000028867 AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHING READING SKILLS TO THE SECOND - YEAR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC DẠY KỸ NĂNG ĐỌC CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ HAI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHỆ HÀ NỘI VÀ MỘT SỐ KIẾN NGHỊ ĐỂ PHÁT TRIỂN TÀI LIỆU
Scope of the S tu d y
This study investigates the development of reading skills among Vietnamese technical students enrolled in an engineering program The participants are second-year students at Hanoi University of Technology who are currently at a pre-intermediate level of English.
The study begins with an overview of reading skill theory and then examines how technical students at Hanoi University of Technology are commonly taught to read English, followed by an evaluation of the teaching techniques and English reading materials currently in use Through reviewing the second-year reading instruction at Hanoi University of Technology, the analysis identifies strengths and gaps in pedagogy and resources and offers practical suggestions for reading material development to enhance the effectiveness of English reading teaching for these students.
Then there are also some recommendations for selecting materials to teach reading comprehension to students of the second year at the HUT.
Enhancing the reading experience and adopting innovative ideas about material selection will prepare HUT’s second-year students for more effective reading in their third year, when they will tackle ESP materials tied to their engineering disciplines This approach supports targeted literacy development and helps students build the skills they need to engage with domain-specific texts in their future careers.
Aims of the Study
- Provide teachers o f reading with useful theory, teaching methods and principles based on new trends o f developm ents.
- Propose to teachers of reading at the Hanoi University of Technology the ways in which the teaching of reading skills may be improved.
- Make some suggestions for selecting materials to teach reading to the second-year students in the HUT and to provide them more motivation on learning English.
AN O VER VIEW OF READING SKILLS THEO RY
This chapter will consider some different views on the reading process in order to understand more clearly the nature of reading.
Reading is a receptive language process in which visual input plays a central role Harmer (1991) describes reading as an activity dominated by the eyes and the brain, with the eyes gathering messages from the written text and the brain working to interpret their meanings.
According to Nuttall (1982), reading is the way the reader gets the meaning from the written text Reading is described by Goodman (1971 :
135) as "a psycholinguistic process by which the reader, a language user, restructures, as best as he can a message which has been encoded by a writer as a graphic display".
Williams (1984 : 3) claims that the reader should know how to obtain meaning which he needs in order to understand written texts as they often contain more than we need.
Reading is best understood as the process of interpreting written text as a form of communication, where meaning emerges from the interaction between the writer’s message and the reader’s act of understanding This view highlights that reading involves reacting to the writer’s intent, with the reader bringing a purpose to comprehend and derive meaning In essence, comprehension arises where the reader’s goals meet the author’s communicative intent, making reading an active meaning‑making activity rather than a passive absorption of words.
What is Reading Comprehension ?
According to Grellet (1992) "Understanding a written text means extracting the required information from it as efficiently as possible".
Two illustrations make his view clear: scanning a notice board to find a specific flat advertisement and reading carefully an article in a scientific journal with special interest Each case requires a different reading strategy In the first case, a successful reader quickly discards irrelevant information and locates the desired ad In the second case, understanding the gist is not enough; detailed comprehension of the new information in the article is necessary Together these examples show that locating the relevant advertisement and understanding the new information in the article both fulfill the reader's intended reading purpose through appropriate reading strategies.
Reading P urpose
Daily reading is driven by interest: we pick up content hoping it will captivate us, or at least spark curiosity When you pick up a newspaper, you rarely read every article; you scan the headlines and choose to read only the pieces that look intriguing This selective reading—skimming headlines and focusing on what seems relevant—is a natural way people stay informed while prioritizing content that matters to them.
Sometimes, merely an interesting text doesn't compel someone to read it To operate a new machine for the first time, you need to read the instruction manual first so the device works as intended We turn to texts because they provide information we want or need to know.
Readers typically read with a clear purpose, driven by what they want to know, solve, or enjoy In other words, reading happens because there is a specific reason behind it.
Much of the current thinking on reading tends to focus primarily on the purpose of the activity; even if reading is done for pleasure it is still purposeful.
Williams (1984) classifies reading purposes into three types:
(a) Reading for general information from the text.
(b) Reading for specific information from the text
(c) Reading for pleasure or for interest.
Three other personal reasons for reading identified by Wallace (1988) are as follows : a.Reading for Survival
Reading in response to our environment can be described as reading for survival, because some reading is almost a matter of life and death, such as a motorist needing to obey a stop sign on the road Survival reading serves immediate needs or wishes, while reading for learning focuses on acquiring knowledge, developing skills, and building understanding over time.
Reading is a primary way to discover information and to expand our general knowledge of the world, and it also helps us revisit half-known facts or vaguely formed opinions rather than always seeking something new For example, a journalist writing about the environment may move between paragraphs to support, consolidate, and clarify ideas as the article develops Reading for pleasure is another vital aspect of how we engage with texts.
While reading for survival involves an immediate response to a situation and reading for learning is also goal - orientated, reading for pleasure is done for its own sake An important by - product of reading for pleasure in any language is fluency This can create a vicious circle Unless a reader gains fluency, that is speed and ease of reading, the reading of any material for whatever purpose is likely to be tidious.
Rivers and Temperley (1978-187) list some of the reasons that L2 students may need or want to read:
• To obtain information for some purpose or because we are curious about some topics.
• To obtain instructions on how to perform some tasks for our work or daily life.
• To keep in touch with friends by correspondence or to understand business letters.
• To know when or where something will take place or what is available.
• To know what is happening or has happened (as reported in newspapers, magazines, reports).
