Luận văn the effects of using internet based materials in developing learner autonomy in learning english reading skill for students at my hao high school hung yen

wea NGUYEN THI HONG THUY THE EFFECTS OF USING INTERNET-BASED MATERIALS IN DEVELOPING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN LEARNING ENGLISH READING SKILL FOR STUDENTS AT MY HAO HIGH SCHOOL, HUNG YEN H

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

wea

NGUYEN THI HONG THUY

THE EFFECTS OF USING INTERNET-BASED MATERIALS IN DEVELOPING

LEARNER AUTONOMY IN LEARNING ENGLISH READING SKILL FOR

STUDENTS AT MY HAO HIGH SCHOOL, HUNG YEN

Hiệu quả của việc sử dụng tư liệu trên Internet

để phát huy tính tự chủ trong việc học kĩ năng đọc hiểu tiếng Anh

của học sinh trường trung học phổ thông Mỹ Hào, tỉnh Hưng Yên

MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY

CODE: 601410 SUPERVISOR: DO BA QUY, MEd

HANOI-2010

4, Methods of the study

5 Scope of the study

6, Organization of the Thesis

1.2.2 Why develop leamer autonomy ?

1.2.3 Characteristics of autonomous learners

1.2.4 The role of teachers in leaner autonomy?

1.3 Internet-based reading materials

1.3.1 Internet-based reading materials improve reading comprehension

1.4.2 Types of intemet-based reading

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS

3.2 Students’ attitudes and ability after the experiment: Questionnaire 2

CHAPTER LV: MAJOR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Major findings

4.2 Suggestions fix the using of inlemet-based reading materials

PART II: CONCLUSION

1 Conclusions

2 Limitations and suggestions for farther study

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

1 Rationale for the study

Inall of the educational contexts in Vietnam (including primary, secondary, and higher education), no significant steps are being undertaken to promote autonomous language leaming within and beyond the classtoom, and learning is mainly directed and evaluated by the instructors, With the predominance of teacher-led English language instruction in

‘Vietnam, leamers are seen as passive receivers of new information and are, therefore, unlikely

to develop the necessary skills to learn how to assess and conirol their own progress, In such cascs, teamers do not sufficiently develop the skills to perform real-life communicative tasks effectively Consequently, although Vietnamese leamers ate more and more highly motivated

tơ lam English for socio-cultural and cconomic reasons, teacher feedback and classroou obssrvation at various institutions lead to the conchisien that their proficicney i English is not al the desired level In such a cơn

need to develop a critical awareness of language teaming and Isamning communication, These are the main considerations of ]esmei entređ tmguage cunicula which promote language lssring autonomy as proposed by Tirindley (1990), Coleman (1988), the Council of Furope (2001), Hulchinson and Waters (1988), Munby (1991), Nunan (1989), and Wilkins (1976) The Common European Framework (CEF) (Council of Europe 2001) further elaborates upon the concep! of language leaming autonomy, describing in a comprehensive way whal language leamers have to leam to do in order to use a language for communication and what

knowledge and skills they have to develop to act effectively as autonomous leamers

Of the four language skills, reading szcms to be the most important ouc because in the leaming process, it helps students develop other skills and provides knowledge on the target

chosen interesting topics for reading lessons with the aim to promote students in reading and improve their reading, comprchension However, some of them arc not familiar with students, gonres und contonls of the readings in the lexthooks only are nol enough to enhance students’interest in reading and reading comprehension, From the reszarcher’s teaching oxporicnce, saocossfid roading depends on many factors such as reading stralergics for

Through daily conversations with the teachers and students, the reseacher has found that the main reasons why students are not interested in reading lessons are their lack of background knowledge as well as vocabulary about the topics they are reading, Some topics are unfamiliar, some others are boring so the students tind it difficult to understand them, Some students say that thare are texts that they have read several times without understanding anything, Morcover, time for reading lesson at high school is limited There arc 3 English lessons every week In five or six lessons, there is only one for reading, it means that there is not much time for reading In extra classes at school the teachers tend to pay mare attention to grammar oxcreisss The stud:

