Luận văn a study on the improvements of learners studying toeic preparation classes at tienganh123 english center

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 STUDYI

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.A 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.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 60140111

Supervisor: Assoc.Prof-Dr 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 Dr 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

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

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

PART A: INTRODUCTION

2 Aims and objectives of the study

3 Methodology of the study

4 Scope of the siudy

5, Significance of the study

6 Organization of the study

I Language tests and language test preparation

1 The need for language tesfs

2 Kinds of lanpuage 1est

3 Tes† pTeparahion

3.4 Previous stuties on improvements of leamers at Lesl preparalion Tanguage COWSES 02 cceceesetsstsstauiimsaneiiseatietneeastiaseaseens EL

1 What is TOEIC? eo seeeeoesese, 14

2 Suggested test-taking strategies for success in the TOBIC test 15

CHAPTER 2: MEFILODOLOGY

1 Context of the shutly cesses 18

2, Method olopy joncssssesessintatainienanicaun sein sintatinanetnsnenenns 18

2.1 Research quasions cácneeresrnrrrsroeeorcoe TẾ 2.2 Participants "—

72.2 Instruments 19 2.3 Provedures of dala collection 19

2.4 Procedures of đatg analysls 20

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

2 Results addressing research question 1: Improvements on TOEIC test-

3.1 Improvements en TOEIC general test-taldng strategies 24 2.2 Improvements on TOEIC specific test-taking strategies 27

3 Results addressing research question 2: Improvements on TOEIC scores 33

1, Conclusion 37

3, Limitations of the study essseseneensneensenenseiatninnenenenen: 38

4, Suggestions for further study .eoessncssn sone smntatntnneteenenen: 38

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 1.4: Learners” years of leaming English - 23 Table 2.1: Leamers’ responses to question of knowledge of“OBÌC general test-

Table 2.2: Leamers’ responses to question of knowledge of TOEIC general test-

taking strategies after the course

Table 2.3: 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-

Table 2.6: Leamers’ responses to question aFknowlsdgeo of TORIC specific test-

Table 2.7: Mastery of TORIC spevific test-taking strategics before the course .31 Table 2.8: Mastery of TOEIC specific test-taking strategics after the course 32 Table 3.1: TOEIC pre- and post-test raw score data

Table 3.2: TOEIC pre- and post-test minimum, maximum, and mean score

Table 3.3: 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 TicngAnh1 23 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

2 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 ‘TiengAnh1 23 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

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

jonmaires ơn TORIC learners Tr addition, the res

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 2 of 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.e their TORIC test-taking strategies and their averall TORIC

scores at the end of the course

5 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: Development is 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

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 ‘'o begin with, tests are needed within language teaching systems because they help provide information about the achicvernent, of learners in a sceond or forcign language:

Furthennore, without tests, British and American universities would find it almost

impossible to select students trom non-English-speaking countries The same 1s true

for international organizations hiring employees whose native or first language is

not English It is commonly accepted that score reports from such tests as TOEEL, IELTS, or TOBIC are one of the major requirements that applicants have to enclose

in their application

2 Kinds of language tests

In his book entitled Testing for Language Teachers, Hughes (1989, p.9) mentions four kinds of tests namely proficiency tests, achievement tests, diagnostic

tests and placement tests

Initially, proficiency tests are defined as a measurement of people’s ability in

a language regardless of any training they may have experienced in that language Some typical cxamples of this kind of tests would be the Tost of English as a Foreign Language (TORFL), The Iiternational English Language Testing System CELTS), or the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) Hughes (1989, p.10) says the function of these tests is to determine whether candidates have reached a certain standard with respect to certain specified abilities Such examining bodies are independent of the teaching institutions and so can be relied on by

polential employers, ets to make fair comparisons between candidates from

different institutions and different countries This study focuses on TOETIC 1esl

whose details can be found in the later section of this chapter

In contrast to proficiency tests, achievement tests are directly related to language courses, their purpose is to measure the extent to which individual

students, groups of students or the courses themselves have made progress in

ves Examples of this kind of tesis can be seen i

strengths and weaknesses in language learning and help teachers decide what should

be taught to the learners For example, at the beginning of a course, the teacher

gives the leamers a diagnostic test to see what areas of language need to be included

in the syllabus Or, in the classroom, progress tests given during the course can also act as diagnostic tests az they help the teacher and learners identify what areas will

be looked at next on the course

Lastly, placciment esis are lo provide information which help place lesmers

ina curtain leaching program which is sppropriate Lo their abilities In other words, they are used to form equal level groups which arc expected to better teaching and Teaming qualities, For instance, an English teaching center may require registrants

to do a placement tests before putting them into classes suitable to their levels

As can bee seen, the four kinds of tests mentioned above are different in their

3 Test preparation

3.1 Definition of test preparation

The website Wikipedia defines test preparation as an educational course,

tutoring service, educational material or a leaming tool designed to increase

students’ performance on tests' In fact, test takers tend to spend time preparing for

the tests they are going to take Some of them do practice test items via the Internet,

some work through exercises in practice books Many others would pay for

commercial forms of preparation that may involve a formal class or even one-to-one tutoring (Briggs, 2009) According to Robb and Ercanbrack (1999), in recent times

there have been abundant preparation programs for academic aptitude and language proficiency tests, which constitute a vast industry within the private educational

sector Students attend such programs with a strong desire for successfill performance in the tests, and the higher the stakes of a test, the greater the desire for

guided test preparation and practice

3.2 Types of test preparation

Although the term “test preparation” is commonly-used in the field of

testing, different authors have suggested different categories of test preparation