In short, reading as well as other language skills may be used to serve immediate needs, to learn from, or to give us pleasure in language for its own sake We have already looked at some of the purposes and reasons for reading Let us now consider some ideas on reading for specific purposes and different types of reading which we may wish to develop with our learners.
Reading for Specific P u rp ose s
Many students study English with a specific purpose, and terms such as English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) have become common ESP learning is typically tied to particular content areas like engineering or medicine, where mastery of subject-specific reading often matters more than proficiency in other language skills Learners want English not merely to know the language, but because English is the key to international technology and commerce In today’s world, societal development has opened a new era for nations worldwide, where people strive for peace and progress, and English remains the central tool for global communication, with ESP helping meet that demand by aligning language training with professional fields.
Many linguists argue that English varies across domains—from commerce to physics—and that ESP (English for Specific Purposes) should tailor instruction to the actual contexts learners will encounter By identifying the features of each use situation, ESP texts can center on learners’ specializations, such as English for business, English for banking, English for computing, English for electrical and electronic engineering, and English for mechanical engineering This domain-focused approach provides language tools aligned with learners’ needs, as different groups have distinct goals and interests Selecting authentic materials from the learners’ specialist areas helps them see the texts as relevant, boosting motivation and enabling faster, more effective mastery of the language.
Some linguists overlook tailoring text selection to match learners’ needs, instead focusing on the conceptual and communicative features of specialist texts that cross traditional subject boundaries Their interest centers on how ideas are conveyed across a range of topics, emphasizing the cross-disciplinary presentation of information rather than tailoring materials to individual learners.
Recent trends in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) converge on the idea that readers' strategies are broadly transferable across subject areas Rather than honing in on texts designed for a single purpose, the field now emphasizes the common features of all texts produced for formal academic contexts.
Types of Reading
According to Grellet (1992), there are four main styles of reading :
Skimming is the quick act of running one’s eyes over a text to grasp the gist, understand what the text is about, and get a sense of how it is organized, as well as the tone or the writer’s intent For example, when you skim a newspaper, you’re scanning to identify the main stories and overall structure without reading every word.
Skimming is a valuable reading technique for quickly reviewing material to decide if it warrants deeper investigation; it requires knowing where the most important information lives in a text and reading only those parts Because skimming relies on text structure, effective readers infer the topic from the title and any subheadings, recognize that the first and last paragraphs often contain background, summaries, or conclusions, and know where to find topic sentences Scanning supports these skills by helping readers locate specific details—facts, figures, dates, or keywords—without reading every word, making it possible to retrieve precise information rapidly.
Skimming is the quick review of a text to locate specific information, letting the eyes wander until the needed detail—such as a name, a date, or another item—appears, and it proves useful for reading a railway timetable, data gathering, rapid reviews, or judging whether a text merits further study A reader should fix a clear reading purpose, perhaps by formulating specific questions, so they can anticipate where the information will be found and in what form Guided by this purpose, rapid eye movements help identify clues like digits, proper names, discourse markers, and signal words, which support pattern recognition and faster navigation—skills that underpin extensive reading and efficient information processing.
Reading longer texts for personal enjoyment is a fluency activity that emphasizes global understanding, with examples such as novels and short stories This approach helps learners sustain comprehension over extended passages and supports students' home reading tasks, making it a valuable counterpart to more intensive forms of reading in a well-rounded language-learning program.
Reading for information means carefully and slowly reviewing text, checking it intermittently to extract specific details This approach is typically applied to shorter texts and emphasizes accuracy, making it an activity centered on reading for detail to obtain precise information.
Beyond the familiar reading types, Williams (1984) identifies an additional style called involuntary reading This occurs when readers have no conscious purpose for reading, such as when encountering a warning sign Although involuntary reading exists, this form is not particularly important for students.
Different types of reading are not mutually exclusive; readers frequently skim a passage to quickly grasp its overall meaning Based on this initial impression, they decide whether to scan for the specific information they are looking for.
Across the different reading styles, it becomes clear that various purposes require corresponding types of reading A central principle of teaching is to keep students’ own goals in view throughout the learning process Consequently, reading objectives should focus on developing skills that help learners consciously and effectively select the most appropriate technique for any reading task.
Skills of R eading
Reading involves a variety of skills.
- Recognizing the script of a language.
- Deducing the meaning and use of unfamiliar lexical items.
- Understanding information when not explicitly stated.
- Understanding the communicative value (function) of sentences and utterances.
- Understanding relations within the sentence.
- Understanding relations between the parts of a text through lexical cohesion devices.
- Understanding cohesion between parts of a text through grammatical cohesion devices.
- Interpreting text by going outside it.
- Identifying the main point or important information in a piece of discourse.
- Distinguishing the main idea from supporting details.
- Extracting salient points to summarize (the text, an idea etc).
- Selective extraction of relevant points from a text.
- Scanning to locate specifically required information.
- Transcoding information to diagrammatic display.
To develop reading comprehension skills, Grellet (1992) recommends a range of exercises—multiple-choice, matching, true/false, and answering questions Among these, questions are especially valuable because they serve two functions: they help clarify the organization of the passage and they assist learners in locating the key information within the text.
The questions can be about
- The function of the passage.
- The rhetorical organization (e.g : contrast, comparison).
- The cohesive devices (e.g : link - word)
- The intrasentential relations (e^g : derivation, morphology, hyponymy) b To Clarify the Contents o f the Passage
The above skills, question - types and question - functions should be related since a given exercise uses a certain type of question, with a certain function, to develop a particular skill.
Stages of R e ading
There are different theories of stages of reading development Rivers and Temperley (1978) suggest the following six stages:
Stage one : Introduction to reading.
