the effectiveness of word meaning guessing in context on reading comprehension among grade 11 students of duong van duong high school

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY LE THI HOAI THU THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WORD-MEANING GUESSING IN CONTEXT ON READING COMPREHENSION AMONG GRADE 11 STUDENTS OF DUONG VAN DUONG HIGH SCHOOL MASTER’S THESIS OF TESOL Ho Chi Minh City, 2019 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY LE THI HOAI THU THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WORD-MEANING GUESSING IN CONTEXT ON READING COMPREHENSION AMONG GRADE 11 STUDENTS OF DUONG VAN DUONG HIGH SCHOOL Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) ID: 60 14 01 11 MASTER’S THESIS OF TESOL SUPERVISOR: HUYNH CONG MINH HUNG, Ph.D Ho Chi Minh City, 2019 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This chapter works as an introduction to the research It starts with the background of the study, followed by the statement of the problem Then, the significance of the study is emphasized to highlight some contributions to reading comprehension After that, the overall structure of the study is given with the main focus for each chapter 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Reading, considered as the window of the world, is a foundation skill for learning Reading is one of four main language skills that learners need to master to be able to communicate in English situations Reading is not only the ability to draw meaning from the text but also the ability to interpret the information implied in the text (Grabe & Stoller, 2002) In order to get meaning from what they read, learners are in need of accumulating a large number of words in their vocabularies It is stated that vocabulary knowledge is in a close relationship with reading proficiency and strong vocabulary can enhance learners’ comprehension of reading materials Absolutely, deficiencies in vocabulary may make even a simple task become difficult for readers Oxford (1990) states that it is impossible for EFL students to understand every lexical item in a reading passage While reading students sometimes meet some unknown words; and they tend to look up the meanings of these words from the dictionary instead of guessing According to Horst, Cobb and Meara (1998), it is possible for second language learners to infer from context while reading It has been proved that the strategy of word guessing in context brings a lot of benefits to comprehending the meaning of a reading text (Kanatlar & Peker, 2009) In other words, it is believed to be a useful tool in improving reading comprehension (Shokouhi and Askari, 2010) Prince (1996) mentions three benefits of learning from context including developing learners’ strategies, meeting words in discourse and indicating the use of words To put it simply, the more students understand the implied word meaning, the more they can enhance reading comprehension In addition, compared to the use of dictionary, guessing is believed not to interfere the flow of reading (Brown, 1972) and to provide a contextualized meaning (Rhoder & Huerster, 2002) as well as to intensify the comprehension (Haynes, 1984, as cited in Kanatlar & Peker, 2009) Therefore, students should be taught the words’ meanings in context through the use of guessing strategies However, the reality is that most of the classrooms in Vietnamese high schools are teacher-centered and the use of contexts has not been much applied, which makes reading comprehension more difficult for students As we have known, in conventional EFL classrooms, an emphasis is often placed on reading skill and grammar Nevertheless, vocabulary items, reading comprehension and grammatical points are still taught through Grammar-Translation Method (GTM) The method is not much appropriate in educational program nowadays and it is not student-centered; thus, this method is unable to arouse much interest among students It is undeniable that teachers spend most of the time in class exploiting textbook passages, completing the reading tasks, presenting structures and giving students further grammar practice In this situation, teachers cannot be blamed completely because this is the unavoidable consequence of the examination-oriented tendency At a high school in the Vietnamese educational system, beside a sequence of tests during the school year, students have to confront the graduation examination and they can enter universities or colleges after that Therefore, in order to assist students in learning reading as well as increase their motivation there is an urgent need for improving the teaching method As a result, the present study aims to explore the effectiveness of context clues on reading comprehension among EFL students in Vietnamese high schools and improve their reading skills as well 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE The purpose