Activating cultural knowledge to improve efl secondary school students reading comprehension

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY PHAN THI TUYET NHUNG ACTIVATING CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE TO IMPROVE EFL SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT'S READING COMPREHENSION MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN THI KIM ANH, Dr NGHE AN, 2018 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY PHAN THI TUYET NHUNG ACTIVATING CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE TO IMPROVE EFL SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT'S READING COMPREHENSION Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Code: 8140111 SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN THI KIM ANH, Dr NGHE AN, 2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have been fortunate to receive invaluable help from many people during my assignment First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, my supervisor, for her immense encouragement, wholehearted and detailed guidance, without which the assignment could not have been completed My sincere gratitude goes to my teachers of the foreign language department in Vinh University for their practical knowledge through useful guidance which helps me a lot in completing this study I am thankful to the head of Newstar English Centre for letting me to carry out the experiment with learners of secondary school I would like to show my special thanks to my students who help me a lot in giving their invaluable comments and suggestions while the work of this assignment was in progress I am grateful to Assoc Prof Le Dinh Tuong who showed me the meaning of being in the world of research My sincere thanks go to Mr Le Minh Tan for his constant assistance, encouragements and happy moments Last but not least, I also owe my indebtedness to my family members, who are always besides me, encourage me to finish the research Vinh, June 2018 Phan Thi Tuyet Nhung i ABSTRACT Reading ability is the important part of English learning and the close relationship between language and culture determines the significant impact of cultural background knowledge on reading comprehension The activation of students' English cultural knowledge should be paid attention at the beginning The present study aims at investigating the implementation of cultural knowledge through the use of brainstorming in enhancing EFL learners’ reading comprehension and explores how it influences on students’ motivation, and language proficiency In order to investigate this, we conduct an experimental design We divide it into two parts in which the treatment of the experiment is reversed between the participants in Part One and Part Two The learners are supposed to read two informational texts Their reading comprehension is tested and their achievements are marked Interviews data was also collected from 30 students who were at different levels of English In addition, observation was applied in all classes The Results obtained leads us to confirm that prior knowledge activation through brainstorming enhances readers' comprehension as stated in the hypothesis Based on the findings of the study, the research gave some discussions, conclusions and some suggestions for the future research ii LIST OF ABREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS EFL : English as a Foreign Language N : Number Gr : Group % : Percentage iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ABSTRACT ii LIST OF ABREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES viii CHAPTER INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aim of the study .2 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Scope of the study .2 1.5 Design of the study CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Reading Comprehension 2.1.1 Comprehension 2.1.2 Reading Comprehension 2.1.3 Factors Affecting Reading Comprehension 2.1.4 Purpose of Reading 2.1.5 Culture 10 2.1.6 Knowledge of the Topic 10 2.1.7 Effective Reading Comprehension Instruction 10 2.1.8 Testing Reading Comprehension 12 2.2 Cultural Knowledge Activation through Brainstorming 13 iv 2.2.1 Schema Theory 13 2.2.2 Type of Schema 14 2.2.3 Functions of Schema in Reading 15 2.2.4 Cultural Knowledge Activation 16 2.2.5 Activating Prior Knowledge through Brainstorming 16 CHAPTER 19 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19 3.1 Design and methodology 19 3.1.1 The Participants 19 3.1.2 The Reading Materials 19 3.1.3 Oxford Placement Test 21 3.2 Procedure 22 3.2.1 The Treatment 22 3.2.2 The Environment of the Experiment 23 3.3 Classroom observation 23 3.4 Interviews 24 CHAPTER 25 RESULTS 25 4.1 Data analysis 25 4.1.1 Part One .25 4.1.2 Part Two .28 4.2 Reporting the Results 32 4.2.1 Reporting the Results of Part One .32 4.2.2 Reporting the Results of Part Two .33 4.3 Discussing the Findings 34 4.3.1 Discussing the Findings of Part One 34 v 4.3.2 Discussing the Findings of Part Two 35 4.4 Relating the Findings of Part One and Part Two 36 4.5 Class observation 42 4.6 Interview 43 4.6.1 Learner motivation .43 4.6.2 Learners’ attitude toward informational reading text .44 4.6.3 Learners’ reading efficiency 44 CHAPTER 46 IMPLICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 