000038796 applying questioning the author strategy to improve elementary students motivation in esp reading lessons at college of transport an action research
B a c k g r o u n d t o t h e s t u d y
At C ollege o f Transport (C oT), the textbook E nglish f o r C ivil E ngineering w ritten by
Nguyen Thi Hang and Thai Thi Thanh Long (2004) are used to teach English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to elementary students in the Department of Construction English for Civil Engineering is taught immediately after students complete a 120-period General English (GE) course, using the Headway Elementary series.
Liz & John Soars (1993) observe that after completing the GE course, students’ proficiency across speaking, listening, reading, and writing remains relatively low While they can comprehend basic vocabulary and simple sentences, their overall language level is still elementary.
English for Civil Engineering is a 12-unit course taught over 75 periods, designed to equip students with essential vocabulary, terminology, and foundational grammatical structures relevant to the construction industry By course end, learners will be able to understand a limited range of civil engineering terms and vocabulary, and to read, analyze, and interpret written texts in the construction field using simple and compound sentences, basic grammar, some figurative language, and visual supports.
ESP, or English for Specific Purposes, differs from General English in its text types, language features, authorship, and aims Dudley-Evans and St John (1998, pp 4–5) outline several absolute and variable characteristics that distinguish ESP from GE Among the absolute characteristics, language elements are more specialized, equipping learners to explain, interpret, and describe terms and related processes more effectively.
The content of GE (General English) and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) textbooks is another important factor to consider GE textbooks offer global and holistic coverage of topics, providing broad language foundations, while ESP curricula are more specialized, focusing on field-specific language skills and tasks tailored to particular disciplines ESP texts are therefore more targeted for exam preparation and real-world use in specific contexts This contrast between general English and English for specific purposes shapes how learners acquire language and how courses align with their goals.
C ivil Engineering at C oT are civil engineering based In general, the ESP syllabus gives priority to the ability to read and com prehend technical m aterials in English (N oordin
In GE textbooks, skill integration enables teachers to cover a cluster of four skills across several lessons (Birdal, Cincioglu, Kocikoglu, Catalbas & Can, 2003), whereas the ESP syllabus emphasizes the development of students’ reading skills.
Based on the differences discussed above, low-level students often face significant difficulties when transitioning from General English (GE) to English for Specific Purposes (ESP) When teachers, particularly those with less experience, lack appropriate teaching methods, lessons can give rise to multiple problems, including deficits in reading comprehension and lower learning motivation.
At the College of Transport, a researcher’s own teaching experience and discussions with fellow department teachers revealed that students’ motivation in ESP reading lessons is very low Teachers often report passive classes, with students displaying negative attitudes toward reading, being unresponsive, and avoiding interaction with the teacher and with their peers Some students ignore in-class activities, do other tasks during lessons, or even skip the class This persistent lack of motivation in ESP reading has been a serious, unsolved problem.
From w hat have been discussed, the researcher’s com prehensive know ledge, and her teaching experience, the researcher o f this study felt it urgent to apply a new m ethod
A fter studying m any teaching m ethods, the researcher cam e to an assum ption that
‘'Q uestioning the A uthor” (Q tA ) strategy m ay help im prove the students’ m otivation in
ESP reading classes at COT were implemented because QtA has demonstrated success in several countries, as detailed in 2.2.5 Previous studies Accordingly, this study was conducted to examine the assumption that QtA’s effectiveness in those contexts would transfer to ESP reading instruction at COT, with the aim of evaluating whether adopting QtA can improve ESP learners' reading outcomes and identifying the conditions that influence its effectiveness for curriculum design and teaching practice.
Typically, each ESP unit was taught over six periods, with the first three devoted to the unit’s grammatical structures and the remaining three dedicated to reading In the reading lessons, instruction followed the classic three-stage reading model—pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading Specifically, during the three reading sessions, the initial period was used to check homework and conduct pre-reading activities; the next sixty minutes were devoted to while-reading, during which QTA was applied; and the final thirty minutes were reserved for post-reading activities and homework.
A i m s o f t h e s t u d y
This study aims to identify effective strategies to improve elementary students' motivation in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) classes in the Department of Construction at the College of Technology (CoT) and to answer the research questions regarding what motivates young learners and which instructional approaches most successfully boost motivation in construction-focused ESP instruction.
1 W hat are th e causes o f stu den ts ’ low m otivation in E S P reading?
2 W hat sh o u ld be done to im prove stu den ts' m otivation?
According to the initial data in Chapter 4, students’ low motivation results from the demanding nature of the texts, poor reading habits, and the teacher’s inappropriate teaching methods (see details in Section 4.1) The hypothesis outlined in Chapter 4 indicates that QtA may help address these problems Therefore, the key question is how QtA can effectively mitigate these factors and improve student engagement and reading outcomes.
C an QtA strategy solve th e p ro b lem s o f stu d e n ts’ lo w m otivation ? H o w su ccessfu l it
S c o p e a n d s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e s t u d y
Student motivation in ESP classes is a common concern among English teachers at CoT and may be affected by multiple factors, which a new teaching method could help address Research has drawn attention to the factors that influence motivation, with studies examining cultural background, effort, desire, and language aptitude This small-scale study focuses specifically on elementary students’ motivation in ESP classes within the Department of Construction at CoT, and, due to time and budget constraints, limits itself to analyzing three elements—the students, the teacher, and the materials—based on observations in the author’s own class.