of the study is twofold First, this study investigates the feasibility of word-meaning guessing in context to improve the eleventh graders’ reading comprehension in Duong Van Duong high school Secondly, students’ attitudes towards the application of word-meaning guessing is also explored by the questionnaire The study is limited to high school students of grade 11 only at Duong Van Duong high school To begin with, by means of an experimental study, it investigates the difference between the CG with the direct teaching of vocabulary and the EG with the instructions on word guessing strategies The students receive training on necessary context clues for guessing such as definitions, synonyms, antonyms, comparison and contrast, etc to derive the meaning of new items Moreover, the students’ attitudes towards the word guessing are explored by the questionnaire after they are trained how to apply word guessing strategies into reading comprehension It is necessary to know students’ perceptions towards the new technique, compared to the traditional way From that, the teacher knows how much students have learnt from that technique or any difficulties they may encounter in their learning Consequently, the teacher gives better solutions to help students get successful in acquiring new vocabulary and improving reading comprehension For example, it is the teacher who can make adaptations to appropriate materials or strategies concerning students’ level proficiency or students’ preferences 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS In investigating the effectiveness of word meaning guessing in context to help students with their reading comprehension, the researcher has formulated the research questions: a To what extent does word-meaning guessing in context have any effects on students’ reading comprehension? b What are the students’ attitudes towards word-meaning guessing in context? 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The significance of this research lies in the efficiency of the guessing instruction when it is applied on a practical basis Although several studies were carried out to investigate the effectiveness of using guessing strategies to vocabulary learning in enhancing reading comprehension, there are only a few focusing on high school contexts and exploring high-school students’ attitudes towards this method Clearly, word guessing is not new in the teaching context, but the idea of using this technique is still not widely used in many cases of high school, especially Duong Van Duong high school Moreover, the reality is that students are still not given any explicit instructions on how to use word guessing strategies in the current textbook Therefore, they not get used to taking advantage of those techniques in their reading practices In order to promote students’ reading ability, this study is conducted If the implementation of this method gets satisfactory results, students can get better achievement in reading comprehension In addition, teachers may receive the benefits of the research They know students’ difficulties while reading and students’ attitudes towards the guessing strategy so that they can develop their own teaching methods From that, teachers consider how to choose appropriate types of materials and design activities in order to improve students’ reading competence One more thing is that researchers may carry out further studies into related issues based on the results of the current study 1.5 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY The overall structure of the thesis takes the form of five chapters as follows: Chapter 1, introduction, emphasizes the importance of reading skill in EFL classroom and the current situation of teaching practices in Vietnamese high school environment It provides background of the study, statement of the purpose, research questions, significance of the study and it gives direction to the whole paper Chapter begins by laying out the theoretical background of the research and looks back how the empirical studies have been carried out to investigate the effectiveness of guessing strategy on reading comprehension Chapter presents the methodology employed in the research, including research site, materials, analytical framework, teaching procedure and measure instruments Besides, the validity and reliability of the study is also discussed Chapter works carefully on the analysis and interpretation of the data collected from the instrument, namely pre-test, post-test and the questionnaire Then, the findings from the data analysis are discussed Chapter gives the conclusion to the thesis, with the strengths, limitations of the study as well as the recommendation for further studies in the future CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter aims at reviewing the related literature It comprises of two main parts, namely the theoretical background