The effect of extensive reading on students reading speed, word retention, and their attitude toward reading an experiment at national economics university

H A N O I U N IV E R S IT Y D e p a rtm e n t o f P ostgraduate Studies T H E S IS T H E E F F E C T O F E X T E N S IV E R E A D IN G O N S T U D E N T S ' R E A D IN G S P E E D , W O R I ) R E T E N T I O N , A N D T H E I R A T T IT U D E T O W A R D R E A D IN G A N E X P E R I M E N T A T N A T IO N A L E C O N O M IC S U N IV E R S IT Y S u p e r v i s o r : H o a n g V a n H o a t ，M A S tu d e n ts n am e: N guyen T h i M A nh C la s s : K E n g lis h Hanoi, February, 2010 ACKNOW LEDGEM ENTS F irstly , I w ould lik e to a c k n o w led g e a n d ex p ress m y d eep g ratitu d e an d sincere ap p re c ia tio n to m y su pervisor, M r H oang V an H o a t ，M A fo r his intensive revisions, p a tie n t g u id an ce, e n co u rag em en t, insightful suggestions an d k ind su p p o rt throughout m y research S e c o n d ly ，m y special than k s g o to Dr V u V an D a n d M s N guyen T h H a, M E d o f th e D e p a rtm e n t o f P ostg rad u ate S tu d ies fo r th e ir co n sta n t su p p o rt an d co n c ern w hile th e w o rk w as in p rogress T h ird ly , I a lso w ish to th an k all m y co llea g u es fo r th e stim u latin g an d creativ e w ork e n v iro n m e n t; a n d m y stu d en ts a t N ational E co n o m ics U n iv ersity fo r th e ir interest, c re a tiv ity a n d k in d assista n c e durin g th e tim e I co llected d ata fo r th e study F in ally , I am d eep ly in d eb ted to all the support and en co u rag em en t that m y fam ily has so lo v in g ly o ffered me A BSTRA CT R eading s k ill is one o f the most d iffic u lt s k ills in le a rn in g and teaching fo re ig n languages in general and in E nglish in p a rtic u la r In fa c t, m any teachers fin d it hard to m ake reading lessons in sp irin g and enjoyable The m ain g o a l in th is study is to fin d o u t i f there is any correspondence between teaching extensive reading and students ' reading s k ill im provem ent, especially reading speed, w ord retention and student's a ttitu d e tow ard reading at interm ediate level o f E nglish p ro ficie n cy a t N ational Econom ics U niversity (N EU ) An experim ental research was chosen to c a rry out fo r the study 45 students p a rtic ip a te d in the study were divid e d in to groups, 22 in the experim ental and 23 in the co n tro l group Both o f tw o groups are given the pre-test to make sure th a t they are p re tty much o f reading level The experim ental group was d e live re d extra intensive reading document to a t home and suggestions to search f o r in fo rm a tio n re la tin g to the topic they read in class The co n tro l group was d e live re d extra reading docum ent o f the designed syllabus A fte r the experim ent time, the post test was used to measure students’ reading s k ill im provem ent The data colle cte d fro m the pre-test and post-test results was com puted and analyzed by means o f t-tests, using p a ired՜sample and independent-sam ple t-tests A t the beginning and the end o f th is course, questionnaires are d istrib u te d to get these students ' a ttitud e to w a rd reading This study shows th a t extensive readings are o f g re a t benefits fo r both teachers a nd students I t helps teachers create an enjoyable and fle x ib le learning environm ent w hich m otivates students to learn reading lessons Students can therefore im prove th e ir reading a b ility , especially reading speed, w ord retention and change th e ir reading a ttitude as w ell Extensive reading is therefore highly recom m ended being used in E nglish language classrooms TABLE OF CONTENT A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S A B S T R A C T T A B L E O F C O N T E N T L I S T O F T A B L E S L IS T O F F I G U R E S CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 B a c k g r o u n d t o t h e s t u d y 1.2 A i m a n d s ig n if ic a n c e o f t h e s t u d y 1.3 R e s e a r c h q u e s t io n s a n d r e s e a r c h h y p o t h e s e s •••• 1.4 S c o p e o f t h e s t u d y 1-5 O r g a n iz a t io n o f t h e t h e s is C H A P T E R 2: L I T E R A T U R E R E V I E W 2.1 T h e o r e t ic a l b a c k g r o u n d o f r e a d in g s k i l l 2.1.1 D e fin itio n s o f re a d in g 2.1.2 Purpose o f reading 2.1.3 Type o f re a d in g 1.4 R ole o f re a d in g R eading a ttitu d e 2.2 E x t e n s iv e r e a d in g 2.2.1 / Í շ 3.1 R e s e a r c h q u e s t io n s a n d h y p o t h e s is r e s t a t e d շ о CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY S u m m a r y 2.4 г D e fin itio n s o f E xtensive re a d in g 2.2.2 B e n e fit o f extensive reading in language le a rn in g 2.2.3 E xtensive re a d in g vs Intensive re a d in g 2.2.4 