989) Syllabus design Oxford: Oxford University Press 30 Nunan, D (1992) Research methods in language learning Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 31 Pulist, S, K 2000 Learner-centeredness: an issue of institutional policy in the context of distance education Retrieved 20, March 2010 from http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde4/pulisttxt.html 32 Railton, D & Watson, P (2005) Teaching autonomy Active Learning in Higher Education, 6(3), 182-193 50 33 Reynard, R (2003) Internet-based ESL for Distance Adult Students – A Framework for Dynamic Language Learning Canadian Modern Language Review University of Toronto Press Toronto, Canada Vol 60, No.2, December 2003 34 Sheerin, Susan (1989) Self-access Oxford University Press 35 Sheerin, Susan (1997) An exploration of the relationship between self-access and independent learning In P Benson & P Voller (Eds.) Autonomy and Independence in Language Learning London: Longman, pp 54-65 36 Smith, R C (2000) Starting with ourselves: Teacher-learner autonomy in language learning In B Sinclair, I McGrath and T Lamb (Eds.), Learner autonomy, teacher autonomy: Future directions (pp 89-99) London: Longman 37 Soboleva, O & Tronenko, N (2002) A Russian multimedia learning package for classroom use and self-study Computer Assisted Language Learning,15 (5), 483 38 Son, J B (2003) A hypertext approach to foreign language reading: Student attitudes and perceptions Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 17, 91-110 39 Stiller, J D & Ryan, R M (1992) Teachers, parents, and student motivation: The effects of involvement and autonomy support http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/ content_storage_01/0000000b/80/22/02/12.pdf 40 Strong, G (1996) Using literature for language teaching in ESOL Currents in English Literature journal 69: 291-305.8 41 Sturtridge, Gill (1997) New roles for learners: developing learners as "learner-teachers" Autonomy 2000: The Development of Learning Independence in Language Learning Conference Proceedings Bangkok: King Mongkut‟s Institute of Technology Thonburi http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Learner_autonomy 42 Su, W Q & Kinshuk (2002) Web-based computer assisted language learning In Proceedings of the Distance Education Association of New Zealand Conference (DEANZ), 99-107, Wellington, New Zealand 51 43 Tort-Moloney, D (1997) Teacher autonomy: A Vygotskian theoretical framework CLCS Occasional Paper No 48 Retrieved July 6, 2009 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/22/cd/33 pdf 44 Usuki, M (2001) Learner autonomy: Learning from the student's voice Retrieved November 10, 2009 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/25/a3/32 pdf 45 Usuki, M (2002) Learner autonomy: Learning from the student's voice CLCS Occasional Paper Retrieved November 10, 2009 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/22/60/9e.pdf 46 Walz, J (1998) Meeting standards for foreign language learning with World Wide Web activities Foreign Language Annals, 31(1), 103-114 47 Warschauer, M (1996) Computer-assisted language learning: An introduction Warschauer, M., & Healey, D (1998) Computers and language learning: An overview Language Teaching, 31, 57-71 48 Wilkins, D.A (1976) Notional syllabuses Oxford: Oxford University Press Gardner, R C and MacIntyre, P D 1993 A Student's Contributions to Second-language Learning Part II: Affective variables Language Teaching 26, 1-11 49 Internet sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questionnaire Retrieved November 10, 2009 http://www.bellerbys.com/english/study/education.aspx Retrieved March 18, 2010 http://www.miguelmllop.com/practice/intermediate/readingcomprehension/healthinamerica.htm Retrieved April 26, 2010.) http://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension Retrieved December 10, 2009 52 APPENDIX QUESTIONS FOR STUDENT INTERVIEWS AT MY HAO HIGH SCHOOL Are you interested in learning reading? Why and why not? Please explain What are the main factors that affect students‟ reading comprehension? How much time you spend for independent learning? Have you ever used internet-based reading materials? If yes, how you find them? 53 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE You are invited to participate in this quastionnaire The questionnaire is specifically for grade twelve students of My Hao High school in Hung Yen The questionnaire is part of a study on the Effects of Using Internet-based Materials in Developing Learner Autonomy in Learning Reading Skill for high school students Please answer the following questions carefully based on your own experience Your opinions are very important to the study Thank you very much for your time and support What are your goals in learning English? o I'd like to improve my English in order to find a good job o I‟d like to pass the final exams o I‟d like to please my parents and teachers o I‟d like to gain knowledge o English is a compulsory subject at school What are your attitudes towards reading skill? Give reasons for your choice o Reading is very important o Reading is important o Reading is not very important o Reading is not important at all Reasons for your choice: ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… What materials you use for independent learning? Give your own reasons 54 o Books - fiction and non fiction of all sorts of genre o Magasines o Newspapers o Internet-based materials Reasons for your choice: ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… What you think about internet-based reading materials ? Tick the box that applies to you o Internet-based reading materials are useful source for extensive learning o Internet-based reading materials are easy to access o Internet-based reading materials promote learners‟ interests o Internet-based reading materials improve reading comprehension skill o Internet-based reading materials are suitable for high school students Do you think internet-based reading materials can promote autonomous learning? If yes, why? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 55 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE What you think of the internet-based materials provided for this study? Please tick the box that applies to you o Internet-based materials provided for this study are useful o Internet-based materials provided for this study are suitable for your ability o Internet-based materials provided for this study are too difficult for you o The topics of the reading passages are interesting What causes you the greatest difficulty when you use internet-based materials? Please tick the box that applies to you o You don‟t have a computer at home o Your parents not allow you to get access to internet o You don‟t know many websites that are useful for high school students o You have to learn other subjects and as a result, you not have time for extensive reading o You lack of necessary vocabulary related to the topic of the reading passage o You have a lack of technical support in your home to use the software tools Poor technical support or tutorial help can lead to incorrect usage of software tools needed to assignments How internet-based materials help you promote autonomous learning? Tick the box that applies to you o Internet-based reading materials help you improve your reading skill very quickly o It is difficult and time-consuming to get access to Internet-based reading materials o Using internet-based reading materials is a good way of learning English o Internet-based reading materials are useful sources of information for high school students o Internet-based reading materials help you promote autonomous learning o Internet-based reading materials should be put in official curricular of high school How you evaluate your progress? Please tick the box that applies to you 56 o I become more active and independent in learning reading skill o I can get access to internet-based materials more easily o I know how to choose appropriate reading materials o I can the reading tasks without many difficulties o My knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation has improved a lot What are the benefits of internet-based materials in improving reading comprehension skill? Tick the box that applies to you o Students are flexible to pursue education at personally convenient times o Students are able to interact with classmates in different locations using real time text, audio, or video o Students can reduce or eliminate travel cost to attend classes o Wider range of students in a class results in a wider range of opinions and views shared in class discussions o Internet-based materials can help develop students‟ autonomy in learning reading What should be done to improve learner autonomy in learning reading skill? Please tick the box that applies to you and give your own recommendations (if any) o Teachers should help to find suitable internet-based materials for the students to read o School leaders should provide with more computers linked to internet so that students can access to internet-based materials o Some difficult reading passages in textbooks can be replaced by more appropriate internet-based reading materials o More activities should be provided to raise the students‟ interests in learning reading o Students should be independent in their learning, they should read more to enrich their vocabulary o Some useful websites should be provided Your own recommendations: ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 57 APPENDIX SAMPLE READING Angkor Wat Read through the text, state if the statements are true or false Visit Angkor Wat Siem Reap is a small town near the world famous temple of Angkor Wat The town is charming and worth exploring, with some fine examples of Khmer and French colonial architecture set among the more modern developments Nowadays, visitors are flocking in, using it as a base for visits to the nearby temples A Carved City From the 9th to the 14th centuries, when Europe was still struggling out of the Dark Ages, the Cambodian Empire of Angkor covered most of present-day Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand The heart of this empire during the 12th century was the ancient capital of Angkor Thom, near present day Siem Reap, the site of the world‟s largest temple complexes, which were rediscovered in 1861.This spectacular city was built over 30 years under the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113-1150) The area covers about 400 square kilometres and is full of the finest examples of Khmer art and architecture Tourists are always amazed at the scale of the place In Angkor Wat you will find more than 100 stone monuments and temple buildings, each of which contains countless statues, sculptures and reliefs that have weathered extremely little over the last 800 years To see the whole thing can take several days The most important temples to visit in the area are Angkor Wat, especially at sunrise or sunset; Angkor Thom, the remains of the capital; Ta Prohm, a palace overgrown by jungle; and Bayon Getting a visa Visas are required to enter Cambodia You can obtain one on arrival at Siem Reap International Airport for $20, and