INISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M. THESIS USING EXTENSIVE READING ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE READING SKILLS FOR 7TH GRADERS AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN NAM DINH (Sử dụng các hoạt động đọc mở rộng để nâng cao kỹ năng đọc hiểu cho học sinh lớp 7 tại một trường THCS ở Nam Định) VŨ VĂN THƠ Hanoi - 2023 INISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M. THESIS USING EXTENSIVE READING ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE READING SKILLS FOR 7TH GRADERS AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN NAM DINH (Sử dụng các hoạt động đọc mở rộng để nâng cao kỹ năng đọc hiểu cho học sinh lớp 7 tại một trường THCS ở Nam Định) VŨ VĂN THƠ Field: English Language Code: 8. Le Thi Minh Thao Hanoi - 2023 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled “USING EXTENSIVE READING ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE READING SKILLS FOR 7TH GRADERS AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN NAM DINH” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in English Language.
Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement thesis text. Hanoi, 2023 Vũ Văn Thơ Approved by SUPERVISOR Dr. Lê Thị Minh Thảo Date:…………………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to start by expressing my gratitude to everyone who made it possible for me to finish my thesis. I wish to express my gratitude to the Ha Noi Open University Department of Postgraduate Studies for approving the start of this thesis and the necessary research.
In addition, I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Le Thi Minh Thao, my supervisor, who has provided me with insightful advice, direction, and corrections, as well as for her brilliant ideas, ongoing support, and useful suggestions while I was conducting the research. This undertaking was successful because to the direction and assistance he provided. I would like to thank all of the survey participants, who are also my dear students, for their enthusiastic involvement.
Their accurate information was very beneficial to my research. Finally, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all of my classmates, coworkers, and friends for their heartfelt support and encouragement. ii ABSTRACT The current study is to use extended reading exercises to assist grade 7th students at a lower secondary school in Nam Dinh in developing their reading comprehension skills. Hai Hau lower secondary school was the institution selected for the investigation.
This study seeks to determine how extensive reading activities affect students' reading comprehension. The thesis details the features of the comprehensive reading program and how its implementation affects the participants' understanding. The author used an action research methodology to conduct the study with a sample of 60 seventh graders at a lower secondary school in Nam Dinh. The author used surveys with well picked questions arranged into categories to gauge the students' attitudes toward reading substantial materials.
iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES TABLE 3.1 Plan of the research .1: Model of action research by Kemmis and McTaggart (as cited in Burns, 2010, p.1: The comparison of students’ best and worst scores BEFORE and AFTER the test.1: Score gaps between students' pre-test and post-test .2: Students’ comparison of mean scores BEFORE and AFTER experiment .3: Students’ judgment on English reading BEFORE experiment .4: Students’ judgment on English reading AFTER experiment .5: Students’ enjoyment level in reading English BEFORE experiment .6: Students’ enjoyment level in reading English AFTER experiment .7: Students’ confidence in reading English BEFORE experiment .8: Students’ confidence in reading English AFTER experiment .9: Students’ reading habit BEFORE experiment .10: Students’ reading habit AFTER experiment .11: Students’ confidence in reading English BEFORE experiment .12: Students’ confidence in reading English AFTER experiment. 36 iv TABLE OF CONTENT CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY. iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES. iv TABLE OF CONTENT.
Aims and objectives of the research. Methods of the study. Scope of the study. Significance of the study.
Structure of the research. 4 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW. Reading comprehension definition. Aspects influencing Reading Comprehension.
General Overview of Extensive Reading. Definition of Extensive Reading. Goals and Objectives of Extensive Reading. Implementing Extensive Reading in English Class.
Selecting the Books or the reading material. Engaging effective Activities in English Class. 17 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Role of the researcher.
Participants of the research. Extensive Reading Program for secondary students with new text book. Assessment of Extensive Reading. Data Collection Instruments.
Semi-structured Interview. Pre-test and Post-test. Data Collection Procedure. 25 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS.
The findings of the research. How does extensive reading affect students’ reading comprehension level?. How does extensive reading affect students’ attitudes towards reading in English?. Students’ Attitudes towards Reading.
37 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION. Limitations and Suggestions for Further Study. 47 vi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale English has experienced its popularity in teaching and learning in Vietnam over the last few decades.
Demand for learning English even gets stronger when Vietnam fosters its international relations. English, in parallel with the knowledge of some other fields, English is a key to open the door to the bustling world. On any walk of life in Vietnam, you can find people who use English; from the big cities to mountainous areas; from the international conferences to daily conversations, or just few pidgin words with the foreign tourists. People learn and use English for different purposes, but there is a fact that they are trying to learn English with the hope that they can use it effectively.