46 5.1 Conclusion 46 5.2 Pedagogical Implications 46 5.3 Limitations of the Study 47 5.4 Suggestions for Further Research 48 REFERENCES 49 APPENDIX I .54 APPENDIX II 57 APPENDIX III 60 APPENDIX IV 61 APPENDIX V 62 APPENDIX VI 63 APPENDIX VII 65 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Reading Session’s Time Division 23 Table 2: The Experimental and Control Groups’ Scores in Part One of the Experiment 25 Table 3: Means of the Experimental and Control Groups' Scores in Part One of the Experiment 28 Table 4: The Experimental and Control Groups’ Scores in Part Two of the Experiment 29 Table 5: Means of the Experimental and Control Groups' Scores in Part One of the Experiment 32 Table 6: Group Scores in Part One and Part Two of the Experiment 37 Table 7: The Rate of Gr1 Reading Comprehension Performance in Part One and Part Two of the Experiment .39 Table 8: Gr2 Scores in Part One and Part Two of the Experiment 40 Table 9: The Rate of Gr2 Reading Comprehension Performance in Part One and Part Two of the Experiment .42 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Grade level of Text 20 Figure 2: Grade level of Text 21 Figure 3: Scores' Frequency Distribution in Part One of the Experiments 27 Figure 4: Scores' Frequency Distribution in Part Two of the Experiments .31 Figure 5: The Rate of Gr1 Reading Comprehension Performance in Part One and Part Two of the Experiment .39 Figure 6: The Rate of Gr2 Reading Comprehension Performance in Part One and Part Two of the Experiment .42 viii Olson, G.M., R.L Mack, and S.A Duffy 1981 “Cognitive aspects of genre.” Poetics vol.10 pp 283-315 Osborn, A F (1953) Applied Imagination: Principles and procedures of creative thinking NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons Richards J (1990) New Trends in the Teaching of Writing in ESL/ EFL, in Wang Z (ed.) 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It's shocking, but it's true Some students don't even read short texts that they are assigned in class There are many reasons for this They may be distracted or bored They may be unwilling to focus They may be unconfident readers Whatever the reason, it has to stop today Here's why Reading stimulates your mind It is like a workout for your brain When people get old, their muscles begin to deteriorate They get weaker and their strength leaves them Exercise can prevent this loss The same thing happens to people's brains when they get older Brain power and speed decline with age Reading strengthens your brain and prevents these declines You can benefit from reading in the near-term too Reading provides knowledge Knowledge is power Therefore, reading can make you a more powerful person You can learn to new things by reading Do you want to make video games? Do you want to design clothing? Reading can teach you all this and more But you have to get good at reading, and the only way to get good at something is to practice Read everything that you can at school, regardless of whether you find it interesting Reading expands your vocabulary Even a "boring" text can teach you new words Having a larger vocabulary will help you better express yourself You will be able to speak, write, and think more intelligently What's boring about that? Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate Which best expresses the main idea of the second paragraph? a Reading is exciting b Reading strengthens your mind c Age affects the body in many ways d Working out keeps your body in shape 54 Why does the author think that you should read books that are boring? a You will eventually grow to love them if you read them enough b You will get better grades in reading class c You will make your teacher very happy d You will learn new words Which best expresses the main idea of the third paragraph? a Reading can benefit you b You can learn to program video games or design clothing by reading c You can learn amazing things and become a better person by reading d Knowledge is power Which is not a reason given by the author why students fail to complete reading assignments? a Students may be bored b Students may be distracted c Students may be unwilling to focus d Students may be tired Which best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this text? a He is trying to persuade students to their reading work b He is teaching people how to become better readers c He is explaining why people don't their reading work d He is entertaining readers with facts about the mind and body Which best describes the author's tone in the first three sentences? a Surprised b Sarcastic c Informative d Irate Which of the following is not one of the author's main points? a Reading broadens your perspective and makes you a better person b Reading is a relaxing activity with positive mental side effects c Reading helps you perform on tests and get into selective schools d Reading keeps your mind in shape and prevents losses due to age 55 Which is not one of the author's arguments in the fifth paragraph? a Reading gives you a broader perspective on the world b Reading changes the way that you understand the world c Reading helps prepare you for your job in the real world d Reading teaches you about distant lands and cultures Why does the author believe that