(WWW) as a resource for language learning materials has gained increasing popularity among language teachers and leamers The Internet can now be used for supplementing and reinforcing what we do in the classroom as well as providing rich opportunities whereby students can start learning languages on their own Moreover, students genarally have positive feelings about learning languages via the Intemet, For example, Kung and Chuo (2002) conducted a study of students’ attitudes towards leaning English through websites Despite some difficulties encountered, they found that students had an overall positive attitude to using websites in their leaming of English Secondly, the Internet facilitates individualization of instructiua and introduecs amore interesting plalfoom lo leam by incorporating multimedia into the process (Soboleva, & Tronenko, 2002) Thirdly, iL cnhances the accessibitity of information, language materials in this case, as well as offering various ways to connect with the tagct specch commmmity (Warschaucr, 1996) Unlike traditional toxthook-based twaching, langnags ialorials on the Internet can

langnags lgamers are encouraged lo he explorers and creators of language, and a

their own linguistic progress (Brown, 2001, Su & Kinshuk, 2002) ‘Iwo other important

aspects are the issues of learner autonomy and motivation Leamer-oriented Intemet-based language teaching materials demand that the individual background of leamers, their needs, and leaming styles are accommodated (Soboleva, & ‘Tronenko, 2002) In other words, leamer-directed language instruction provides Jeamers with the control of choosing materials, sequencing it, as well a3 deciding on the pace of delivery (Su & Kinshuk, 2002), Communicative language teaching and learner autonomy have become increasingly important for language teachers in the last few decades, Sindents are no longer expected to memorize

lists of grammar ules and vocabulary items but to understand and convey meaning with an adequate knowledge of the form, use, and appropriacy of the language (Brown, 2001) They do not need to be spoon-fed all the time, Mistakes are natural in the language acquisition process and leamers are encouraged to be willing to lear and to take responsibility for their own progress Finally, students at this age are curious and they ike reading something new, atractive and linked with modem technology Intemet-based matatials are plentiful with various topics

In facl, at My Hao High school, icaching and learning reading ars mostly basod on textbooks Therefore, the suterts don’t seem to be in

jed in roading lessons, Many of therm find reading difficult and boring and even some are afraid of reading Afler toating 4 text, they don’t understand much about iis content or they trisunderstand the muther’s ideas As a high schoot leacher, T think that something has lo bs done about raising studeris*interest in reading and helping them compretend the texts better ‘his minor study is inspired from the idea that whereas many educators enthusiastically embrace the use of Intemet-hased reading materials, little theoretical ané empirical research exists that demonstrates how Intemet-based reading materials ars useful in improving high school students’ reading comprehension skills and how to organize intemet-based reading activities effectively Moreover, when seeking for materials to design the lessons, [ realise that Internet is a usefill source of information for high school students to increase their background knowledge And that’s the reason why | decided

to choose the topic “Lhe Effects of Using Internet-based Materials in Developing Learner

Autonomy in Learning Reading Skill for Students at My Hao High School, Hung Yen”

In Tight of these circumstanc

this paper will investigate whether Internel-based malerials are effective in developing learner aulomomy in learning reading skill for students at

My Huo High School, Hung Yon To achiove this goal, the study will focus on the exploration

of factors that affect the students’ reading comprehension in My Tlao Tigh school, whether they are able ta set Tanguage learning goals and work towards thom, how the Intomet-basod reading materials used within and beyond the classroom promote autonomous learning,

2 Aims of the study

‘This study aims at improving the quality of teaching/teaming to read English as a seoond language for grade 11 students at My Hao high school by uảng ldemeL-based materials

To achieve this aim, the study sets out to obtain the three following specific objectives:

1 To investigate the situation of leamer autonomy in leaming reading among high school students in My Hao high school

2 To apply Intemet-based materials in teaching reading and find out how efitetive they arc in helping develop leer autonomy in learning reading skill

3 To offer recommendations for the applivation of Tntemet-based materials to improve leamer autonomy in reading comprehension skill of grade 11 students in My Hao high school

3 Research questions

In order to achieve the mentioned aims, the study is intended to find answers to the following questions:

1, What is the current situation of students’autonomy in learning reading?

2, What are the cffccts of Intemet-baszd reading materials on the level of

students’ autonomy?

3 What are the recommendations for improving learner aufonomy in learning reading

at My Iao high school?

4 Methods of the study

With the aim of finding out the role of Intemet-based reading materials in helping improve learner autonomy in learning reading comprehs

ngiơn skill for students in high

school, a survey approa

11A12 of My Hao high school First, interviews will be conducted on a group of 24 students These students will be randomly selected among the students of class L1AL2 All the

s adopted for this study Participants will be 48 students of class

interviews will be fully written down and analysed At the same time, a questionnaire will be given to discover the students’ attitudes towards reading skill and their leaming experiences Data will be analyzed to identity the situation of learning reading, the fhetors affecting their reading comprehension ‘Then all 48 students will be guided to use Internet-based reading malerials for 2 months Qhestiormaires will be conduoted afler thal to find ont if Imiermet- based materials help improve the students’autonomy in leaming reading comprehension skill

5 Scope of the study

Internet-based reading materials play a more and more important port in raising the effectiveness of teaching and learning foreign languages in general, English in particular This study focuses on the role of Internet-based reading materials in helping improve reading comprehension skills for students in My Hao High school and offers some suggestions for the intergration of Intemst-based materials in high school teaching and learning curicular in Vietnam