To begin with, Anastasi (1981) specified three kinds of test preparation which may have a considerable effect on test performance The first is called test-

taking orientation which is designed to ensure all test candidates’ familiarity with

the general procedures involved in taking a particular test The second kind is termed coaching which is usually characterized by intensive, short-term practice on item types similar to those employed in the test The third type is to provide

participants with training in broadly applicable cognitive skills

Briggs (2009) mentions the typical elements of any test preparation which

include content review, item practice and orientation to the format of the test He divides test preparation into two main types namely informal or student-driven test

preparation and formal test preparation or coaching The first type is characterized

* http://www.en wikipedia org/wiki/Test_preparation

with shulents? activity of purchasing a book of practice exams for a nominal foc and using this as a basis for preparation in the wecks Icading up to an official examination The other, coaching, refers to the preparation that is given by an official instructor (i.e., a coach) who drives students’ attention to specific test-taking

strategies Most coaching programs require participants to pay a fee — sometimes

quite substantial - to attend The three most commen forms of coaching include 1) classioum-based courses offered by test proparation conlers, 2) onfiaw coaching

(with or withoul a “virtua?” tutor) and 3) private one-to-one or small group tutoring in-person

Powers (2012) identities two test preparation kinds which include test

familiarization and coaching Test familiarization is quite similar to test orientation

given about 30 years ago by Anastasi (1981) because it is to supply test-takers-to-be

with general skills for test taking and to get them familiarized with the procedures

required to take a particular test Participants of this kind of test preparation are

exposed to the kinds of item formats they will encounter, the guidelines of guess making and time mmagernent Powers (2012, p.2) suggests that proparation of this sort is generally considered desirable as i1 is supposed to get individuals lo master the mechanics of test taking; as a result, it will allow them to focus on, and accurately demonstrate, the skills and abilities under tested, Meanwhile, the other is named coaching which is typically associated with short-term efforts aimed at

teaching test-taking strategies or “tricks” to enable test takers fo “beat the test”; that

is, to take advantage of Maws in the test or in the testing system (¢.g., never choose a particular answer choice if « question has those characteristies )

To summarize, the aforementioned authors have different ways of classi fying test preparation with various names of the subtypes or with discrepant features of a

particular subtype However, it can be seen that in any test preparation such as test

taking orientation or test familiarization, test takers are all thmiliarized with the format of the test, the skills and abilities to be tested and the ways to tackle the test

so that they can achieve optimum test results This kind of knowledge refers to the

so-uilled lesi-laking straicgies, which will be discnsscd in the next part of this chapter

3.3, Test-taking strategies

This section deals with the definition and the categories of test-taking strategies, which is considered as an indispensable component of test preparation

3.3.1 Definiti of testiaking strategies

An carly definition is the ong givon by Milhman ot al (1963) (as cited in

Ritler and Tdol-Muestas, 1986, p.50) who suggests that test-taking strategies me

“one’s capavity for using tost charactciistics and formats anVor test-taking

situations to raise test scores”

Later on, Rogers and Harley (1999) mention specific test-taking strategies which include: reading the instructions carefully, scheduling the allocated time appropriately, meking use of clue words in the questions, delaying answering difficult questions, reviewing the work in order to check the answers, ete

‘Then, test-taking strategies are defined by Cohen (2000) as the consciously

selected processcs tal test-ikers use for addressing language issues and the item

Tesponse demands in the test-taking tasks al hand As can be scen in this definition,

two important elements arc mentioncd, which arc consciousness and goal-

onentation

‘As has been presented, although all the definitions show the nature and purpose of test-taking strategies, it is clear that the definition given by Rogers and Marley (1999) is the must detailed one

3.3.2 Types of test-taking strategies

Colum (1998) maintains that test-taking strategies consist of language use

stvategics and testwiscness stratcgics The first onc, language use strategics arc

defined as the ways test takers apply their knowledge of a second/foreign language

so as to carry out language tasks Typically, four types of language use strategies

Ge., retrieval, rehearsal, cover, and communication strategies) are used in a testing

situation for the purpose of storing, retaining, recalling, and applying the

information for use on the test The later, testwiscness is not nee arily associated with the cxamince’s language proficiency, but rather is conccmed with his knowledge of how to take tests

Rezaee (2006, p 155) classifies test-taking strategies into two types of

“general and specific” strategies General strategies are those needed for any test such as reviewing tes! content, reading the directions, using lime effectively during

a lest, avoiding cirors, cli, Meanwhile, specific stratogi

sare cmployed in the oxacl area of the subject mallcr tha is being lested; they dea) with taking various kinds of tests such as multiple-choice, matching, fill-in-the-blanks, essay, short answer, truc- false, and problem solving

According to Hirano (2009, p 158), test-taking strategies can be categorized into three following types:

Gi) Leamer strategies which include the ways Lhal lest lakers employ the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, and the related skills of vocabulary, grammar, and translation in addressing tesl items

Gi) Test-management strategies which are charactetized as consciously sclected ones uscd for giving mcaningful and correct answers lo test items These strategics include logistic iseues, such as kecping Lract of time and determining where to look for answers

