ABSTRACT In an attempt to investigate teachers’ difficulties in teaching reading skills to grade 10 students using the textbook “Tieng Anh 10” at Nha Nam Iligh School, the research was aimed at finding out: (1) the students’ backgroud of English and their atlitudss toward leaming speaking skills, (2) the problems the teachers might cneoumler in the (caching s of the skilts; (3) factors causing their diffieulies ind Their suggs d solutions Specially, the study has been conducted in the form ofa survey research, with the informants of the study being, five English teachers at Nha Nam High School. The survey questionnaire completed by the teachers and students, classroom observation and interview were the main instruments employed for the data collection. ‘Ihe research reveals that the students’ lack of knowledge, ineluding linguistic and cultural background knowledge, the teachers’ teaching methods, some difficulties from the textbook all cause problems for the lonchers in the teaching process, Besides, the dita from the study confirm (he fact, Una the students’ poor attiludes lowards the importance of reading skills in lcaming English contributes to the problems in teaching the skills. In addition, the school’s lack of conductive facilitics is also made the situation worse.
Finally, the data are taken inte account when the research discusses the results and suggests some solutions to overcome those difficulties wn LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Yable 1: The results of classroom observations Tả Table 2: Teachers’ attitude tawards reading skilis 20 Tuble 3: Description of teachers’ opinions on the sections for reading in 21 textbook “Tieng Ank 10”. Table 4: Teachers’ focus when teaching a reading text. Table 5: Teachers’ perception of the students’ comprehension Table 6: Description of teachers’ problems in teaching reading skills Table 7: Description of the teachers’ solutions to deal with the difficulties Table 8: Students’ attitudes towards reading skill Table9: Description of stuclents' opinions on the sections for reading in English 10 Table 10: Students’ focus when learning a reading text able 11: Description of students’ problems in learning reading skills Table 12: Students’ views of sources of difficulties. Table 13: Students’ expectation of teachers’ solutions to their difficulties.
Chart I: The way teachers ask their students to read the text Chart 2: Teachers" expectation of the students in the post-reading Chart 3: Students’ pre-reading activities. Chart 4: Students’ while-reading activities Chart §: Factors affecting students’ comprehension of the text Chart 6: Students’ expectation in the post-reading stage. TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: INTRODUCTIØN. Rationale of the Study 2.
Aims of the Sturly Be 3. Research Questions 4, Scope and Significance of the Study. Method of the Study 6. Organization of the Study PART II: DEVELOPMENT.
ek RR CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. The Nature of Reading 1. Whalis Reading and Reading Connprel sion? wea 1. Effective Reading Comprehension and Reading Comprehension Skills.
What is Liffective Reading Comprehension? 1. Reading Comprehension Skills maw 1. Teaching Reading Comprehension 1. Relationship between Reading and Other Skills.
The Reles of the Teacher and the Students ina Reading LLesson. The Roles of the Teacher 1. The Role of the Stud 1. The Thive Stages af a Reading Lesson 1.
Pre-reading Stage 1. While-reading Stage 1. Post-reading Stage - 1. Difficultiesim Teaching Reading,.
Reading Skl Probilatus. Cultural Background Knowledge u CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 12 2. The Current Situatlen of Teaching and Learning the 1'exthook at Nha Nam Iigh School - - nv 2.1 Introduction to Nha Nam Iligh School and its Students. An Overview of the Textbook “Tieng Anh 10”.
Contents of the Textbook. 213 PART Ly INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale of the Study English has experienced its popularity in Vietam over the last few decades. The demand for Linglish even gets stronger when Vietnam fosters its intemational relations.
English, in paratlel wilh the knowledge of some other fields, tums oul lo be 4 key lo the door info the buating world. That is why English is now widely tught in almost all education institutions, at every level. ‘At secondary schools, the teaching and learning of that intemational language has been recently paid great attention to. When teaching English, the teacher teaches his students not only the English language but also its usage.
In the English textbook “Tieng Anh 10”, reading is the first skill presented in each unit. ‘This proves the important role of reading. According lo Carrell (1984:1), “for many students, reading is hy far the most important of the four skilts in a second language, particularly wm English as a second or foreign language”. Unfortunately, teaching and learning reading skills at high schools is sill far Grom satisfaction, Despite the efforts of the leachors and students, the teachers oflen find their students’ reading skills disappointing, which do not meet the requirements of the textbook.
At Nha Nam Iligh School, where the author works, all of the English teachers have the same problems. [hey have to contront some major obstacles in reading, such as: students’ Inabits of word-by-word reading, excessive focus on details rather than main ideas, poor vocabulary and limiled background knowledge, sic. I those di{feullics are nol found out and no solutions to overcome are given, it is certain that reading lessons can not ‘be successful and il even becomes wor In this situation, the teachers need to take a serious look at the teaching and leaming of English in general and the teaching and learning of the reading skills in particular 30 as to suggest suitable techniques to enable the teaching and learning of the reading comprehension at high school to be more effsclive. Being ø teacher af Fnglish al Wha Nam High School, the r carcher wishes to give ø hand in promating reading skills for her tenth-form students.
