An investigation into the reality of teaching and learning reeding for non english majors at thai nguyen teacherss training college submitted in fulfilment of requirement of degree of master in tesol

M IN IS T R Y OF ED U C ATIO N AND T R A IN IN G H A N O I U N IVE R S ITY L A T H I T H U Y DUNG AN IN V ESTIG A TIO N INTO TH E REA LITY O F TEACH ING AND LEA R N IN G REA D IN G FOR NO N - ENGLISH M A JO R S AT TH AI NG UYEN TE A C H E R S1 TR A IN IN G CO LLEG E SU BM ITTED IN P A R T IA L F U LF ILM E N T OF REQUIREM ENTS OF TH E DEGREE OF M ASTER IN TESOL Supervisor: M A Pham T h i Hong Thuy ! : TÀW1 微 w m m w jm n I Ha Noi - June, 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS T a b le o f c o n te n ts i A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s i v A b s t r a c t V L i s t o f t a b l e s v i List o f fig u r e s vii List of abbreviations viii C H A P T E R 1: IN T R O D U C T IO N 1Л BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 1.2 AIMS OF THE STUDY 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE S T U D Y .3 \л ORGANIZATION OF THE TH ESIS CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE R E V IE W READING .5 1 D e f in it io n s o f R e a d in g 2.7.2 T h e t r a d it io n a l a n d in n o v a tiv e v ie w s o f te a c h in g r e a d in g 2.1 APPROACHES TO TEACHING READING 2.1 STAGES OF A READING L E SSO N 1 T h e P r e - r e a d in g s ta g e 11 T h e W h ile - r e a d in g s t a g e 12 2.3.3 The P ost-reading stage 14 2.Հ IMPACTS O F A TTỈTUDES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING READING 15 2.: FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS' READING COMPREHENSION 16 L e a r n in g s tr a t e g ie s 17 V o c a b u la r y 18 B a c k g r o u n d k n o w le d g e 19 M o t iv a t io n 20 x PREVIOUS STUDIES .20 / SUMMARY .22 REFERENCES 69 A PPEN D IX 1: C LA SSR O O M OBSERVATION 7 A PPEN D IX 2: C LA SSR O O M OBSERVATION 81 A PPEN D IX 3: C LA SSR O O M OBSERVATION A PPEN D IX 4: C LA SSR O O M OBSERVATION A PPEN D IX 5: C LA SSR O O M OBSERVATION A PPEN D IX 6: C LA SSR O O M OBSERVATION APPENDIX 7A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS AT T N T T C APPENDIX 7B: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS AT T N T T C .1 0 APPENDIX 8A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS AT T N T T C .1 APPENDIX 8B: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS AT T N T T C 103 A PPEN D IX 9: Q U E ST IO N S FOR THE IN TERV IEW A PPEN D IX 10: PR E V IE W IN G SHEET A PPEN D IX 11 : PO ST-R EA D IN G SH E E T A PPEN D IX 12: G R A PH IC O RG A N IZERS SPIDER M A P A PPEN D IX 13: G A PH IC O R G A N IZE R S .1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First o f a ll，I would like to express my deepest thanks to my thesis supervisor, Mrs Pham Thi Hong Thuy for the wholehearted guidance she gave me while I was doing this thesis Her insightful instructions, helpful comments, considerate assistance and valuable criticism as well as her kindly encouragement and correction help me a lot for the completion o f my dissertation I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Post-Graduate Department, especially D r Vu Van Dai, Mrs Nguyen Thai Ha, M r Nguyen Quoc M inh, Mrs Dang Thi Lan for their help during the time o f studying and writing m y thesis at Hanoi University I wish to express m y appreciation and gratitude to all my colleagues and my students at Thai Nguyen teachers’ training college for their cooperation, kindness, enthusiasm Finally, I would like to acknowledge my great gratitude to my fam ily for their priceless support and assistance and encouragement during my implementation o f the study, w ithout which I could not complete this dissertation ABSTRACT W ith an investigation o f the reality o f teaching and learning reading comprehension at Thai Nguyen Teachers’ Training College (TNTTC), the purposes o f this research were: 1) to find out how the teachers taught reading at TNTTC, 2) to survey the difficulties o f teachers and students encountered in teaching and learning reading and 3) to find out students，attitudes towards teachers’ methods o f teaching reading in English periods The instruments used were the classroom observation, the semi-structured interviews, the questionnaires The researcher observed three classes to investigate how teachers taught reading comprehension at T N TT C and the frequency o f teachers’ activities in reading lessons Results indicated that most o f teachers still used the traditional method in reading periods and the students had negative attitudes towards these teachers’ methods o f teaching The results o f the