E xtensive vs G raded R e a d in g 2.3 P r e v io u s r e s e a r c h s t u d ie s 10 о շ / 2 3.3.1 Indepe ndent va ria b le s 3.3.2 D ependent v a ria b le 3.4 S u b j e c t s o f t h e s t u d y - о 3.3 V a r ia b l e s շ 3.2 E x p e r im e n t a l r e s e a r c h 3.5 D a t a c o l l e c t io n in s t r u m e n t s 2 շ շ 3.5.1 D e sig n in g pre -te st a nd post-test 3.5.2 Q uestionnaires (see Appendix I and 2) 3.6 D e s c r ip t io n o f d a t a a n a l y s is t o o l s 5 3.7 P r o c e d u r k s 26 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .29 4.1 R e s u l t s o f t h e r e a d in g tests (S e e A p p e n d ix FOR ALL SECTIONS AND OVERALL SCORES OF TESTS) .29 4.1.1 Test re s u lt o f the co n tro l g ro u p 29 4.1.2 Test re s u lt o f the experim ental g ro u p 31 4.1.3 Test re s u lt between C o n tro l a nd E xp e rim e n ta l G ro u p s 32 4.2 D is c u s s io n o f t h e t e s t r e s u l t s 34 4.3 R e s u l t s f r o m q u e s t io n n a ir e s (S e e A p p e n d ix FOR THE WHOLE RESPONSES OF QUESTIONNAIRE) .37 4.3.1 Q u e stio n n a ire 37 4.3.2 Q u e stio n n a ire 39 4.4 INFLUKNCES OF APPLIKI) E R ON EXPERIMENTAL STUDENTS (Se e A p p e n d ix 10 FOR SOME E R DOCUMENTS DELIVERED FOR STUDENTS AS HOMEWORK) - 42 4.5 S u m m a r y 43 CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 44 5.1 R e c o m m e n d a t io n s 44 5.2 L im it a t io n s o f t h e s t u d y a n d s u g g e s t io n s f o r f u r t h e r r e s e a r c h •••••45 5.3 C o n c l u s io n 46 REFERENCES 48 VPPENDIX 53 A p p e n d ix 1: Q u e s t io n n a ir e s (FORPRE-TEST) 53 A p p e n d ix ： Q u e s tio n n a ir e s (FOR POST- TEST) 54 A p p e n d ix : P r e - t e s t ( po s t - t e s t ) f o r s t u d e n t s o f b o t h c o n t r o l a n d EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS 5 A p p e n d ix ： M a r k i n g s c h e m e f o r t h e p r e - t e s t a n d p o s t - t e s t - 75 A p p e n d ix 5: P r e - t e s t a n d P o s t - t e s t r e s u l t s 76 A p p e n d ix 6: Q u e s t io n n a ir e s r espo n se 78 A p p e n d ix 7: C o u r s e s y l l a b u s 80 A p p e n d i x : S c h e d u l e o f m a in e r a c t i v i t i e s f o r e g A p p e n d ix 9: S a m p l e l e s s o n p l a n s f o r b o t h g r o u p s 87 A p p e n d ix 10: S a m p le e x te n s iv e r e a d in g d o c u m e n t 92 A p p e n d ix 11: S u g g e s t e d w e b - l i n k s 103 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS N EU : National Economics U niversity EFL: English as Foreign Language ESL: English as a Second language ER: Extensive reading CG: C ontrol group EG: Experim ental group L : Second language SPSS: Statistical Package fo r the Social Sciences M : Mean p ：P robability value SD: Standard Deviation LIST OF TABLES Table I : Four form s o f reading Table 2: Five factors o f language learning fram ework Table 3: English learning duration o f the students Table 4: Pi e- and Post-test Results o f the Control Group Table 5: Pre- and Post-test Results o f the Experimental Group Table 6: The Test Results between C ontrol group and Experimental Group Table 7: The Section Test Results between Control Group (CG) and Experimental G roup (EG ) Table 8: Students' o pinion on the statements number one to fo u r o f Questionnaire Table 9: Students’ o pinion on the statements number fiv e to eight o f Questionnaire Table 10: Students’ opinion on the statements number one to fo u r o f Questionnaire Table 1: Students’ opinion on the statements number five to seven o f Questionnaire LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Pre- and Post-test Results o f the Control Group Figure 2: Pre- and Post-test Results o f the Experimental Group Figure 3: The Test Results between Control group and Experimental Group Figure 4: The Section Test Results between C ontrol Group (CG ) and Experimental G roup (EG) C H A P T E R 1: IN T R O D U C T IO N The current study is intended to investigate the effects o f extensive reading on reading speed， w 이d retention and the students’ reading attitude o f the firs t year English m ajor students at National Economics U niversity (N E U ) It begins w ith this introductory chapter，which describes the background to the study and indicates the aim and research question I t also discusses the scope o f the study and provides the organization o f the study Teachers must believe that language teaching should aim at developing sk ills among students They must provide opportunities to students through w hich they learn how to acquire knowledge by exposing them to d ifferent reading materials in the classroom They can help students become good English readers and develop confidence in them that they can read and understand E nglish language (D e v i ， 2009) Krashen and T errell (1989) state that reading is an im portant