This matter of fact has offered her a chance to conduct a study ơn “Teachers’ difficulties in teaching reading skills to grade 10" students at Nha Nam High School”. It is hoped that this study may offer the English teachers at schools in general and the English techers at Nha Nam high school in particular the ways to teach reading skills more effectively. of understanding occurs lack of comprehension occurs = Use comlextual analysis to - Dont recognize inmpantinl vocabulary assist comprehension - Do not see any organization ~ Self-monitor comprehension by - Add on rather than integrate new +Hnowing vomprchensionis occuring information + knowing what is understood - Donotreatze they do notundastand After reading - Reflect on whal was read - Slop reading - Foel success is a result of cffort - Feel success is a result of luck - Summarize major ideas = Sock additional information from outside sources 1. Reading Comprehension Skills Nulall (1982) provides a list of reading skills which consist of macro-skills with word-attack skills and text-attack skills.
Word-attack skills are composed of processing morphological information, distinguishing structural clues, inferencing (or guessing the meanings of unfamiliar words) from context, active, receptive and throw-away vocabulary, leaming to ignore difficult words and using dictionary. Text-attack skills include two subgroups: » Significance and cohesion: understanding sentence syntax, recognizing and interpreting cohesive devices and intexpreting discourse markers. * Discourse; recognizing functional valuc, recognizing the presuppositions underlying the text, recognizing implications and marking inferences, and prediction.2, Teaching Reading Comprehension 1. Relationship between Reading and Other Skills In the process of teaching and learning English, it is very crucial for learners to realize the integration of language.
hat is the possibilities of other aspects of foreign program, Therefore, reading skill is closely related to writing, listening and speaking skills. Understanding relations will help learners sneceed. Fustly, rcading is related to writing. That is when the students arc asked to summanze or continue the reading, material such as resume, descriptions of the characters, etc.
Aims of the Study The main purpose of the study is to research on difficulties experienced by the teachers of English at Nha Nam High School in teaching reading skills to grade tenth students with the textbook “Tieng Anh 10”. And then some possible solutions are offered to help the teachers overcome these difficulties so as to make an improvement in our teaching and learning reading skills at high schools. ‘The specific objectives of the study are © Toinvestigate the studonts’ attitude towards spcaking skillsin their Enplish lcaming, © ‘To sxamine the activities and techniques applied by the teachers at Nha Nam high school ® To identify the teachers’ major difficultics in teaching reading skills and cxamine the causes. # ‘Io offer possible solutions to the difficulties.
Research Questions The above aims of the study can be realized by the following research questions: @) Whal are the cuzrent molhads and techniques of zaching readmg skills used by leachers al Nha Nam Tigh School? Gi) What are the difficulties experienced by teachers and students in teaching and leaming reading skills at Nha Nam High School? Gii) What are the activities and techniques to be used to teach reading effectively at Nha Nam High School? 4. Scope and Significance of the Study This study is limited to: -_ The 1Ø form students at Nha Nam High School; - the teachers of English at Nha Nam High School; and + Teading comprehension in the textbook “Tieng Anh 10” The findings and suggested solutions most appropriately applied to the teachers of English as well as 10" grade studemts at Nha Nam High School. ‘hat is, the teachers and the students will be able to find ways to improve their process of teaching and learning reading skills 5. Method af the Siudy The study was designed to use a number of methods to achieve its aims.
Firstly, classroom observation was carried out to investigate the reality of difficulties the teachers 2. Aims of the Study The main purpose of the study is to research on difficulties experienced by the teachers of English at Nha Nam High School in teaching reading skills to grade tenth students with the textbook “Tieng Anh 10”. And then some possible solutions are offered to help the teachers overcome these difficulties so as to make an improvement in our teaching and learning reading skills at high schools. ‘The specific objectives of the study are © Toinvestigate the studonts’ attitude towards spcaking skillsin their Enplish lcaming, © ‘To sxamine the activities and techniques applied by the teachers at Nha Nam high school ® To identify the teachers’ major difficultics in teaching reading skills and cxamine the causes.
# ‘Io offer possible solutions to the difficulties. Research Questions The above aims of the study can be realized by the following research questions: @) Whal are the cuzrent molhads and techniques of zaching readmg skills used by leachers al Nha Nam Tigh School? Gi) What are the difficulties experienced by teachers and students in teaching and leaming reading skills at Nha Nam High School? Gii) What are the activities and techniques to be used to teach reading effectively at Nha Nam High School? 4. Scope and Significance of the Study This study is limited to: -_ The 1Ø form students at Nha Nam High School; - the teachers of English at Nha Nam High School; and + Teading comprehension in the textbook “Tieng Anh 10” The findings and suggested solutions most appropriately applied to the teachers of English as well as 10" grade studemts at Nha Nam High School. ‘hat is, the teachers and the students will be able to find ways to improve their process of teaching and learning reading skills 5.
Method af the Siudy The study was designed to use a number of methods to achieve its aims. Firstly, classroom observation was carried out to investigate the reality of difficulties the teachers 2. Teachers and Methods of teaching: 14 2. Data Collection Procedure 16 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 17 3.
Presentation of Statistical Results 17 3. Classroom Observations and interview - - - - 7 3. Questionnaire for teachers 4. Questionnaire for students 3.2, Discussion of the Findings.
Difficulties trom Students. Students’ Attitudes towards Reading Skill 32 3. Students’ Lack of Knowledge 32 3. Ditficulties from ‘leachers.