The thesis consists o f five chapters, organized as follows:
C hapter 1 - In tro d u c tio n - provides inform ation about the background to the study, the aim s an d overview o f the study.
Chapter 2: Literature Review presents the theoretical background of motivation in second language (L2) learning and introduces the Questioning the Author (QtA) strategy The review defines motivation in L2 learning, examines its roles in learner engagement and achievement, and identifies factors that affect students’ motivation in L2 contexts It also provides information about QtA, including its definition, advantages, rationale for using QtA, the QtA model, and a synthesis of previous studies related to QtA.
Chapter 3, The Methodology, describes the research design, the data collection instruments used, and the procedures followed in the study It also provides detailed information about the participants, including selection criteria, sampling methods, and participant demographics, as well as the step-by-step data collection and management procedures to ensure rigor and replicability.
Chapter 4: The Results analyzes the preliminary findings that shape the study’s hypothesis A concrete action plan is developed and implemented, and systematic data collection follows to monitor changes over time The collected data are analyzed to evaluate the action plan’s effectiveness and determine the study’s overall outcomes.
Chapter 5, Conclusion and Recommendations, summarizes the action research and its potential to improve students’ motivation in ESP reading at the Department of Construction, CoT It also details the study’s limitations and provides recommendations for future study to extend and sharpen motivational gains in ESP reading These findings offer practical guidance for educators and researchers seeking to boost engagement and achievement in ESP reading within CoT’s Department of Construction.
This chapter provides a theoretical background of motivation in L2 learning, outlining the definition of motivation, explaining the role motivation plays in second language acquisition, and identifying the main factors that influence learners’ motivation, while also including information about “Questioning the Author” and its relevance to understanding how readers engage with texts and the motivational processes involved in language learning.
2.1 T heoretical background o f m otivation in L2 learning
Motivation is widely recognized as one of the key factors behind successful language learning, and in recent years research has focused on understanding its nature and its role in the learning process At the same time, scholars note that there is no single definition of motivation, as different authors offer varying perspectives on what motivation means and how it affects language acquisition.
Lightbow n and Spada (1999) claim that “m otivation in L2 learning is a com plex phenom ena w hich can be defined in term s o f tw o factors: learners’ com m unicative needs and their attitudes tow ards the second language com m unity” (1999, p 56) If learners need to speak the second language in a w ide range o f social institutions or fulfill professional am bitions, they will perceive the com m unicative value o f L2 and w ill therefore be m otivated to acquire proficiency in it Likew ise, i f learners have favorable attitudes tow ards the speakers o f the language, they will desire m ore contact w ith them,
G ard n er (1982) describes L2 learning m otivation as a construct com posed o f three characteristics: the attitudes tow ards learning a language (affect); the desire to learn the language (w ant) and m otivational intensity (effort) A ccording to G ardner, a highly m otivated individual will w ant to leam the language, enjoy learning the language, and strive to leam the language T he G ardnerian theory o f L2 learning m otivation is based on the definition o f m otivation as “the extent to w hich the individual w orks o r strives to leam the language because o f a desire to do so and the satisfaction experienced in this activity" (G ardner, 1985).
Motivation, as defined by a 1981 perspective, is the response to the challenge of the activities or tasks conducted by teachers The challenge should align with students’ varying levels, since tasks that are too easy or too difficult diminish motivation When activities are challenging enough, students become more engaged, which leads to more effective learning.
For this study, m otivation is defined in the term s put forw ard by Crookes and Schm idt
Motivation in this study is defined as students’ interest and enthusiasm for the materials used in class, their persistence with the learning task as indicated by sustained attention or effort over an extended period, and their levels of concentration and enjoyment This definition was chosen because it directly relates to the teaching–learning process, helps translate motivation from an abstract term into measurable components, and is especially suitable for examining students’ interest, satisfaction, and concentration in ESP classes These aspects of motivation guide the design, adaptation, and selection of data collection instruments to capture information about learners’ motivation in the research.
Student motivation in English learning is a key factor, alongside the quality of the teacher's instruction The main takeaway is that positive attitudes and motivation are closely linked to success in second-language (L2) learning, as Gardner (1985) noted.
Carroll (1962) proposed that motivation predicts the amount of time a learner will invest in language learning She stated that the more motivation a learner has, the more time they will spend learning an aspect of a second language Thus, motivation shapes study effort and is connected to longer, more persistent engagement with language practice across different aspects of a second language.
Labonde (1982) concluded that motivation and attitudes are important factors that help determine the level of proficiency achieved by different learners The effects of motivation appear to be independent of aptitude, indicating that motivation can influence outcomes beyond raw ability Consequently, the most successful learners are those who combine talent with a high level of motivation for learning.
Beyond students' initial interest, when teachers care for and closely attend to students' motivation, learners become more satisfied with their learning experiences Emphasizing motivation helps foster a classroom climate that supports engagement and achievement Rivers (1983, pp 147-148) states that "motivation is the private domain of the learners," reminding us that intrinsic drive comes from within the student, even as teachers can shape it through encouragement, structure, and relevant learning tasks.