Using supplementary reading materials for the course book powerbase elementary to improve reading skills for first year non english major students at national economics university

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Hanoi University of languages and international studies Department of posT - graduate studies  NGUYEN THI NGOC HUAN using supplementary reading materials for the course book ‘powerbase - elementary’ to improve reading skills for first year non- english MAJOR students at national economics university (Sử DụNG TàI LIệu Đọc Bổ TRợ cho giáo trình POWERBASE ELEMENTARY Để NÂNG CAO Kỹ NĂNG Đọc cho sinh viên không chuyên tiếng anh năm thứ nhấT tr-ờng đại học kinh tế quốc dâN) M.A MINOR THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH METHODOLOGY CODE: 60 14 10 HANOI, 2009 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Hanoi University of languages and international studies Department of posT - graduate studies  NGUYỄN THỊ NGỌC HUẤN using supplementary reading materials for the course book ‘powerbase - elementary’ to improve reading skills for first year non- english major students at national economics university (Sử DụNG TàI LIệU Đọc Bổ TRợ cho giáo trình POWERBASE - ELEMENTARY Để NÂNG CAO Kỹ NĂNG Đọc cho sinh viên không chuyên tiếng anh năm thứ tr-ờng đại học kinh tế quốc dâN) M.A MINOR THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH METHODOLOGY CODE: 60 14 10 SUPERVISOR: PHAN THỊ VÂN QUYÊN, M.A HANOI, 2009 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ………………………………………………………………………… i Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………… ii Abstract…………………………………………………………………………… iii List of Abbreviation………………………………………………………………… iv List of Tables……………………………………………………………………… v List of Charts……………………………………………………………………… vi Table of contents…………………………………………………………………… vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale……………………………………………………………………… 1.2 Scope of the study…………………………………………………………… 1.3 Significance of the study……………………………………………………… 1.4 Aims of the study…………………………………………………………… 1.5 Research questions…………………………………………………………… 1.6 Methodology………………………………………………………………… 1.7 Design of the study…………………………………………………………… CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Overview of reading………………………………………………………… 2.1.1 Definitions of reading…………………………………………………… 2.1.2 Reading comprehension……………………………………………… 2.1.3 Reading skills………………………………………………………… 2.1.3.1 Definition of reading skills………………………………………… 2.1.3.2 Types of reading skills…………………………………………… 2.2 Overview of materials in language teaching………………………………… 2.2.1 Definition of materials and types of materials in language teaching… 2.2.2 Supplementary materials for language teaching……………………… 2.2.3 Materials evaluation and the criteria for reading texts evaluation……… 10 2.2.4 Criteria for selecting appropriate supplementary materials…………… 11 Summary 12 viii CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Background to the thesis and statement of the problem……………………… 13 3.2 The description of the materials……………………………………………… 14 3.2.1 The course book…………………………………………………………… 14 3.2.1.1.Book title……………………………………………………………… 14 3.2.1.2.Book objectives……………………………………………………… 14 3.2.1.3.The structure of the course book …………………………………… 14 3.2.2 The supplementary material used for the course book …………………… 15 3.3 The subjects…………………………………………………………………… 16 3.4 Instruments for data collection………………………………………………… 17 3.5 Data collection procedures…………………………………………………… 18 3.6 Data analysis…………………………………………………………………… 18 Summary 33 CHAPTER FOUR: MAJOR FINDINGS, DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1: Major findings and discussion ………………………………………………… 34 4.1.1: The evaluation of the current reading materials used at NEU…………… 34 4.1.1.1: The evaluation of the reading sections in Powerbase……………… 34 4.1.1.2: The evaluations of the current supplementary material …………… 35 4.1.2 The teachers’ and students’ expectation ………………………………… 36 4.2 Recommendations……………………………………………………………… 37 4.2.1 Suggestions on how to use the course book Powerbase - Elementary…… 37 4.2.1.1 Increasing more time for Reading……………………………………… 38 4.2.1.2 Designing more reading activities and exercises/tasks………………… 38 4.2.2 Suggestions for selecting supplementary reading materials ……………… 39 4.2.2.1 Suggestions for selecting supplementary reading materials …………… 39 4.2.2.2 Suggested adaptation of the current SRM for Powerbase……………… 40 Summary 41 ix CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION 5.1 Conclusion of the study………………………………………………………… 42 5.2 Limitations of the study………………………………………………………… 43 5.3 Suggestions for further study…………………………………………………… 43 REFERENCES I APPENDICES III Appendix 1: Questionnaires for teachers………………………………………… III Appendix 2: Questionnaires for students………………………………………… VI Appendix 3: Samples of supplementary readings for the themes in Powerbase… XII Appendix 4: Samples of supplementary readings for further readings…………… XXI Appendix 5: The table of the Macro-skills proportion of the Powerbase………… XXXIV iv ABBREVIATIONS NEU: National Economics University EFL: English as a foreign language FL: Foreign language M.A: Master of Arts SM: Supplementary material SRM: Supplementary reading material P: Powerbase - Elementary CD: Compact disc Ts: Teachers Ss: Students v LIST OF TABLES Table 1: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on the topics of the reading texts in Powerbase 20 Table 2: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on the exercises types of reading texts in Powerbase 21 Table 3: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on the time allocation for reading in Powerbase 22 Table 4: The Ts Ss’ opinions on the length of the reading texts in Powerbase 22 Table 5: The Ts and Ss' opinions on the level of difficulty of the reading texts in Powerbase 23 Table 6: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on the topics of the reading texts in the SM for P 25 Table 7: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on the types of reading exercises in the SM 26 Table 8: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on the time allocation for reading in the SM 27 Table 9: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on the length of the reading texts in the SM 28 Table 10: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on the level of difficulty of the reading texts in the SM 29 Table 11: The Ts and Ss’ opinions on a better SRM for Powerbase 31 Table12: The Macro-skills proportion of the course book Powerbase - Elementary XXXIV vi LIST OF CHARTS Chart 1a: The perception of the Ts about the reading texts in Powerbase 19 Chart 1b: The perception of the Ss about the reading texts in Powerbase 19 Chart 2a: The perception of the Ts about the reading texts in the SM 24 Chart 2b: The perception of the Ss about the reading texts in the SM 24 Chart 3a: The Ts’ attitudes towards the necessary use of SM for 30 Chart 3b: The Ss’ attitudes towards the necessary use of SM for 30 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale Among the four macro-skills, reading is “by far the most important…, particularly in English as a second or foreign language” (Carrel, 1981: 1) For many students, reading not only brings them a lot of interesting information but also provides a variety of linguistic expressions as well as grammatical structures, which are very useful for them to develop other skills Thanks to reading, students can “gain access to the required knowledge that is available, either exclusively or most readily, in English” (Munby, 1978: 3) At National Economics University, reading is also regarded as one of the most important skills that needs to be focused on from the first stage of learning English Reading has constantly been tested in the mid-term tests together with either listening or speaking for many school years For the first year non-English major students of the school year 20082009, the course book Powerbase – Elementary by David Evans is still in use as it is believed to be suitable for students of elementary level Its most updated contents is said to provide excellent preparation for other English business courses Powerbase is not a four-skill-focused material It is a communicative course book that has been specially written for adults who need English for work, travel and everyday situations with the two main skills: Listening and Speaking In order to help students learn English better and to fulfill the objectives of the course, before each school year begins, the Faculty of Economics Foreign Languages assign teachers of each group design the supplementary materials used along with the course books The supplementary materials not only provide students with more exercises, but they also remedy the shortcomings of the course books The supplementary materials are designed annually, in which the good points are maintained in but the shortcomings are replaced by the better ones The existing supplementary material for Powerbase mainly provides exercises on grammar, vocabulary and reading However, through the supplementary book, many students find it hard to understand the strange, long reading texts with too many new words and new grammatical structures Additionally, students are bored with doing only one type of reading exercise Many student hope to have more readings, but they not know where to get appropriate extra reading materials Consequently, they not get as high marks at reading tests as they expected and they lose their interest in reading Teachers, from time to time, complain that they have to compile other reading materials to meet the students’ needs and to make the reading lessons more interesting All these reasons have inspired and encouraged me to carry out the study on “Using supplementary reading materials for „Powerbase – Elementary‟ to improve reading skill for first year non-English major students at National Economics University” with the hope to make some contributions to improving the teaching and learning of reading for first year nonEnglish major students at NEU 1.2 Scope of the study Due to the limited time and the size of a minor thesis, the researcher has no ambitions to cover all aspects of reading, such as reading in integration with other skills: speaking, listening, and writing , but only focuses on the use of supplementary