source o f comprehensible input and can make a significant contribution to competence in a foreign language They also explain that the research shows students w ho more pleasure reading are better readers， better w riters and have a greater vocabulary and gram m atical competence They also suggest that Mfree volun tary reading" (p 131) may be a pow erful w ay o f im p ro vin g reading ability, vocabulary and gram m atical competence They further emphasize that students may make better progress in reading comprehension and vocabulary developm ent through extensive reading than in traditional instructional reading i f they are encouraged to read whatever they want in self-selected reading Therefore, encouraging students to be involved in their foreign language through extensive reading provides the possibility o f learning the language, m otivation, and this also reinforces points that they have learnt w ith o u t pressure Goodman and B urke (Cited in lie m e y ， Readence and D isher ， 1985) agree on extensive reading stating that the readers are encouraged to make judgm ents in natural reading situations They also add that pleasure reading helps to develop th e ir awareness o f effective reading fro m easy to d iffic u lt material Therefore, readers may become fa m ilia r w ith the unknow n words Despite undeniable importance, in her teaching, the researcher notices that teachers at N E U generally prefer and em ploy the traditional method in teaching reading They usually present a subject in the textbook and ask students to read w hether silently o r lo u d ly, and then students have to answer the questions that fo llo w In reading ESP lessons, the students pay less L e s s o n p la n f o r e x p e r im e n ta l g r o u p U N IT : C O M M U N IC A T IO N PP 57-64 Focus o f the lesson - M aking inferences ֊ Predicting - Recognizing sim ila rity in meaning - Restating - S kim m ing & Scanning T e a ch in g aids - Course book, supplementary documents, workbook, and blackboard ， teacher’s manual P rocedure Contents Duration Suggestions PP Give students a few minutes to read the preview 15 minutes questions and discuss in groups o f tw o o r three Encourage students to use the knowledge and inform ation they read at home Have students complete the vocabulary exercise in Preview 57 pairs Encourage them to use examples when they explain the meanings o f words A llo w the use o f dictionaries o n ly i f neither student knows the word A fte r few minutes，reassemble the class and help students w ith any words they still don not know Explain the meanings o f any unfam iliar words in the Reading 58 title o f the reading 89 20 minutes Let students skim the text to check the answers o f "before you read” section Let students read the text and the exercise in d ivid u a lly A fte r few minutes, have them compare their answer w ith a partner and discuss any differences As they w ork, circulate and check their answers Have students discuss the questions in “ Relating reading to personal experience” in small groups，then ask some to share one o f their answers Encourage students to use the knowledge and inform ation they read at home Explain the meanings o f any unfam iliar words in the 20 minutes title o f the reading Let students skim the text to check the answers o f “ before you read” section Let students read the text and the exercise in d iv id u a lly A fte r few minutes, have them compare R eading շ 60 their answer w ith a partner and discuss any differences As they w ork, circulate and check their answers Have students discuss the questions in “ Relating reading to personal experience， ’ in small groups，then ask some to share one o f their answers Encourage students to use the knowledge and inform ation they read at home Have students w ork alone on the Vocabulary expansion 10 minutes exercise Use one item as an example to make sure that W p -up 64 students understand the task When students are finished, have them check their answers in pairs A d d itio n a l Ask one students to come up to the front o f the room 90 25 minutes exercises Start a conversation with the student, but advoid making eye contact After a minute or tw o ，ask the other students to describe Ihe exchange and the student’ s reaction What did the teacher do? H ow did the student respond? This demonstration could lead to a class discuss about the importance o f body language in com m unication Then，let students discuss about the communication tips they read at home Do from u n it 33 to unit 36 o f the book English Vocabulary Organizer H o m e w o rk Read about “ dishonesty” from the internet http: //w w w.as soc i atedconle ո t c이 ĩi/t 0r)i c/49927/dishone stv.html 91 A p p e n d ix 10: Sam ple extensive reading docum ent W eeks C O M M U N IC A T IO N T IP S : H o w to W in People's