reading is good for your mind state? a It has a calming effect b It can lower your stress levels c It can help you relax d All of these 10 Which title best expresses the main idea of this text? a Reading: Good for the Mind in Many Ways b Reading: The Key to a Successful Academic Future c Reading: Improve Your Vocabulary While Being Entertained d Reading: The Best Way to Improve Your Writing Skills 56 APPENDIX II MATERIAL TWO BLACK FRIDAY The day after Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday shopping season Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, so the day after is a Friday This day has come to be known as Black Friday It has been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005 Most stores offer great deals on Black Friday They open their doors in the wee hours of the morning They try to attract shoppers with big discounts Some items like TVs are much cheaper than usual Stores may even lose money on these items They hope that shoppers will buy gifts for other people while they are in the store Black Friday is a great time to get good deals The problem is that there are not enough low-priced items to go around Each store may only have a few These items are in high demand People stand in long lines to get such great deals They may line up hours before a store opens They may be hoping to get a low price on a TV or laptop, but not everyone who wants one will get one Some people leave disappointed The situation can be tense Some Black Friday events have been violent Large, eager crowds have trampled workers Fights have broken out over toys or people cutting in line People have shot one another over parking spots But most Black Friday events are safe and fun Still, if you plan on going, expect large crowds and a bit of shoving So where does the name "Black Friday" come from? It was first used in Philadelphia in the 1950s The police called this day Black Friday because of the heavy traffic it drew In the 1960s, stores tried to rename the day "Big Friday." It did not stick The name "Black Friday" continued to spread across the country It seems that it is here to stay Now people all over the country take part in the event known as Black Friday It is even spreading to other parts of the world Stores have held Black Friday 57 events in the U.K., Australia, and Brazil since 2012 In Costa Rica Black Friday is known as "Viernes Negro." And in Mexico, stores offer an annual weekend of discounts They call it "El Buen Fin," which means "the good weekend" in Spanish I guess the language of savings is universal Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate According to the text, why stores set prices so low on some items that they lose money? a They want people to enjoy the holidays b They hope people will buy other gifts while they are in the store c They are in a giving mood because the holiday season is just beginning d They are trying to get rid of old items from last year to make room for new items Which is not true about Black Friday? a Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving b Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year c Black Friday is a national holiday d Black Friday is the start of the holiday shopping season Where does the name Black Friday come from? a The police called this day Black Friday because there is a lot of traffic b The stores called this day Black Friday because it is a serious shopping day c The police called this day Black Friday to remember the victims of violence d The stores called this day Black Friday because they make a lot of money Which best explains the main idea of the third paragraph? a People stand in long lines on Black Friday b Black Friday is the best time of the year to get good deals c Black Friday is a really disappointing time of the year d Black Friday deals are limited and not everyone will get one 58 Which country does not participate in Black Friday? a France b Costa Rica c Brazil d United Kingdom Which happened first? a Stores tried to rename the day after Thanksgiving "Big Friday." b Black Friday events began happening in Australia c Police began calling the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday." d Black Friday became the busiest shopping day of the year Which title best expresses the author's purpose in writing this text? a Black Friday: Stories from the Parking Lot b Black Friday: Why You Should Go This Year c Black Friday: The Stuff That You Should Know d Black Friday: How to Save Money on the Big Day Which best describes the overall structure of the fifth paragraph? a chronological order b problem and solution c compare and contrast d order of importance Which was not cited as one of the downsides of Black Friday? a Stores run out of high demand items quickly b Nobody really saves any money on Black Friday c There are large crowds and lots of shoving d Sometimes violence occurs at Black Friday events 10 Which best explains why Costa Ricans call Black Friday "Viernes Negro"? a Costa Rican stores don't want the shopping day associated with American violence b Viernes Negro sounds more exotic and exciting than Black Friday c Costa Ricans want to establish their own shopping tradition d This is how you say "Black Friday" in Spanish, the language of Costa Rica 59 