Gi) Test-wiseness strategies which are strategies for using knowledge of test formats and other peripheral information to answer test items without going through the

expected linguistic and cognitive processes In other words, test-wiseness is the ability to use special strategies to give correct answers without necessarily knowing the coutent or

skill that is being measured

3.4, Previous studies on improvements af learners at test preparation

language courses

Language test preparation courses in which the participants are given

necessary strategies for dealing with tests have been of great interest to researchers

all over the world his section mainly deals with those studies that focus on the

improvsmenls of leamers al language test preparation courses

ft can be soon that research over time Tas suggested incornpatible findings regarding the effzcls of preparation programs

First, the study by Brown (1998) investigates the performance on an IELTS

a varisly of language Lests

test taken by students in a ten-week IELTS preparation course and a more broadly focused on English for Academic Purposes course The student groups mainly came

from the South-East Asia region, aged between 16 and 25 years old, balanced in gender distribution and were typically enthusiastic, but characterized by diverse mother tongue and cultural backgrounds as well as previous educational experience This evaluation project was conducted with a mixed research design, requiring the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, Quantitative IELTS test score data generated by the writing sub-tests was collected through pre- and

post-course testing of both the program groups Qualitative data was gathered

through extensive classroom observation procedures including document analysis of

staff teaching records, and informal interviews with both staff and students The

findings revealed that the IELTS group has an improvement of nearly one band,

wale the ofher one showed a small score decrease Neverlheless, the sample sizes

of the two groups in this sndy were rathor small (9 vs 5) andl only oritityy skills

randomly selected from the TDP Eduestivn Ausaia offiees in Malaysin to participate in the project, Using IELTS scores and questionnaizes as rescarch instruments, Celestine and Ming (1999) found no significant difference in test results between those attending preparation and those who did not, They suggested two reasons accounting for this which include () the duration of the preparation program (i.e a few months) is toa short if compared to the duration of the disciplines the student bad undergone (6 two years) amd (i) TELTS is a fost of English proficicncy; hence, the knowledge of lest-taking strategies camot make any significant change to the scores gained,

Of the greatest relevance to this study is the one cartied out by Robb & Ereanbrack (1299) whtich investigated the etfect of direct test preparation on TOEIC gaining scores During the study, freshmen students (L.e., English majors and non-

majors) at Kyoto Sangyo University were divided into three treatment eronps: 1)

‘TORIC Preparation, 2) Business English and 3) General (fom-skills) English 'Phese

groups were treated separately since there were important differences in contact

hourswoek, level of English, wolivation and lerscwork bofwean thom, which make

integration of the data unwise The participants tack the pre-tast al the bogiming of the school year and took the post-test and completed a survey questionnaize at the end The results suggest that the TOEIC preparatory materials had a significant impact om inaproving the non-majors’ reading component score ‘The authors came

toa conclusion that direct test preparation are not beneficial to students majoring in

the Pnglish language, but might have a great effect on boosting the score of the roading component of sturents enrolled in # university-level general Eryglish course

in Japon

Another study, Elder and O’Loughlin (2003) cxamines the relationship between intensive English language study and band score gains on the IELTS Specifically, it mvestigates the process of a sample of 112 students from non English-speaking backgrounds enrolled in intensive Enghish language courses at one

of four different language centers in Australia and New Zealand Progress is

gauged in terms of scure gains on the acudensic module of the TELTS which was

administered at the beginning and ond of a 10-12 week period of intensive English

language instruction Pre- and post-study questionnaires were given to all participating students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a small

number of students and some administrators and teacher at each of the participating

institutions Data were analyved using both quantilative and qualitative methods

The sludy found a significant improvement in English language proficiency, with students on average inereasing their TELTS store by half'a band They found thal

the improvement was greatest on the Listening subtest, and gains werc likely to be

pteater for students with low initial English language proficiency They also discovered that a range of personal, instructional and environmental factors were

linked to these improved scores, but that these factors varied from ane language skill to another However, Elder and O’Loughlin (2003) suggest the need for

caution in interpreting these results, as these studies are measuring average gains,

and individnal performance is highly variable

instructions were focused on teaching listening skills in general and on the TORFT

iBT listening test in particular For the participants in the TOEFL group, the training

for the TOEFL iBT listening test ran for approximately 3 hours every other day and lasted tor 2 weeks The English language proficiency of the TOEFL preparation group ranged fiom 35 to 50 on the TOEFL iBT with the reading sub-band from 10

to 31 The tine allocated for the grepaation of the two groups and the level-niT of their average scores were closely serufinized so thal the two groups would be as rch the same as possible The students from the two test preparation groups took

both the IELTS and the iBT TOEFL listening tests at the beginning and end of the

courses, The research tindings reveal that the etfect of test preparation can be seen

more evident on the performance of the IELTS listening test than on that of the

‘TOEEL iBT listening test Specifically, the IELTS preparation group significantly outperformed the TOEFL preparation group on the IEL'I'S listening test In contrast, the TOLI'L preparation group performed better than the IGLT'S preparation group

on the TORFT iBT listening test, but the difference was not significant

As reviewed above,

the majority of those aforementioned studies focus on

fest preparation courses which Jast a couple of months; hows they indicate

different cffect levels of language test preparation on test scores Therefore, it is likely that time of preparation programs has httle impact on test performance Rather, the reasons accounting for this disorepancy include the kinds of tests and/or test formats, the sample sizes, the background cultures, and the language proficiency Ie

