VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, IIANOI UNIVERSLTY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDLES FACULTY OF POST —- GRADUATE STUDIES Á KH Ki Kế Khử Kế LẺ ANI THU DEVELOPING TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES FOR TOEIC READING COMPREHENSION TESTS: A STUDY ON NON- ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMIC — TECIINICAL INDUSTRIES. Minor Programme Thesis Kicld: English Teaching Mcthodalogy Code: 60140111 HANOI, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATLONAL STUDLES. FACULTY OF POST —- GRADUATE STUDIES HARA ER RRRARRRRAR LE ANH THU’ DEVELOPING TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES FOR TOEIC READING COMPREITENSION TESTS: A STUDY ON NON- ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMIC — TECIINICAL INDUSTRIES, (Phát triển các chiến lược lam bai thi Đọc hiếu của kỳ thi TOEIC cho sinh viên không chuyên tiếng Anh tại trang Dai hoc Kinh tế - Kỹ thuật Công nghiệp) M. Minor Programme Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Dr.
Ngé [tu Hoàng HANOI, 2014 DECLARATION 1, Le Anh Thu, hereby state that, this minor thesis is the result of my own research and all the material in this stdy which is not my own work has been identified and acknowledged. T also state that the substance of the thesis has nol, wholty or in part, been submitted for any degree to any other universities institutions Dated: 25/12/2013 Lê Anh Thư TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE DECLARATION, - - - - i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .oeooooe it ‘TABLE OF CONTENTS: - - - - v LIST OF TARLES: vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. seoe iit PART I: INTRODUCTION T. Rationale of the study I "`.
san2 3, Research questions 2 4. Scope of the study 2 5, Methods of the study 2 5, Significance of the study 2 6, Design of the sindy 3 PART Il: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1- THEORETICAL BACKGROUND T. Reading and Reading comprshension. Definitions of reading 4 1.
Definitions of reading coniprehension 4 1. Madels of reading process. Reading comprehension approachss.2, ŠlCHHHẢNG ào geeeeeie oo 1.3, lvensive redũBg. Reading Comprehension Skills and Siratsgies.1 Reading for specific information 7 iv LIST OF TABLES L.Tallc I Student's perception aboul.
the impartanec of the TORIC test al UNETT 2.Table 2 Difficulties in the area of vocabulary. Difficulties in the area of Grammar.Table 4 Difficulties in the area of Discourse 5. Difficultics in the area of Reading Strategics. Students’ personal vizws of the sources of đifficulties.Table 7: Frequency of Strategy Use for Vocabulary Questians 3 &8 8.Table 8: Frequency of Strategy Use for Inference Question.
iy vii LIST OF ABBREVIATION UNETI University of Economic Tochnical Industries ELT English language teaching TOEIC Test of English for International Communication EIS Lducational ‘Testing System TOEIC RC test TOEIC Reading Comprehension test TOEIC LC test TOEIC Listening Comprehension test viii LIST OF TABLES L.Tallc I Student's perception aboul. the impartanec of the TORIC test al UNETT 2.Table 2 Difficulties in the area of vocabulary. Difficulties in the area of Grammar.Table 4 Difficulties in the area of Discourse 5. Difficultics in the area of Reading Strategics.
Students’ personal vizws of the sources of đifficulties.Table 7: Frequency of Strategy Use for Vocabulary Questians 3 &8 8.Table 8: Frequency of Strategy Use for Inference Question. iy vii ABSTRACT So far, most Vietnamese universities have tended to choose TOLIC as a measure unit to inpul English level and graduation for stureris, TORIC score reports provide accurate, meaningful feedback about a test taker’s strengths and weaknesses, along with a description of the English language strengths typical of test takers performing at various score levels, However, when taking the TOEIC test, especially the TOEIC reading comprehension section, many students do meet a lot of difficulties in reading, and therefore fail to be efficient readers and get high scores. One of the primary causes is that sluslenis seem unskilled or unaware of the use of test-taking stralegies for TOTIC reading comprehension tests, Then, which strategies should students be used while taking the ‘TORIC reading comprehension tests’? ‘A number of studies and books have already heen released in the area of application of test-taking strategies to TOEIC reading comprehension part. This study is concerned with developing test-taking strategics to help non-major English students at UNETI reduec reading difficulties, improve their skills and take the OEIC reading comprehension tests wilh higher scores ‘The result of the study show that non-major English students at UNLTII often have difficulties, lo different exter, in many arcas of the Tanguags such as difficultis with vocabuilary, with grammar, discourse, and reading strategies, Moreover, the data collected in the study also revealed that the students” inefficient use of reading strategies is a great source of reading problems.
Through the students’ low frequency of strategy use Lo deal with question kinds in TOEIC reading comprehension tests, it is shown that students fail to apply reading strategies effectively in responding to questions during tests. Therefore, the study suggests that to enable to successfully take the TOEIC reading comprehension test, students should actively use strategies involved as skimming and scanning skills, utilize context clues to understand difficult words and find out the synonym or paraphrase for the word. Tn some casos, if losletakers have wo ides about a question, the application of techmaques to guess should be needed. Besides, the study also recommends several test- taking strategies for each kind of questions in 1 reading comprehension test LIST OF ABBREVIATION UNETI University of Economic Tochnical Industries ELT English language teaching TOEIC Test of English for International Communication EIS Lducational ‘Testing System TOEIC RC test TOEIC Reading Comprehension test TOEIC LC test TOEIC Listening Comprehension test viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, [ would like ta exp ty most sincere thanks to my Te: supervisor, Dr.