questionnaires also indicated that teachers faced many difficulties in teaching reading such as students’ lim ited linguistic and background knowledge，large classroom, students’ bad reading habit and low motivation; students were lack o f vocabulary，background knowledge and reading strategies For the lack o f necessary strategies fo r teaching and reading comprehension，it was more likely to have poor reading comprehension results Finally, after analyzing the results from the classroom observation ， questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, some suggestions to improve the quality o f teaching and learning reading comprehension at TN TTC have been made LIST OF TABLES T a b le T h e r e s u lt o f h o w te a c h e r s d e liv e r e d th e r e a d in g le s s o n s 29 ’ a c tiv itie s a t P r e - r e a d in g s ta g e 30 T a b le T e a c h e rs ’ a c t iv it ie s a t W h ile - r e a d in g s ta g e 31 T a b le 4 T e a c h e rs ’ T a b le Հ e a c h e rs T a b le S tu d e n ts a c t iv it ie s a t P o s t- r e a d in g s ta g e ’ a ttitu d e s 33 to w a r d s te a c h e rs ' a c tiv itie s a t P r e -r e a d in g s ta g e 37 T a b le S tu d e n ts ， a ttitu d e s to w a rd s te a c h e rs ,a c tiv itie s a t W h ile -re a d in g s ta g e 39 T a b le S tu d e n ts ，a ttitu d e s to w a r d s te a c h e r s a c tiv it ie s a t P o s t- r e a d in g stage T a b le S tu d e n ts ' d if f ic u lt ie s in le a r n in g r e a d in g 41 LIST OF FIGURES F:gure 2.1 T h e T h r e e D e f in it io n s o f R e a d in g b v W e a v e r ( 9 ) LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ESL : English as a Second Language HUPS : Hanoi University o f People’s Security LI : The first language MAS : M ilitary Academy o f Science TNTTC : ThaiNguyen Teachers’ Training College C H APTER 1: IN T R O D U C T IO N 1.1.Background to the study Reading is one o f the 'most complex forms o f inform ation processing’ (Kolers, 1973， p 29) and is probably the 'most extensively researched’ language s k ill (Bachman, 2000 ， p X ) In the recent decades，theories and models o f reading have changed, from prim arily receptive processes from text to reader to interactive processes between the reader and the text (cf., Adams, 1990; Eskey and Grabe, 1988; Perfetti, 1985; Samuels, 1994; Stanovich, 1992; and Swaffar ， 1988) Approaches to teaching reading materials in a foreign language have attempted to reflect this development through recommendations o f interactive exercises and tasks Based on what successful reading is, many reading specialists have come to agreement that reading lessons should follow such a framework as: pre-, during-，and post-reading instruction (Barnett, 1989; Brown, 2001; Grabe, 1991; Grabe & Stoller ，2001; Wallace, 1992) Barnett (1989) and Grabe and Stoller (2001) made a b rie f explanation about each type o f instruction Pre reading instruction makes students interested in a text and predicts the content o f it through accessing necessary inform ation or activating schema W hilereading instruction helps students read strategically, m ainly focusing on decoding skills Post-reading instruction deepens students’ comprehension into the text It is also emphasized that the activities in this framework are not lim ited to reading "Reading is no longer isolated" (Eskey & Grabe, 1988， P ) As in real life, reading activities should be integrated w ith other skills - speaking, listening, and especially w riting (Eskey & Grabe, 1988; Grabe, 1991; Grabe & Stoller, 2001) Accordingly, some o f the activities should help students to develop other skills beside the reading Such kind o f integration o f the four skills w ill enable students to use more varieties o f strategies more often, generating more interaction between the reader and the text Post­ 1.Getting students to reading work in pairs/ groups to stage discuss about the text 2.Asking students to translate the text into Vietnamese have Making role- follow-up students plays, writing or listening 4.Getting students to have table, chart, questionnais completion with facts or basedon text information 5.Asking students to summarize the text 94 APPENDIX CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Observation date: 25.02.2007 Class: Fine Arts Unit ᄀ: Two famous firsts Number o f students: 40 Procedure o f the lesson Evaluation Stages Further Teachers’ activities No Need evidence improving Pre- 1.Introducing the topic reading o f the text stage 2.Making students guess the topic o f the У text from the headings， illustration Pre-teaching vocabulary 4.Introducing and explaining new grammatical structures in the text 5.Having students