and the previous study In the theoretical background of the study, it is divided into four sections including reading comprehension, reading strategies, an overview of context-based approach and context clues Then, some research works contributing to the present study are presented Before the summary of the study is given, research gaps are indicated to bridge the gaps of the study 2.2 THEORETICAL BACKROUND 2.2.1 READING COMPREHENSION 2.2.1.1 THE PURPOSE OF READING Reading can be served as a variety of purposes For example, reading can be for pleasure or general understanding Besides, in some cases, reading requires more attention to focus on details of the text, which is supposed to be the most challenging for L2 learners It is the type of reading that affects how we read and what we read for Schmitt (2010) states that L2 readers often need to develop “reading for understanding” and “reading to learn” (p 216) It can be seen clearly that learning reading is not only learning how to recognize words but also learning how to make texts understood (Tierney & Readence, 2005) because it is “the process of making meaning from text” (Woolley, 2011, p.15) In other words, from text, the reader can find out the information mentioned by the writer In addition to the ability of reading and remembering, the reader can learn from as well as find meaning in text for later use (Souvignier & Moklesgerami, 2006) 2.2.1.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF READING Reading is considered the most important skill for second language learners (Lynch & Hudson, 1991) and is one of the primary goals of early education (Hume & Snowling, 2011) Reading has attracted much attention from many researchers and experts due to several reasons (Richards & Renandya, 2002) Firstly, reading serves different purposes such as knowledge, career or educational purposes In fact, the ability in reading a foreign language is quite necessary in most EFL situations It is an essential skill for a competent learner in today’s society (Human Resources and Social Development Canada, 2003) For pedagogical purposes, reading enhances language acquisition as well as writing samples Secondly, by reading, learners can make a connection with other skills like grammar, vocabulary or speaking To put it simply, reading is an interactive process of communication Finally, reading can promote learning and be an instrument by which learners can use to study other subjects (Far, Nurianfar & Gowhary, 2014) It all points to a conclusion that reading is a vital skill not only for the mental development but also the learners’ academic achievement 2.2.1.3 DEFINITION OF READING COMPREHENSION Reading has been given its definition by many researchers or experts As mentioned above, reading is a very important skill which cannot be separated from other skills as well as the process of teaching and learning a foreign language Until the mid-1970’s, reading was just the recognition of messages from the author by decoding the words (Adams & Collins, 1977; McKeown, 1990) Then, both explicit and implicit meanings of the text were gradually paid much care to by the readers This means that the information which the readers derive may come from what the author directly says and what is integrated with the readers’ existing experience To clarify, the readers can make the inferences to uncover the deeper meaning of the text based on these existing knowledge (Hirsch, 2003) Currently, the relationship between the text and the reader’s prior knowledge is often mentioned in most definitions of reading comprehension (Alfassi, 2004; Meneghetti, Carretti & De Beni, 2006, as cited in Kroner’s 2012) According to FalkRoss (2001), “reading is a number of interactive processes between the reader and the text, in which readers use their knowledge to build, to create, and to construct meaning” (p 278) In other words, in this process, the meaning is elicited when the reader communicates with the text In order to make sense of the text, the reader needs to connect information from printed materials with prior knowledge (Day & Bamford, 2010) There is no denying that reading is considered a complex process in which a reader uses his capacities to construct meaning from written or printed message 2.2.1.4 ELEMENTS OF READING COMPREHENSION According to Snow & Sweet (2003), comprehension involves three components, including the reader, the text and the activity The reader is the person who is doing the comprehending, the text is what needs to be comprehended and the activity is a part of comprehension Firstly, in terms of the reader, the authors mean readers’ abilities and knowledge to comprehend the text To enable reading comprehension, the reader needs to be equipped with cognitive capacities (e.g., memory, critical ability, inferencing…), motivation (purpose and interest for reading) and other knowledge areas (vocabulary, discourse, comprehension strategies) It is clear that the reader’s abilities and knowledge will vary according to the text in use and the activity that he or she is engaged in Furthermore, appropriate instruction from the teacher will be really helpful for the reader in recognizing which capacities can be used for which types of texts and activities Secondly, the text is the printed or electronic text which the reader needs to comprehend There are a variety of representations of the text that the reader constructs during reading For example, the surface code (exact wording), the text base (idea units) and mental models The text can be easy or difficult depending on the knowledge of the reader and the activities Last but not least, the 114 - Ask Ss to explain why the During the experiment, statements are T or F; then Gardner slept for several correct the false statements hours every night - Ask Ss to try to guess the During the experiment, meanings of new words if Gardner they encounter them while speaking clearly doing the task It took two weeks for had trouble Gardner to recover from the experiment Going without sleep is not dangerous for white rats Scientists are not sure why we need to sleep In the first paragraph, the word “find out” (line 2) means learn or discover In the second paragraph (line 14), the word “slurred” means easy to understand KEYS F (No, Randy Gardner studied the effects of not getting enough sleep.) F (No, Randy stayed awake for eleven days and nights without sleep.) T 115 F (No, it took Randy four nights to return to his normal sleep schedule.) F (No, going without sleep is dangerous for white rats They can die.) T T F (No, the word “slurred” means difficult to understand POST-READING (10’) Discussion Suggestions: of Possible effects of -Work in groups and sleeplessness sleeplessness - Ask Ss to work in groups discuss You might have trouble and list speaking some possible clearly effects of sleeplessness You might hallucinate - After that, ask them to You could have trouble share their opinion with reading their You could have trouble partners about Gardner’s experiment and remembering tell why You might have trouble things counting You could have trouble studying for a test You might forget your boyfriend or girlfriend’s name 116 You could forget to eat dinner You might have trouble speaking English Opinions on Gardner’s experiment I think it was an interesting experiment because I learned a lot about the importance of sleep I don't think experiment was the very scientific because affected our it health I would like to know more about experiment C CONSOLIDATION (1’) - Consolidate the lesson - Ask Ss to review the vocabulary items Gardner's 117 APPENDIX 5: HANDOUT Morphology Example: Such changeable and uncertain people are incapable of a lifelong friendship (Unit 1, Tieng Anh 11) Uncertain :………………………………………………………… Incapaple: ……………………………………………………… Synonyms and antonyms: Examples: - The competition was sponsored by the Students' Parents Society Mrs Lien, our English teacher, explained the competition's rules to the students " To participate in the contest, you have to work in groups of three." (Unit 6, Tieng Anh 11) Competition: ……………………………………………………… - It is time governments and international organizations did something to help them so that the world population growth can start to decrease instead of continuing to increase (Unit 7, Tieng Anh 11) Decrease: …………………………………………………………… Restatement Example: Entry qualifications to weekend courses are generous, that is, generally no qualifications are necessary, apart from an ability to pay the fees, which may be quite high (Unit 6, Tieng Anh 11) Generous: …………………………………………………………… Definitions (Explanation) Example: Another alternative source of energy is geothermal heat, which comes from deep inside the earth (Unit 11, Tieng Anh 11) Geothermal heat: …………………………………………………… Reference words 118 Examples: - However, human beings have a great influence on the rest of the world They are changing the environment by building cities and villages where forest once stood (Unit 10, Tieng Anh 11) Human beings: …………………………………………………… Example Example: Each nation has many people who voluntarily take care of others For example, many high school and college students in the United States often spend many hours as volunteers in hospitals, orphanages or homes for the aged (Unit 4, Tieng Anh 11) Voluntarily: ………………………………………………………… Comparison and contrast Example: Everyone has a number of acquaintances, but no one has many friends, for 20 true friendship is not common, and there are many people who seem to be incapable of it (Unit 1, Tieng Anh 11) Acquaintances: ……………………………………………………… Cause and effect Example: I didn't want to make a fuss, so I decided just to take my money back from the schoolboy's bag, without saying a word about it (Unit 2, Tieng Anh 11) Make a fuss: ………………………………………………………… 119 