Ngo Huu Hoang for his generous assistance, invaluable advice, guidance, constructive comments. Without his help, this stdy would not have possibly been comploted T would like to take this opportunity lo express my thankfulness lo the Post- Grade Department for their enthusiastic help during the time of studying and writmg my thesis T also wish Lo acknowlsdge the cooperation of my colleagues and my students, especially the students at University of Economic Technical Industries who have helped me to collect data for the study, Hereby, { also would like to thank all the readers for their attention and J highly ile any comments and opinions on this sindy. LIST OF TABLES L.Tallc I Student's perception aboul. the impartanec of the TORIC test al UNETT 2.Table 2 Difficulties in the area of vocabulary.
Difficulties in the area of Grammar.Table 4 Difficulties in the area of Discourse 5. Difficultics in the area of Reading Strategics. Students’ personal vizws of the sources of đifficulties.Table 7: Frequency of Strategy Use for Vocabulary Questians 3 &8 8.Table 8: Frequency of Strategy Use for Inference Question. iy vii LIST OF ABBREVIATION UNETI University of Economic Tochnical Industries ELT English language teaching TOEIC Test of English for International Communication EIS Lducational ‘Testing System TOEIC RC test TOEIC Reading Comprehension test TOEIC LC test TOEIC Listening Comprehension test viii ABSTRACT So far, most Vietnamese universities have tended to choose TOLIC as a measure unit to inpul English level and graduation for stureris, TORIC score reports provide accurate, meaningful feedback about a test taker’s strengths and weaknesses, along with a description of the English language strengths typical of test takers performing at various score levels, However, when taking the TOEIC test, especially the TOEIC reading comprehension section, many students do meet a lot of difficulties in reading, and therefore fail to be efficient readers and get high scores.
One of the primary causes is that sluslenis seem unskilled or unaware of the use of test-taking stralegies for TOTIC reading comprehension tests, Then, which strategies should students be used while taking the ‘TORIC reading comprehension tests’? ‘A number of studies and books have already heen released in the area of application of test-taking strategies to TOEIC reading comprehension part. This study is concerned with developing test-taking strategics to help non-major English students at UNETI reduec reading difficulties, improve their skills and take the OEIC reading comprehension tests wilh higher scores ‘The result of the study show that non-major English students at UNLTII often have difficulties, lo different exter, in many arcas of the Tanguags such as difficultis with vocabuilary, with grammar, discourse, and reading strategies, Moreover, the data collected in the study also revealed that the students” inefficient use of reading strategies is a great source of reading problems. Through the students’ low frequency of strategy use Lo deal with question kinds in TOEIC reading comprehension tests, it is shown that students fail to apply reading strategies effectively in responding to questions during tests. Therefore, the study suggests that to enable to successfully take the TOEIC reading comprehension test, students should actively use strategies involved as skimming and scanning skills, utilize context clues to understand difficult words and find out the synonym or paraphrase for the word.
Tn some casos, if losletakers have wo ides about a question, the application of techmaques to guess should be needed. Besides, the study also recommends several test- taking strategies for each kind of questions in 1 reading comprehension test 1.2 Minding the main ideas - - - - 8 1. Guessing vocabulary from the context 9 14.2, Reading Comprehension Skills. TORIC reading comprehension tests.1, What is the TOEIC test? 0.
‘TOEIC Test Area - - - 5¬. Structure of the Test 13 3. Test §COÌTR. nhe re rareere 13 2.
Who takes the test? - - - a LS 2. Test formats: SP and IP 1S 2.7, TOEIC Reading Comprehension Section. The context of the study - - - ¬" <4 3.3, Data Collection Instrurnerts.4, Data collection procedures, 19 2.20 CHAPTER š— FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 3. Students’ allitude lowards TORIC tests a UNETI 21 3.
Students’ perception of their difficullics in taking TORIC. reading comprehension test at UNETI.1 Inthe area of Vocabulary - - - col 3. Inthe area of Grammar. lu the durea Q DisGOWFSE.
Inthe area of Reading Strategies - - - .5, Causes Q[Rending Dificullies. Students” frequency of strategy use across four main kinds of questions in TORIC reading comprehension test 26 BBL Vocabulary (itestions sescseomsnnnnenenmmnnsss 3. Inference Questions ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, [ would like ta exp ty most sincere thanks to my Te: supervisor, Dr. Ngo Huu Hoang for his generous assistance, invaluable advice, guidance, constructive comments.
Without his help, this stdy would not have possibly been comploted T would like to take this opportunity lo express my thankfulness lo the Post- Grade Department for their enthusiastic help during the time of studying and writmg my thesis T also wish Lo acknowlsdge the cooperation of my colleagues and my students, especially the students at University of Economic Technical Industries who have helped me to collect data for the study, Hereby, { also would like to thank all the readers for their attention and J highly ile any comments and opinions on this sindy. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, [ would like ta exp ty most sincere thanks to my Te: supervisor, Dr. Ngo Huu Hoang for his generous assistance, invaluable advice, guidance, constructive comments. Without his help, this stdy would not have possibly been comploted T would like to take this opportunity lo express my thankfulness lo the Post- Grade Department for their enthusiastic help during the time of studying and writmg my thesis T also wish Lo acknowlsdge the cooperation of my colleagues and my students, especially the students at University of Economic Technical Industries who have helped me to collect data for the study, Hereby, { also would like to thank all the readers for their attention and J highly ile any comments and opinions on this sindy.
