VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ***** ®Æng thÞ lª na SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH TASK ADAPTATION WITH REFERENCE TO THE NEW HEADWAY PRE-INTERMEDIATE COURSEBOOK AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY HỖ TRỢ KĨ NĂNG ĐỌC HIỂU CHO SINH VIÊN KHÔNG CHUYÊN TIẾNG ANH TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHIỆP HÀ NỘI THÔNG QUA VIỆC ĐIỀU CHỈNH CÁC HOẠT ĐỘNG ĐỌC CỦA GIÁO TRÌNH NEW HEADWAY PRE-INTERMEDIATE M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS ENGLISH METHODOLOGY 60 14 10 HANOI, 2010 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ***** ®Æng thÞ lª na SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH TASK ADAPTATION WITH REFERENCE TO THE NEW HEADWAY PRE-INTERMEDIATE COURSEBOOK AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY HỖ TRỢ KĨ NĂNG ĐỌC HIỂU CHO SINH VIÊN KHÔNG CHUYÊN TIẾNG ANH TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHIỆP HÀ NỘI THÔNG QUA VIỆC ĐIỀU CHỈNH CÁC HOẠT ĐỘNG ĐỌC CỦA GIÁO TRÌNH NEW HEADWAY PRE-INTERMEDIATE M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10 Supervisor: Lê Văn Canh, M.A HANOI, 2010 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Declarations i Acknowledgements ii Abstract iii List of Abbreviations iv List of Tables and Figures iv Table of Contents vi PART I: INTRODUCTION 1 1. Identify the Problem 1 2. Aims of the Study 1 3. Significance of the Study 2 5.
Scope of the Study 2 6. Methods of the Study 2 7. Design of the Study 3 PART II: DEVELOPMENT 5 Chapter One: Literature Review 5 Introduction 5 1. Overview on Reading, Task and Task Adaptation 5 1.
Definition of Reading Comprehension 5 1. The Role of Reading in Foreign Language Learning 5 1. Challenges of Comprehending Reading Texts 6 1. Cultural and Background Knowledge Problems 7 1.
Task Adaptation as a Type of Support for the Reading Comprehension Process 8 1. Definition of Task 8 1. Definition of Adaptation 9 1. The Purpose of Adaptation 9 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Categories of Adaptation 10 Chapter Conclusion 10 Chapter Two: The Study 11 Introduction 11 2. Setting of the Study 11 2. Instrumentation and Procedures 12 2. The Adaptation of Reading Tasks in the Coursebook 13 Chapter Conclusion 18 Chapter Three: Data Analysis 19 Introduction 19 3.
Data Analysis of Preliminary Survey 19 3. Data Analysis of Survey Questionnaire 21 3. Data Analysis of Survey for Response to Adaptation 24 3. Reflection 28 Chapter Conclusion 30 Chapter Four: Major Findings and Suggestions 31 4.
Major Findings and Discussions 31 4. Suggestions 35 PART III: CONCLUSION 39 1. Limitations and Recommendations for Follow-up Action 40 REFERENCES 41 APPENDIXES Appendix 1: Preliminary Survey Appendix 2: Survey Questionnaire Appendix 3: Worksheets (delivered in class) Appendix 4: Samples of Adapted Reading Tasks Appendix 5: Survey for Response to Adaptation Appendix 6: Original Reading Sections (Unit 2, Unit 4, and Unit 7) LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS HaUI: Hanoi University of Industry GE: General English ESP: English for Specific Purposes. ESL: English as a Second Language EFL: English as a Foreign Language CUP: Cambridge University Press LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1.
The Vicious Circle of the Weak Reader LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Table I.1: Steps in Action Research Cycle Table 3.1: The Students’ Perception of the Role of Reading Comprehension Table 3.2: The students’ Evaluation of Reading Lessons Table 3.3: Elements Affecting the Students’ Reading Comprehension Table 3.4: The Students’ Evaluation of the Role of Reading Materials Table 3.5: The Students’ Opinions towards the Language in Reading Texts Table 3.6: The Students’ Opinions towards the Content of Reading Texts Table 3.7: The Students’ Opinions towards the Reading Tasks Table 3.8: The Students’ Preferences for Reading Tasks Table 3.9: The Students’ Opinions on Tasks of the Reading Stages Needed Adapting Table 3.10: The Students’ Response to the Reading Lesson of Unit 2 Table 3.11: The Students’ Response to the Reading Lesson of Unit 4 Table 3.12: The Students’ Response to the Reading Lesson of Unit 7 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 1 PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Identify the Problem In Vietnam, English is taught and learnt in a non-native environment so reading is perhaps the most important skill as it provides students with access to written materials. Teaching and learning English in general and teaching reading in the context of Hanoi University of Industry is receiving more attention because reading helps students increase knowledge of English through exposure to the target language as well as sources of valuable information. It is crucial for them to acquire the skills to read English efficiently.
However, as a teacher of English at HaUI for nearly 4 years, I find that my students, especially the first-year ones, are quite bored with the reading tasks offered in the coursebook “New Headway Pre-Intermediate”, the second edition. Doing reading tasks sometimes is a burden for them. Students often participate in reading lessons inactively and inefficiently. The fact has urged the author to carry out the study with the view to supporting students‟ reading comprehension through task adaptation.