passport photo is required per person You will also need 58 another passport photo for the Angkor Temple Entrance Pass Please ensure you take comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and plenty of water to drink as it is very hot there The most commonly accepted currency in Cambodia is the US dollar True Most people visit Siem Reap because of the temples in the area In the 9th to the 14th centuries, Europe was more advanced than Cambodia Angkor Wat was the capital of the Cambodian empire It took many decades to build the capital The stonework of Angkor Wat is in poor condition today It'll take a couple of days to see everything Dawn and dusk are particularly good times to visit Angkor Wat You must get a visa before flying to Siem Reap You will need a couple of passport photos 10 The US dollar is widely accepted in Cambodia (http://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension Retrieved November 10, 2009.) False 59 APPENDIX SAMPLE READING Health in America When Americans go abroad, one of their biggest concerns is, "Can you drink the water?" You may find asking yourself the same question, especially in a hip, urban setting where you may notice many people, young and old, drinking from large and small plastic bottles And these people will tell you, fiercely to put the fear of God in you, that "No! You cannot drink the tap water in this country anymore!" Ignore these people These are the same kind of people who will also inform you that you will drop dead before 40, or worse, become ugly fat, and stupid if you don't jog or join an expensive health club where you pay to sweat Now simply turn the tap water and drink long and deep to quench your thirst Do not be surprised the next morning if you still feel healthy and energetic Unless you come from a country, or stopped over in one, where dreaded diseases such as cholera, malaria, yellow or dengue fever are a fact of daily life, you not need inoculations to enter America Availability of certain drugs are also restricted What you have been able to get at your neighborhood pharmacy in your country may require a doctor's prescription So if you take medications, (e.g., for blood pressure or cholesterol), you must find an American doctor who can prescribe them for you Or bring extra enough to last during your stay QUESTIONS Match the following words to the suitable definition or synonym Concern Tap Satisfy by drinking Worry, anxiety 60 Feared, something that threatens Device for controlling the flow of water Run slowly and steadily for a time, for physical exercise Answer the following questions according to the text a Is the water from the tap good in America? b Do you need to be vaccinated if you travel to America? c What can you if you go to America after having been prescribed a certain medicine? d Why some America people drink water from plastic bottles? (http://www.miguelmllop.com/practice/intermediate/readingcomprehension/healthinamerica.h tm Retrieved April 26, 2010.) 61 APPENDIX SAMPLE READING Read and summarise the passage About the British Education System If you are not familiar with the British education system, it can be a little confusing Read this guide if you are not sure what the difference is between the exams, or why and when they are taken Students in England study General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) over two years, from the age of 15, and take GCSE exams at the end of this period These are the final years of their compulsory high school education At this point, students can either leave school and get a job, or go on to further studies The most traditional route for students wishing to go to university is to stay on at school or attend college for a two-year A Level course This will allow the student to apply for any degree course at any university, providing they meet the entry requirements Alternatively, if a student has already decided on a path of study or career, they can take a Foundation course which will give in-depth tuition in that chosen area of specialisation and is a fast-track preparation course for a university degree in that subject General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) What are GCSEs? GCSEs are the main examinations taken by UK students to complete the first stage of secondary or high school education Once you have completed your GCSE programmes, you‟ll be ideally placed to progress to A Level, Foundation or equivalent Advanced Level (A Level) What are A Levels? A levels are studied typically between the ages of 16-18 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, although mature students are also encouraged They remain the most popular route into UK higher education institutions Foundation courses What is a Foundation course? Foundation programmes are designed to lead to acceptance onto a degree course at university They typically last between months and years (http://www.bellerbys.com/english/study/education.aspx Retrieved March 18, 2010.) ... to Internet- based reading materials Using Internet- based reading materials is a good way of learning English Internet- based reading materials are useful sources of information for high school students. .. recommendations for using Internet- based materials The aim of this question was to investigate the students? ??recommendations for using Internet- based materials as extra reading materials Data gathered... Internet- based reading materials on the level of students? ? ?autonomy? What are the recommendations for improving learner autonomy in learning reading at My Hao high school? Methods of the study With the