Reading is an integrated part of language study, closely linked with other language skills such as listening, speaking, and writing, as well as with pronunciation and grammar This interconnected approach enhances overall language proficiency, helps learners understand how the language works, and provides exposure to the culture of its speakers.
At this stage, students should be trained to recognize meaningful segments of thought and to read in coherent word groupings The familiarity with structure and lexical items helps students relate segments of meaning to what has preceded and to keep all of this in their short-term memory while processing what follows In-class practice guided by the teacher should focus on techniques that require students to recombine known elements into new combinations, reinforcing reading comprehension and the ability to form coherent understanding from text.
Stage three : Acquiring reading techniques.
Students are introduced to written style and more complex sentence structure, building familiarity with how ideas are organized in written language Vocabulary remains largely within the familiar range, with a few unfamiliar words whose meanings can be inferred from illustrations, cognates, internationally adopted vocabulary, or the surrounding context At this stage, learners should rapidly detect meaningful groups of words and phrases, even when the exact lexical content isn’t clear, using context clues and linguistic patterns to support comprehension.
At this stage, students advance their reading by practicing a wider range of language skills Reading selections are authentic texts by English-speaking authors, carefully chosen to be accessible to learners at this level, with overly difficult or complex styles avoided to support steady language development.
At this stage, students can tackle a wide range of texts in their original form with confidence Reading becomes a deliberate technique, with language serving as both a vehicle and a model for understanding They learn to discuss not only what they read but also its implications, and they practice scanning for information while reading with careful attention They pursue topics of personal interest and prepare presentations to share what they have enjoyed with their fellow students.
Students should be encouraged to develop an independent reading program tailored to their unique interests, allowing them to explore books in special areas that captivate them They should feel free to approach the teacher to discuss what they have been reading, share their discoveries, and receive guidance on next steps This personalized approach strengthens motivation, deepens comprehension, and helps students build a lifelong love of reading by linking choices to their passions and goals.
These six stages aren't a fixed ladder of study; for some learners, we can pause at a stage or skip ahead through others to reach the stage that best fits their needs This flexibility underpins adaptive, personalized education, allowing a student-centered curriculum to pace learning so progression happens when the learner is ready and more time is devoted to challenging concepts as needed.
Reading and the T e x t
Reading is a multifaceted process that involves three elements—the reader, the text, and the writer In practice, greater emphasis is placed on the reader and their interaction with the text than on the writer The text remains the core of the reading process, serving as the vehicle through which the writer's message is transmitted to the reader.
Reading is an interactive process in which the reader engages in an exchange of ideas with the author through the text This means the reader must actively engage with the content, bringing interpretation, questions, and personal experience to the page In this dynamic communication, the text serves as a vehicle for ideas, enabling a meaningful dialogue that bridges author intention and reader understanding.
According to Nuttal (1982), the communication process begins with a writer who holds a message in mind, which is then encoded into text by selecting words that exist outside the writer's mind This text becomes accessible to the reader's mind, enabling the message to enter the reader's awareness and making effective communication possible.
Text readability varies due to multiple factors that affect readers, including syntactic complexity and cohesion Burman (1984) argues that syntactic difficulties are especially challenging for non-native English readers, and he emphasizes that problems with cohesive devices—particularly the links between sentences—are a major source of text difficulty.
Reading and Other Language S kills
Language skills rarely stand alone in daily life; they operate in concert through activities that connect listening and speaking with reading and writing Effective language learning emphasizes the integration of all four skills, with reading strengthening comprehension, vocabulary, and text structure while supporting listening and speaking This section explores the relationship between reading and the other language skills, showing how reading interacts with listening, speaking, and writing to enhance overall language proficiency.
Integrated reading and writing instruction combines comprehension with expression by having students read self-authored texts—such as letters, stories, or other compositions—and then use writing tasks as post-reading activities In this approach, learners may revise what they've written and are encouraged to create their own stories on themes similar to those they've read, strengthening both understanding and creative writing skills.
Students’ writing ability is partly shaped by their reading habits; by reading widely, they become familiar with how renowned English writers craft sentences, arguments, and styles, which in turn improves their own writing Writing is closely linked to rapid reading: as they expand their reading fluency, they can process texts more quickly and imitate effective writing patterns When students master the rules of academic writing, they can skim through informative material more efficiently and extract the precise facts they need for specific projects.
Effective reading instruction often combines reading with listening, writing, and speaking in purposeful activities Treat reading as a pre-listening task that primes students for comprehension: they read first, then listen to a worthwhile text or a dramatic presentation of the material they have read This multimodal approach reinforces understanding by linking the written text with its spoken form and provides opportunities to practice vocabulary, fluency, and critical thinking across modalities.
Reading for meaning and listening comprehension operate through parallel processes: we quickly recognize semantic elements and syntactic units, relate them to what we have in memory, and rapidly revise our expectations when later segments challenge those initial interpretations When students practice reading a text while listening to a taped model read in meaningful and expressive segments, they develop useful habits of identification that transfer across both reading and listening skills.
Post-reading speaking and writing activities give students frequent opportunities to discuss and reflect on the texts they've read After reading a text, learners should be encouraged to talk about their insights, prepare questions for classmates, discuss the content, and express their own ideas about the topic Some of the reading material can serve as the basis for oral presentations and project work.
Considering how reading relates to listening, speaking, vocabulary development, and writing, the evidence indicates that the best way to teach students to read more effectively is to teach reading in conjunction with these interconnected skills An integrated skills approach to reading instruction helps boost comprehension, fluency, and overall literacy by embedding decoding practice within meaningful language use and enabling students to apply reading strategies across speaking, listening, and writing tasks.
