Based on the results and limitations of this research, a combination of recommendations can be made for further studies that share the similar interest in the use of QtA in teaching and learning English reading skills.
In terms of research methodology, a larger sample size can more strongly confirm the validity of the current study. This study, in particular, could be reproduced with a larger number of participants.It is also worth mentioning that these participants should be chosen at random in order to increase the reliability of the results, which will lead to a higher degree of generalization ability.
Because this study only investigates the effects of QtA instruction on young learners’
English reading comprehension and explores their perceptions of the use of it, additional research on teenagers or university students in Vietnam may be conducted to determine whether this instruction provides itself as an effective strategy on other age groups with various English proficiency levels. Since this survey only provides basic information about students’ perceptions of the QtA method, additional research, if feasible, is encouraged to use observation and interviews to delve deeper into students’ opinions and problems related to QtA. One more thing worth noting for researchers who intend to apply QtA to young English language learners is that the combination of mother tongue (in this study, Vietnamese) in the process instruction should be considered to ensure all students’ ability to access and follow this approach most effectively.
Besides, for further studies, the study period should be extended with more English reading texts that are taught using QtA, which, would provide more detailed data on the use
of this method. The teachers’ viewpoint and their difficulty in applying QtA should also attract more attention from researchers in order to have the most general view of the influence and effectiveness of this method in the English reading class.
From the results of the student survey, most of the students also gave positive feedback on QtA as well as the discussion in general. Therefore, it is hoped that future studies will pay attention to understanding the influence of QtA on supporting the development of English speaking skills in the process of research subjects’ exchange and group work. If so, this method will be explored further, not only in terms of its effectiveness in reading comprehension but also in enhancing speaking skills.
In conclusion, with enhancement in research methodology and teaching procedure compared to previous studies, along with students’ increasing English reading comprehension, this study has largely met its objectives within its limited scope. Despite the fact that the study only focused on one aspect of teaching English reading skill with QtA and its application in the EFL context, it is hoped that this study will add a small ability to contribute to the teaching of reading skills in general, and of young learners’ reading comprehension in particular, and that it will also serve as a reliable reference for teachers who are searching for solutions to boost their students’ reading skills.
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APPENDIX A LESSON PLAN
Reading lesson using the QtA strategy Textbook: Family and Friend 4 (Oxford University Press, 2009) Duration: 30 minutes
Unit 1: The food here is great!
Textbook section Queries and suggested answers My name is Pete. I’m from the U.S.A. I
usually have a bowl of cereal with milk, and then toast with butter.
We have lots of different cereals at home, but my favorite is cornflake.
I don’t have very big breakfast because I eat lunch early at school.
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-His breakfast
-What he eats for breakfast
Follow-up Queries
What does the author mean by saying “We have lots of cereals at home”?
-He and his family eat lots of cereals.
-His mom buys lots of cereals.
-He has many kinds of cereals: chocolate cereals, coconut cereals, strawberry cereals, orange cereals, peanut cereals, etc.
Follow-up Queries
Why do you think the author says “I don’t have very big breakfast because I eat lunch early at school”?
-He doesn’t eat much for breakfast, but he is not
hungry because he will have lunch early at school.
Hi, everyone. I’m Huong and I come from Vietnam. For breakfast, I usually have noodle soup.
My grandma makes it every morning.
Sometime I have xoi. These are balls of rice with beans. They are wrapped in coconut leaves.
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-Her breakfast.
Follow-up Queries
Does the author describe the noodle soup?
-No, she doesn’t.
Does the author describe “xoi”?
-Yes, she does.
Why does the author the author describe “xoi”?
-Because many people from other countries do not know “xoi”, but they know noodle soup.
Hi. My name is Mariana and I’m from Mexico. My favorite breakfast is huevos rancheros: egg cooked in tomato and chilli sauce. We eat it with potatoes and tortilla. This is Mexican corn bread.
I always eat a big breakfast because we don’t have lunch at school.
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-Her breakfast.
What is her favorite breakfast?
-It is huevos rancheros.
Follow-up Queries
Why does the author describe the dish?
-Because many people do not know huevos rancheros and tortilla.