1s of the studies” participants

IL The TOEIC test

Trew (2008) points out that the Test of English for International Communication, or TOEIC is used as a way of measuring the communicative ability of business people It covers the vocabulary and situations business people encounter when using English all over the world The typical test is composed of two papers, ie the Listening and Reading Test, and the Speaking and Writing Test

Due to its popularity in Vichmm, flús síudy is focused ơn the Listening wd Reading

The TOEIC test’s history and components can be seen in the table below

‘The TOEIC Listening and Reading Test 1978 [1372 ] 2006 | Present

both recorded and written questions in Ỷ Ỷ Part 3 and Dan 4

‘eiror recognition questions in Part 6 Ỷ Ỷ

text completion questions in Part 6 Ỷ

"donble-passage” questions in Part 7 ! a

TOEIC scores range from 10 to 990 and there is no pass or fail mark The

score test-lakers receive for the Listening Compreheusion section is added to the

score Muy reccive from the Reading section Orily their creel responses ars

counted towaril the final score

Firsl, the lestelaking skills hai tesi-takers are adviscd Lo master include: (i) familiarity with the test format, instructions and question types; (ii) good time management, (iii) efficiency of information processing, and (iv) awareness of features that can make incomect answer choices attractive

Apart from the test-taking skills, test takers need to have adequate linguistic skills for good performance in the TORIC Issi, which consist of ( vocdbulary and grammatical understanding: Gi) Gamiliarity with different native speaking: ucesnts; Gad awareness of English comnceted specch and (iv) understanding language in use (conversational English)

In addition to the overall linguistic and test-taking strategies mentioned above, according to Kanistra & Kollias (2008) TOEIC test takers should keep in mind the following part-specific techniques:

© In part 1- Photographs, the tactics include looking at and answering questions about the photos before listening, marking the answers on the answer sheet upon listening and eliminating distracters

» In order to answer as many questions in par 2 - Question — Response as possible, students should first try Lo identify question types and predict the possible answers before they listen to the responses, Furthermore, they should

be aware of distracters and avoid them when doing this part

© Part 3 — Conversations and Part 4 - Talks reqnire students to skim the questions and answer choices paying altention lo the key words before they listen, When listening to the audio, students should keep their eyes on the key words in the question stem and answer choices Finaily, students should mark the correel answer choice as quickly as hey hear it

For tackling the gnestions in Part § — Incomplete Sentences and in

Part 6 — Text Completion, test takers shauld he well aware of the common question types as each type requires different techniques They are also advised to use the 2- pass method and strictly follow the advice on time management

© Some key lechniques to deal with pat 7 Reading Comprehension are as follows Initially, students should spend at least 40 sniautes on this part Also,

they are advised to read the questions first and then use the appropriate skills and sub-skills to answer the questions Some other reading skills include using key wards to locate the relevant parts of the text and trying to guess unknown words

fom context

Those skills and techniques stated above are considered essential for good TOEIC test pertovmance; therefore, they should be included in any TOEIC preparation course

SUMMARY

In this chapier, the researcher has described elaborately the various aspects

of test preparation More importantly, the researcher has reviewed what related studies say aboul the discussed aspects, which is hoped lo provide a nnileslone

background for the discussion of the collected data,

CHAPTER 2: METIIODOLOGV

This chapter presents the context of the study and the rescarch methodology

of the study,

1, Context of the study

‘The study was conducted at ‘TiengAnh 123 English center which offers

training in a variety of English courses, The researcher surveyed

ners who 2

studying in TORIC A classes which require participants lo gain scores cypiivalent to

between 250 and 300 puints in the 990-point scale of TORIC in the placement test The Icamers arc mainly university students along with some cmployces in several

companies in Hanoi They voluntarily pay tuition fee to take the course The outstanding advantage of the target training is the keen interest of these leamers m

English Most of them are very studious and purposeful in studying the TOKIC

course because they want to meet the graduation requirement set by their

educational institutions or the application requirement set by their potential future employers

Fach TORIC A coursc lasts two months, with throes 90-minute lessons every

week Like any other preparation programs, these learners recive tuition in Ue

format of the TOEIC test, and frequent practice of the relevant skills to be tested

‘The course employs a number of commercial TOEIC test preparation books by

well-known publishers such as Oxford, Longman, and Cambridge Apart from the preparation activities in class, the learners are required to complete a huge amount

core oF al least 400

of practice exercises al howe The course guarantees a posl fe:

points to cach Iearncr, if not, they will be offered another similar course free of

charge if they wish to

2, Methedulapy

2.1, Research questions

‘The study is to find answers to the following research questions

d Te what extent do learners improve their TOEIC test-taking strategies

after attending YOBIC preparation classes at ViengAnh123 English center?

2 To what extent do learners improve their TORIC scores after atiending

TORIC preparation classes at TiengAnh 123 English center?