Cooperation Influence is the art o f w inning people's cooperation when you not have，or not want to use，the authority to make them what you want them to It involves shaping the way people feel and think M a ke people feel understood Spend less time trying to make people understand what you want» and more time m aking them feel understood In an ideal world people m ight make decisions, com m itm ents，and judgm ents based on logic and sound reasoning But in this world people act in response to their preferences, feelings, and social influences they're not even aware o f I f they trust you and feel that you care about them ，they are much more lik e ly to cooperate w ith you F ind com m on g ro u nd Show people how their needs, values，and dreams mesh w ith yours T o so, you have to understand their values and concerns See things from their point o f view Be sympathetic w ith their feelings Then show them how cooperating w ith you can help them achieve w hat they want lis te n in g is the best w ay to make people feel understood and、at the same time, to find com m on ground Ask open-ended questions, the kind that invite people's careful consideration and honesty T ry to undef§lâỉìd wlial people mean, w ith o u t getting up on the literal meaning o f their words And acknowledge th e ir thoughts and feelings (w hich isn't the same thing as agreeing w ith them) D o n 't argue In business (and at home ， too) the person you defeat in an argument today may be the person whose cooperation you need tomorrow Arguments make people stake out positions and defend them And the more you try to prove them wrong，the harder they w ill resist you People may feel overwhelmed and stop arguing w ith you But that doesn't mean you’ve won them over Most o f the tim e，when you w in an argument, you lose an ally Care uhout the people you want to influence I f you are concerned about the people you're trying to w in over, i f you value their needs and dreams, they'll know it And they'll reciprocate T h e y 'll communicate more freely, speaking their m ind more openly and listening more attentively T h e y'll give you the benefit o f the doubt And they'll want to cooperate (i Ỉ le lp people believe change is possible People often know , although they won't often admit，that they need to change They feel a vague uneasiness，sensing that things won't pan out the w ay they want B ut they persist in doing what they've always done，thinking they're doing the best they can 92 Show them a better way, but more im portantly，convince them that it's possible Don't just give them a solution O ffer them hope There's a time and a season fo r everything, especially fo r asking fo r support When people are feeling stressed out, anxious, angry, resentful，or threatened ， they're not really receptive Do what you can to reassure them and to make them feel safe，and you increase your chances o f w inning their support Look fo r "moments o f influence," times when they feel capable and confident, and make your best case then H ow to Rem em ber Names One o f the best ways to make a favorable first impression — and to get ahead socially or in business — is to remember people's names You can improve your a b ility to remember names i f you fo llo w these fo u r steps: Begin by making a comm itment — a conscious decision — to remember people's names Don't let yourself o ff easy，blam ing a "bad memory." Forgetting names is due less to a bad memory than to a lack o f application T ell yourself — because it's true — that you can remember names i f you want to and i f you w ork at it Before going to a meeting or a party o r anywhere you m ight meet people, rem ind yourself o f your com m itment And recomm it yourself: " I w ill make my best e ffo rt to remember the names o f the people I meet." You can only remember what you observe in the first place I f you are distracted or i f you aren't paying attention，you w on't register the person's name so you can't possibly remember it Concentrate, then, on 1) paying attention to the person's name when you firs t hear it，and 2) form ing an impression o f the person • Listen to the person's name I f you miss it or find a few seconds later that you've already forgotten it, say "I'm sorry I missed your name Can you give it to me again?" I f you s till have trouble w ith it, say, "I'm sorry, but w ould you spell that out fo r me?" • Get a clear, detailed impression o f the person The more v iv id ly you observe people's physical characteristics, the more lik e ly you are to remember them Use all o f your senses to form the most striking impression possible Repeat Repetition helps engrave the name in your memory • Use the name immediately • Repeat it silently to yourself • Comment on the name，if possible • Use it occasionally in the conversation w ithout overdoing it • Use it when leaving 93 • W r i t e It d o w n a f t e r w a r d s Ĩ І.