brainstorm words, structures, ideas related v to the topic o f the text to discuss about the content o f the text Asking students to predict what the text V w ill say 95 Good Excellent comments 7.Using visual aids to introduce the topic ol V the text Asking students to survey the text’s title V and heading for the topic Making students write questions about V the text 2.While；1.Reading aloud the text V reading 2.Asking students to reac stage V aloud the reading text 3,Asking skim students for to genera] V information 4.Making students read the reading tasks first V and then read the text to find the answers 5.Getting students to V work in pairs/groups ó.Asking students to find the main ideas for V each paragraph 7.Asking students to read the text and then V the reading tasks 8.Making students scan V for specific ideas 9.Asking read students for to detailed information 96 10.Having guess students meaning in V context 1.Getting students to work in pairs/ groups to V discuss about the text Asking students to translate the text into V Vietnamese Making have students role- Post­ follow-up plays, >/ writing or reading listening stage 4.Getting studaits to have table, chart, questionnaire V completion with facts or basedon text iníịrmaticHi 5.Asking students to V summarize the text 97 APPENDIX 7A Q U E S T IO N N A IR E F O R S T U D E N T S A T T N T T C The questionnaire is designed in order to find out the students attitudes towards the teacher’s activities in teaching reading at Pre-reading, White-reading and Post-reading stage Your assistance in completing the follow ing items is highly appreciated You not have to write your name P le a s e t ic k w h a t y o u lik e a n d w h a t y o u d o n ’t lik e S t u d e n t s , a t titu d e s t o w a r d s t e a c h e r s ’ L ik e a c tiv itie s a t P r e - r e a d in g s ta g e Introducing the topic o f the text M aking students guess the topic o f the text from the headings, illustration , Pre-teaching vocabulary Introducing and explaining new grammatical structures in the text Having students brainstorm words, structures, ideas related to the topic o f the text Using visual aids to introduce the topic o f the text Asking students to survey the text’ s title and heading for the topic Making students write questions about the text 98 OK D is lik e Please tick w h a t you like and w h a t you d o n ，t like S t u d e n t s ，a t t it u d e s t o w a r d s t e a c h e r s L ik e OK D is lik e a c t iv it ie s a t W h ile - r e a d in g s ta g e 1.Reading aloud the text 2.Asking students to read aloud the reading text 3.Asking students to skim for general information 4.Making students read the reading tasks first and then read the text to find the answers 5.Getting students to work in pairs/groups M aking students scan for specific ideas 7.Asking students to read the text and then the reading tasks 8.Asking students to find the main ideas for each paragraph 9.Asking students to read for detailed information 10.Having students guess meaning in context P le a s e t ic k w h a t y o u lik e a n d w h a t y o u d o n ’t lik e S t u d e n t s ’ a t t it u d e s t o w a r d s t e a c h e r s a c tiv itie s a t L ik e OK D is lik e P o s t - r e a d in g s ta g e 1.Asking students to have discussions about the text 2.Asking students to translate the text into Vietnamese 3.M aking students have role- plays, follow-up w riting or listening Thank yo u very much f o r y o u r cooperation! 99 APPENDIX 7B: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS AT TNTTC Phiếu khảo sát thiết kế nhằm tìm hiểu mức độ ưa thích sinh viên hoạt động dạy kỹ đọc hiểu giáo viên ba giai đoạn: trước đọc, đọc sau đọc Sự hoàn thành bạn đánh giá cao bạn khơng phải ghi tên vào bảng X in bạn đánh dấu (V ) vào mức độ thực tế bạn: thích, lịng，khơng thích hoạt động GV giai đoạn trước đọc T h i đ ộ c ủ a s i n h v iê n đ ố i v i c c h o t đ ộ n g Bằng K hơng lị n g th íc h T h íc h c ủ a G V g i a i đ o n tr c k h i đ ọ c 1.Giới thiệu chủ để khoá Để sv đoán chủ đề khoá từ đầu đề, minh hoạ khoá 3.Dạy trước từ m ới khố 4.U1Ờ1 thiệu giải thích cấu trúc ngữ pháp khoá 5.Cho sv động não, liệt kê từ, cụm từ, cấu trúc có liên quan đến chủ đề đọc 6.Dùng đồ dùng trực quan để giới thiệu đọc Yêu cầu sinh viên tự tìm tiêu đề đọc Để sv viết câu để tìm hiểu nội dung khoá 100 Xin bạn đánh dấu (V ) vào mức độ thực tê cua bạn: thích, lịng, khơng thích hoạt động GV giai đoạn đọc — T h i đ ộ c ủ a s in h v iê n đ ố i v i c c h o t đ ộ n g c ủ a Bằng Khơng lịng thích Thích GV giai đoạn tro n g kh i dọc Đọc to khoá Yêu cầu sv đọc to khoá 3.Yêu cầu học sinh đọc lướt khoá 4.Yêu cầu học sinh đọc yêu cầu