reading materials to develop reading skills for first year non-English major students at NEU 1.3 Significance of the study This study helps first year non-major students at NEU to improve their English proficiency by learning reading and also suggests some ways to improve the teaching of English in general and the teaching of the reading skill in particular at NEU as well as other universities that share the same mandate 1.4 Aims of the study The study is aimed at exploring the use of supplementary reading materials to improve reading skills for first year non-English major students at NEU, giving recommendations on how to efficiently use the supplementary reading materials designed by Group K50A teachers, XXI APPENDIX 4: SAMPLES SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS (For further readings) A Sample supplementary reading 1: Theme: University students‟ life BEFORE YOU READ How likely it is for a university freshman to each activity below? Tick (ð) your answers then compare your ideas with a classmate ON A TYPICAL DAY, IT IS… VERY LIKELY LIKELY UNLIKELY VERY UNLIKELY FOR A UNIVERSITY FRESHMAN TO     a get up early     b skip a class     c always homework     d go to a club room Scan the reading as quickly as you can and complete the Previewing Chart below PREVIEWING CHART Title of the article: Names of people and places in the article (List three more.) Key words (What word appears several times? (List three more.) XXII I think the reading is about: _ WHILE YOU READ Reading passage: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FRESHMAN by Chang Jae-Hyuk Chang Jae-Hyuk wrote this story when he was a university student in Seoul, Korea Approximately 10.3 million people live in and around Seoul Wednesday 7:00 a.m.: I get up about seven o‟clock in the morning Since my friends and I have a group blind date1 with students from a women‟s university tonight, I take extra time to look my best My mum calls me to eat breakfast, but I don‟t think I can It‟s already 7:30 and I don‟t want to be late for my 9:00 class It takes me about an hour and a half to get to my university, so I hurry out 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.: I take the bus to the subway station There are so many people in the bus that I can‟t breathe There is so much traffic that the bus can only crawl along2 Finally, the bus arrives at the subway station Unfortunately, there are a lot of people on the train and the air is stuffy We finally arrive at Shinchon station and my university is now about a ten-minute walk away I run to my philosophy class so I won‟t be late again I have already missed this class four times 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.: Thank goodness, I‟m safe The professor comes in just after me3 But now I‟m so tired from running that I can‟t concentrate Then the person next to me asks what the homework is for our English class That‟s right, there was English homework, but I forgot to it! So I spend philosophy class doing my English homework English class is next It seems like English is one big mountain that we all have to get over in our university days If we want to get a decent job, we have to be really good in English 11:00 a.m – 2:00 p.m.: After two classes it‟s now 11:00, and I decide to go to my club room Our club members spend their free time hanging out in that room I chit chat4 with my friends for a while and then go to one of our school cafeterias for lunch 2:00 – 5:30 p.m.: Now it is 2:00 and I have one more class at 3:00 My friends and I decide not to go to our 3:00 class I shouldn‟t this, but we don‟t want to hurry to the women‟s university after class Instead, we go to play some billiards until it‟s time to go 5:30 – 10:30 p.m.: It‟s 5:30 in a coffee shop in front of the university All four of us are XXIII excited and wondering‟ what the girls will be like About ten minutes later, four girls come in Then the awkward5 time begins We ask some questions and so they I find my dream girl sitting in the corner, but I don‟t have the guts6 to speak to her After twenty minutes, it‟s time to choose our partners We decide, at the count of three,‟ to point at the partner we would like to have If a boy and a girl are pointing at each other, they become partners One, two, three! My dream girl is also pointing at me! I spend the evening with my partner having a wonderful time Right before we part, I ask for her phone number If she gives me her number, that means she also likes me And she does! I get home about 10:30 I‟m very tired but really happy, hoping that things go well with her Source: www.com/elt/selectreadings a group blind date: a date the writer and his friends have with a group of girls they don‟t know crawl along: move forward slowly chit chat: talk casually about unimportant things awkward: to be embarrassed have the guts: have the courage just after me: a very short time after me I Scanning Circle the best answer In the story, the author doesn‟t eat breakfast because a he‟s not hungry b he‟s late for class c he doesn‟t want to be late for class He says it is hard to breathe on the bus because a there are a lot of people on the bus b the bus moves very