У to m a k e an a s s o c ia tio n b e tw e e n th e p e rso n 's fac e an d an im a g e th e n a m e su g g e sts I f you exaggerate the image ֊ make it larger, say ֊ and give it movement — have it slam into some feature OÍ the person's face，for example — you w ill make the image even more memorable Even i f you can't create an image fo r the name, don't despair Just by w orking on it, ju st by trying to figure out an image that goes along w ith the name, you have reinforced your memory If you remember visual images most easily, try creating an image based on the name and linkin g it to some physical characteristic o f the person • Imagine a ham that weighs a ton spinning on the end o f Mrs H am ilton's nose • Picture an old-fashioned car jack under Jack's prominent jaw • See margarine m elting through Margaret's curly, blond hair I f you are more attuned to sounds, make a rhyme, associating the name w ith your impression o f the person O r lin k the person's name to a song lyric • Dave needs a shave • Latrice is Patty's niece • M ichelle, ma belle (The Beatle's tune) I f you are more com fortable dealing w ith sensory feelings and gut instincts，try lin kin g the name to the impression ihe person makes or to a reaction you have to the person • M a rlin Peck is a pain in the neck • Suzanne Patterson has sweaty palms • Paula is pushy A ll this takes tim e and energy and that's the point It makes people feel im portant It wins you their good w ill And it opens the door to successful relationships T he L iste n in g Leader In the old days the "com m and and control" model o f leadership ruled supreme Leaders were expected to have a ll the answers — or at least to look and act as i f they had all the answers Leaders had a goal and a strategy fo r accomplishing it A ll they had to was figure out how to get others to fa ll into line behind them They wanted followers, not collaborators ， compliance, not creativity They d id a lo t of talking and not much listening But today's w orkplace demands a more flexible, more collaborative model o f leadership "In the hUrh tech a lo lx illy w ired, d igital world \vc live ill .| I leaders who can release the hraia power o f I heir stall, who can energize the know-how and creativity o f their work force, are I he only ones ѴѴІЮ can be sure to be in the phone book w ithin two years." - W iirrcn B e n n is 94 I oday's leaders don't have all the answers (How can they?) But they know how to fin d the answers and, more im portantly, they know how to help others fin d the answers Leaders today are listeners They listen up ， down, and all around their organization They listen in order to: • • • • • • • Pick up on problems before they get out o f hand Uncover the causes o f miscommunication and conflict Understand people's motives, values, and feelings B uild rapport and mutual respect Discover trends that drive the way business gets done Gather and evaluate ideas Generate solutions The kind o f listening that leaders requires a new mindset — a com bination o f h u m ility ("I don't know everything") and confidence ( T m smart enough to learn") I t brings out the best in other people, recognizing and valuing their experience And it creates the kin d o f collaboration and energy that drives a w inning organization S trategic Listening We can communicate on one-or a ll-o f four different levels at any given time: I facts feelings, and i n t e n t i o n " T h e h o u s e is b u r n in g " is a s im p le , s tr a ig h t- f o r w a r d s lfU c m c n t B u t th o s e f o u r w o r d s — depending on how they are said — may mean: • " A residential structure is being consumed by flames." (Facts) • "The house we're in is on fire." (Meaning) • "A h h h h !!!!" (Feelings) • "Run for your life " (Intention) Sometimes we don't understand other people，because we're not listening — or not listening w ell We're distracted or sim ply not paying attention But sometimes we don't understand them, because we're not hearing what they want to communicate We're not listening to the right level We may hear the facts，fo r example，but miss the feelings Strategic listening allow s you to hear the various messages people are comm unicating L evel The Facte People want to Convey inform ation O ur task is to We need to ask Listen fo r details and clarify "Who? What? Where? When? W hy? How?" 95 Picture the situation as the person is O ur goal is lo describing it Level M eaning People want li) Make ihemselves understood Listen for I he big picture: summarize and O ur (ask is to We need to ask "A m understanding you correctly?" "is this what you're getting at?" Understand what the person means — and O ur goal is to make the other person feel understood L evel Feelings People want to Connect Oll an em otional level Listen w ith empathy; pay attention to body O ur task is to language and tone o f voice "H o w does this make you feel?" Wo need lo ask " It sounds to me like you're feeling " Recognize how the person is feeling — and O ur t>oal is to make the other person feel connected Level In te n tio n People want lo Get their needs met Listen for warns and needs; focus on O ur las к is to solutions, action steps，and outcomes "W hat you w ant to have happen?" W c need to ask "What would help you in this situation?" "W hat can you/we about it?" Know what the person wants to achieve O ur goal is to Hi • • Are you often angry? D o you frequently overreact? 