6 Organization of ihe thesis

This rior thesis consists of three parts

The first parl “Introduction” includes the rationale for the study, the aims, research questions, methods, scope of the study as well as the arganization of the thesis

Part B “Development” consists of four chapters The first chapter “Literature Review” discusses the knowledge relevant to the research topic including the theoretical background of reading comprehension, Ieaer aulonomy and the roles of Inlernsl-based materials The second chapter “Research methodology” presents the context of the study, the participants, research methods, ‘I'he third chapter deals with data and data analysis ‘The fourth chapter mentions the major finlings and recommendations to usc Tilernct-based matcrials in improving learner autonomy in learning reading

The last pat of the study “Conclusion” summarizes the findings, giving out some limttations and recommendations for further study.

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

‘his chapter reviews the relevant literature relating to reading comprehension, leamer aulonomy and ths tole of Internet-based matcrials in improving reading comprohension skill

‘The chapler begins with definitions of reading and some information about oxtensive reading The second section of the chapter presents background knowledge about learner autonomy ‘the last section discusses the role of intemet-based materials in helping to develop students’aulonomy in learniug reading

1.1 Reading

1.1.1 Definitions of reading

Reading is a huge topic Itis a receptive skill Reading can be defined as a process, which invelves a reader, a text and a resultant interaction between the two (Goodman, 1996; Rumelharl, 1977 as cited in Singhal, 1998) Brindley (1994) in her introduetion to the reading section af teaching Raglish offers a helpfal starting point “Reading is a complex area, We can use the tem to mean the process itself, or a respond to literary text, It can mean the retrieval of information in a nomliterary text, or take on the wider meanings like ‘reading the situation’ Roading is not confined fo print in a boak TL is central lo the debate about meaning and the construction of the reader It is linked to the issues of standards in education,

‘This is

and to one of the fimctions of education itself — the production of the literate society’

a relatively focused view of reading Anderson at al (1985) provides a broader view of the same tenitory: “The majority of scholars in the field now agree on the nature of reading:

Reading is the process of constructing meaning from written texts It is a complex skill

Togriring coordinatiơn of a number of inlerrctated somecs oFinformation.”

Reailing is a holistic acl Success of reading cames from practice over long periods of time And also, there may be more than one interpretation of a text, The interpretation depends on the background of the zeader the purpose for reading, and the context in which the rending occurs Reaiting is very necessary for daily Wife Harmer (2003) emphasized the

importance of reading as follow “it will helps us to achieve some clear aims Thus, for example, we read a road sign so that we know where to go, We read the instructions on a ticket machine because we need to know what to do next”

Different scholars of different approaches provide different definitions of reading Iowever, “In spite of the constant shift in focus throughout the history of reading research, it has beon generally recognized that reading is a vory complicated proccss involving a variety of factors that interact with one another” (Kim, 2002), Due to this complex nature of reading and the fact that it is one of the most important language skills, most scholars in language methodology agree that there is a necd for incorporating multimedia into reading instruction, Reading should be supported with pictures, diagrams, video, and audio (Brown, 2002) Leamers need to be provided with sufficient soaffolding to be ablc to achicve more effective xcading comprehension (Brandl, 2002)

ovenvhztmingly found extensive reading to be nol only mors ploasurable, but also more beneficial for language acquisition than instruction in grammar Colin Davis suggested that any classroom would be the poorer for the lack of an extensive reading programme and would

be “unable to promote its students’ language devclopment in all aspects as effectively as if

such a programme were present” (1995:335), he also claimed that such a programme would

make studenls more positive aboul reading, improve their overall comprehension skills, and

give them a wider passive and active vocabulary Strong (1996) also stated that “extensive

reading of literature can encourage students to develope possitive attitudes toward reading”

1.2 Autonomy

1.2.1 Definition

Since the primary concern of this stndy is EFT student toachors'autonomy as language leamers, definitions of autonomy here refer to both students and teachers'autonomy just as leamers Holec (1981, p.3) defines the term as “the ability to take charge of one's own direclad learning” Tittle (2003) points onl more precisely thal “Ihe practice of learner autonomy requires insight, a positive attitude, a capacity for reflection, and a readiness to be proactive in self-management and in interaction with others" (cited on line) In this sense, aulonomous learners decide what (o loan, when and how lo learn it by taking responsibility for their learning This process of personal responsibility in monitoring their own progress entails the use of self-assessment as one of the instruments to determine their level of knowledge and skills (Gardnet, 1999) It is

becanse it helps learners to focns on their own learning (Haris, 1997)

