VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYEN THI LUU A STUDY ON THE IMPROVEMENTS OF LEARNERS STUDYING TQEIC PREPARATION CLASSES AT TIENGANH123 ENGLISH CENTER Một nghiên cứu về tiền bộ của học viên học các lớp luyện thi TOFEIC tại trung tâm Tiếng Ảnh 123 M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HA NOT, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYEN THI LUU A STUDY ON THE IMPROVEMENTS OF LEARNERS STUDYING TOEIC PREPARATION CLASSES AT TLENGANHI23 ENGLISH CENTER Một nghiên cứu về tiến bộ của học viên học các lớp luyện thì TORETIC tại trung tâm Tiếng Ảnh 123 M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Assoc. Nguyén Phuong Nga IIA NOI, 2014 CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY Thereby corfiy thal the thesis ontitlud “4 study on the improvements of learners studying TORIC preparation clussey ot TienyAnh123 English center” is my own study in the fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts at Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Hanoi, 2014 Nguyễn Thị Lựu ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my most sineere gratitude to my respectable supervisor, Assoc, Prof. Nguyen Phuong Nea for her restless and sympathetic encouragement, valuable advice and patient guidance until the completion of this siuly My sincere thanks also go lo my dear colleagues at TiengAnlil23. Enyglish Center for all their help, support and cneowragement when 1 cncounlcred difficultics, I wish to acknowledge my thankfulness to the three TOEIC preparation classes for their enthusiastic participation in the project. Finally, I am deeply indebted to my beloved parents, my hmsband, my daughter, my siblings, and my postgraduate friends for their sactifice, encouragement and care ABSTRACT Inte cut time, there has been an inercasing number of those who wanl to sit a TOEIC test to get a desirable score for their college graduation or jeb application in Vietnam, This has resulted in the fact that many English centers have included TOEIC preparation courses in their traimmg program.
These centers usually state strongly about the effectiveness of their TOEIC preparation classes; however, there has been little investigation on this so far. ‘This study is intended to explore the improvements made by TOLIC learners in terms of (1) their test-taking strategies, and (2) their test scores The participants selected for the study included 43 learners from three TOETC classes at TiongAnih123 English Center in Hanoi. Through the i struments of pre= and post tests and survey questionnaires for learners, the study ciscovered that after taking a 2-month preparation course, the leamers have significantly improved their TORIC general and specific test-taking strategies. In addition, regarding TOEIC scores, on average, leamers have made an increase of approximately 200 points with about 80 points for Reading section and 122 points for Listening Comprehension section.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Pages CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY. LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale for the study coset al 2. Aims and objectives of the study.
Methodology of the study 4. Scope of the siudy. 5, Significance of the study. Organization of the study.
PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Language tests and language test preparation. The need for language tesfs. Kinds of lanpuage 1est.
Definition of test preparation 7 3. Types oftest preparation 7 3. Test-taking strategies 9 3. Previous stuties on improvements of leamers at Lesl preparalion Tanguage COWSES 02.
cceceesetsstsstauiimsaneiiseatietneeastiaseaseens EL IL. The TOEIC test. What is TOEIC?. Suggested test-taking strategies for success in the TOBIC test 15 CHAPTER 2: MEFILODOLOGY.
Context of the shutly cesses 18 2, Method olopy.joncssssesessintatainienanicaun sein sintatinanetnsnenenns 18 2.3 Provedures of dala collection.4 Procedures of đatg analysls. 20 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1, Leamers’ personal infonmation. Results addressing research question1: Improvements on TOEIC test- taking strategies "w. Improvements en TOEIC general test-taldng strategies.
Improvements on TOEIC specific test-taking strategies 27 3. Results addressing research question 2: Improvements on TOEIC scores 33 PART C: CONCLUSION. Implications of the study Hs 37 3, Limitations of the study .essseseneensneensenenseiatninnenenenen: 38 4, Suggestions for further study .eoessncssn sone smntatntnneteenenen: 38 REFERENCES su 39 APPENDICES. APPENDIX C LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1.1; Gender of leamers 2 Figure 1,2; Learners” age.
22 Figure 1,3; Learners’ current status 23 Figure 1.4: Learners” years of leaming English - 23 Table 2.1: Leamers’ responses to question of knowledge of“OBÌC general test- taking strategies before the course - 2A Table 2.2: Leamers’ responses to question of knowledge of TOEIC general test- taking strategies after the course .3: Mastery of TOEIC general test-taking strategies betore the course Table 2.4: Mastery of T'OBIC general test-taking strategies after the course Table 2.5: Leamers’ responses to question of knowledge of TOBIC specific test- taking strategies before the course 28 Table 2.6: Leamers’ responses to question aFknowlsdgeo of TORIC specific test- taking stratogios afler the eourse _—.7: Mastery of TORIC spevific test-taking strategics before the course .8: Mastery of TOEIC specific test-taking strategics after the course.1: TOEIC pre- and post-test raw score data.2: TOEIC pre- and post-test minimum, maximum, and mean score.3: Detailed score difference between pre-tests and post-test vi PART A: INTRODUCTION 1, Rationale for the study There is no doubt that English has been playing an important role in the modern world of highly advanced technology, information and business. Pacts have shown that the English language has become an indispensable clement, for success in the rapidly changing, competitive world Understanding its importance in individual cducational and occupational career, users of English worldwide in general and an Vietnam in particular have had a growing demand for mastering this international language. In addition, a widely accepted English certificate such as TOEIC is a desire ot many learners of English. In fact, today the TOTIC test is one of the most common international recognized English proficiency exams in the world.