96 • • • • • • • Do you take your anger out on someone 01her than the person you're angry w ith? Do you hold grudges, pout, or sulk? Do you stay angry fo r a long time? A re you scared o f your anger? A re other people scared o f your anger? Does yo u r anger negatively affect the people you live or w ork w ith? D o you ever get violent when you're angry? It you answered yes to two or more o f these questions, you may have a problem w ith anger And anger may be keeping you from communicating effectively Anger is one o f the most prim al and complex feelings in the range o f human emotions A lthough it is neither good nor bad, its misuse causes a great deal o f suffering: • • • • • • • U nderm ining trust, loyalty, and teamwork D estroying relationships Creating a hostile environm ent L o w e rin g p rod uctivity C ontributing to health problems Incurring legal expenses C o nlribu ting to violence The problem w ith anger, as A ris to tle observed over 2,500 year ago, is this: “ Anyone can become angry — that is easy B ut to be angry w ith the right person, to the right degree, at the right tim e, fo r the right purpose, and in the right way — this is not easy.， ’ A nger does three things It alerts us to a problem It's like a siren, warning us o f a threat to o u r safety or to the safety o f those we care for It focuses our attention W hen w e’ re angry, we have trouble th in kin g about anything else It gives us energy A nger floods the bloodstream with chemicals that turbocharge the body and prepare it to take action Here’ s an example o f anger in action A department store floor manager，late fo r a meeting and th in kin g about 10 different problems，overhears an associate call a customer a “ fat cow ” She stops dead in her tracks F or the moment she forgets everything else She steps in to deal w ith the custom er and the employee Since each person's response to anger is unique，you have become an expert about your anger pattern I ld t B u tton s We all have different Hot Buttons, things that trigger a strong emotional reaction in us — people’ s attitudes or actions, events ， situations ， etc They strike us as unfair, unjust, o r ju s t plain wrong And they irritate, annoy ， vex, anger, or enrage us 97 N oi e v e ry b o d y is b o th e re d b y th e sa m e th in g th at b o th e rs us, a n d s o m e tim e s e v e n th a t r e a liz a tio n b o th e rs us There are three steps to dealing w ith our hot buttons: Observe Analyze Change I he first step in dealing w ith our hoi buttons is lo become aware o f them ֊ ֊ w ithout judgm ent or shame • • • • • • W hat type o f incident, situation, or person typically “ pushes your buttons?” W hat are you doing when it happens? W hat are other people doing? Where are you? W ho are you with? H ow tired or stressed are you? Do you recognize any pattern? A pattern is something like this: "W hen X happens, I feel Y." For example: W hen I'm late fo r an appointment and I get stuck in traffic, I get angry W hen m y boss asks me to stay late, I get angry W hat’ s yo ur pattern? For the next week pay attention to how you react internally when one o f your hot buttons gets pushed N ow that you have some awareness o f what typically triggers your anger, you can analyze your pattern Ask yourself what yo u're thinking, when you get mad W hat judgments are you making? W hen yo u ’ re late fo r an appointment and stuck in tra ffic, you think yo u ’ re stupid and you should have left earlier? O r you think you’ re helpless and wish someone would take care o f the problem fo r you? O r you think it ’ s a conspiracy and everyone’ s ganging up to make you late? W hen yo ur boss asks you lo stay late，do you think she's being unreasonable? O r you recall every other tim e she's ever imposed on you and conclude that she’ s an inconsiderate person and quite possibly the most incompetent boss in the world? O r berate yourself fo r not standing up for yourself? 