en as ouc of the pillars of lcamcr autonomy

1.2.2 Why develop learner autonomy?

Good leamers are leamers who are capable of take responsibility for their own leaming ‘rhey know how to make ali the decisions involved In other words, * ‘They know how to team” (Holec, 1981, p.147) More and more tescarch has been done on learncr autonomy and independence (Holec, 1981, Benson, 2000) and its importance to a successtid learning process Learner autonomy as described by Ilolec (1981) promotes the independence

of the Ieamer throughout the entire Icaming process within a couse of study and beyond, Borrowed from the field of languags learring is the notion that leaner autonomy is central to the leaming process and promotes the idea of the effectiveness of a resource centre in which

learners can actively tearm (Esch, 1994; Shecrin, [989, 1997, Slurtridge, 1997, Benson, 2000)

In language teaching, teachers can provide all the necessary circumstances and input, but learning can only happen if leamers are willing to contribute Leamer autonomy is crucial to

an sffective langnage learning experience There's a saying “you can bring the horse to water,

‘but you can not make him drink”,

It's obvious that aulonomy is cssential in the learning process and it is the goal of the current dominant leamer-centered approach In classes, learners are the centre of the leaming process, they should be provided with chances to show their activeness, creativeness and

abilities Autonomy “cmpowers leamers within thz leaming process and prepares them to be lifelong leamers” (Pulist, 2000, p.1) To promote learning results of the students, developing leamer autonomy is “an mavoidable methodological option” (Narcy, 1994)

1.2.3 Characteristics of autonomons learners

Ronsseau ((1762] 1911, cited in Candy, 1991: 102) regards the autonomous leamer as someone who is obediont to a law (hal he prescribes to himself Within the canlext of education, though, fhere seem to be seven main attributes characterising autonomous learners (see Omaggio, 1978, cited in Wenden, 1998: 41-42)

1 Aufonomons learners have insights info their learning styles and strategies:

2 take an aplive approach Lo the learning task al hand,

3 are willing to take risks;

A are good guessers:

5 attend to form as well as to content, that is, placc importance on accuracy as well as

taken into considerations the following skills:

1 Choosing instructional materials;

2 Setting learning objectives and priatitizing them,

3 Detcnnining when and how to work on cach objcetive,

4 Assessing progress and achievements;

5 Evaluating the leaning program

1.2.4 The role of teachers in learner autonomy?

The language teacher had a significant role as a resource person for autonomous language learning Railton and Watson (2005, p.192) likewise emphasize the significance of guidance in the autonomous Icaming process: "Autonomous Jeaming is as much a skill as learning to drive - it must be taught, it requires practice, and it is assessed against specific criteria, Unless they are langhl, how to take the wheel for themselves, learner students, like leamer drivers, may be at risk.”

Holden and Usuki (1999) who questioned Japanese students'perceptions of leamer autonomy likewise concluded that it was not the learners who were innately passive, but it was the educational system that created an environment which discouraged learner autonomy The follow-up studies of Usui (2001; 2002) provided more evidence that Japanese students were aware of their needs as autonomous leamers, but a gap between their awareness and their actual behaviar scomed i be the main problem because of the negalive effect of the cducational system Ho and Crookall (2000), in investigations into loaner autonomy in the more traditional organization of classrooms in China, discussed in detail the cultural traits that both hindered and encouraged antonomy in such a selting, concluding that il was through concrete actions of taking responsibility that genuine autonomy was learnt

‘The gencral impression is that the Victnamesc cducational system is mainly dirceted and evaluated by the authority and, as a result, has a significant influence on learner autonomy in Vietnamese context, The majority of the students lacked ne

sary critical thinking and reflection skills to cope with the requirements of academic life such as skills of how to plan, conduct and evaluate research Most importantly, there is reality in Vietnamese High schools thai loaher faetors hindered tho đevolopmenL of leamer awlonermy becauso (He toachors themselves had been trained within the same education system, and were unable to change their habits

Little (1995), MeGrath (2000), Smith (2000), and Tort-Moloney, (1997) also provide evidence that teachers who themselves are not autonomous language learners may have a negative influence on the development of autonomy in their students Stiller and Ryan (1992),

and Clemente (2001) likewise suggest that teacher aufonomy support and involvement (and

parental support for aulonomy and involvernenl) have dircol Tinks with sludentsassimitation

of their classroom context and subsequent academic outeomes, Usuki, (2002) attracts attention to teachers‘attitudes towards their students which may play a key role in leamer autonomy Probably, thosc arc the reasons why most of the things have stayed the same in Vietnamese educational system although it has been changed periodically for decades For cxample, the last trond is towards the irmavation in teaching and learning methods Yet, traditional approaches to learning and teaching arc still being used by many teachers with ofd

beliefs since the beliefs that individuals have play a decisive role in the process of autonomous Learning (Cotterall 1995)