APPENDIX 6: PRE-TEST Student’s name: _ Class: READING TEST (20’) Read the passage and answer the questions Sleep: How Much Is Too Much? Most people know that not getting enough sleep is not healthy But is it possible to get too much sleep? Most doctors and scientists seem to think so In fact, too much sleep can make people feel even more tired than getting a normal night’s sleep Doctors recommend that people get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night If a person still feels tired after eight or nine hours of sleep, however, more sleep is not the answer In fact, sleeping more than nine hours a night may be a sign of a medical problem When people sleep too long, they might not get enough sunlight or exercise, and their bodies may tell them that they need more rest This can make people’s bodies weaker, and they may catch colds or even get other, more serious diseases1 more easily Some scientific studies have shown that people who sleep more than nine hours a night are 50% more likely to get diabetes2, and more than 20% more likely to be obese3 Too much sleep has also been linked to having more headaches, back pain, depression4, and even heart disease 120 The problem is not with the quantity of sleep we get, but the quality of sleep There are five main stages of sleep In Stage we fall asleep; in Stage we sleep lightly In Stages and we sleep deeply In Stage 5—REM sleep—we dream When people have poor quality sleep, it usually means that they pass from Stage to Stage 2, and never move on to Stage Without deep sleep, the body does not get enough rest, no matter how long a person sleeps To help this problem, doctors recommend trying to go to sleep and waking up at the same times each day Get fresh air, sunlight, and regular exercise as well If there are still problems, people should visit their doctor for more help Questions: According to the title, what is this passage about? A How to fall asleep quickly B How to have a long sleep C Getting too much sleep D Getting too little sleep Read the first paragraph of the passage Choose the correct answer A Sleeping too little is not healthy B Sleeping too much is not healthy C Sleeping too much can make a person feel more tired D All of the above According to the passage, what is a reasonable amount of sleep per night? A 6–7 hours B 7–9 hours C 9–10 hours D More than 10 hours According to the passage, which statement is true about sleeping more than nine hours a night? A Your body will get stronger 121 B You may catch a cold more easily C Your body can fight diseases better D Your body might fall asleep more easily Some studies show that people who sleep too much are _ more likely to get diabetes A less than 20% B 20% C 50% D more than 50% Which of these are some of the problems that have been linked with too much sleep? A Diabetes and stomachaches B Headaches and stress C Back and foot pain D Depression and heart disease In paragraph 5, which expression could be used instead of the quality of sleep? A How well we sleep B How long we sleep C How early we sleep D How late we sleep In Stage of sleep, we spend most of our time _ A falling asleep B in light sleep C in deep sleep D dreaming People who have low-quality sleep may spend their sleeping time in _ A Stage only B Stages and only C Stages and only D Stages 1, 2, and only 122 10 Which of the following is not mentioned as a way to help the problem of sleeping too much? A Setting a regular sleep schedule B Going to sleep later and waking later than normal C Spending more time outdoors D Trying to exercise regularly - The end – Answer Key C D B B C D A D B 10 B APPENDIX 7: POST-TEST Student’s name: _ 123 Class: READING TEST (20’) Read the passage and answer the questions that follow Being a Good Tourist Everybody is a tourist at least some of the time But being a ‘good tourist’ can take a little practice While many tourists may already have good travel habits, we have all probably seen those tourists who test the patience and goodwill of local people when they travel Being a good tourist isn’t really that difficult In fact, by following a few simple rules, tourists can make both their own experience, and that of the people living in the places they visit, a pleasant one Don’t Block Traffic This is the biggest complaint by the natives of a place that gets packed with tourists If you don’t know where you’re going, don’t stop dead in your tracks at the end of the escalator, causing a human pile-up Keep walking, move out of the traffic flow, and then figure out which direction to head in Even better, figure out where you’re going before you get on or off of any public transport We all have to take public transportation together, so please remember that many people are hurrying to get to work Don’t Talk Badly About the Place You Are Visiting Most people take pride in the place where they live Even if something isn’t quite the way you like