VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES DOÃN THỊ LAN ANH AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN TEACHING ESP READING SKILLS AS SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS AT VIETNAM UNIVERSITY OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE (Khảo sát tính hiệu quả của việc sử dụng tài liệu gốc như là công cụ bổ trợ cho việc dạy kỹ năng đọc tiếng Anh chuyên ngành cho sinh viên năm thứ hai tại Học viện Y-Dược học cổ truyền Việt Nam) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI - 2015 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES DOÃN THỊ LAN ANH AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN TEACHING ESP READING SKILLS AS SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS AT VIETNAM UNIVERSITY OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE (Khảo sát tính hiệu quả của việc sử dụng tài liệu gốc như là công cụ bổ trợ cho việc dạy kỹ năng đọc tiếng Anh chuyên ngành cho sinh viên năm thứ hai tại Học viện Y-Dược học cổ truyền Việt Nam) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Assoc. Nguyễn Văn Độ HANOI - 2015 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT -----------*****----------- I hereby certify that the thesis entitled AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN TEACHING ESP READING SKILLS AS SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS AT VIETNAM UNIVERSITY OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE Is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master of Arts at Vietnam National University, University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) and that this thesis has not been submitted for any assessment in any other formal courses of study elsewhere.
Hanoi, 2015 Doãn Thị Lan Anh i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On the route to the complete thesis, I am deeply indebted to a number of people for their support and enthusiastic assistance. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc. Nguyen Van Do, who gave me a lot of invaluable guidance, suggestions, comments and encouragement throughout my study. My sincere thanks go to all the lecturers of the Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University for their interesting and useful lectures.
Without them, I could not have come up with the idea for my thesis. My special thanks are also extended to all my colleagues and the second-year students at Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine for their great contribution to the data collection and their constructive recommendations for this study. Without their outstanding cooperation, my thesis would not have been completed. Last but not least, my heartfelt thanks go to my parents, my husband, my son and especially my younger brother.
Without their love, understanding and encouragement, I could not have concentrated on my study and fulfilled my thesis on schedule. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT Materials play an extremely important role in language teaching and learning (Robinson, 1991; Nunan, 1991). They are not only considered as a resource of useful and interesting information but a motivation for learners to study and acquire their language as well (Dudley-Evans & John, 1998; Nonaka, 2001). Therefore, developing suitable materials for learners is a necessary in English language teaching.
This study is conducted with an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of using authentic materials as supplementary materials realized in an extensive reading program on the students’ reading proficiency and the attitude of students after exposure to program so as to meet the needs of the students at Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine for a way to access real-life language. In order to collect information on the students’ reading ability, motivation and attitude towards the treatment given through the experiment, a pre-test, a post-test and an attitude questionnaire are chosen as the main instruments. The study drew the participation of 58 non-English major students. The findings suggest positive effects of using authentic materials as supplementary materials and provide conclusive evidence of reading fluency improvement together with a positive attitude towards program.
The findings are a good reflection of the research issue and draw some implications for the ESP teaching and learning, which necessitates the supplementation of authentic materials for extensive reading as a remedial approach to the teaching and learning reading comprehension not only in the context of Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine but to other similar contexts as well. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT……………………………………………………….iii TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………….iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………………………………vii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………viii PART A.3 Aim and objectives of the study.4 The scope of study……………………………………………………………….6 Methods of the study.7 Significance of the study.8 Design of the study. REVIEW OF LITERATURE.1 An overview of ESP.1 Definition of ESP.2 Characteristics of ESP.3 Features of ESP courses.2 English for medical purposes (EMP) and its characteristics.1 Definition of EMP.2 Characteristics of EMP.1 Characteristics of medical terminology.2 Grammatical features of English for medical purposes.13 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.4 Authentic materials for ESP course book .1 The role of reading materials.2 Definitions of authentic materials.3 Advantages of authentic materials .4 Possible problems in using authentic materials……………………………….5 The criteria for selecting authentic materials .1 Fast facts about teaching and learning reading ESP at VUTM .1 The course objectives .3 Students’ background and the current situation of learning and teaching ESP .1 Rationale for using quasi-experimental method .1 Non-authentic materials .3 Applying authentic materials in extensive reading program.4 Post-reading activities .5 Students and teacher’s role .6 Description of data collection instruments.1 Pre-test and post-test .2 The attitude questionnaire .1 Comparison of experimental and control groups’ reading proficiency after the program .1 Comparison of reading proficiency in the pre-test and post-test within groups .2 Comparison of reading proficiency between groups .2 Subjects’ opinions of the program. 31 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.1 Subjects’ attitudes toward the program.2 Subjects’ preference of the post-reading activities .3 Subjects’ suggestions for future program.
DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.1 Discussion of research questions .1 Comparison of experimental and control groups’ reading proficiency after the program .2 Students’ opinions of the extensive reading with authentic materials.3 Limitations of the study.4 Recommendations for further research .I APPENDIX 2………………………………………………………………………………III APPENDIX 3……………………………………………………………………………….X APPENDIX 4………………………………………………………………………………XI vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VUTM : Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine EFL : English as a Foreign Language ELT : English Language Teaching CLT : Communicative Language Teaching GE : General English ESP : English for Specific Purposes EMP : English for Medical Purposes ERP : Extensive Reading Program N : Number of cases % : Percentage vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES TABLES Table 1 Descriptive statistics for the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental and control group. 29 Table 2 Mean gains of the experimental and control group. 30 Table 3 Experimental subjects’ attitudes toward the program. 31 Table 4 Experimental subjects’ preference of the post-reading activities.
33 viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.1 Introduction One of the most challenging tasks constantly facing language teachers is how to capture the interest and to stimulate the imagination of their students so that they will be more motivated to learn. To this end, the ongoing search for and the development of meaningful teaching materials, which often can be used to supplement the textbook for a course, is a critical planning activity to be done by teachers. On materials, textbook can be seen the visible heart of English Language Teaching (ELT). There are many advantages of using textbook suggested by the researchers.
For example, textbooks help to standardize instruction and assessment. That is, by giving students in different classes the same textbook, teachers can teach and test them in the same way (Richards, 2005). Textbooks also provide syllabus for a program, thus supporting novice teachers, training them in methodology and saving their time and effort for more worthwhile pursuits than material production (Cunningsworth, 1995). What is more, since textbooks are always carefully tested before being brought into the market, so they give students credibility.
Students also expect to use a textbook in their learning program (Sheldon, 1998). However, there have also been certain reservations about the uses of textbooks. For example, textbooks are often implicitly prescriptive and thus might control the methods, process and procedures of classroom practice and “deskill” teachers (Allwright, 1982); textbooks are often written for global markets, thus may not suit all classrooms and might require adaptation to better meet students’ true needs (Rechards, 2005); non-authenticity is also the limited of almost textbook (Cunningsworths, 1995). Since textbooks were found insufficient in presenting the language in many ways, a new concept, “authentic materials” has been established.
According to Richards (2001), “Textbooks should be regarded as one of the many resources teachers can draw upon in creating effective lessons, but teachers need training and experience in adapting and modifying textbooks as well as in using authentic materials and in creating their own teaching materials”. Widdowson (1990:67) wrote: “It has been traditionally supposed that the language presented to learners should be simplified in some ways for easy access and acquisition. Nowadays, there are many recommendations that the language presented should be authentic”. In addition, Nunan (1998) argues that the outside world should be reflected through materials and this authenticity ought to be related to the source of the materials, students’ activities and tasks.
1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com In other words, these materials should include the language and its socio-cultural context in which the language is used together. In developing materials for English Specific Purposes (ESP), it is advisable from many experts to use authentic materials because they can provide students with up-to-date knowledge, expose them to the world of authentic target language, can bring the real world into the classroom and significantly enliven the class (Martinez, 2002; Kaprova, 1999; Leloup& Ponterio, 2000; Dumitrescu, 2000). By this way, authentic materials can motivate students and give them more stimulation in learning a language.2 Rationale Since 1988, English has experienced its popularity in teaching and learning in Vietnam. Learners of English differ in their ages, purposes as well as their level of proficiency.
However, all of them have the same desire of mastering English so that they can use it effectively in their current and future situations. Teachers are required to teach English to students from various fields such as architecture, engineering, medicine, science, business, tourism, etc. This is why the demand for learning English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has been spread nationwide. ESP is taught in almost universities due to the social needs.
Most of English departments offer courses in ESP as well as General English (GE) during the academic years. Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine (VUTM) is a typical example of the training institutions that combines ESP within its current English teaching situation in response to the demand for specific language learning target. Being ambitious to provide society with high qualified doctors who are active, creative, flexible and adaptable to the rapid change of advanced health care system in the world, since the academic year 2005, English for medical purposes (EMP) has been paid attention and has been included as compulsory subject in the curriculum of training students for different discipline areas at VUTM such as: traditional medical doctor degree (6-year- course and 4-year-course), nursing college, traditional medical technicians. Being aware of English serving as a bridge to connect Vietnam’s medicine to world’s advanced medicines, much attempt has been made to improve the teaching and learning English in medicine.