Using reading aloud strategy to improve college student’s reading comprehension

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY HO KIM NHI USING READING ALOUD STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE COLLEGE STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION Nghệ An, 2017 i MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY HO KIM NHI USING READING ALOUD STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE COLLEGE STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION Major: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Code: 60.14.01.11 MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION SUPERVISOR Ph.D Tran Ba Tien Nghệ An, 2017 ii ABSTRACT This study focuses on the effective of using reading aloud strategies for improving reading comprehension of second year English-major students in Binh Phuoc Teacher’s Training College for the Academic Year 2016-2017 in the second semester By doing so, this study can identify the effectiveness of using reading aloud strategies There were 45 respondents which were randomly selected from two classes These groups of students were chosen because the researcher is one of the teachers in English of the said school The respondents were given a questionnaire and specific lessons with language exercises in speaking as teaching strategies using language games as the main device for gathering the data There is a significant difference on the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group The result implies that reading aloud strategies really help develop the reading comprehension of the students and enhance their pronunciation It is not only functioning as time reading activities, but also they can bring some educational values that enable the students to learn the language especially in reading skill This study has proven that there is a significant relationship between the using of reading aloud strategies and the reading comprehension of the students with a moderate positive correlation The use of reading aloud strategies has an impact to second year English-major students with regards to their reading comprehension The strategies have been instrumental in developing their reading performance and pronunciation through the aid of the assigned English teacher iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The researcher wishes to thank the following who, in one way or another, extended their invaluable help, piece of advice, suggestions, and moral support for the completion of this study: Vinh University for offering a graduate program in Master of Arts in Teaching English to graduate students who aspire to obtain quality education; Long An University of Economics and Industry for the important endorsement to participate in the program; Assoc Prof Dinh Xuan Khoa, Vinh University President, for his remarkable leadership which serves as inspiration to everyone, especially to graduate students; Ph.D Tran Ba Tien, former Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages Education, for his informative comments and for the generosity, great help, advice and motivation to fulfill this undertaking and guidance from the earliest stage of the conduct of this research; All lecturers in the Graduate Studies and Faculty of Foreign Languages Education of Vinh University, for their commendable contributions in obtaining the degree Master of Arts in Teaching English To his colleagues, friends and relatives for their moral support despite the pressure of work, more so for their prayers and encouragement; The researcher’s family, for their full moral and financial support and everlasting love HO KIM NHI iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Preliminaries Page Title Page i Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents v List of Tables vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction .1 1.2 Rationale 1.3 Aims of the study 1.4 Research questions .9 1.5 Scope of the study 10 1.6 Thesis design 11 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The definition of reading 13 2.2 The importance of reading 13 2.3 Reading Strategies 14 2.3.1 Reading Aloud Strategies 14 2.3.2 Reading Aloud Strategies and Literacy Skill 16 2.3.3 Reading Aloud with All Students 19 2.4 Reading Aloud Components 20 2.5 Effectiveness of Reading Aloud Strategies 22 2.6 Encouraging Students to Read Aloud 23 2.7 Guidelines of Reading Aloud Strategies 24 2.8 Reading Comprehension 25 2.9 Factors impacting Reading 26 2.10 Reading preference and Quality of Reading 27 2.11 The impact of the media 28 2.12 Strategies of Reading comprehension 28 v CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research Design 30 3.2 Respondents of the Study 31 3.3 Sampling Technique 31 3.4 Research Instrument 31 3.5 Data Gathering Instrument 32 3.6 Research Procedure 33 3.7 Statistical Treatment 34 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 4.1 Perceptions of social interaction 35 4.2 Reading Aloud Strategies used by English Teachers 38 4.3 Extent of Students’ Understanding by using Reading Aloud Strategies 41 4.4 Scores of the Pre-Test and Post -Test of the Control Group 44 4.5 Scores of the Pre-Test and Post -Test of the Experimental Group 45 4.6 Pre-test and Post-test Scores 45 4.7 Significant Difference between Pre-test and Post-test Scores of the Experimental Group 46 4.8 Significant Relationship of Using Reading Aloud Strategies 