Hopefully, this study will make contributions to improving the learning of reading in particular and that of English in general at HaUI. Aims of the Study The study was designed to support students‟ reading comprehension through the adaptation of reading tasks in the coursebook New Headway Pre-Intermediate. It aimed to achieve three primary objects: 1. To investigate how interesting and relevant the students find the current reading materials and reading tasks.
To identify unsuitable aspects of the reading tasks in the coursebook New Headway Pre-Intermediate and adapt them. To make some suggestions for supporting students‟ reading comprehension through task adaptation. Research Questions In order to achieve the above-mentioned aims, the following research questions guided the study: LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. What reading comprehension tasks in the coursebook New Headway Pre- Intermediate do the students feel challenging? 2.
Why do they feel those tasks challenging? 3. In what way are those tasks adapted in order to help them cope with the reading tasks better according to the students‟ evaluation? 4. Significance of the Study The study was carried out to encourage the students‟ assessment of reading tasks in the coursebook. The unsuitable tasks were adapted to be more practical and accessible for the students.
Pedagogically, the findings of the study are believed to bring about necessary changes in reading materials and teaching methodology to improve the students‟ reading comprehension at HaUI. Furthermore, the suggestions for teaching reading based on the findings can be useful for concerned teachers to make reading lessons more interesting and effective. Scope of the Study Materials adaptation is such a broad topic that cannot be wholly discussed within the framework of this paper, therefore, only one specific aspect will be central to the discussion that is reading tasks‟ adaptation. With the focus on reading tasks only in the coursebook New Headway Pre- intermediate, the second edition, the study was carried out to adapt those which are inappropriate according to the students‟ evaluation to support their reading comprehension.
The study focuses on the first year students, non-major English, so the results of the study are not applied for all students at HaUI. Methods of the Study The study in fact is a mini action research carried out with the following steps: - In the process of teaching the coursebook New Headway Pre- Intermediate, the author observed that reading lessons are not Step 1: always interesting enough to students, they often participate in Initiation reading lessons inactively and inefficiently meanwhile reading comprehension is considered important to academic studies. What should be done? Step 2: - The author carried out the preliminary survey to find out major LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 3 Preliminary reasons why they are not interested in reading lessons. investigation - By collecting and reviewing the baseline data, the author came to Step 3: the hypothesis that the students were fed up with reading lessons Hypothesis mainly because they often encountered problems with language, reading strategies and background knowledge.
- Before each new unit, the students were surveyed to find out their opinions about reading tasks in the coming lesson. - The author selected some reading tasks that the students assessed Step 4: to be unsuitable and suggested different types of adapted tasks. Intervention - The adapted tasks were delivered in the next lesson. The author observed the class, recorded the results.
- When the students finished the tasks, the author provided them with survey questionnaires for response to adaptation. - The students found the adapted tasks less challenging and Step 5: achievable. They were more comfortable when doing those tasks Evaluation and took part in reading lessons more actively. Step 6: - The author discussed about the effectiveness of adapted tasks to Dissemination the students.
- The author suggested more adapted activities to teach other Step 7: reading sections basing on the coursebook New Headway Pre- Follow-up intermediate to the students.1: Steps in Action Research Cycle (Adopted from Figure 1. Design of the Study The study titled “Supporting Students‟ Reading Comprehension through Task Adaptation with reference to the New Headway Pre-Intermediate Coursebook at Hanoi University of Industry” consists of three main parts namely Introduction, Development and Conclusion. In the first part- Introduction- the reason for the research, aims, significance, scope and methodology of the study are considered. The second part- Development- contains four chapters.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 4 - Chapter One focuses on theoretical background of the study which is about reading comprehension, reading tasks and task adaptation. - Chapter Two not only describes the context of teaching and learning English at HaUI but also presents the instrumentation of the study as well as the adaptation of tasks. - Chapter Three deals with a comprehensive data analysis. - Chapter Four reports major findings, discussion, and suggestions.
The last part- Conclusion- provides a summary of the study, limitations and recommendations for follow-up action. LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 5 PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction This chapter aims at providing a theoretical background knowledge relating to reading comprehension and task adaptation for the study. Overview on Reading Theories, Task and Task Adaptation 1. Definition of Reading Comprehension Attempts to define reading have been numerous.
Williams (1984: 2) defines reading simply as “a process whereby one looks at and understands what have been written.” Ur (1996: 38) shares the same view when he defines “reading means reading and understanding.” Or according to Karlin and Kartin (1988: 2)‟s view “reading without reading comprehension is meaningless”. In these ways of definition, merely reading without understanding does not count as reading. The problem in defining is the confusion between „understanding‟ and „comprehending‟. It seems that the two words are used interchangeably.
For example, according to Grellet (1981: 3), “reading comprehension or understanding written texts means extracting the required information from it as efficiently as possible.” In a similar way, Richard and Thomas (1987: 8) do not make any distinction between the two terms. They define reading comprehension as “an understanding between the author and the reader”. To their view, reading comprehension is not just a matter of simply knowing what the author intends but it is the process whereby the printed pages stimulate ideas, experiences and responses that are unique to an individual. In short, reading comprehension is an interactive process that goes on between the reader and the text, between the readers‟ existing knowledge and the information suggested by the text being read.
The text presents letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs that encode meaning. The reader uses knowledge, skills, and strategies to understand or comprehend the meaning of the text.