There may be some other faclors hindering leachors fran cflectively involving

students can be a good starting point

1.3 Internct-based reading materials

1.3.4 Internct-based reading materials in improving reading comprehension

Thanks to the ever expanding flexibility and versatility of [T in performing many jobs, most of the language teaching authorities support using it in facilitating teaching in general, teaching English in particular With recent advancements in software technology,

multimedia computing and extensive use of the Internet (Soboleva, & Ironenko, 2002),

computers have becorne so widesprzad in schools and language institutions and their uses have expanded ser dramatically thal language teachers must now begin fo reconsider the implications of using computers for teaching languages (Warschauer, 1996; Blake, 1997)

Internet technology is a “medium of global communication and a source of limitless authentic matarials” (Warschauer, 1996) With the emergence of the Intemat technology, e-mail, list- serves, streaming audio-video, chat rooms, audio-video and message boards, language leamers now have more chances to improve their language competence Hasier access in terms of distance and time considerations, self-paced fanguage study, low affective filter, increased motivation, opportunities to access and use authentic language, and hence enhanced learner autonomy are among the advantages of using the web in language teaching and learning Intemct-based reading provides language Icamers with a umuch better opportunity for initiative in language learning, enhancement of learning strategies Engagorncnt in meaningful aulhontic excreises promotes onfhusiasm and motivation em the

part of the Icamers Intemet-based reading helps ercale relaxed (in terms of teamer anxiety) environments, Intemet-based reading establishes a basis tor reflecting on the experience of language learning, self-correcting, self-evaluating, and searching for information on any linguistic and/or socio-cultural aspect Icarers might want to carn more about right on the spot, something that cannot be realized easily in traditional type of media (Kennedy,

1989)

‘The Internet as @ resource can enrich and expand language instruction There are numerous 1casons in favor of integrating the Intemct into a language curriculum, Chun and

Plass (2000, p 161) mention general capabilities of features of the WWW that have the

polonlial lo znhance language teaming These are a) the universal availability of aulhontic matarials, b) the conumunication capabilities through networkmg, c) the multimedia capabilities, and d) the nonlinear (hypermedia) stricture of the information ‘he most compelling reason is definitely the convenience in accessing and obtaining an endless supply

of authentic matcrials in target languages The WWW has brought the world to the fingcrtips

of each Jearner Applying the WWW to foreign language teaching also provides the opportmity lo mest the Standards in several ways (Walz, 1998): “Competence in more than one language and culture anables people to gain access to additional bodies of knowledge; all students leam in a variety of ways and settings; language and culture education

incomorate effective technologies; and using the Web is consistent with tearning theories about leaming to read authentic materials" (p 104)

Son (2003) carried outa research study Lo cxaminc the effectiveness of three difTersnt types of reading text formats, namely paper-based format, computer-based non-hypertext format, and computer-based hypertext format The motivation in conducting this research study was to find out the degree of usefuulness of hyperlinks on the online lexical resources, which provide readers with optional assistance dwing independent reading, Another question Son was interested in was the learner attitudes towards the effectiveness of

incorporation of hyperlinks into reading materials Defining hypertext as ‘non-scquenlial: text which is organized to allow renders to access to non-linear information’ and pointing out that hypermedia applications can enrich leaming tasks by providing learners with various types of online information, Son (2003) contends that the integration of text with sound and images eventually paves the way for greater comprehension of the reading text as welll as

higher motivation, more effective and faster reading comprehension can be

1.3.2 Types of Internet-based reading

In this section, I will present three different types to Intemet-based reading, which can help students improve their reading comprehension skills using the materials from the Intemet Based on these thres types of reading 1 will conduct the study to find out how Intemet-based materials help improve reading comprehension skilis of the students at My Hao Tigh school

* Teacher-determined lessons

‘The reading activities and materials of this type are comparable to the computer as an online electronic workbook The teacher prescreens and selects reading materials or cultural readings from Intemet-based, designs comprehension activities, and makes them available through his/her Web page By pre-selecting and preparing the readings, the instructor tailors the contents and lasks to the stridents' proficiency level The lasks are designed fo support the reader'scomprehension process focusing on textual, linguistic and cultural features Reading is

a silent process that is best done individually The leamers get to explore authentic reading materials outside of class at their own pace This fices up classroom time that can be spent more effectively getting students involved in communicative language leaming activities Furthermore, depending on the instructional program design, studsnis'answors may be

forwarded to the instructor Studenis'responses lo reading lasks arc timmiied by th

pacity of the teachers’packages Tasks can be true/false, matching, or multi-choice answers, or short answers To create such activities, skills and expertise in language pedagogy, instructional design, and some programming arc required, The latter may inelude cxpericnec with HTML editors, HIML or Infemet-based authoring packages such as Half-Baked Software, or WebCT Other technological skills such as the use of scanners and graphic programs are recommended,