S u m m a ry 1
This chapter presents the most useful and essential reading-skill theories, equipping students and teachers with practical methods and techniques to improve how they read English materials.
In this chapter, we examine English language teaching and learning in general, with a special focus on reading skills at HUT We also discuss the difficulties science students encounter when studying reading.
CHAPTER THREE TEACHING READING ENGLISH
3.1 An Overview of the English Teaching in Vietnam
English was first introduced in Vietnam in 1954, but it did not become a formal subject in the secondary education system until the late 1970s Russian remained the dominant foreign language taught in schools until the introduction of the open policy, after which language teaching underwent major changes Since then, there have been notable reforms across many sectors, including education Recently, English has become a core subject in the secondary education curriculum and is compulsory for the school leaving examinations.
English education in Vietnam is not organized systematically across the country, with access to English and other foreign languages varying dramatically by region In major cities, English is taught in primary and secondary schools, while in many mountainous provinces students have little exposure to foreign language concepts As a result, when entering colleges and universities, first-year students bring uneven levels of English proficiency, a disparity that will be examined more clearly in the next section.
In higher education, students spend their first two years studying General English, a broad language curriculum that covers culture, literature, and everyday communication across all spheres of life This foundational program provides social knowledge before they progress to English for Specific Purposes (ESP), which is tailored to future job requirements and essential for preparing students for their professional careers.
The status of English teaching in Vietnam remains unsettled and continues to spark ongoing debate among educators and policymakers The next section examines the real situation at HUT, identifies the core difficulties students encounter in learning English, and places particular emphasis on reading comprehension as a central challenge.
Hanoi University of Technology
Founded in 1956, Hanoi University of Technology (HUT) was established to train engineers for the North of Vietnam As the biggest university in Vietnam, it features 15 departments and more than 10 research centers, driving scientific research and innovation across diverse fields HUT has played a major role in the country’s development, with most engineers and researchers working in industry having studied there.
The rapid pace of science and technology transfer has created a demand for a large pool of engineers who can use English to collaborate with international partners This English proficiency enables them to study and apply the latest scientific and technological breakthroughs from other countries.
To meet social and professional expectations, students completing the five-year program at HUT are not only expected to excel in scientific research but also to develop strong English proficiency for handling written materials in English Consequently, English is increasingly valued at HUT and has become the dominant language on campus, reflecting its growing relevance in global science and technology.
Main Activities in the H U T
In the five-year program at HUT, students complete more than 3,000 class hours, with each class hour lasting 45 minutes Of these hours, 360 are devoted to English, while the remaining time covers other non-English subjects distributed throughout the curriculum.
An academic year typically consists of two approximately fifteen-week semesters, starting in mid-August and ending in late June In the third and fourth years, students undertake a training period during which they are placed in factories or companies to apply what they have learned and gain hands-on experience in preparation for their future careers.
The recently approved curriculum divides the program into two stages over two years Stage 1 requires HUT students to complete core subjects and 270 English class hours—150 hours in the first year and 120 hours in the second—using Headway Elementary and Headway Pre-Intermediate by Liz and John Soars as the primary coursebooks At the end of the second year, students sit the Transitional Examination Stage 2 shifts the focus to specialization, with students studying their subject-specific courses and about 90 hours of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) The ESP component uses a defined set of materials aligned with the program’s goals.
"English in Electrical Engineering and Electronic" by Eric Glending (1980)
- "English for computer Science" by P.Charles Brown and Norma D.Mullen (1980).
- "The language of chemical engineering in English" ( photocopied)-"The language of mechanical engineering in English"(photocopied)
The Teaching S ta ff
At the Foreign Language Department of HUT, more than 40 English teachers aged 24 to 50 work today, trained along two distinct paths Most specialized in English at the Hanoi University of Foreign Languages and at the Teachers Training College of Hanoi, now the College of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University Some teachers previously taught Russian and have recently been retrained as English teachers at in-service centers Among the staff, only five hold a master’s degree, and only two have visited English-speaking countries The oldest teacher has more than twenty years of teaching experience, while the youngest has only two years.
Currently, more than ten English teachers are pursuing postgraduate and MA studies at Hanoi University of Foreign Studies to enhance their English proficiency and refine their teaching methodologies This initiative supports their ongoing professional development and helps improve the quality of English instruction.
In teaching reading, the actual job of teachers is to provide suitable texts and activities The students' success in learning depends partly on the teachers' help.
The majority of the English teachers at HUT lack postgraduate qualifications such as PG diplomas or MA degrees, which affects their ability to help students develop their language skills and to make students aware of their learning process and motivated to improve As a result, these gaps in teacher qualifications undermine lesson effectiveness and overall student outcomes.
The main reason for the failure is that the teachers have not mastered the reading techniques They can not give students proper techniques for approaching texts of various kinds to be read for various purposes.
The poor quality of the teachers has become a big problem with English teaching in general and the teaching of reading skills in particular in the HUT.
Teaching and Learning M eth od s
As mentioned above, the lack of teaching experience and knowledge of teaching methodology has led to the limited effectiveness of the students' English study In addition, many teachers of English in the HUT are accustomed to the traditional method of teaching English: at reading lessons, very often students are asked to read and translate the texts into Vietnamese They rarely teach students many higher - order reading skills They simply focus on pronouncing new words, grammatical structures, isolated words and their dictionary meanings Sometimes, due to the time limitation, teachers have to end the lesson without giving any guidance to students to treat the exercises or to develop particular reading skills.