To fulfill the research aims and objectives, sample TOEIC pre and post tests

and leamers’ survey questionnaires are respectively carried out during the study procedure Following is the detailed procedures of collecting data through these

research instruments

2.2 Participants

A TORIC A preparation course at TiengAnh!23 usually consists of Uhres classes (one in the morning and two in the evening) The subject of this study

involved 43 teamers from all three classes of a course They come from different

parts of the country and are at the age of between 18 and 26 Most of them are studying at college/university while the rest is working or looking for a job

2.3 Instruments

In this study, qualitative data was collected with the use of leamers’ survey questionnaire for il provides space for respondents? thoughts, aud approaches Tn arldition, the scares of the pre-tasis and post-lesis were used as they provided a

quick and casy way of looking af the improvernents made by TOEIC leamers

The TOEIC pre-test and post test

The aim of the pre-test is to identify leamers” level of English before they

were enrolled in the course The post test is to decide how much the learners have

improved their [OEIC scores after a direct preparation program Because using

practice tests in commercialized test preparation books would make it difficult to correctly measure leamers’ Lnglish level or improvements, the researcher decided

to use the two TOEIC practice tests which were designed by TicngAnhl 23 English teachers The format and level of difficulty of these two practice tests are closely

similar to those of an official TOEIC test These two tests are enclosed in Appendix

A and Appendix B respectively.

The survey questionnaire for learners

The aim of this survey is to cxplore the learners’ improvements in their TOEIC test-taking strategies, (The questionnaire is attached in Appendix C.)

The questionnaire was designed with two main parts including 7 questions Part one consists of six questions regarding the leamers’ general information which includes their gender, age, working/study stalus, years of studying Tinglish, and pre- and post-test seuros To answer these questions, Icamers ticked the most

itm

approximate boxes or wrole in the given blanks Pal two comprises que:

number 7 which investigates the improvements that lcamers have made after the course in tems of general and specific test-taking strategies, This question was written using a 5-point Likert seale (1— Always or almost always not true of me, 2- Usually not true of me, 3= Somewhat true of me, 4= Usually true of me, and S= Always or almost always true of me), Leamers answered this question by ticking the column which most reflected their thoughts ‘The questionnaire was conducted in English as these leamers’ level of English is good snongh to understand all the questions property Il was adiainistored ator the luarners gol their post test scores al the ond of the course

2.4, Procedures of data collection

The survey was conducted by the researcher herself During the procedure of

data collection, 43 copies of the questionnaire are administered to leamers of three

TOIIC A classes at TiengAnh 123 ‘The researcher went to all of the classes and instructed the Iearners how fo answer questions in the questionturires, Although the

survey questionnaire is wrilten in English, explanation was ubilized when necessary

so thal the leamers could understand the questions properly ‘The survey questionnaire papers were collected right after the learners had finished them

2.5, Procedures of data analysis

There were actually 43 survey questionnaires administered to the participants, among them 38 were retuned but 7 contained many missing items and

20

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS This chapter presents the results from and the interpretation of the data collected from the questionnawes Specifically, the presentation will deal with leamers’ personal information, an analysis of learners’ pre- and post test scores, and leamers’ improvements on TUEIL test-taking strategies

1 Learners’ personal information

Aspeels of learners” persons] information provided arc indicated in Figures

1.1 - 1.3 (relating fo Questions 1 te 4 of the questionaire)

Figure 1.2: Learners’ age

Figure 1.2 shows that nearly half of the learners are at the age of 18-21 years old while around a third of them are between 22 and 24 The smallest portion indludes those who are 25 years old or older with just nearly 20.0

22

Figure 1.3: Learners’ current status

According to figure 1.3, the majority of learners are those who are studying

at college/university with 70.97 The second largest group (19.35) consists of those

who are currently working People who are looking for a job comprise the smallest

learning English Specifically, about half of them has been studying English for 8-

10 years, while approximately a third of them has been spending 4-7 years learning English Nearly a sixth has been an English language learner for more than a

decade

In summary, the above information has analyzed the learners’ general information including their genders, age, current status, and their years of learning

English.

2, Results addressing research question 1: Improvements on TOEIC

test-taking strategies

Question number 7 in the questonnaire explores the leamers’ knowledge and usage of TOEIC general and specific test-taking strategies, both before and after taking the course so as to answer research question 1 ‘This question was written usi ga S-poinl Likert scale with 1= Always or almost always nol trus of me 2=

Usually not uc of me, 3= Somewhat te of me, 4= Usually true of me, and S=

Always or almost always truc of me To answer tis question, te learners chose the answer which most reflected their thoughts

The responses to this question will be presented and analyzed in the sub- sections 2.1 and 2.2, as follows

3.1 Improvements on TOEIC general test-taking strategies

Table 2.1 presents the responses received from the questionnaire regarding the learners” knowledge of TORIC general test-taking strategies prior lo (he course

2 | time to spend on each part of the test 80.68 | 19.35 | 0 0 ọ

3_| identifying main idea questions 6574 |2248 |9.68 0 ¢

6 | identifying similar-sounding distracters 8387 | 16.13 |0 0 e

@ | avoiding distracters in the test 8387 [T615 [0 0 °

9 —_ | guessing when I don’t know the answer 32.26 | 38.71 | 1935 9.68 0

T_| working quickly bat carefully 32.26 | 29.03 [1618 I2W 968 T1_[ marking omly one answer per question 2581 [22.58 [1613 1938 16.13

12 nạ te only one answer for all the questions [3226 | 2581 [1290 1613 12.90

đơn" know the exact answers

Table 3.1: Learners’ responses 10 question of lmowledge of TOHIC general test-taking

strategies before the cowrse

24

Table 2.2 below displays the learners’ responses

knowledge of TOEIC genctal test-taking strategies after taking the course

towards the question of

60 |e) | Od (5g) (8)

