VIETNAMESE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY - HO CHI MINH UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES ***** DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE GRADUATE STUDY PROGRAM IN TESOL ***** TH
English serves as a global language, essential for effective communication and a key factor for success in modern society, particularly for students aspiring to secure good jobs or pursue higher education Each student adopts unique learning methods based on their goals, with individual study being beneficial for formulating personal ideas and engaging in silent reading However, in large university classes, this approach limits interaction between teachers and students, as it focuses attention on one individual at a time Therefore, individual study should be used judiciously Additionally, the limited time students spend on texts in school often restricts their opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue, especially if they primarily interact with the teacher.
Working in pairs or small groups significantly enhances students' opportunities for communication and is a proven technique to improve teaching and learning outcomes According to Pellowe (1996) and Arslan (2003), collaborative work is a fundamental component of effective language teaching When thoughtfully designed and organized, these communicative activities foster learning Additionally, research by Baker & Westrup (2000), Brown (1994b), Petty (1993), McDough & Shaw (1993), Harmer (1991), Nunan (1991), and Nation (1989) supports the effectiveness of pair and group work in addressing challenges in large classes, enabling all students to practice various language skills and engage actively in classroom activities.
This study investigates the impact of pair and group work on the reading skills of students at Saigon Technology University (STU), with a particular focus on weaker English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students By leveraging the benefits of collaborative learning in large classes, the research aims to determine the effectiveness of these methods in enhancing students' reading abilities.
Reading comprehension skills are crucial for ESP students in their second and third years, enabling them to read more efficiently and effectively Proficient reading skills encourage these students to engage with books in both Vietnamese and English, enhancing their knowledge and benefiting their current studies and future theses However, many ESP students are unaware of the importance of these skills, resulting in slow reading of English materials Despite the abundance of English resources provided for projects and assignments, students often resort to translating texts word by word into Vietnamese, which is time-consuming Some seek help from English teachers or hire professionals for translation, incurring significant costs Recognizing this challenge, I have sought ways to assist students in improving their reading skills, aiming to enhance their comprehension and enable them to complete assignments more effectively This motivation has led to my research.
The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of pair and group work activities on acquiring reading comprehension skills of the weak ESP students at STU
This study investigates whether pair and group work activities can enhance the reading comprehension skills of weak English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students at STU It also addresses three related sub-questions to explore this educational approach further.
1 Will the pair and group work technique improve weak students’ reading comprehension skills?
2 What are teachers and students’ attitudes towards the use of pair and group work activities in the improvement of reading comprehension skills?
3 How are pair and group work activities applied to teaching reading comprehension skills by the teachers at STU?
These questions are worth investigating for three following reasons:
• The findings should indicate the effects of pair and group work activities on developing weak ESP students’ reading comprehension skills
• Based on the findings, there is a new perspective for English teachers at STU in terms of using cooperative teaching methods in reading comprehension
This study highlights the effectiveness of pair and group work activities in enhancing reading comprehension skills among weak English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students It serves as a valuable model for other universities that may overlook the needs of struggling students, demonstrating how collaborative learning can foster academic improvement.
Pair and group work play a crucial role in English classes, as highlighted by Michael Long and his colleagues (1985) They found that students generate not only a higher quantity but also a greater variety of speech when engaged in group activities compared to traditional teacher-centered approaches In contrast, teacher-centered activities often limit students to responding to questions, resulting in fewer opportunities for them to initiate their own speech.
Learning a language in pairs and groups encourages spontaneous speaking through increased questions and responses This technique is particularly valuable in large classes, as it allows more students to participate, rather than just the few who are stronger or more confident (Baker & Westrup, 2000).
Rob Watkins (2004) highlights that pair and group work activities significantly enhance students' understanding by allowing them to clarify and refine concepts through peer discussion (Devlin, 2002) This collaborative approach leads to a deeper comprehension of the material Given the numerous benefits of such activities in large classes, this study aims to assist English teachers at STU and other universities in Ho Chi Minh City in addressing challenges related to teaching reading comprehension to ESP students The goal is to improve reading skills, particularly for weaker ESP students at STU.
This thesis is organized into six chapters, beginning with Chapter 1: Introduction, which outlines the problem, purpose, and significance of the study, along with an overview of the thesis and definitions of key terms.
Chapter 2: The background of the study provides an overview of STU and its ESP students, detailing the English course designed for these learners It explores the motivations behind students' desire to learn English and examines the teaching and learning methods employed for ESP at universities in Ho Chi Minh City, with a specific focus on STU.
Chapter 3: This literature review explores the definitions, applications, and types of pair and group work activities in English classes, with a specific focus on reading comprehension sessions It identifies common challenges faced during pair and group learning and offers solutions, while also discussing effective strategies for pairing and grouping students to enhance learning outcomes.
Chapter 4: Methodology outlines the research methods employed, including questionnaires, interviews, and grading marks from exam papers It details the subjects involved, presents the hypotheses, and describes the procedures for data collection and analysis, while also addressing the study's limitations and delimitations.
Chapter 5: Data analysis and Findings
Chapter 6: Implications and Conclusion The study reveals that a significant majority of student respondents believe their reading comprehension skills have greatly improved through collaborative pair and group work However, the research is limited by factors such as the author's six years of teaching experience, a restricted timeframe for the study, and a small sample size of only four classes from a single university Consequently, the validity of the findings and conclusions may not meet expectations for broader applicability.
This research aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of pair and group work in enhancing reading comprehension skills, providing valuable insights for both students at STU and educators interested in cooperative teaching methods.
• Attitude: Sarnoff defines attitude (as cited in Do, 1996) as “disposition to react favourably or unfavourably to a class of objects”