At HUT, language instruction is largely dominated by the grammar-translation method, with minimal practice of the other four language skills Even when students are somewhat prepared for the assigned text, in class and at home they mostly read, sometimes reading aloud; look up new words in dictionaries; translate; complete grammar exercises; and seek correct answers from teachers As a result, reading ceases to be a true micro-skill and becomes merely translation and grammar work This approach proves ineffective and signals a clear need for change Teachers are beginning to seek better methods to help students develop the four language skills and are redefining their role in the classroom as helpers rather than authorities.
An effective language-teaching “doer” knows when to step in, what guidance to offer, and how to support students’ progress—either by providing targeted help or by encouraging extensive reading and deliberate practice across all language skills with a diverse range of materials.
Reading Material
English has been taught at HUT since 1985, and English language education there has expanded in tandem with sweeping changes in politics, the economy, education, and international relations As these areas have evolved, HUT has continually improved its English programs to meet new demands and opportunities In the past five years, there have been notable updates to textbook selection, reflecting shifts in pedagogy and curriculum needs.
Robert O'Neil's Kernel series has long been a staple in English learning, delivering solid, grammar-focused content that emphasizes language forms and patterns over communicative function and centers on reading, writing, and accuracy While this approach helps learners see how to build correct sentences from the presented structures, both teachers and students often find the materials boring due to a lack of varied exercises, and many finish the course knowing the grammar rather than being able to use the language effectively in real communication.
Four years ago, The New Cambridge English Course by Micheál Swan and Catherine Walter was adopted as the textbooks at HUT The course series engaged students with abundant exercises designed to develop the four language skills, and it offered more opportunities to practice speaking and listening, including a cassette recorder that exposed learners to native accents A notable drawback was the limited focus on reading, a skill particularly important for science students Consequently, this textbook format proved less useful for HUT students, since it mainly emphasized listening and speaking at the expense of reading proficiency.
The Headway series by Liz and John Soars has been used as coursebooks for first-year and second-year students since the 1997-1998 academic year, and it provides a well-balanced approach to the four English language skills.
150 class - hours Apart from the student's book and workbook of
Headway Elementary students gain supplementary reading texts adapted from sources such as Concepts and Comments and Cause and Effect by Patricia Ackert, along with comprehension and vocabulary exercises designed to reinforce understanding across different contexts; these activities support vocabulary development and broaden students' social knowledge.
For second-year students, Headway Pre-intermediate is the only course book used, planned for 120 instructional hours, with no additional materials for reading comprehension The program relies on 15 reading passages across 15 units on topics that do not engage students, and these passages are primarily used to expose vocabulary rather than to develop authentic reading skills Overall, the reading texts in these books reflect a traditional, older approach to teaching reading comprehension.
Teaching procedures are straightforward: students read a passage and then answer the accompanying comprehension questions The teacher checks their answers and, if the text is challenging, may help by translating it into the students’ first language (Vietnamese) A typical reading class uses a text about a famous person, with questions designed to verify understanding; for example, the passage might note that "Mr X was born in London in 1935," followed by questions about those details.
"When was Mr X born?" is typical of comprehension tests that assess recall rather than teach effective reading strategies This format often fails to guide learners on how to interpret the passage and, in many cases, requires them to translate the English text into their mother tongue, diverting attention from developing practical language-learning skills.
The "test" or "translation" method mainly checks whether learners have understood a specific piece of language, but it does little to develop techniques that can be applied to other texts Nevertheless, it can be acceptable for teaching first-year students, while texts that require this method seem unsuitable for second-year students, as they may find these questions too easy.
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is studied in the third year of the course, with department-specific textbooks chosen to align with each student’s specialty This setup helps learners specialize in subjects essential for their future jobs, boosting motivation to study English Most textbooks assume adult learners with an intermediate level of competence, but many also include general or remedial grammar practice alongside the “special” grammar of the subject area.
Using these materials helps students understand how scientific and technical language is expressed, building their confidence in reading specialized texts As a result, they participate more actively in classroom exercises and tasks The approach also supports their ability to read reference materials and to write their dissertations in Vietnamese at the end of their engineering training.
T h e difficulties Experienced by Students at the H U T
The First-Year Students
Before entering the HUT, most students in big cities began learning English in secondary school, while some started as early as primary school, accumulating about 300 hours of study, a vocabulary of roughly 4,000 words, and most basic English structures tied to common topics such as asking directions, telling the time, school life, and family In contrast, others have never learned English or any foreign language before, making English study especially challenging for them Consequently, teachers often face the difficulty of managing large classes—about 50 students—with varied backgrounds, different levels of English, and uneven social knowledge.
To address the issue, the temporary approach places all first-year students—even those with prior English knowledge—into a false-beginner track at the elementary level using the same textbook After a year of focused effort, students are expected to cope confidently with a broad range of straightforward situations by the end of the year Most students express satisfaction with the current material and remain motivated to learn English.
The Second-Year Students
There are many difficulties that affect the Vietnamese students at the HUT in their studies Following are the main ones among them.
Language problems are common for all learners, not just science students or those in their second year This phenomenon is called mother tongue interference, where the native language's structures interfere with learning a new language For example, unfamiliar syntactic structures can prevent learners from grasping the intended meaning of sentences.
English expresses the time spent on an activity with a dummy subject construction, which can confuse learners when comparing languages A typical English sentence is “It takes me 30 minutes to cook every day,” which places the duration after “takes” and uses a placeholder subject In Vietnamese, the time phrase is often placed after the action, producing a different structure like “I cook every day in 30 minutes,” illustrating a common syntactic difference Understanding this contrast helps learners form correct duration expressions in English and reduces direct translation errors Mastery of this pattern clarifies how to talk about time spent on activities and improves naturalness in both spoken and written English.