slowly c he had to run to the bus station He can‟t concentrate in his philosophy class because a he missed four classes b he is very tired c he got to class safely He doesn‟t go to his o‟clock class because a he wants to have lunch in the cafeteria b he doesn‟t want to hurry to his group date c he didn‟t his homework XXIV It‟s uncomfortable at the beginning of the group date because a the girls are late b the boys and girls don‟t know each other c the boys and girls are good friends II Making inferences Read the statements below and tick (ð) True or False TRUE FALSE You can infer that the author doesn‟t enjoy his   daily trip to school You can infer that the author listened closely to his philosophy teacher You can infer that the author thinks it is important to study English You can infer that the author is a serious student       AFTER YOU READ What you with friends after school? Tick () often, sometimes, rarely or never, for the activities below which you think is true to you You can add your own ideas to the list OFTEN SOMETIMES RARELY NEVER ACTIVITIES AFTER SCHOOL     hang out at school with friends                     hang out at a friend‟s house hang out in a coffee shop play billiards go shopping with friends go to the movies with friends             study with friends in the library go on a group blind date others…………………………… Write about your typical day in your student life You can base your writing by answering the following questions * When you get up on a typical day? * How you get to school? * Is your trip relaxing or stressful? On a typical day, I get up at 7:30 a.m I take a shower, get dressed and have breakfast Then, I walk to the bus stop and………… XXV * What are three interesting things you during the day? * When, where, and what you eat on a typical day?, etc B Sample supplementary reading Them: Love A PRE-READING Do you believe in love at first sight? Why? (Why not?) Have you got any love experience to share with your partner? Read the article below to see whether you have the same points of view with the author or not B WHILE-READING Reading passage: It was love at first sight It‟s always exciting to hear those words But people really believe in love at first sight? We asked 40 Americans this question – 18 men and 22 women Thirteen people (32%) said they believed in love at first sight; 27 people (68%) said they didn‟t Next, we wanted to find out who believed in love at first sight and who didn‟t We were surprised to find that both younger and older people believed they could fall in love in a few short seconds We also learned that people from many different professions had love-atfirst-sight experiences These people included a scientist, an artist, a dancer, and a computer programmer XXVI What was the most interesting thing we learned in our study? More men believed in love at first sight than women: 44% of the men believed in this kind of love, while only 27% of the women did Here‟s what some of the men and women in our survey said about love at first sight Name: John Name: Emily Occupation: Artist Occupation: College student Age: 30 Age: 23 “Yes, I believe in love at first sight It “No, I don‟t believe in love at first sight happened to me I was at a party several Love comes later in a relationship When I years ago when I saw Luisa I knew she met my boyfriend, I felt something tingly4 was the one for me when her eyes flashed I guess you could call it puppy love5, but it back at me1 It was like they looked into wasn‟t true love It took about a year for true my heart, read my life story, and said, „I love to develop between us.” like what I see, and want to be with you.‟ That night at the party, I went over to Luisa Name: Carol and asked her to dance She said, „Of Occupation: Writer course, I was waiting for you to ask.‟ That Age: 37 was three years ago, and we‟re still “Do I believe in love at first sight? No not together.” really Love is based on trust and shared experiences and values6 Love takes time to Name: Mark develop You fall in love slowly by talking Occupation: Salesman to a special person, writing him love letters, Age: 35 fighting, making up7 The key to love is “I didn‟t use to believe in love at first sight, staying excited about the other person, but now I About four years ago, I was month after month, year after year.” giving a sales presentation when this amazing woman walked into the room We Name: Sarah made eye contact2 and my heart started Occupation: High school senior beating faster After my presentation, I Age: 18 introduced myself, and she and I went out “I don‟t think love at first sight happens very for dinner the next night We talked and often, but of course it happens sometimes It talked, and by the end of the evening, I was makes me happy to think that it might truly in love with her That feeling of love happen to me If I didn‟t believe love at first at first sight was like nothing else In just a sight was possible, it would be really XXVII few seconds, I was filled with intense3 depressing.” energy and passion Anne and I got married a year later.” her eyes flashed back at me: she looked into my eyes with a lot of emotion made eye contact: looked into