98 What are you thinking? N ow ， stop D on’ t judge or ju s tify what you’ re thinking S im ply admit it A nd challenge il Challenge what you're thinking A sk yourself, what evidence I have to support my thinking? Are there other possible explanations? Could it be that I overscheduled my day and I didn’ t leave enough tim e to get to m y next appointment? C ould it be that m y boss got a last minute project dumped on her, and she’ s as put out as I C ould it be 一and this possibility is the one that’ s most devastating to our ego ֊ that other people's lives, thoughts, and actions d o n 't revolve around us? could it be Change A lbert E llis, a w ell-know n psychologist，believes that most o f our hot buttons are based on what he calls aw fulizing When things don’ t go our way，we th in k ， “ I t ’ s a w fu l! I t ’ s terrible! It’ s horrible! I c a n't stand it!” He suggests we change the way we think 一and talk — about our problems Instead o f telling ourselves, “ It shouldn’ t be this way， ” think, “ I don’ t like it I w ish it were different.” Taking the “ should” out o f it takes some o f the sting out o f it Instead o f ^T ffic shouldn’ t be so bad at this hour， ’’ say，“ I don’ t like getting stuck in traffic.” ᄂ 。 Instead o f “ M y boss shouldn’ t dump w ork on me at the last minute， ’’ say, “ I don’ t like it when she does.” Instead o f telling ourselves, “ I can’ t stand it,” think, “ It bothers me a great deal I don’ t like it I ’ ve survived worse things than this I ’ m strong I can something about this.” Instead o f, “ I can’ t stand this tra ffic,” consider，“ I dislike this traffic I w ish the roads were clear But г ve been through a lot worse than this M aybe it ’ s tim e to put on a C D and chill out.， Instead of, “ I can’ t stand it when she makes me stay a l te ， ， ’ say, “ I don’ t like staying late, especially on a Friday night, but it isn’ t the end o f the w orld I ’ ll have to think o f some way to reward m yself over the weekend.” Recognize and accept your hot buttons Challenge them Change them by creating a new way o f thinking about them 99 H O W T O N E V E R LO S E A N A R G U M E N T (R E S O L V IN G C O N F L IC T S B E F O R E T H E Y S T A R T ) The only way to never lose an argument, to paraphrase Dale Carnegie，is to avoid getting into one in the first place In a discussion everyone wins We treat other people as partners in a problem-solving session W e throw out ideas，consider alternatives, and evaluate the pros and cons We listen to other people's thoughts and explore ideas we haven't previously considered We learn more about an issue, about what we think and fee ᄂ and about each other and each other's values W e seek people's support, not their resentful silence We may passionately disagree w ith each other, but mutual respecl keeps the dialogue c iv il In an argument no one wins We treat other people as opponents to be defeated We draw up sides, defend our own positions, and attack the opposition I f we listen at a ll，we so only to fin d the weaknesses in the other person's reasoning We aren't open to new ideas o r to the possibility o f changing our opinions We want to prove the superiority o f our side (and the in fe rio rity o f the other side) Even when we "w in " an argument, we usually so by losing a potential ally Here are some tips to keep discussions from turning into arguments I • D o n 't a l alie Refuse to get drawn into an argument Be c iv il Respect the other person as much as your honor your own values Be assertive w ithout resorting to aggression Seek areas o f agreement Often, we agree w ith people in principle, but disagree w ith them in practice (We want the same thing — safer schools fo r our children, fo r example — but we have different ideas o f how to accomplish it.) Find those areas o f agreement Make them explicit T ry always to make the other person a fe llo w problem -solver，neither an opponent nor a friend Focus on interests, n ot positions A n issue is what we want or need 一 safer schools fo r example A position is a way o f achieving it A void getting so attached to your positions that you lose sight o f your interests It's often easier to negotiate and compromise around interests than around positions .4 T r y to see things fro m th e o th e r person's p o ln t-o f-vie w There's a reason w hy other people act and think the way they 一 however illogical, wrong-headed, or misguided as it may seem to you I f you condemn them or show contempt fo r their reasoning, they w ill only harden in their resolve They w ill resent 100 a n d re s is t y o u S e e k , in ste a d , to fe rre t o u t th e ir h id d e n re a s o n s , a n d y o u w ill fin d the k e y to th e ir m o tiv a tio n ^ A sk c h u if \ in ji i|iie s tio n s open-ended q u e s t i o n s C l o s e d q u e s t i o n s — l i k e " D o y o u a g r e e w i t h m y proposal?" — lim it people's a b ility to express themselves Open-ended questions — A s k lik e " W h a t d o y o u th in k a b o u t m y p ro p