Time and tense are expressed differently in Vietnamese and English Vietnamese uses specific markers: 'đã' for past tense, 'đang' for present continuous, and 'sẽ' for future tense English, on the other hand, typically marks tense through verb forms, with changes to the verb itself signaling past, present, or future meaning rather than separate particles This contrast shows how languages encode temporal information either with particles or through verb morphology, a key consideration for learners and translators working across Vietnamese and English.
Cô ấy đang đọc một quyển sách
English She is reading a book
We went there yesterday (go)
Chúng tôi đã tới đó hôm qua
We (đã) go there yesterday
Problems with materials and methods
Analysis in sections 3.5 and 3.6 shows that second-year students at HUT face notable challenges in reading instruction, including a shortage of appropriate reading materials and the continued use of outdated teaching methods These issues hinder students' progress and indicate a need to update resources and modernize pedagogy to improve reading outcomes.
Reading is a fundamental skill for these students because they will need to read extensively in the target language for their future professions However, this group often shows low motivation when learning to read English A key reason is that not all topics in the reading passages of Headway Pre-Intermediate engage learners For example, they tend to lose focus during lessons when the material covers topics like the suffragette story Dying for the Vote.
Although initially not very interested, a group of students tackles articles like "Dream Game" and is eager to translate them into Vietnamese Their progress—reading the texts and understanding their content in Vietnamese—marks a clear success in language learning, improving reading comprehension and translation accuracy This approach shows how English articles can become effective learning materials for Vietnamese-speaking learners, boosting vocabulary, contextual understanding, and cultural insight through English-to-Vietnamese translation.
Another factor is that students often learn English in large classes with limited reference resources and guidance from inadequately trained teachers This combination tends to reduce student engagement, make lessons feel abstract, and lead to a loss of interest in English Improving access to learning resources and investing in teacher training can help sustain motivation and improve outcomes for English learners.
Textbooks are often designed for large numbers of students across diverse learning situations, which can make them disconnected from real-world practice and fail to address the specific interests of a particular learner group To mitigate this lack of relevance, teachers can adapt instruction by adding context-rich activities, local examples, and practical applications that connect theory to experience Reference materials, when carefully selected, can support this effort by offering additional perspectives, up-to-date information, and alternative explanations that resonate with students’ needs Together, classroom adaptations and relevant reference resources help personalize learning, boost engagement, and achieve curricular objectives more effectively.
We will come back to this problem in the next chapter.
For second-year students, tests and exercises should align with the course material to reinforce learning The type of assessment often differs from the exercises provided in the coursebooks, with end-of-term papers typically featuring a reading passage followed by multiple-choice questions to test reading skills and other abilities The reading component usually carries 25 of the 80 points, and students are expected to read carefully and circle the best answer from three or four options for each item.
However,in class students have no chance to practise the kind of exercises that they come acrross in the test paper: They are quite unfamiliar to them.
Many students struggle with reading tests, and as a result they often ask teachers for reading passages that include comprehension checks closely aligned with the test format The mismatch between how students are assessed and how they read in class diminishes their interest in the exercises in the course book, making mere answers to textbook comprehension questions feel too easy They need more challenging tasks that cultivate higher-order thinking skills beyond basic recall to perform well on tests.
The Third-Year Students
Teaching this group reveals their strong motivation to master English for Specific Purposes (ESP), especially as they encounter new scientific and technical terms At the intermediate level, they are more interested in using the language to communicate than in studying additional grammatical structures Although they already have a solid grasp of English syntax and vocabulary, they often struggle to transfer that knowledge into fluent, effective communication in real-world contexts.
In the classroom, students rarely have time to practice post-reading activities, with the focus instead on checking new vocabulary, translating the text, and doing grammar exercises Even when they know all the meanings of the new terms, they still struggle to translate accurately or to grasp the meaning of sentences, revealing a gap between vocabulary knowledge and true reading comprehension.
Many students have grown accustomed to a second-year approach to learning to read and tend to hesitate when they encounter unfamiliar words, a habit that hinders progress and needs to change As a result, they may expand vocabulary in their specialties, but their overall reading comprehension and speed remain limited.
Moreover, textbooks can be problematic because the purposes laid out in them tend to prioritize reading over authentic writing They certainly help with reading skills, but the writing practice they offer is over-controlled, focusing more on comprehension and grammar exercises than on expressive writing or creative production.
Many ESP teachers come from general English or other disciplines and have not received specific training in ESP pedagogy, leaving them without the skills and techniques needed for effective ESP instruction ESP teaching remains unfamiliar to many educators, which often yields unsatisfactory results in the classroom Furthermore, teachers' subject knowledge in the specialized science and technology areas they are asked to teach can be weaker than that of their students, since many instructors have little or no formal education in those fields Consequently, teachers may feel uncomfortable presenting material they are not confident about.
Another issue is how teachers often teach reading to third-year students At HUT, the same approach used in the first two years continues to teach reading alongside other skills Stage 1 reading instruction at HUT emphasizes reading aloud rather than developing broader reading competencies While this method can improve language proficiency, it may not help students develop crucial reading skills, such as extracting the maximum information from a text in the minimum amount of time.
Third-year students at HUT have faced ongoing challenges in ESP learning over the past few years To achieve strong ESP training outcomes, the key is to address these problems with effective solutions A practical step is to cultivate a habit among second-year students of reading reference materials related to their specialties, creating a preparatory foundation for English study in the next stage.