* Teacher-facilitated lessons

Infernet-bascd reading activities that have gained most wide-spread aliention and popularity among language teachers and students are those in which the instructor provides a set of leaming tasks that engage the leamsrs in exploring reading materials in their authentic cnvironments, The instructor đetennincs a particular topic and sct of goals for his lesson, such exploring English wedding, American education ‘The teacher prescreens and selects a set of siles to ensure ils conlenis are appropriats for their pedagogical goals Through a parlicular task design, the instructor facilitates the students'reading process and guides the learners to explore a variety of pre-selected resources, thus providing a clear goal to be accomplished by the students Furthermore, the tasks should be designed so that they are not so broad that students wander aimlessly through the material yet open cnough to provide multiple paths, outcomes, and interpretations, which can form the basis for classroom interaction in this way,

the teacher controls the navigational scope and the number and kind of Intemet sites that the students access, Despite the restriction, the leamar has some autonomy as the tasks provide the Ieamer a choice in the sites he or she accesses and explores Task types usually include comparisons, gathering factual information, descriptions, and short summaries ‘The outcome

signments is clearly defined, but aperrended The (cal desotibed as a guide and facilitator The students follow the teacher's lead but get to explore the contents themselves Teachers should list the most popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo

* Learner-deiermined lessons

Learer-dctermined lessons follow an approach to integrating Intemct-bascd resourses that is entirely learner-centered, The leamers determine the topics, reading materials, and the way they go about exploring the readings themselves ‘hey decide on the process and the produel, formulate the gouls, identify Tnternct-based resour

the outcomes should be evaluated, In this way, the students take on the roles of self-directed and autonomous learners, and take full charge and responsibility for their outcomes The

and make # devision on how

teacher only gets involved in the role of a facilitator offcring support and guidance throughout the process as much as necessary T'ypes of assessment may include teacher-, self, or group-

asscsstuenl Assessment of learner outcomes may be teachar-dircclad or student-determined

Examples arc shorl writing assigntner

the students‘analytical and interpretative skills of cultural readings and texts, The technological skills required to implement this approach are minimal If the teacher is to provide guidance to his/her students on scarching the Intemect, then knowledge about Web browsers, search engines and their effective use are indispensable

ays, or mini-projecls er presentations thal show

There is no doubt, the vast amount of authentic resources on the Intemet provides leamsrs an opportunity to improve their reading skills Yet, to make the integration of WWW- based activitics a successful leamning cxporicnce, it requires effective organization and

presentation of that information,

1.3.3 Criteria for choosing Internet-based reading materials

‘The number one selection criteria for Intemet-based materials is that they help fulfill the learning outcomes for the students The teachers as well as the sludents should pay attention

to choosing appropriate materials because there may be some criteria that prevent achieving the primary goal If the reading level is too far beyond the level of the students or if the content is too complex for the targct group, then the students will never acccss the information, Here are some criteria for choosing Intemet-based reading materials

Criteria 1 Topic The materials provide opporumilics for reading more in depth on a subject, which can facilitate second-language acquisition, especially when most of the vocabulary and structures are recycled

Criteria 2 Background Knowledge of the Reader Matatials should make sure that the passage

is on a topic known to sindents Reading texts with so many new words is as hard as learning about scientific prograrmming

Criteria 3 Exploitability: Will the passage allow the teacher to accomplish the objectives of the reading lesson? Consider thematic, Icxical and structural appropriateness in light of the text you chose Do they have the potential to match up with the objectives of the subject? Can

students explore the text meanings through the structure and text conventions, and acquire

some new vocabulary as well?

Criteria 1 Lexical Appropriateness Materials is considered suitable if the new vocabulary matches the lovel of the students’ abilities

Criteria 5 Readability and Length of Passage Consider also the length of the passage and how long il would lake you lo complete the reading lesson Five relatively: short rind texts might be better than one infinitely long text

Criteria 6 Syntactic Appropriateness Syntactic constructions in a passage affect its

readability, If the new structures have been taught, the students can be instructed to scan the texl and underline syntactic constructions that are new or difficult, or which Ihey do not

qniekly reeognize or understand, Otherwise you may 1 certain struchures

Criteria 7 Organization: Logical/Rhetorical Ordering of Ideas One of the main objectives of reading lessons is understanding the main ideas and significant details ofa text

Criteria 10 Appearance of the Reading Passage: layout print, type size it is a good idea to

choose the text thal has accompanying photos or pictures with captions Ghat illustrate the topic? Are paragraphs in each textfile clearly defined? Aze the lines numbered? Is the font clear and attractive? This can enhance reading speed Materials that are visually appealing can reinforce students’ motivation,