each other‟s eyes intense: very strong felt something tingly: had feelings of excitement puppy love: early feelings of love that are not serious shared experiences and values: things that people together and ideas they agree on making up: apologizing to each other after an argument I Multiple choice For each item below, circle the best answer This reading is primarily about … a the difference between love and friendship b falling in love at first sight c how true love develops The following statements is true about the people in the study: a 32% of the men and women don‟t believe in love at first sight b 56% of the men believe in love at first sight c 27% of the women believe in love at first sight We know for certain that John and Luisa… a are married b met three years ago c are going to get married The following people believe in love at first sight … a John, Mark, and Sarah b Mark, Emily, and Sarah c John, Mark and Carol You can infer that … a Emily has had a love-at-first-sight experience b Anne is in love with Mark c John, Emily, and Carol are very good friends XXVIII The word ‘depressing’ in the reading passage means: a impressive b exciting c sad The author‟s purpose in writing this article was to … a show that only young people believe in love at first sight b report on an informal study about love at first sight c report on a serious, scientific study about love at first sight II Consider the issues Work with a partner to answer the questions below In the reading, five people give their opinions about love at first sight Look at the reading and complete this chart Name, profession, age Believes in love at first John, artist, 30 Reasons sight? Yes It happened to him Mark Emily Carol Sarah What can you conclude from the information in the chart above? Tick (ð) one or more statements that you think is true from the box below:  Both of the men believe in love at first sight  All of the women believe in love at first sight  The three people in their 30‟s believe in love at first sight  The people who have experienced love at first sight believe it‟s real Which statement describes your reaction to the reading Tick (ð) one or more statements or write your own  I think this study was interesting  This study was not scientific, so it was not interesting to me XXIX  I was surprised that more men believed in love at first sight than women  I‟d like to see a similar study of 40 people from my country  Others: …………………………………………………… C POST-READING DISCUSSION Work in group: What you think these quotes mean? For each quote, write a short explanation in the chart below Then compare ideas with the other groups in the class “Love is a great beautifier.” Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), American writer Explanation: Love makes a person more beautiful When you are in love, you are happy When you are happy, you look better “Love makes the world go round.” French Proverb Explanation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… “Love is blind” William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English playwright and poet Explanation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… “Love conquers all things” Virgil (70-19 B.C), Roman poet Explanation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… XXX …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… …… ! C Sample supplementary reading 3: Theme: Birthdays PRE-READING I Discuss the questions below: What can you see in the picture? Do you like birthday? Why or why not? II Match the words with the meaning: to celebrate a the habits of a country or group customs b to something special or fun for a reason to gather around c helping good things happen XXXI one breath d a piece of cloth with special colors for a country a flag e to stand together in a group flavors f special tastes lucky g the amount of air that you take into your body and then let out again WHILE-READING Reading passage: BIRTHDAYS Everybody has a birthday Many children in other countries celebrate their birthdays like children in the United States They have a birthday cake, gifts and sometimes a birthday party for friends Friends and family gather around a table with a birthday cake on it They sing “Happy birthday to you!” Two American sisters wrote this song in 1839, but people still sing this song today The birthday cakes usually has lighted candles on it, one candle for each year of your life The birthday child makes a wish and then blows out all the candles If the child blows out the candles in one breath, the wish will come true Other countries have different customs In Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, people fly the country‟s flag out side their home to tell everyone that someone in the family is having a birthday In Denmark, a parent puts gifts around a child‟s bed when the child is sleeping at night When the child wakes up in the morning, the gifts will be the first thing the child sees In Sweden and also in Finland, the birthday child gets breakfast in bed! In some countries, some years are more important than others In Holland, these are 5, 10, 15, 20 and 21 They call them „crown‟ years On a crown birthday, the birthday