In order to acquire English proficiency, all English learners maintain contact with the four skills. One of the key aims of teaching English as a second language in Vietnam is to increase students' reading comprehension, so reading is likely the most essential skill that Vietnamese English language learners will focus on. Moreover, becoming an effective and fluent reader in a second language has a number of significant advantages for the learner. First, reading in the target language helps students consolidate previously acquired knowledge.
Second, by exposing students to new vocabulary, grammatical structures, or cultural issues, it may assist them in acquiring a deeper understanding of the target language. Carrell (1984) concluded that "For many students, reading is by far the most important of the four macro skills, especially in English as a foreign or second language." As a result, English instructors and students are focusing more on literacy instruction. Unfortunately, teaching and acquiring reading skills are still a long way from being satisfactory for a variety of reasons. Learners frequently remark that they find it difficult to concentrate on the reading process or to cope with an overwhelming number of new words, etc.
When students lack motivation and interest in reading lessons, it is difficult for instructors to fulfill their duties. As a consequence, many reading lessons cause English language learners to become bored or less interested in reading. The students' low English proficiency at the outset is partially to blame, but there must be additional underlying causes for their lackluster progress. The author has observed that most students lack any reading habits.
According to some of the students, they only peruse English language material when they are at home 1 when they have their duty. In the end, they complain about having to acquire an excessive amount of new vocabulary and misinterpreting test instructions. Another common justification for students' sloth in reading English materials is that they dislike and care little for academic reading. Nevertheless, some claim to be interested in perusing materials in their native language.
In addition, the author makes the observation that students often only study textbooks that have been altered for educational reasons and school tests, and that these texts have probably lost some helpful qualities. This may be one factor that contributes to the students' lack of interest in reading books written in English. It is important to note that there is no denying the fact that a sizeable portion of the student body has not yet read vast English textbooks. They do not read anything outside of their textbooks; rather, they just read excerpts from their textbooks.
The important thing is that these reading passages from the textbook are abridged, simplified, and accompanied by new vocabulary, idioms, collocations, and expressions. Reading a wide variety of sources is the single most effective approach to obtain the great majority of the knowledge and information that is essential for living a successful life. An observation made by the author reveals that teachers do not make considerable efforts to present their students with a wide variety of reading materials. This is demonstrated by the fact that the author made this observation.
This is because both teachers and students have a common dread of extended reading materials, which, from the author's point of view, can be attributed to a widespread phobia of extensive reading materials. The reason for this concern is that longer reading materials are intimidating. In order to be more specific, the dread that is brought on by this phobia presents itself as an avoidance of lengthy reading materials due to the perception that they are too difficult to comprehend. Students that have this phobia are terrified of reading, and it's possible that this is because they focus an unhealthy amount of attention on learning new vocabulary and grammatical concepts.
In the meantime, educators who are plagued by this worry are reticent to offer their students a large assortment of reading materials. Both teachers and students are, as a direct result of this, throwing away a beneficial and unsurpassable wellspring of reading material for which they will need to draw on a broad range of reading styles and techniques. 2 It is very evident that one issue exists in the circumstance of the chosen secondary school, and that issue is that the pupils lack reading habits and procedures; find low interest in reading original content; or discover tough reading tracks in the text books. Because of this, they have a restricted vocabulary and have had little opportunity to practice reading skills and methods.
Therefore, they have trouble with the skills required for reading comprehension. It is abundantly obvious that those who do not possess a knowledge of the socio-cultural conventions that are prevalent in the target language are at an increased risk of experiencing an unwarranted breakdown in communication when interacting with persons from other cultures. For instance, if a native Vietnamese speaker gave a native English speaker a gift and the receiver only responded with "Thank you" or "Thank you so much," the Vietnamese speaker may feel a little bit disappointed because he or she anticipates a more emotional and warm response than simply saying "Thank you." The failure of this communication process may clearly be attributed to the existence of cultural differences. Because of this, having understanding about how to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries is crucial.
Aims and objectives of the research Aims The aim of this research is to determine the effect of various reading techniques on the reading comprehension of seventh graders in a secondary school in Hai Hau, Nam Dinh. Objectives of the research The objectives of the study can be elaborated into the followings: - to examine the influence of extensive reading on the reading comprehension proficiency of students. - to assess the student’s perceptions and attitudes towards English reading through the implementation of extensive reading activities. How does extensive reading affect students’ reading comprehension level? 2.
How does extensive reading affect students’ attitudes towards reading in English? 1. Methods of the study To achieve the aims mentioned above, an action research and quantitative method are used, and the following tasks are involved: 3 - Collecting data for the analysis from 60 learners of A2 level classes in 2023. - Assessing what difficulties are dominant. - Evaluating what techniques are best fit.