1.3.4 Considerations in using Internet-based matertals

As pointed out above, there are numerous convincing arguments in favor of integrating Internet-based materials into a forcign language ewricudum, At the same time, several arguments can be made that ask for a more cautious approach when using the Intemet The Infemet is not an ideal way of delivering instruction, and there are numerous challenges to overcome First, there arc slill many limnitations on inieractivily and bandwidth Second, the hyper-linked structure and presentation of information on the Infemet may easily cause students to get lost Third, we have no control over the quality and accuracy of the contents of the information In other words, the usc of the Intemet resources completely depends on reader judgment, which presupposes solid language proficiency and critical reading skills Fourth,

curriculum

1.4 Summary

Through the brief literature review, it is elcar that there arc many factors involved in L2 reading comprehension process Autonomy is seen as a capacity or ability for active and independent reading, The relevan Hieralure emuphasives the role of Inleruet-based materials:

in Janguage leaming Ti can be concluded that internet

sed reading matsrials can help develop leamer autonomy in leaming reading skill

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS

This chapter deals with the methods that have been applied to achieve the aims and objectives of the study It gives a detailed description of the setting and participants of the study as well as data collection instruments

2.4 Setting of the study

Founded in 1961, My Hao High schaol is logaled in My Hao districl, a highly developed industrial area Having got good teaching and leaming traditions, it is considered one of the best high schools in Hung Yen province

Having been upgraded to a national standardized high school, in recent years, the school management board has considered the application of IT in not only managing but also in teaching and leaning to make real inmovation on iis way to develop The school has # local network with neatly 100 computers granted to learning activities The computers are connected to the LAN, providing access to the Intranet and Internet 25 computers of these are installed with software called Magic Class, which supports teaching and learning Tnglish Many other softwares are installed to help the teachers prepare E-lessons inore easily, Available Internet-based materials are usefitl sources that help motivate students in learning English

The English division has 13 qualified and responsible teachers who know how to attract their students to learning environment and encourage them to take part in extracurricular activitics Many students here are interested in learning English They find English an important subject,

modem facilities that were necessary for their learning such as cassettes videos, computers Therefore, the students are not very active in class

2.4 Data collection instruments

‘The data is collected by means of questionnaires and interviews,

2.3.1 Interview

Kvale (1996) states that interviews are a particular usefidl research method for getting in deep informnation aboul a specific research issus or question Ie supposes thal this is 2 parsonal form of research and interviewer works directly with the respondents, the information about opinions or impressions is often easier to collect through oral interviews Nưnan (1992) characterized interviews in terms of their degrees of formality In an unstructured interview, the interviewee is allowed to talk freely with little intervention trom the interviewer In a semi-structured interview, the mterviewer does not prepare questions in advance but can control the scope of the talk by raising a topic or an issue, Predetermined questions are orly needed in a structured interview which is mostly a “questions and answers” session

In this study, a structured interview was cartied out among twenty four students of class LIALJ at My Liao high school Llere, the researcher would like to get information about the students’reading habits, the factors affecting their reading comprehension and whether they usc the Internet-based materials for extensive reading

(2003) questionaire is an effective way of information galhoring about some asp

leamers “such as beliefs, attitudes, motivation and preferences” Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do not requize as much effort fom the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data (rom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

2.3.2.1 Questionnaire 1

Questionnaire 1 (see Appendix 2) was given to 48 students before the experiment to investigate the goals of the students in leaming English, their attitudes towards leaming roading skill, the currenl situation of the sludanis’aulonomy in earning reading and the matatials they use in leaming reading, Forty eight copies of the questionnaire were given to

the students and collected in class after 45 minmtes Questionnaire | consists of 5 questions

Question 1 aimed to investigate the studcnts’ goals in learning English

‘Question 2 investigated their attitudes towards reading skill

Question 3 asked information about the types of reading matetials they often used for independent learning

Questions 4, 5 aimed lo discover the stndonts*opinions shoul Iniomsl-hascd roading matatials and if Internet-based reading matatials could promote autonomous learning or not,

2.3.2.2 Questionnaire 2

Questionnaire 2 (see Appendix 3) was given to the 48 students after the experiment to find

out the sludents’attitudes towards Ivicmzt-bascdd reading matcrials andl to sce if they helped the students promote autonomons leaming, There were six questions in the questionnaire The questionnaires were given to the students and collected after 30 minutes

Question I aimed to find out what they thought of the Intemet-based materials provided for this study

Questions 2, 3 aimed to investigate the difficulties they encountered when they used Intemet-based materials and their opinions about the role of Intemet-based materials in helping to promote autonomous learning