APPENDIX III The Brainstorming Chart in Part One of the Experiment The following brainstorming chart is produced by members of the experimental group, Gr2 in Part One of the experiment prior to reading Text (1) entitled “Reading” (See appendix I) Relax Stress Reduction Mental Stimulation READING Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills Practice brain Vocabulary Expansion Knowledge Widening Learning new things: food, custom, country,… 60 Improving communication, speaking, writing skills APPENDIX IV The Brainstorming Chart in Part Two of the Experiment The following brainstorming chart is produced by members of the experimental group, Gr1 in Part Two of the experiment prior to reading Text (2) entitled “Black Friday” (See appendix II) After Thanksgiving Different names in different countries Crowded BLACK FRIDAY Since 2005 Super sale From United States 61 APPENDIX V INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS How you think brainstorming cultural knowledge in class before reading? Do you think brainstorming cultural knowledge in class will motivate you in reading class? Do you think brainstorming cultural knowledge in class boost your confidence up before reading the informational text and answer the questions? Do you think brainstorming cultural knowledge in class enhances your reading efficiency when reading informational reading text? Do you think brainstorming cultural knowledge enhances your autonomy? 62 APPENDIX VI SAMPLE FIELD NOTES OF CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Date: 15.3.2018 Location : Room 302 Time of Class: 17h30 -19h15 English practice Class Name of class: 7CA (the experimental group) Length of observation :45 -50 minutes Students: 30 Text: Reading Analysis of Student Interaction in Cultural Knowledge’ Activation by Brainstorming Class Activities Time Researcher’s comments Pre-viewing 15 mins * Students seemed to be excited working in individual and group Some pair of Brainstorming students, all students were really trying really hard to think about benefit of reading Some students laughed Two students did not focus on discussing * Some students were asked to tell their ideas * Teacher gave feedback and brainstorm on the board with student’s ideas * Teacher suggested other idea Reading 10 mins * Teacher gave the reading text for her students * Students received the handouts and worked individually * Most of students paid attention to read 63 the text * Two students did not focus on reading the text Answering Multiple – 10 mins * Teacher collected the text from students Choice Questions * Most of students seemed to be confident and paid attention to the exercise * One student tried to look at his friend’s works to finish the task; sometimes, he asked his friends about the keys Collecting the Answer 15 mins * Teacher collected the worksheet from and Feedback students * Two students tried to circle the answers in random * Teacher provided the answers and explained * Most of students were happy when they knew the answers * A few students seemed to be disappointed with their works Other activities 90 mins * Teacher gave other activities not related to reading comprehension 64 APPENDIX VII SAMPLE FIELD NOTES OF CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Date: 15.3.2018 Location : Room 302 Time of Class: 19h30 -21h15 English practice Class Name of class: 7CA1 (the control group) Length of observation :25 -30 minutes Students: 30 Text: Reading Analysis of Student Interaction in Cultural Knowledge’ Activation by Brainstorming Class Activities Time Researcher’s comments Reading 10 mins * Teacher gave the reading text for her students * Students received the handouts and worked individually * Most of students paid attention to read the text * Some students did not focus on reading the text * Some students fetch a sigh after reading a part of reading passage Answering Multiple – 10 mins * Teacher collected the text from students Choice Questions * Some of students seemed to be less confident and not paid attention to the exercise * Three students tried to look at his friend’s works to finish the task; sometimes, he asked his friends about the keys 65 Collecting the Answer 15 mins * Teacher collected the worksheet from and Feedback students * Five students tried to circle the answers in random * Teacher provided the answers and explained * Most of students were not excited when they knew the answers They seemed to be disappointed * A few students seemed to be happy with their works Other activities 90 mins * Teacher gave other activities not related to reading comprehension 66 ... UNIVERSITY PHAN THI TUYET NHUNG ACTIVATING CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE TO IMPROVE EFL SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT'S READING COMPREHENSION Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)... attitude towards to learning English in activating EFL learners’ cultural knowledge through brainstorming in reading classes This study will deal with whether or not activating learners' prior knowledge. .. brainstorming cultural background to reading their class reading selections will help in enhancing EFL students? ?? reading comprehension 1.2 Aim of the study Thus, the aim of current study is to use