VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES -------- VŨ THỊ THU GIANG THE EFFECTS OF AN EXTENSIVE READING PROGRAM ON THE SECOND YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJORS’ VOCABULARY ACQUISITION AT HA HOA TIEN UNIVERSITY Ảnh hưởng của chương trình đọc rộng đối với khả năng phát triển từ vựng của sinh viên năm thứ hai không chuyên ngữ trường Đại học Hà Hoa Tiên M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Hanoi, 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES -------- VŨ THỊ THU GIANG THE EFFECTS OF AN EXTENSIVE READING PROGRAM ON THE SECOND YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJORS’ VOCABULARY ACQUISITION AT HA HOA TIEN UNIVERSITY Ảnh hưởng của chương trình đọc rộng đối với khả năng phát triển từ vựng của sinh viên năm thứ hai không chuyên ngữ trường Đại học Hà Hoa Tiên M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: PROF. NGUYỄN HÒA Hanoi, 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com i DECLARATION To the best of my knowledge and belief, this minor thesis contains no materials which has previously been submitted and accepted for any other degree at any university.
The thesis is my own work and based on my own research. It is submitted to Faculty of Graduate Studies, ULIS, Hanoi for Degree of Master in TESOL and has not been published anywhere. Hanoi, August 2014 VŨ THỊ THU GIANG LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my special thanks to all the following people for having helped me complete this minor thesis. First and foremost, I am deeply grateful for all the help of Prof.
Nguyen Hoa, my supervisor. Without his extremely tremendous support, ultra-careful revision as well as thoroughly critical comments in a really intensive period of time, my thesis could not have been finalized. In addition, my gratitude is reserved for all my colleagues and students at Ha Hoa Tien University for their valuable information, assistance and cooperation. Last but not least, I am thankful to all of the members in my family, my husband, my son, and all of my dear friends who gave me so much encouragement and support in carrying put this research paper.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com iii ABSTRACT Ha Hoa Tien University first implements the extensive reading program to improve students‘ vocabulary acquisition in March, 2014. This calls for the need to access the program to create a better path for the program in the future. Therefore, the study is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the extensive reading program on the second year non-English majors‘ vocabulary acquisition. In this case study, the data are collected by a vocabulary test and a survey questionnaire for students.
The results show that the program has the effectiveness on the second year non-English major students‘ vocabulary acquisition at Ha Hoa Tien University. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of facilities, environment, teaching methods for students‘ extensive reading. Based on the findings, the thesis suggests some recommendations to promote the maximum effectiveness of the for students‘ long-term benefits in learning English in general and in acquiring vocabulary in particular. LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION.
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. vi LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS. vii PART A: INTRODUCTION.
Aims of the study. Scope of the study. Methods of the study. Design of the study .5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW.
Overview of evaluation. Definition of program evaluation. Criteria of program evaluation. Definition of extensive reading.
Models and principles of an extensive reading program. Previous research of vocabulary acquisition through extensive reading .11 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Restatement of research question. Setting of the study.
The extensive reading program. Data collection instruments.17 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Data collection procedures. Questionnaire survey procedure .20 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.
Total test scores. Component test scores. Students’ perception on the ERP. An evaluation on the effectiveness of the ERP based on the findings of vocabulary test scores.
An evaluation on the effectiveness of the ERP based on the findings of survey questionnaire. The correlation between vocabulary test scores and results of survey questionnaire. Limitations of the study. Suggestions for further research.
I Appendix 1 : Vocabulary Test. I Appendix 2: The extensive reading program questionnaire .III Appendix 3: Lists of Graded Readers. V Appendix 4: Reading Lesson. VIII Appendix 6: A sample story.
A sample of reflection story. XIX LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL: English as a foreign language ESL: English as a second language ER: Extensive reading ERP: Extensive reading program LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com vii LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS Chart 3. The validity of total test scores. The validity of component test scores.
Students‘ opinions on the ERP .23 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 1 PART A: INTRODUCTION This chapter presents a brief of the rationale, the aims of the study, the research question, and the scope of the study, the research methods, and the design of the study to give reader an overview of the study 1. Rationale Vocabulary is an important component of overall communicative competence. It links all language skills as listening, speaking, reading, and writing together and helps communication smoothly. According to Hatch (1983:74), "when our first goal is communication, when we have little of new language at our command, it is lexicon that is crucial.