it—for example, the food, the traffic, or the shops—don’t make negative comments about the place you are visiting Keep Your Voice Down You might be excited or even stressed, but there are certain places, like temples or museums, where you should try to speak quietly Nobody else wants to hear your cell phone conversation or your daily schedule Pay attention to the people around you, and try to respect the space you share 124 Respect the Culture and the Environment Take cues from the locals about what is appropriate behavior and what is not If you don’t see the locals picking flowers or wearing a certain type of clothing, then it is probably not acceptable for you to it either Be sure to research such things before you plan your trip These simple rules could mean the difference in being a good tourist or a bad one If you practice them, everyone will enjoy your trip Questions: The reading passage is primarily about _ A how to decide the best place to go for a vacation B how difficult it is to be a good tourist C how local people should treat tourists D good manners for tourists when they travel According to the passage, learning to be a good tourist _ A tests the patience of locals B isn’t so difficult, actually C is a sign of goodwill D requires a lot of practice Rule talks mostly about what tourists should know about _ A walking and taking public transportation B how to drive in traffic while traveling C reading maps in a new place D traveling to work while on vacation In Rule 1, what does “dead in your tracks” mean? A Afraid to step off an escalator B Pushing people to go by them C Causing a human pile-up D Standing somewhere without moving Which is an example of something to avoid saying, according to Rule 2? 125 A I’ve never tried that dish before, but it sounds great B We’ve been sitting on this bus for an hour already C They have some incredible clothing shops here D The train brought us straight from the airport in just 15 minutes What does “keeping your voice down” mean? A Talking quietly B Talking loudly C Getting stressed D Being excited What’s one thing we can infer from Rule 3? A Most tourists visit temples and museums B Tourists don’t respect the space they share with local people C Some tourists speak very loudly on their cell phones D Many tourists don’t pay attention to their daily schedule According to Rule 4, we can infer that _ A in most places, it’s OK for locals to pick flowers, but not tourists B if local people aren’t seen wearing short pants, tourists probably shouldn’t either C tourists should always ask locals before deciding what clothing is OK to wear D tourists should try to avoid accepting flowers from local people In the last paragraph, what does the word “everyone” refer to? A All tourists B All locals C Both tourists and locals D None of the above 10 What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage? A To make tourists speak more quietly when they travel B To make tourists plan their travel better C To teach local people how to find good tourists D To teach some simple rules for being a good tourist 126 - The end – Answer Key D B A D B A C B C 10 D APPENDIX 8: SCORE TABLE OF READING TEST IN THE CONTROL AND EG CG Sts Gender EG Reading Gender Reading 127 Pre-test Post-test Pre-test Post-test 5.0 5.0 5.0 7.0 4.0 4.0 F 6.0 6.0 7.0 7.0 F 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 6.0 7.0 4.0 5.0 F 4.0 3.0 F 4.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 F F F F 4.0 5.0 F 6.0 6.0 10 F 7.0 6.0 F 7.0 8.0 11 F 5.0 5.0 F 6.0 7.0 5.0 4.0 6.0 7.0 6.0 6.0 7.0 7.0 5.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 6.0 5.0 7.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 5.0 6.0 6.0 7.0 F 4.0 5.0 20 5.0 5.0 F 4.0 4.0 21 6.0 7.0 4.0 5.0 12 13 F 14 15 F 16 17 F 18 19 F F F F 22 F 4.0 5.0 F 3.0 4.0 23 F 6.0 6.0 F 8.0 8.0 7.0 8.0 5.0 6.0 24 25 F 3.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 26 F 5.0 5.0 3.0 4.0 27 F 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 28 F 4.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 128 29 4.0 4.0 4.0 6.0 30 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 31 4.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 32 3.0 3.0 7.0 7.0 33 5.0 5.0 4.0 5.0 34 4.0 4.0 F 6.0 6.0 35 4.0 5.0 F 3.0 4.0 F ...MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY LE THI HOAI THU THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WORD- MEANING GUESSING IN CONTEXT ON READING COMPREHENSION AMONG GRADE 11 STUDENTS OF DUONG. .. research findings As explained above, due to the aims of investigating the effectiveness of word meaning guessing in context on reading comprehension among high school students and the particular... effectiveness of word meaning guessing in context to help students with their reading comprehension, the researcher has formulated the research questions: a To what extent does word- meaning guessing in context