[Aime to spend on each part of the test 0 9 290 7581 4516

3 | identifying main idea questions 6 a 1903 3871 32.26

4 | identifying detail questions 0 9 3326 3596 3548

5 | idenlifying vocebulary questions ọ 9 2803 3871 32/26

6 —_ | iđentffying simila-soanding distracters 9 4 1903 4LM 2903

7 | identifying meaning distracters 9 a 3871 3RTI 2258

& | avoiding distracters in the tet 9 a 1136 7148

9 | gmessing when I don't know the answer 9 a 3236 29.05

10 | working quickly but carefully o a 22.58 3821

TL | marking only one answer per question 9 a 2258 3226

TẢ | sticking to onfy one answer for all the questions I | 0 a 29.03 29.03

don't know the exact answers

Table 2.2: Learners’ responses to question of mowledge of TOLIC general test-taking

strategies afer the course

As reported in table 2.1 and table 2.2, there is a

of mc” 3 (Semewhat truc of ms) is now roscaed as 2 which represents “Somewhat tme of me”, 4 (Usually true of we) and 5 (Always or almost always tus of'me) ars now rescaled as 3 which represents “Usually true of mc” The leamers’ mastery of TOEIC general test-taking strategies after rescaling the original scale is presented in table 2.3 and 2.4 below

25

2— |fimelospendna each part of the tert wo [9 a

3 | identifying main idea questions 932 [988 |0

4 | identifying detail questions 8m1 [129 Jo

3 | identilying vocabulary questions e71 [i929 [0

6 _| identifying similar-sounding distracters 10p |0 0

7 [identifying meaning distracters noo a

% | avoiding distracters in the (est tp [0 a

9 | guessing when Tdon’t know the answer 7097 | 19.35 [9.88 10_| werking quekty but carefully 61.29 | 16.13 | 22.58 1T | marking ooly one anewer per question 4839 [1613 | 35.48

12 | sticking to only one answer for all the questionsI | 28.07 | 12.9 | 29.03

don’t Inow the exact answers

Table 2.3: Mastery of TORIC general test-taking strategies before the course

Based on table 2.3 and the new scale, it ean be said that, in general, the learners were not aware of TORIC general test-taking stralegies before takityy the

course In detail, 100% of the leamners were not aware of the ammount of time they

should spend on cach part of the test, Ihe way of identifying simnilar-sounding

distracters, meaning distracters and avoiding distractcrs in the test Around 90% of

the learners were not aware of the way to identify main idea questions and the

temaining was little aware, the test instructions and how to identify detail and

vocabulary questions Those who were not aware that they should guess when they

did nol know the answer accounted for 70.97% Aboul 50-60% of the leammers did

nol know that they should work quickly but carefully, mark on: answer per

question, und slick lo only onc option for all the questions they do not know their

correct answers

26

2 | time fo spend on cach part of the test 0 | 2903| T69?

3 fying main idea questions 0 | 29.03 | 70.97

5 ing, vocabulary questions 5 | 2903 | 70.97

6 | identifying similar-sounding distracters 9 | 2903 | 7087

7 | identifying meaning distracters 0 |3871| 629

B | avoiding distracters in the test 96 |iã2£| e774

9 | guessing when I don’t know the amewer 0 | 32.26 | 67.74

10 | working quickty bat carefully o | 2258 | a2

11 | marking only one answer per question 0 | 2258 | 7742

12 | sticking to only one answer for all the questions | 0 | 29.03 | 70.97

don't now the exact answers

Table 2.4: Masery of TORIC general test-taking strategies after the course

Table 2.4 and the new scale indicate that all TOEIC general test-taking strategies were mastered by the leamers after the course because 0% of the leamers did not know any strategy Ihe most mastered strategies were the strategies of working quickly but carefully, and marking only one answer pet question with neatly 80% of the Iewmers being usually aware of Aboul 60-70% of the leamers responded that they usually know the strategies of understanding tast instructions, time management on each part, identifying main idea questions, identifying detail questions, identifying vocabulary questions, identifying similarsoumding distracters, identifying meaning distracters, avoiding distracters in the test, guessing when the correct answer is not obvious, and sticking to ane option when the correct answer is not obvious

2.2, Improvements on TOLIC specitic test-taking strategies

‘This section will analyze the data lo find ont the improvernonts Gf any) of the

TORIC learners in the usage af TORIC specific test-taking strategivs

The Icamers’ raw responses to the question regarding mastery of TOEIC specific test-taking strategies before the course is presented in table 2.5 below

kẻ “a

Pat |_| - Before listening, ideatify all words about photos wen 38.71 [120 [ses [oO

~Belorc fistoning, seli-ask mad sell-mswer questions ao was [T613 [645 [2 about photos quickly

- While listening, avoid similar-sounding distraclers 4616 4191 |1390 a

- While listening, avoid meaning distracters 416 4194 | 1290 0

~ Only mark answers after Bisteuing tn 4 choices Bis T871 [164i [0 q Yad2 | -Belore listening, check part 1 answers quickly again 38 TRỢ [25B [0 a

~ Before listening, preview quickly port 3 aM 86 |4 |0 #

~ While-listening, focus on audio & answer sheel only His 2158 | 3226 7

- While-listening, identify question types 4830 2903 | 22.58 ụ

~ While listening, take notes of question words Hie 3226 [BSS |0 #

~ While listening, avoid somils-sơundfng rồstraclers Towa | Tae a 7

= Only mark answers aller fisening lo 2 chơïces 1516 eA [T613 | a v Pat 3 | -Before listening, look at questions and answer choices 6142 19.5 | 1613 | 0 v

ma [attilly

~ Before listening, predict context 5120 183f [154 [1 t Pats = Whileistening, avoid similarsounding distractere ast Mới [3E [0 a

= Whilesistenius, avoid meaning distractera MỚI is [T613 |3 ?