47 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 5.1 Summary of Findings 49 5.2 Conclusion 51 5.3 Recommendations 51 REFERENCES 54 APPENDICES Appendix A 60 Appendix B 62 Appendix C 64 Appendix D 67 Appendix E 69 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1: Students’ Perception of social interaction on reading comprehension…3 Table 4.2: Respondents’ Preference of Reading………………………………… .3 Table 4.3: Extent of Students’ Understanding by using Reading Aloud Strategy…41 Table 4.4: Scores of the Pre-Test and Post Test of the Control Group……………44 Table 4.5: Scores of the Pre-Test and Post Test of the Experimental Group…… 45 Table 4.6: Pre-test and Post-test Scores……………………………………………45 Table 4.7: Significant Difference between Pre-test and Post-test Scores of the Experimental Group………………………………………………………………46 Table 4.8: Significant Difference between Pre-test and Post-test Scores of the Experimental Group……………………………………………………………….4 vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction With the rapid pace of globalization, English, as a universal language, has opened the door to various fields such as commerce, communication, science and technology throughout the world In fact, the global awareness theme talks of the need for students to be able to learn from and read collaboratively with individuals from diverse culture, religion, ideologies, and lifestyle in an environment of openness and mutual respect The context and Social culture status of the English Language in Vietnam, English is an important foreign language that has long been the most widely-taught at all educational institutions for all learners in Vietnam Moreover, English is also used as a medium of instruction at these ones such as bilingual schools, international schools, colleges and universities at both public and private According to Vietnamese government, English in Vietnam is mainly provided and managed by the Ministry of Education and Training The government attitudes towards English will be used as a second language in Vietnam in the future Therefore, they have many support policies resulting from these have influenced the nature of the teaching and learning of English in Vietnam in particular ways As you know, reading is the main skill for learning English as well There are many authors stating about the importance of reading in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Jubani, Lama, and Gjokutaj (2012) stated that learning and knowledge of English are fundamental to education for learners The history of reading is combined with the invention of writing It is particular knowledge that no one is born knowing how to read or to write because these two things must be taught first at the beginning level Reading is a factor of great significance in the human life Therefore, it is the main factor in the achieving language acquisition In another hand, Snow (2002) defined that reading is a complicated procedure that is made up of various components, all of which must be executed and accomplished by the readers with the only purpose for getting or translating meaning from printed text Besides, the reader must quickly and accurately comprehend printed words in the book, attempt to understand the various meanings of words, and create a cohesive mental model of the meaning of the text Obviously, effective reading requires them to make accurate meaning of the text by making inferences based on connections within and beyond the current texts Moreover, reading is an important element to help students how to gain access to many different kinds of knowledge, information, and ideas Also, reading has many benefits for students because it can enhance students’ social skills and open up new worlds for them The students must see reading as an enjoyable activity in order to truly benefit from it not only related to school Heisey, N., & Kucan, L (2010) pointed out the result of his study that the students will use reading to learn about all subjects; therefore, if they not have strong reading skills, they might struggle in their academic lives Roberts (2011) declared that most foreign language learners can master reading at the age of an appropriate level and continue to increase their reading skills or abilities over their learning and beyond better However, (Roberts & Wanzek, 2012; Chapman & Tunmer, 2003) indicated that students who continue to display reading comprehension after experience difficulties Then, reading plays one of the most important and critical educational factors because it affects virtually all academic disciplines Additionally, Strong et al., (2002) ‘s reading research has reveal that reading skill is inseparably connected to many components such as problem solving, critical thinking, writing, researching, supporting ideas, reasoning, and creativity Reading fluency is a crucial skill for efficient and effective reading According to the work of LaBerge and Samuels (1974), which is based on the theory of automatic information processing, poor readers experience difficulty with fluency, because visual information is transformed and processed by the reader until the individual comprehends what is being read 1.2 Rationale The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) in Vietnam has set a target of boosting foreign language teaching and learning in all levels from primary schools to universities At the start of the