‘Question 4 asked the students to evaluate their progress

‘The last two questions investigated the benefits of Internet-based materials in improving reading comprehension skill and what should bc done to improve Icamer autonomy in leaming reading skill

CHAPTER 3: DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS

‘This chapter provides information about the current situation of learning English roading skill at My Hao high school before the experiment and the studcnts*altitudes lowards leaming reading after the experiment It consists of two sections of data analysis, which aim at answering the three research questions at the beginning of the study

3.1 Students’ motivations, learning experiences and attitudes towards learning reading before the experiment

4.1.1 Interview

‘Twonly four studcnls (randomly selcoted) were interviewed for about 20-30 minutes for each student from February 15th to March 6th, 2010, The interviews took place in an informal atmosphere, so that the students felt free to express themselves ‘The researcher took notes during the inlerviews since the sludents did not fest comfortable talking on tape Four main questions constructed for the students are as follows

1 Are you interested in learning reading? Why and why not?

2, What are the main factors that affect students’ reading comprehension?

3 How mich time do you spend for independent learning?

4, Have you ever used Intemet-based reading materials? If yes, how do you find them? The students’ responses to the questions have becn classificd and calculated as percentages Below is the detailed data:

3.1.1.1 Responses to question 1:

Are you interested in learning reading? Why and why not? Please explain

‘The interview data showed that 71% of the students (see Chart 1) were not interested in reading lessons ‘the main reasons are their lack of background knowledge as well as vocabulary about the topies they are reading Some topics arc unfamiliar, some others arc boring so the students find it difficult to understand them, Some students say that there are texIs that, the

have Tead several times withoul understanding anything, Moreover, time for

reading lesson at high school is limited There are 3 English classes every week In five or six

classes, there is only one for reading, it means that there is not much time for reading In extra

classes at school the teachers tend to pay more attention to grammar exercises The students have opportunities to practise vocabulary but in separated sentences, not in reading texts

Because teaching reading is time consuming, the teachers often neglect it Large class size

adds to the difficulties that the students encounter in the reading lessons Another important

reason is their lack of motivation To solve the problem, teachers should find ways to enhance

students to read more so that they can improve their reading ability

What are the main factors that affect students' reading comprehension?

Most of the students stated that the most influential factor that affected students’reading

comprehension was the limited capacity of vocabulary Some said that if there were too many new words in a text, they would find it difficult to comprehend the text and as a result, they couldn’t do the tasks Another factor was the lack of background knowledge About 20% of the students said that if the topics of the text were strange or they had never read about those

topies before, they would hardly understand the text The same umber of the students claimed that the reading passages were not interesting enough to motivate them to read, Nealy 30% of the students believed that they didn’t have approptiate reading strategies, which influenced their comprehension Some others (3 students) told that the long reading texls and time limitation also affeeted their reading comprehension Sec the table below:

Main factors affecting studcuts’ reading comprehension | Number of | %

responses

The contents of the texts are not interesting, 4 16.7

responses

Table 2: Time for independent learning

The information from Table 2 showed that the students were not very interested in

learning reading They didn’t spend much time for extensive reading 7 out of 24 students

read every day, of which only one student spent more than one hour a day, the rest spent less than one hour a day 62% didn’t read often (41.2% read several times a week, 20.8%

sometimes read) Worse than that more than 10% of the students never read extensively at all

3.1.1.4 Response to question 4:

Have you ever used Internet-based reading materials? If yes, how do you find them?

As can be seen from the table below, one third of the students (33.3%) have never used Internet-based materials Meanwhile, two thirds have ever used Intemet-based materials (66.7%) That is a rather high rate, Most of them said that it was interesting to use this kind of material because the topics were various, The students could freely choose the texts that were suitable for their abilities and amount of time they had However, some said that it was time- consuming to find suitable reading passages

3.1.2 Questionnaire 1

3.1.2.1 Question 1:

What are your goats in learning English?

Question 1 aimed to find out the students’ goals in leaming Linglish Motivation is an essential factor determining their willingness lo lake the responsibility of their own learning The data

in Tatle 3 showed that the most common reason why students leamed English is because they had to pass university exams and that English was a compulsory subject at school (92.7% and 85.4% of students respectively), Many students responsed thai they would like to please their parents and teachers (77.1%) This means that the students were not highly motivated in leaming Lnglish ‘Therefore, it is difficult to say that they will actively take charge of their own learning and that they arc aulonomons Icamers To molivaic the stutents, great efforts and appropriate teaching methods from the teachers are required,

See the table below

Students’ goals in learning English ‘Number of %

responses I'd like to improve my English in order to find a good job 12 25

English is a compulsory subject at school 4L 85.4