~ While-fistoning, mark answers quickly Bis As | as [oO ữ Pat5 | -8pendnemere tham 20 seconds per question ou partS 8665 1931 |0 e 0

má — | - Spend around 10 minutes oa part 6 714 248 [0 7 ữ

Đang | TInPxt6,readmorehan ene sentencetofind the answer 7449 2249 |343 |0 o

when nepeesary'

= Use context for word choice questions set mss [sas [3ar |e

- Use grammar clues for word choice questions sim 23581 |16is | 6as fo

~Took af suffixes for word form questions we 3871 [358 [0 #

~Laok for lime eines for ver’: questions MỚI 126 |194% |968 |9 Pat? | Spend af least 45 orinntes on this part Hới 2581| l6l3| 333

~ Read questions carefully and identify key words before

~dentify casicr questions and đo them first

36871 3236| 1935| 9.08

~ Use skimming skill for main idea questions 7H 2s › °

~ Tse scanning sell for datail questions Em 7 @

~ Use coatel clues for vocabulary questions

Table 2.6 bdow grosenls the Ïewmmers' raw respons

regarding mastery of TOEIC specific test-taking strategics aftcr the course

~ Before listening, sclt-ask and self-answer questions about photoz quickly | 0 |0 22.88 [38.71 | 3071

= While fistening, avoid sumilar-sounding distracters 0 |0 Bsa [reas [Aras

= While fistening, avoid meaning distracters o [0 203 | 3871 | 32.26

= Gly mark anewern after litening to 4 choices 0 Í0 3226 | 322s ase Part? | - Before listening, check part L answers quickly again 5 [0 2583324 |4EM

- Before listening, preview quickly part 3 9 la 3226 | 29.08 | 38.71

= While-listening, focus om andin & answer sheel only 06 |O 3548|2581|3871

~ While-listcning, adenlify question (ype: ° |0 29.03 | 2903 [4134

- While-listening, take notes of question words 6 la 29.93 | 32.26 | 38.71

= While listening, avoid sunilar-sounding distracters 1613 [38.71 | 4516

= While-listening, avoid meaning distracters 2358 | 3226 | ae

- Only mark answers after listening to 3 choices 6 la 32.26 | 32.26 | 35.48 Part3_ | - Before listening, look at questions and answer choices quickly 0 [0 B56) asas [aise

md — [Beltre listening, predict context © [0 2581 [3548 [3871 Part-4 | - While-listening, avoid similar-sounding distracters 0 |a 1936 |3821 |4194

- While-listening, avoid meaning distracters 0 |o 1936 | 38.71 | sna

= While-listening, mark answers qnickly 0 |0 2581 | 3226 [asa Part5 | -Spendne more than 30 seconds per question on part 4 o |0 ãi [387 |218 and | - Spend around 16 minutes om part 6 9 |a 1936 |3821 |4194 Part 6 | ~Iapart6,read more than one sentence ta findthe answerwhenneresay |0 |? 2881 | 3848 [38.71

~ Use coalext for word choice questions 0 |0 H4W|4L941|3148

~ Use grammar clues Tor ward choice questions 0 |e 1938 [aan | asa

= Look at suffixes for word form questions o [0 isis | 3226 [Sia

= Look Lor hime clues for verb quesiions 1 |0 Mãi [2581 |T835 Part? | - Spend at least 43 minutes on thie part o [0 308 | 3226 [38-71

~ Read questions carefully and identify key words hefore reading texts 0 |0 258 | 4838 [29.03

~ Identify easier questions and do (hem firsl 0 [0 H58 | 116 [3126

~ Use skimming skill for main idea questions 10 |0 Te

= Use scanning skill for detail questions o [0 HãI | 4839 | 2581

~ Use coalex( clues for vocabulary questions o [0 203 | AL94 | 29.43

Tahia 2.0: Fearne

answering the question regarding their msage of TORIC specific test-taking

sponses tes question ay tnenwladiga of TORIC speiry asi taking straingues after tha conrse

‘Table 2.5 and table 2.6 show that there are more leamers choosing 1-3 when

sintegics before the course, and 3-5 aller the course As a 1esulL, [te origiral scaÏs will be rescaled Accordingly, 1 (Always or almost always not truc of mc) and 2 (Usually not true of me) are rescaled as | which represents “Usually not true of me”, 3 (Somewhat true of me) is now rescaled as 2 which represents “Somewhat true of me”, 4 (Usually true of me) and 5 (Always or almost always trus of me) are now rescaled as 3 which represents “Usually tme of me” The learners” mastery of TORIC specific tust-wking strategios aller the original suale is rescaled is prosonted

in table 2.7 and 2.8 below

G2 |00 | G0 Part 1 | ~Before lidiening.iđenHify all words about photos 243 | 1290 | 9.68