o sa l? " — g iv e th e m g r e a te r fre e d o m a n d give you m o re in fo rm a tio n 6 (> Listen S p e n d m o r e tim e lis te n in g lis te n in g , b u t y o u c a n th a n s ta r t a s p e a k in g ( Y o u b r a w l b y c a n 't g e t y o u r s e l f i n t o s p e a k in g ) L is te n w ith tr o u b le b y y o u r b o d y ， y o u r e y e s ， and yo ur m ind as w e ll as w ith your ears T ry to understand what people mean, w itho ut getting caught up in the exact words they say M ake them feel understood, and they'll be much more lik e ly to try to understand you ՛ I f y o u 're wrong, a d m it it There's nothing wrong w ith changing your opinion，once you've gained new inform ation or perspective As a matter o f fact, it's the sign o f wisdom and maturity R e m e m b e r th a t y o u 'v e b e e n w ro n g in th e p a s t e v e n w h e n y o u th o u g h t y o u w e re rig h t, a n d a d m it th a t y o u m ig h t b e w ro n g th is tim e 8 IÍ y ou're r i g h i, a llo w th e o th e r p e r s o n to s a v e f a c e You're tr y in g to w in p e o p le 's c o o p e tio n , n o t to p ro v e th e m w ro n g Y o u r k in d n e ss w ill d o m o r e to g a in th e ir g o o d w ill th a n a n y th in g e ls e H O W T O R E S O L V E C O N F L IC T I f y o u / 0/ ü u v ie w c o n f lic t a s s o m il b e c o e « « e c o m e s n e g a tiv e A n d a s a f;a a f a c t o f lif e , a n c o n f li/if if lic t b y I tu r n in g e th in g th e n o p p o r tu n ity it in to s o m t h a t s h o u l d n 't h a p p e n , s o m y o u to a v o id it a n d s tr e n g th e n e th in g h o p e e th in g it w ill g o th e s e " W s re la tio n s h ip s , a w a y B u t i f y o u r e la tio n s h ip s ， y o u c r e a tiv e T r y th a t h a r m h a v e a y s to a w a y s e e c o n f lic t o f r e s o lv in g R e s o lv e C o n f lic t." A g re e o n a m u tu a lly a c c e p ta b le tim e a n d p lace to d isc u ss th e c o n flic t State լhe pruhlem as you see it and lisi your concerns о M ake " I м statements о W ith h o ld ju d g m e n ts , a c c u s a tio n s ， a n d a b s o lu te s ta te m e n ts ( " a lw a y s " o r " n e v e r" ) U h the other person have his/her say о Do not interrupt or contradict о Do not allow name-calling, put-downs， threats， obscenities， yelling，or in tim id a tin g b e h a v io r L is te n a n d nsk q u e s tio n s о A s k f a c t- b a s e d u n d e r s ta n d о th e q u e s tio n s ( w h o ? w h a t? w h e r e ? w h e n ? h o w ? ) to m a k e s u r e y o u s itu a tio n Ask exploratory questions (what if? what are you saying? is this the only s o lu tio n to o u r p r o b le m ? a lte r n a tiv e s to w h a t if w e d id th is s itu a tio n ? ) 101 s u c h a n d s u c h ? a r e th e r e o th e r о о A vo id accusatory "w h y" questions (w hy are you like that?) Use your ow n words to restate what you think the other person means and wants Acknowledge the person's feelings and perceptions Slick to one conflict al a lim e — lo the issue at hand о Do not change the subject or allow it to be changed " I understand you r concern，but I'd like to finish what we're talking about before we discuss it." 6- S eek c o m n jo n і!Гі>иік1 о о W hat you agree on? W hat are your shared concerns? lỉra in s to rn i so l III io n s to th e c o n flic t thill allo w e v e ry o n e to w in Request behavior changes only о D on't ask others to change their attitudes, о Don't ask them to "feel" differently about something, о D on’t ask them to "be" different о I f you want them to "stop doing" something, suggest an alternative action ree to I he he SI way 10 resolve the conflict and to a timetable lo r im plem enting it о W ho w ill what by when? К) I Г Ihc discussion breaks down, reschedule another tim e to meet Consider bringing in a ІІ11ГСІ pailv 102 A p p e n d ix 11: S u g g e ste d w e b -lin k s www.teachingenglish.org.uk w w w iteslj.org w w w englishlibrary.co.kr www.extensivereading.net w ww.docjax.com w w w erfoundalion.org/ w w w.robwaring.org/er www.esI.about.com www.eslreading.org w ww.readingm atrix.com www.eric.ed.gov w ww.oup-bookworm s.com www.usingenglish.com www.books.google.com.vn w w w speedreaderxrcview corn www.basic-learning.com ... examine the effects o f extensive reading on students' reading speed and word retention and reading attitude Therefore, the dependent variable is 21 the students* reading speed, word retention and reading. .. out students? ?? attitudes toward reading and how these attitudes changed after the course Through data analysis ， it came to the answers o f the questions on the effectiveness o f extensive reading. .. ilar They already recognized the advantage and the importance o f reading in their study and in their life , but they were rather unconfident about their reading s k ill M oreover，they themselves