What does the author mean here?
-She eats a lot for her breakfast.
-If she eats less, she will be hungry.
Unit 2: We had a concert
Textbook section Queries and suggested answers I run to the window
Hear the sound of the beat Everyone is cheering Outside in the street
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-The festival he sees on the street.
Follow-up Queries
Does the author tell us clearly about the festival?
-No, he doesn’t.
-He only talks about what he sees and what he hears.
What does he mean by saying “Everyone is cheering”?
-The festival is crowed.
-There are many people in the festival.
-They are all happy and excited.
I hear the drums That thump and bang I look at the cymbals Sparkling as they clang I run outside
And hear the sound Of people tapping Their feet on the ground The band plays slowly One, two, three.
I can feel the rhythm All around me
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-He talks about what is happening in the festival.
Follow-up Queries
Does the author describe the festival?
-Yes, he does.
What does he see and hear?
-He sees and hears the music instruments.
What does he mean by saying “drums that thump and bang, the cymbals sparkling as they clang”?
-The music is very loud.
-There are many instruments and music players in the
The birds are so excited.
I see them flap their wings.
They join in with the music.
I can hear them all sing.
festival.
What does he mean by saying “people tapping their feet on the ground”?
-The festival is crowded
-The people are walking around.
Does he say it clearly?
-No, he doesn’t. He only talks about the sound of people walking.
What does the author talk about the band?
-He says the band plays music slowly and well.
What does he mean by saying “I can feel the rhythm”?
-He means he likes the music and the music is very loud.
What does the author say about the birds?
-They are so excited, flapping their wings and singing.
Does this make sense with what the author told us before?
-Yes, it does. The people are happy and the birds are happy, too.
When I grow up, I really want to play In a festival band,
And play music every day.
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-His dream of playing in a music band.
Follow-up Queries
Why does the author want to play in a festival band?
-Because he likes music and he likes playing music.
How does this connect to what the author told us before?
-He sees and hears the festival with the music band and he likes it a lot. So he wants to be in a festival band in the future.
Unit 3: The dinosaur museum
Textbook section Queries and suggested answers
Dinosaur data
Dinosaurs lived on Earth for millions of years and then they disappeared.
Scientists study dinosaur bones to find out how they lived and what they looked like.
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-Dinosaurs and their life.
Follow-up Queries
What does the author mean by saying
“Scientists study dinosaur bones”?
-Because the dinosaurs died millions years ago.
-They can find only the bones.
There were more than 700 different types of dinosaurs! Some dinosaur ate plants and others ate meat. Some walked on two legs and others walked on four legs. Some could fly and others lived in the ocean.
We know dinosaurs were all different, but no one know what color or pattern they were. This is because there is no dinosaur skin left to study.
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-Different types of dinosaurs.
Follow-up Queries
Why does the author talk about many kinds of dinosaurs?
-To give examples of different types of dinosaurs.
How does it connect to what the author told us before?
-He said they study the bones of the dinosaurs because there is no skin left.
The most famous dinosaur is the T-rex (Tyrannosaurus Rex).
It was bigger than a house! Its strong tail helped it move quickly.
But no one knows how fast it could run. Its teeth were 36 centimeters long and it ate meat. You can see T-rex bones in the museum.
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-The T-rex dinosaur.
Why does he tell us about this kind of dinosaur?
-Because it is the most famous one.
Follow-up Queries
Does the author describe the T-rex clearly?
-No, he doesn’t.
-He only says it’s big and it has strong tail.
What does the author mean by saying “Its teeth were 36 centimeters long”?
-It is big, so it has big mouth and long teeth to eat meat.
Unit 4: Whose jacket is this?
Textbook section Queries and suggested answers Can you jump really high and bounce a
ball really fast? Then basketball is the sport for you!
Basketball started in 1891 in Canada. It is very cold in the winter and students wanted a sport to play inside where it was warm.
Initiating Queries (get a discussion started) What is the author talking about?
-Basketball
Follow-up Queries
What does the author mean by saying “students wanted a sport to play inside where it was warm”?
-It is cold outside to play other sports.
-They can’t play football or tennis or go swimming.