~Before listening, self-ask and celfanswer questions 7142 [1633 | 648 ahout phatas quickly

= While listening, avoid similar distasters 1780

— While litening, avoid meaning distracters 1780

~ Only mark answers aiter listsning to 4 choices 5487 | 1613 | a Part 2 | =Before listening, check part | answers quickly again mis [ae |e

Before listening, preview quickly part 3 2097 | 2003 | a

= While-Tistening, focus on audio & anewer cheet only 67.74 _| 3226

— While listening, identify question types Taz [2188

— While-Tistening, take notes of question words 5145 [3158 |

= While-Tistening, avoid cimilar-sonnding distracters 13 [0 -While-listening, avoid meaning distracters sanz | 61s | o

= Oniy mark answers after listening to 3 choices B387 | 1613 |0 Part 3_ | Before listening, look at questions and answer choices @.87 [1633 | 6

quickly

and ~ Refore lidening, predict context S06 | 935 [Oo

Part 4 —"While listening, avoid simllar-sounding Gistractors wat [T94 [3

= While-fistening, aveid meaning đìstractcrs wa [ie |e

= WhileTisteoing, maik answers quickly Bất |183f [0 Tan5 |-8penẻnomuelhan30secondrperqucliononpadl5 I0 |0 °

amd | ~Spend around 10 minutes on past 6 io J9 °

Đang | Ihpmt6,rradmeethmonesenlencelolmdlheanvwe 9677 [32% | a

when neecssary -Use contest for word choice questions 7742 | 19.38 | 323

—Tae grammar chies for ward choice questionr 1611 [648

~Look at suffixes for word form questions KG L.ấU

~Taak far tine elues for verh que: 7Os7 [163E | S68

30

Part? | - Spend at least 45 minutes on this part gost | 1613 | 3.23

~Read questions carefully and identify key words before 7097 [1935 [968 teading texte

~Identify casicr queshions and do ber fart 7887 | as | oe

~ Use skimming, skill Tor main idea questions 108 [0 7

= Tse scanning skill for detail questions 180 [0 7

~ Tse context cluca for vocabulary questions was [eas [8

Table 2.7: Mastery of TORIC specific test-taking strategies before the course

According to table 2.7 and the new scalz, it can be seen that before the

the TORIC Ta yors did not usually 0 the given TOFIC spi

in part 1 and part 2, previewing qnickly questions

and answer choices before Listening, predicting cuntext before listening, marking

answers quickly while listening in part 3 and part 4; and time management in part 7 were not usually used by more than 80% of the learners The remaining, strategies including identifying all words about photos and seli-ask and self-answer questions about photos quickly before listening in part 1; checking part 1 answers quickly again and previewing quickly part 3 before listening, focusing an audio and answer sheet only, identifying question types, and taking notes of question words while istoning were nol usually used hy more than 60%-more than 70% of the keamers

31

ĐatI - Before listening, idemtify all words about photos 0 16.13 | 8387

~ Reefare listening, self-ask and self answer questions abont photos quickly BES | 772

= While listening, avoid similar-sounding distracters Bae | ae

= While listening, avoid meaning distracters 25m | T857

= Only mark answers after listening to 1 choices °— 3836| 6774 Part 2 -Refore listening, check part | answers quickly again 0 Base | 7742

~ Belure istening, preview quickly part 3 5 "lân |#P

= While-listening, focus on audio & answer sheet only 9 3548 |64192

~ While-lislemng, identify question types 0 03 | 7097

~ While-listening, take notes of question words ow | 7007

= While-Tistening, avoid similarsounding distractere 1613 | 8387

= While-lislening, avaid meaning distracters 118 |T742

- Only mark answers after listening to 3 choices 0 sas | onz4 Pat3 - Before listening, look at questions and answer ch 0 mse | ae

Pat4 ` ~Wbile-ldening, avnid simiimr-somdng distracters °— T836 | 8064

~ While-lsleang, avord meaning dislrecters 1 T836 |88đ1

= While-listening, mark answers quickly 0 58 | 7305 Part 5 -Spenduno move than a0 seconds per question on part 5 9 2581 |7318

Pwt6 = In past 6,read more than one sentence to find the answer when necessary [© 2581 | 73.19

= Use context for word choice questions 0 masa | Faz

~ Use grammar clues for word cheiec questions T1956 | Smt

~ Cook at autfixes for word form questions 0 163 | e387

= Tonk for time clues for verb mpestions 0 258i | 7319 Pat? _- Spoud at least 45 minutes on this part °— A1 | 7097

= Read questions carefully and identify key worde before reading texts 0 mse | Faz

= [dentify easier questions and do them first 0 ae | 772

= Use skimming dill for main idea.qwestions 9 2890| 7097

~ Ose scanning skill for detail questions 0 asm | 709

= Use context clues for vocabulary questions 1 BẠN | TĐST

Table 2.8: Mastery of TORIC specific test-taking strategies afier the course

The new scale and table 2.8 suggest that im general the learners usually used the suggested TOEIC specific test-taking strategies, The most usually used strategies include those of identifying all words about photos in part

32

similar-sounding distracters while listening in part 2, avoiding similar-sounding and

avoiding