This is because TORIC is now one of the most popular assessments used by schools and cinployers to cvaluale the English abilitics of students and cmployccs (Tokunaga, 2008). Te be specific, there has been arising number of companies in Vietnam and all over the world using the TOEIC for the purposes of hiring new employees, and for promotion to higher positions. Apart ftom that, TOEIC 1s gradually being used within educational situations. Specifically, according to ‘Itew (200X) a significant quantity of Vietamese and intemational universities and colleges used the test for the purposes of accreditation, course placement, and measuring progress within a curriculum.
Additionally, TORIC has been adopted as a way of screening candidates for their graduale programs, especially in the fields of business or intemational studies by a growing proportion of educational institutions worldwide and in Vietnam. In some cases, high TOEIC scores even bring candidates the right to apply for scholarships or special certifications ‘The desire for a satisfactory score makes ‘I’ OLIC candidates put a great deal. of effort in preparing for the test. In Vietnam, some of them spend hours of self- leaming at home while the muajerity attends English courses for their test preparation.
These courses have various length and syllabi depending on the levels and the goals of learners, but in general they provide participants with both linguistic skills and test-taking skills. TicngAnh123 English ccnter, Hanoi is onc of such places which provide leamers with instructions on how to achieve their desired scores, Courses have been given for several years, and it is claimed by ‘TiengAnh123 that its leamers have made great improvements after their courses. Ilowever, there has nol been any investigation on how touch progress. ils participanis have made so far The aforementioned reasons have Inought the researcher a chance to cany out a rescarch project entitled A steady on the baprovemerds gỆ learners studying TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center.
Aims and objectives of the study ‘The research project is aimed to investigate the improvements that TOEIC leamers have made after a preparation course at ‘TiengAnh123 English center. ‘I'he specific objectives of the study are to identify the extent to which leamers have improved their test-taking strategies and theiv scores afler attending a TORIC preparation course provided by this center. Research methodology In order to achieve the research aims and objectives, the study is to find answers to the following research questions: 1. a what extent do learners improve their TOLIC test-taking strategies after attending TORIC preparation classes at TiengAnh 123 linglish center? 2.
To what extent da learners improve their TORIC scores after attending YOLIC preparation classes at tiengAnh123 English center? To fulfill the research aims and objectives and answer the two research questions, a qualitative methodology was employsil, specifically, it corulucted survey qt jonmaires ơn TORIC learners. Tr addition, the res ts fron the pre-tests and the post-tests taken by these learners were compared and contrasted. The detail of the methodology applied im the study is discussed in Chapter 2of Part II 4. Scope of the study Although TiengAnhl23 is known as an English-teaching website in Vietnam, the participants in their online courses are excluded ftom this project as they are all around the country; therefore, it would be impossible for the researcher to get them involved in the project due to the obstactes in Lime, duration and expense.
Instead, the sample of the study is composed of learners at, face-to-face cl only because their profile and course length and treatment are controlled. Morcover, at the time of the rescarch, TicngAnh]23 was offering two kinds of TOEIC preparation, one for getting learners to achieve at least 450 points in the aclevement test and the other is for the target of at least 650 points. Nevertheless, this study is only aimed at the first kind of preparation because this one is more popular among leamers due to the fact that a TOEIC score of 450 points is a requirement for graduation given by many colleges and universities in Vietnam. ‘Next, in terms of the improvements made by learners.
the study focuses on the following two aspecls, i. their TORIC test-taking strategies and their averall TORIC scores at the end of the course. Significance of the stady ‘The study is hoped to offer the researcher an insightful understanding of the effects of the teaching and leaming at ‘OEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center. The findings of the study are expected to help the researcher identify what aspect of TORIC preparation is doing well and vice versa in this center.
Accordingly, suggestions can he made lo enhanes the strengths and improve the Tirnitalions 6. Organization of the study The study consists of three parts which diseuss the following matters. Part A: Introduction presents a brief introduction of the rationale, the aims and objectives, scope, significance, methods and organization of the study. Part B: Developmentis composed of thres chapters as follows: Chapter 1: Literature Review provides the (heorclieal knowledge and results from the recent studics for the issuics relevant to the ficld under investigated, Chapter 2: Methodology deseribes the processas of sampling, designing research instruments, collecting and analyzing data employed in the study Chapter 3: Results and Discussion presents the discussion of the findings of the study Part C: Canclusion summarizes the main findings, presents the Hiruitations of the study, and suggestions for furthor studies.
In addition, the study also includes the scctions of References which displays the sources of referenced information and Appendices which presents the suvey questionnaire, and the pre- and post-test papers. PART B: DEVELOPMENT CITAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW I. Language tests and language test preparation 1. The need for language tests As for Hughes (1989) although language tests are mistrusted by many teachers and alternative types of assessment are suggested, they are still considered a powerful tool for evaluating language users’ abilities and achievement.