S u m m a ry
Chapter three presents an investigation of English teaching and learning at HUT, with a specific focus on reading skills It analyzes the status of reading instruction through three interrelated factors—the teacher, the learners, and the course book material—and explains how each element shapes classroom practice The chapter also evaluates students’ achievements and challenges in relation to the highlighted theoretical frameworks, linking theoretical insights to real-world classroom realities.
An analysis at HUT shows that students experience several study difficulties caused by the materials in use, with second-year students being the most affected group Their primary need is a change in the reading materials, which has prompted discussions about bringing more specialist-topic readings into second-year classrooms at HUT to enhance learning outcomes.
This program aims to enhance general reading techniques and provide solid preparation for English learning in the third year It’s clear that students are more motivated to read when the reading process connects to their lives, so personalized and relevant reading experiences are essential for engagement and long-term success.
Different student groups are drawn to different texts, and science students are particularly motivated when reading materials align with their personal interests For second-year students at HUT, engaging with more texts of this kind is needed to ease forthcoming academic challenges The process of selecting and developing new reading materials for this cohort will be discussed in more depth in the next chapter.
CHAPTER FOUR SOME SU G G ESTIO N S FOR DEVELOPING
THE SEC O N D -Y E AR READING M ATERIAL AT THE HUT
Previous chapters have surveyed current theories of reading skills and the teaching of reading in Vietnam, with particular emphasis on the Hanoi University of Technology (HUT) They also outline the distinctive characteristics and the key difficulties encountered by second-year students in their English studies Taken together, these discussions connect theoretical perspectives on reading with the practical challenges of English learning in the Vietnamese higher education context.
Engineering graduates from this university are expected to handle English-written materials independently, so the teacher’s role in the third year is to help students become competent readers and to enhance their reading abilities The approach and the specific support provided depend mainly on the course requirements, the aims of the training, and the learners’ needs.
Drawing on reading theories and material development, this chapter proposes piloting reading materials for second-year students at HUT, with a focus on scientific topics that motivate technical students The aim is to provide interesting and motivating reading texts that capture attention, engage students, and deliver satisfaction and enjoyment that other texts often fail to provide After the materials are used on a trial basis, feedback will be collected to assess their practicality and impact It is hoped that these materials will be relevant and useful to both teachers and the second-year student cohort at HUT.
Need A n alysis
Target N e e d s
Using a needs analysis based on the CNP method, we identify what future engineers will need to succeed Each engineering branch has its own requirements, but the English training course at HUT is designed to equip all learners with the core language skills they will use in professional practice Upon completing the course, graduates will be able to communicate effectively in English within engineering contexts, interpret technical materials, participate in international collaboration, and present ideas clearly, enabling them to meet the demands of their chosen field.
- To read a certain num ber o f textbooks in English both on popular technological subjects and on their own specific discipline.
- To locate those textbooks in a library, to refer to their indices once located.
- To make use of the notes taken from English language text books in their writing such as reports, essays, dissertations in their mother tongue.
- To read the contents of lectures and seminars on science with comprehension.
General English cannot fully meet these target needs, but it can improve the reading abilities of second-year students, a critical component of their academic work The next section of this chapter will examine the learning needs of second-year students in order to address the target needs described above and to show how enhanced reading skills support their studies.
Learning Needs
Technical students at HUT possess broad knowledge of science and technology, making strong English skills essential for reading materials in their specialties Although they study General English in their second year, their deep motivation in their chosen fields drives them to read passages on familiar topics, with the aim of accessing English-language books or magazines on their specialties and staying up-to-date with the latest developments in science and technology that can support their work.
Pre-intermediate English students in their second year aim not only to strengthen their general English—vocabulary and grammatical structures—but also to understand how English is used in scientific literature, so they can master academic writing, terminology, and the conventions of scientific discourse for future study and research success.
Motivation and the Learner
Psychological Factors
Understanding what motivates English learners is inherently difficult, and motivation varies from one situation to another and from one learner to the next Much of it is external, not driven by the quality of instruction or materials, but by social, economic, and other factors that shape a learner’s willingness to engage with English In practice, boosting motivation often requires addressing learners’ broader life contexts as much as improving teaching resources.
Motivation in language learning can be significantly enhanced by setting realistic, attainable short-term goals and by utilizing materials that clearly guide learners toward those goals When teachers establish specific and relevant short-term objectives within the broader context of general language teaching, this approach is both feasible and beneficial for student engagement and progress.
Other points that should be looked for in teaching materials are variety and pace, attractive appearance and feel, activities leading to personal involvement and "self - investment" in the learning process, and activities with a competitive or problem - solving element in them.
A material that is going to interest a learner should contain something that he wants to learn about or involve himself in, quite apart from the language itself English should be a means of conveying messages of consequence and relevance and should be a means through which one's experience is enriched and widened It could well be presented as a
Social and Cultural Factors
Key determinants include geographical setting, the learners’ age range and social class, the advantages and limitations of culture-specific coursebooks, and the extent to which cultural background is integrated with language instruction Cunningsworth (1984) argues that a focused set of evaluative questions can assess social and cultural factors to enhance learner motivation By applying these insights, instructors can select or adapt materials that reflect learners’ real contexts, align with their cultural experiences, and thereby boost engagement and language learning outcomes.
- Does the material have a specific cultural setting (e.g young, trendy) or is it non culture - specific ?
- If material is culture - specific, will this be acceptable to the learners?
- Does the material include aspects of British and / or American culture so that language learning is seen as a vehicle for cultural understanding ?
- Is the cultural context included only to provide setting for the content of the material (i.e is cultural context subordinated to language learning) ?