academic year 2011-2012, students at specific schools will have to some subjects in English As stated by Zhang (2012), reading is one of language skills that must be mastered by any foreign language learner because reading is an essential tool for getting main knowledge, thinking and learning Considering how important reading skill in learning English, teachers of English are motivated in the saying that “Reading is one of the central elements of getting knowledge.” In EFL (English Foreigner Language) teaching, it is an aspect that needs special attention and instruction In order to provide effective attention, it is necessary for a teacher of EFL to carefully examine the factors, condition and components that underlie reading comprehension by using reading aloud strategies for teaching For most people, the ability to read a foreign language texts or books is synonymous with knowing that language because speech is for them the basic means of human knowledge English learners no longer expect the traditional approach of their teachers based on developing mainly the grammatical competence and using methodology popular in the past Today, teachers are expected to provide their students with useful active knowledge of the foreign language, not just theory about the language In Vietnam, this problem is even more serious Aside from the term of practicing, Vietnamese students always have to face with many other difficulties in teaching reading English skill 42, 50-61 Kailani, T Z (1998) Reading aloud in EFL revisited Reading in a foreign language, 12(1), 281-294 Klinedinst, R E (1991) Predicting performance achievement and retention of instrumental students Journal of Research in Music Education, 39 (3), 225-238 Leung, C B (2008) Learners’ acquisition of scientific vocabulary through repeated read aloud events, retellings, and hands-on science activities Reading Psychology, 29, 165-193 Loysen, J R (2010) Reading aloud: Constructing literacy in a classroom University of Rochester McCormick, S (1977) Should you read aloud to your students? 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Reading Teacher, 60 (6), 560-569 Walsh, K (2003) Basal readers: The lost opportunity to build the knowledge that propels comprehension American Educator, 27, 1, 24-27 58 Wasik, B A., & Bond, M A (2001) Beyond the pages of a book: Interactive book reading and language development in preschool classrooms Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(2), 243-250 Wayne, J., &Young, P (2003) Teacher characteristics and student achievement gains: A review Review of Educational Research, 73 (1), 89-122 Williamson, J (1988) Improving reading comprehension: Some current strategies English Teaching Forum, 26 (1), 7–9 Wiseman, A (2011) Interactive read aloud: Teachers and students constructing knowledge and literacy together Early Childhood Education Journal, 38 (6), 431438 Wiseman, A M (2010a), Interactive read aloud: Teachers and student constructing knowledge and literacy together The Education Journal, 38, 431438 Zhang, Y (2012) Reading to speak: Integrating oral communication skills English Teaching Forum, 47(1), 32-34 China Forum, 47(1), 32 59 APPENDIX A SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES (For students) This survey questionnaire is designed for my research into the using of reading aloud strategies for improving reading comprehension Your assistance in completing the survey is highly appreciated 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 Thank you very much for your cooperation Ho Kim Nhi – Lecturer in the Faculty of Foreign Languages, BinhPhuoc Teacher’s Training College, BinhPhuoc Province, Vietnam I Personal information Gender Age Male Female 19 to 20 years old Over 20 years old Years of Experience of learning English No 1 to 10 years Over 10 years old Questionnaire Strongly Agree (5) Agree Maybe Disagree (4) (3) (2) I read better if the teacher listens to my reading I read better if I share ideas with my friends I read better if I read alone I read better when I go to a library 60 Strongly Disagree (1) 10 11 12 13 14 15 There are many books which I hope to read I feel happy when my teacher let me read aloud I feel happy when my teacher let me read for my leisure I feel excited when my teacher let me spend free time for reading a book I feel happy when my teacher gives me time for reading class I feel happy when my teacher let me read a new book or a story I try to read it aloud to continue my reading when I find a story or a text difficult to understand I am better at improving my pronunciation when I use reading aloud I am better at improving my structures when I use reading aloud I feel better at enhancing my understanding of the texts when I read aloud I understand the text better when I listen to the story from the reader 61 APPENDIX B PRE-TEST Crazy Mom’s Fashion It started 20 years ago One day, Jane Smith, a busy mom and a loving wife, went shopping for new clothes After a few hours of searching, she came home exhausted and disappointed In the mid-80s, few manufacturers made clothes for women over thirty.