The words will make basic communication possible". In deed, many students share the view that they have lots of difficulties in leaning English because of lack of vocabulary. For example, many students have fairly good knowledge of grammar, but they are hardly able to express themselves properly with lack of vocabulary. Therefore, vocabulary learning and improving become central to students‘ language acquisition.
In the case of Ha Hoa Tien University, where I am teaching English, students also have a lot of difficulties in learning English because of their limited vocabulary. An inappropriate word choice and lack of vocabulary prevent students from expressing their ideas properly. This increasing demand for improving students‘ vocabulary leads to an extensive reading program carried out at Ha Hoa tien University. With an extensive reading program (ERP), the teachers here supplied more reading materials with more interesting topics and easier words to learners.
That can encourage them in learning vocabulary and develop their vocabulary acquisition. For the long time, extensive reading has been studied and developed in many language aspects through research done by Krashen (1982), Lewis & Hill (1992), Cho & Krashen (1994: 662-667), (Huckin, 1999: 182-193), Pigada (2006: 1-28). These researches have shown that extensive reading program has positive effects on language learners. Seeing the benefits of ERP in language learning, the educators have applied the program in teaching English in Vietnam for the past few years.
However, there has been no research conducted LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 2 to evaluate the effectiveness of ERP on students‘ vocabulary acquisition in Vietnam in general and at Ha Hoa Tien University in particular. In fact, every program needs evaluating from time to time to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all learners. This ensures the teaching is on track and that learners are learning what they are supposed to learn so that the desired results can be attained. These are incentives for me to conduct this study.
Aims of the study The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an extensive reading program currently at Ha Hoa Tien University on students‘ vocabulary acquisition with the hope to create a better path for the program in the future. Research questions The above aim could be achieved by seeking answer to the research question: „How does extensive reading program currently have the effect on the second year non -English majors‟ vocabulary acquisition at Ha Hoa Tien University?‟ 4. Scope of the study The effectiveness of an ER on students‘ vocabulary acquisition is evaluated through a vocabulary test and a survey questionnaire for students in Ha Hoa Tien University. The researcher focuses on investigating the effectiveness of ER program after implementation in a term.
The effectiveness of the ER program in this study is identified as the achievement of the purposes of the program. In addition, the details about characteristics of participants and the research instruments involved in the following chapters are going to reveal more the scope of the study. Methods of the study This evaluation study is carried out at class DK6 of Accounting Faculty in Ha Hoa Tien University. The information is collected by quantitative method with the instruments of the vocabulary test and the survey questionnaire.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 3 Firstly, the students are given a vocabulary test after the completion of the extensive reading program for the purpose to evaluate the effectiveness of the program on quantitative aspect. Then, the students are received a survey questionnaire involving their feedbacks to the extensive reading program. Finally, the researcher analyzes the obtained results from test scores and respondents of survey questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of ER program on students‘ vocabulary acquisition. Design of the study This study consists of three parts as follows: Part A is an overview of the study.
In this part, it presents the rationale, the aims, the research questions, the scope, the research methods, and the design of the study briefly. Part B is the development of the study. It is divided into three chapters. Chapter one reviews the literature of the study.
It includes the knowledge relevant to evaluation, and extensive reading with related issues such as its definition, purposes, models, principles, and incidental language learning. It also points out some previous researches related to the study. Chapter two describes the methods used in the study, the participants, the research tools, the extensive reading program, and the procedures in detail. Chapter three presents the most important part of the study - the findings of the study and discusses the major findings as well as implications for the study.
Part C summaries the process of the study to give its conclusion. It also points out some limitations of the study and suggestions for further study on this issue. Concluding remarks This chapter has provided an overview of the study through its rationale, aims, and objectives at first. Then, it mentions to the scope and the methods of the study.
The last section of the study is the organization of the thesis. On the whole, the aim of this part is to LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 4 give the readers a general picture of the study before elaborating on the research theme in the following parts. LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 5 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter is divided into two main themes: literature review of program evaluation, of vocabulary, of extensive reading, and previous ER research. The knowledge not only contributes to the research process but also reveals differences and gaps between previous studies and this research.
Overview of evaluation 1. Definition of program evaluation In English, evaluation only means to make a reasoned judgment about or to give a plausible account of something. Various ideas and definitions of evaluation are given by different researchers. According to Lee (1999:23), evaluation itself is value judgment for an object or its meaning.
In educational context, ―evaluation is a purposeful activity that includes the collection of relevant information, interpretation of that information and making decisions about teaching and learning‖ (Genesee & Upshur,1996: 256).