cùa tập trước, đọc khố tìm câu trả lời 5.Yêu cầu học sinh làm việc theo cặp, theo nhóm u cầu học sinh đọc dị để lấy thông tin đặc biệt 7.Yêu cầu học sinh đọc khoá，rồi đọc yêu cầu tập u cầu học sinh tìm ý đoạn Yêu cầu học sinh đọc chi tiết 10 Cho học sinh đoán nghĩa từ theo dựa theo ngữ cảnh X in bạn đánh dấu (V ) vào mức độ thực tế cùa bạn: thích, lịng, khơng thích hoạt động GV giai đoạn sau đọc T h i đ ộ c ủ a s in h v iê n đ ố i v i c c h o t K hơng T h íc h đ ộ n g c ủ a G V g ia i đ o n sa u k h i đ ọc B ằ n g lò n g th íc h sv thảo luận khoá cầu sv dịch khoá sang l.Y ẽ u cầu 2.Yêu Tiếng Việt 3.Yêu cầu sv đóng vai, luyện kỹ Viết Nghe X in cảm ơn nhiều hợp tác bạn! 101 APPENDIX 8A Q U E S T IO N N A IR E F O R S T U D E N T S A T T N T T C The questionnaire is designed in order to find out the students’ difficulties in learning reading comprehension Your assistance in completing the following items is highly appreciated Please answer the questions below: Yes/No You not have to write your name W h e n le a r n in g r e a d in g , d o y o u h a v e d if f ic u lt ie s in: vocabulary? long and d iffic u lt sentences? background knowledge? understand all the words and know all the structures o f the whole passage but can not answer the comprehension questions? cannot summarize the main ideas or can not work out an outline o f the reading passage? D o y o u o fte n : check dictionary whenever meeting a new word? be used to, rereading, reading w ith one’ s fingure pointing to each word, translating word by word or sentence by sentence? )0 y o u o fte n : pay enough attention to topic sentence, can identify support ideas? guess unknown words according to word formations or contextual clues? use inference, synonym， comparision and contrast, exemplication ， classification, definition ，etc to understand meaning? skim, scan while reading? have reading purpose or interest? Thank y o u very m uch f o r y o u r coooperation! 102 APPENDIX 8B QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS AT TNTTC Phiếu khảo sät thiết kế nhằm tìm hiểu khó khăn sinh viên học đọc Sự hoàn thành bạn đánh giá cao bạn khống phải ghi tên vào bảng Xin trả lời câu hỏi bằng: Đồng ý hay không đồng ý Nếu bạn đồng ý, ghi chữ (Đ), không đồng ý ghi chữ (K ) cuối dòng K h i b n h ọ c đ ọ c , b n t h n g c ó k h ó k h ă n t r o n g v iệ c : hiểu nghĩa từ vựng? hiểu câu dài khó? hiểu chủ đề đọc? hiểu tất từ biết tất cấu trúc câu đọc trả lời câu hỏi đọc hiểu? Không thể tổng kết ý khơng thể hiểu dàn ý cùa đọc? B n c ó th n g : dùng từ điển gặp từ mới? thường đọc lại, đọc với ngón tay vào từ, dịch từ câu? B n c ó th n g : Chú ý đến câu chủ đề,các câu hỗ trợ, câu phát triển ý câu chủ đề? đốn từ khơng biết theo cấu tạo từ nội dung khoá? Dùng suy luận, từ đồng nghĩa, từ trái nghĩa, định nghĩa • • để hiểu nghĩa từ? đọc lướt, đọc dò đọc? Có mục đích đọc có hứng thú đọc? R ấ t m ơn h ợ p tá c c ủ a c c b n ! 103 APPENDIX Q U E S T IO N S F O R T H E IN T E R V IE W Why did you choose these activities for your reading teaching period? What were the difficulties you had in teaching reading? 104 APPENDIX 10 PREVIEWING SHEET Name: Topic: W hat you th in k may be W h a t you know about the topic w riten in the text W hat yo u r friends know W h a t yo u r friends th in k may be about the topic w ritte n in the text 105 APPENDIX 11 POST-READING SHEET Name: 106 APPENDIX 12 GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS S P ID E R M A P Key frame questions: What is the central idea? What are its attributes? What are its function? (Fry et al., 2000 ，P.283) S e r ie s o f E v e n t s C h a in In itia tin g E ven t 107 APPENDIX 13 GAPHIC ORGANIZERS C o m p a r e / C o n t r a s t M a tr ix ( S p r e a d s h e e t ) Attribute Attribute Attribute Used to show similarities and differences between two things (people， places, events, ideas, etc) Key frame questions: What things are being compared? How are they similar? How are they different? Spreadsheets can be enlarged to contain many rows and columns (Fry et al., 2000，P.283) 108 ... understanding (skimming); reading for extracting specific information (scanning); reading for detailed information; predicting continuing events, then reading to confirm expectation; reading for. .. ith an investigation o f the reality o f teaching and learning reading comprehension at Thai Nguyen Teachers’ Training College (TNTTC), the purposes o f this research were: 1) to find out how the. .. comprehend i f they are asked to state their ideas about the topic o f the text and then evaluate it w ith their friends in the class and the activities reciprocal teaching, evaluating, inferring and re-reading