“Thousands of women in England have the same problem, and I will help them,” – thought Mrs Smith With very little money, no connections in the fashion world and a husband who thought that her idea was crazy, the ambitious woman decided to start up her own business Jane designed her first collection of twenty clothing items, bought suitable material and sewing machines, and hired experienced tailors The Smiths’ balcony turned into a workshop When the collection was ready, Jane offered it to a famous chain of stores To her surprise, they bought the whole collection at once When they asked her about the name of her company, Jane looked at her husband, smiled and said: “Crazy Mom” The collection was sold in a very short time – women liked Jane’s models In a month, the manager of the chain ordered more clothes from “Crazy Mom” and Jane had to hire more people and find a bigger place for the workshop The next step was opening her own shop at the central train station in Manchester Now “Crazy Mom” has 50 boutiques all over the world Mr Smith left his job as an engineer and became head of the company Their four children also work in the company and, according to Jane, this is what makes the business so successful 62 B R e a d t h e t e x t a b o v e a n d a ns w e r t h e q u e s t i o n s ( p o i nt s ) Why didn’t Jane manage to buy any clothes? (1.5pts) What difficulties did Jane face when starting up her business? (1.5pts) a) b) c) What special trait helped Jane succeed in her new career? (par 1) (0.5pt) What did Mrs Smith in order to start her business? (par 2) (1.5pts) a) b) c) Where did Jane sew her first collection? (0.5pt) Why did Jane decide to call her collection “Crazy Mom”? (1.5pts) What did Jane when the manager ordered more clothes? (1.5pts) What fact proves that that “Crazy Mom” is a successful company? _ 63 (1.5pts) APPENDIX C POST-TEST Students and Teachers Different students like or dislike different subjects However, there is one thing in common for all of them: the role of the teacher in these ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ It’s very hard for a student to succeed in learning a subject if he or she doesn’t like the person who teaches it To be sure these students are going to like a teacher the school wants to hire, the principal of one high school decided to try a new way of choosing teachers In order to be accepted, the candidate has to be interviewed twice – first by the principal and then by the students’ committee Gabi Levy explains the reason for this double interview: “We, the students, want to know what kind of person our future teacher is because he or she will teach us and not the principal.” Another student adds: “It is great that our school allows us to make important decisions and influence our school life.” The principal, Ronen Dan, agrees with his students: “The students want to know whether the candidate answers their criteria, and the administration has its own requirements We discuss the results of each interview together and decide who can be accepted I hope that now there will be fewer conflicts and more understanding between students and teachers in our school This experiment teaches kids to take responsibility for their choice If they approve of a teacher, they can’t complain that his or her requirements are unfair.” 64 C R e a d t h e t e x t a b o v e a n d a ns w e r t h e q u e s t i o n s (10points) What is the connection between the teacher’s personality and (1.5pts) a student’s success? What made the school principal try a different approach in finding (1.5pts) new teachers? Who interviews potential teachers? (1pt) a) _ b) _ What is the purpose of the double interview, according to students? (1.5pts) How students feel about their school because of this experiment? 65 (1.5pts) How the principal and the students cooperate when choosing the (1.5pts) right teacher for their school? What goal does the principal want to achieve by letting students (1.5pts) take part in a job interview? 66 APPENDIX D Scores of the Pre-Test and Post-Test of Control Group Student No Pretest Score Post-test Score Description Good Fair Good 6 Fair 5 Good 7 Good Good 5 Fair 7 Good 10 7 Good 11 Good 12 7 Good 13 8 Good 14 7 Good 15 Good 16 7 Good 17 Good 18 7 Good 19 8 Good 20 6 Fair 21 5 Fair 22 7 Good 23 7 Good 24 4 Poor 25 Poor 67 26 8 Good 27 Fair 28 Poor 29 8 Good 30 7 Good 31 Poor 32 8 Good 33 Fair 34 Good 35 7 Good 36 Good 37 7 Good 38 8 Good 39 6 Fair 40 5 Fair 41 Good 42 6 Fair 43 Fair 44 6 Fair 45 5 Fair 68 APPENDIX E Scores of the Pre-Test and Post Test of the Experimental Group Student No Pretest Score Post-test Score Description 8 Good Good Excellent Good Fair 7 Good Good 8 Good 10 Excellent 10 Good 11 Excellent 12 7 Good 13 8 Good 14 7 Good 15 8 Good 16 7 Good 17 Excellent 18 Good 19 Excellent 20 6 Fair 21 7 Good 22 7 Good 23 7 Good 24 Fair 25 Fair 69 26 10 Excellent 27 Fair 28 Good 29 10 Excellent 30 7 Good 31 9 Excellent 32 8 Good 33 8 Good 34 Excellent 35 9 Excellent 36 8 Good 37 Excellent 38 8 Good 39 Good 40 Good 41 8 Good 42 7 Good 43 7 Good 44 7 Good 45 6 Fair The end 70 ... effectiveness of using the reading aloud strategy for improving reading comprehension Indicators Grouped Standard Median Deviation Rank Remarks I try to read it aloud to continue my reading when... strategies to improve college students’ reading comprehension? ?? The study is to investigate some effectiveness of reading aloud related to English reading comprehension of students in the college 1.4 Research... encounter when using reading aloud strategies? 1.5 Scope of the study Although the research has shown the effectiveness of using reading aloud strategies to improve the reading comprehension of