child get a much more important gift The family also decorates the child‟s chair at the dining table with flowers, paper, and balloons The special years in Japan are 3, 5, and These are lucky years On November 15 every year, there is a festival called „seven, five, three‟ when the children and their families go to a religious place Then the family gives a party for the child and gives the child gifts Because of religious reasons, Hindu children only get to celebrate their birthdays until the age of sixteen XXXII Birthday cakes around the world come into different sizes and flavors They are even ice cream birthday cakes today In China, there is no birthday cake Friends and family go out to lunch, and to wish the birthday child a long life, they eat noodles! I Complete the sentences Circle the letter of correct answer Children in the United States their birthday with a cake, gifts, and a birthday party a say b celebrate c talk People around the world have different birthday a tradition b festival c customs Friends and family the child and the birthday cake a gather around b blow out c make It is sometimes not easy to blow out the candles in one _ a wish b breath c eye In Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, people put a _outside the house a flag b gift c tree Birthday cakes can have a chocolate a flavor b color c noodle In Japan, 3, 5, and are years a happy b crown c lucky II Skimming: Read the text through quickly and answer the questions below: What color is the flag of your country? What other days people celebrate? What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? What is a birthday custom in your country? III Read the passage again and look for the MAIN IDEAS Circle the letter of the best answer XXXIII Children in other countries celebrate birthdays a like people in the United States b with just their friends c in different ways In Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, people on a child‟s birthday a fly a flag b have a breakfast in bed c put gifts in the child‟s bed In some countries, some _ are more important than others a cakes b years c festivals Birthday cakes a are the same around the world b have noodles in China c are different everywhere IV Read the passage again and look for Details Circle T if the sentence is true Circle F if the sentence is false There is one candle on a birthday cake T F In Denmark, they put gift around the birthday cake T F Two sisters wrote the famous birthday song T F The crown years are 5, 10, 15, 20, and 21 T F In Finland, the child eats breakfast in bed T F Hindu children celebrate their birthday after age sixteen T F POST-READING Group-work: Discuss these questions with your classmates Which birthday custom in the reading you like best? Why? How you celebrate a birthday in your country? XXXIV Are birthdays important in your country? In another day, such as your name day or New Year‟s Day, more important? Do you celebrate your important birthday every year or only in special years? APPENDIX The table of Macro-skills proportion of the course book Powerbase-Elementary: Unit Macro Skills Unit Macro Skills - Speaking: Introducing oneself directly or on the phone - Listening: The news - Writing: E-mail (write full stops, - Listening: Countries and Cities - Listening: Shopping - Reading: The Queen of networking comas and capital letters in a given email) - Listening: A Japanese - Listening: The stories of business firsts: businesswoman The first e-mail; the first TV adverts; the - Reading: Business families first phone call; etc - Speaking: Who‟s who? - Speaking: Asking for help on computer - Speaking: Ordering meals helpline - Writing: Job adverts - Writing: Writing a resume - Speaking: Arranging a meeting over - Writing: Describing graphs the phone/ Leaving a message - Listening/Speaking: Explaining a problem - Listening: John Kao‟s career - Speaking/Listening: Starting a call/ Making excuses - Speaking: Comparing places - Writing: Write e-mails to ask for and give directions - Listening/Speaking: Travel information - Listening: Comparing hotels - Writing: Writing e-mails to friends asking for advice - Reading/Listening: Different cultures - Reading/Listening: Traveling in Dubai - Speaking: Talking about 10 - Reading: Top stories - Reading: News headlines XXXV companies - Listening: Weather and Travel - Listening: Leisure activities - Writing: Writing headlines about stories - Writing: Writing about your - Speaking: Asking and giving opinions company Table12: The Macro-skills proportion of the course book Powerbase-Elementary ... materials There are major English and non- English major for students at NEU, of which the subjectives of the study are the first year non- English major students They are to learn English in their... aimed at exploring the use of supplementary reading materials to improve reading skills for first year non- English major students at NEU, giving recommendations on how to efficiently use the supplementary. .. Totally related to the topics of the reading texts in Powerbase B Totally unrelated to the topics of the reading texts in Powerbase C Only some of them are related to the topics of the reading texts