The cultural context embedded in learning materials guides learners to perceive and categorize the social situations they may encounter, helping them match their language to the moment and use English appropriately By decoding cultural cues and social norms, learners develop pragmatic awareness and intercultural competence to choose the right register, tone, and vocabulary for formal, informal, or professional settings This alignment between context and language reduces miscommunication, boosts confidence, and supports real-world effectiveness in English conversation Effective material highlights etiquette, speech acts, and culturally appropriate practices, enabling learners to interpret cues, adapt their language strategy, and convey meaning with sensitivity across diverse social contexts In short, culturally informed language instruction empowers learners to navigate diverse situations with situationally appropriate English.
Motivation is a key driver of language learning success, so choose authentic materials that offer variety and appropriate pace, spark genuine learner interest, and pair with activities that invite personal involvement For adults and teenagers in particular, content that relates to real-world use and resonates with learners’ identities—age, education level, social attitudes, intellectual ability, and emotional maturity—tends to sustain motivation The cultural standpoint of course materials also matters and should align as closely as possible with learners’ objectives Finally, teachers should know which topics students find most engaging when selecting supplementary reading materials to keep learning relevant and motivating.
T o p ic s
When selecting texts for different student groups, topic relevance stands as a significant criterion Texts that address topics familiar to learners or connected to their backgrounds tend to capture attention from the outset Therefore, teachers should choose materials that use language to convey information and express opinions in ways that resonate with learners When a reading passage does more than expose students to English—engaging them with a compelling topic—motivation grows and language learning becomes more purposeful, enriching the overall learning process.
Topic selection for language practice is central because it directly addresses learners' needs and interests, shaping discussion, comprehension, and writing activities The range of potential topics is so broad that a strict classification is difficult, spanning authentic language data, world affairs, medicine, sport, science, social and family life, and everyday life Teachers should assess which topics are relevant for their learners and how the learning context influences choices, since materials suitable for English-speaking environments may not translate to other settings Some coursebook writers still start with a topic and then help learners personalize it to develop their language proficiency.
Expressivity means more than simply saying or writing clearly, accurately, and fluently; it also involves conveying what you truly intend and giving your message real depth That depth arises from intentionally choosing among language options—tone, diction, and structure—so your meaning is expressed as precisely as you mean it When you couple clear articulation with thoughtful language choices, expressive communication reveals your authentic intent and strengthens the impact of your words.
Expressivity fuels learners’ progress by helping them take off and become more independent and personally involved in using language Personalization, tied directly to grammar practice and vocabulary building, strengthens all language skills.
Topic-based learning that centers on issues students care about is an effective way to capture attention and boost engagement Texts aligned with students' favorite topics leverage topic familiarity and popularity, drawing on their existing knowledge and experiences When reading materials connect with learners’ personal information and interests, students participate more actively and contribute richer insights to the lesson.
Criteria fo r Selecting M a te ria l
Many students struggle when moving from elementary to intermediate level because the longer, information-dense passages overwhelm them, leaving their reading skills underdeveloped Consequently, there is a high demand for well-designed, level-appropriate materials that effectively develop overall reading comprehension and other key reading skills for intermediate learners.
How to select appropriate reading materials will be a problem for us to look at in this section.
Many teachers and learners have easy access to a rich range of English reading materials—newspapers, magazines, and books—within their learning environments Others, however, must be more resourceful, actively acquiring suitable reading resources for personal use and for classroom materials to support their learners’ development.
Assuming that there is a reasonably wide range of potential material available, what factors are in play when we consider criteria for selecting texts for our students?
The first criterion of material selection is students' interest and usefulness Often interest and usefulness are related The second rule has to do with level of difficulty.
Wallace (1988) suggests the following criteria for selecting materials.
- Should be a vehicle for teaching specific language structure and vocabulary.
- Should offer the opportunity to promote key reading strategies.
- Should present content which is familiar and of interest to the learners ,
- Should be at the appropriate language level.
- Should be authentic, that is a naturally occurring text, not specially written for pedagogic purposes.
- Should be exploitable in the classroom, that is, lead to a range of classroom activities.
These criteria are not mutually exclusive, and we are guided by more than one when selecting texts To start, we will consider issues raised by the first criterion, focusing on the text’s structure, the ways of reading it, and the topic or subject matter it addresses.
The text used as a vehicle for teaching language structure and vocabulary.
Language-focused texts are often justified for classroom use because their primary aim is not reading for content but to illuminate the structure of the language Most of these materials are designed to teach the language itself, making key features of the language system visible through the repetition of specific grammatical structures and vocabulary By continually exposing learners to these targeted forms, they help students notice patterns, develop accuracy, and internalize how the language works.
Texts which teach language through reading.
Wallace (1988) identifies this as the second criterion: texts are sometimes selected not for distinctive linguistic features, but for their ability to promote reading This approach embodies the principle that language develops through the act of reading itself.
If language learning occurs through reading, we can select texts that help develop targeted reading strategies Some texts lend themselves to scanning, enabling quick location of details, while others are best approached through skimming to grasp overall meaning By curating texts around these strategies, educators can scaffold learners’ progress, building both reading speed and comprehension for real-world tasks.
Greater fluency and broader reading in a second language increases exposure to its core structures and vocabulary Wide access to meaningful written language can effectively teach these structures, not just reinforce or practice what learners already know Written language is typically more well‑structured, more consistent, and more permanent than speech Therefore, to motivate learners to read widely in the second language, the overall content of the texts we select is more important than focusing on specific linguistic features.
Texts which offer high - interest content.
The third criterion for selecting texts is the content: the material must be engaging enough to entice the learner to read Interest in content varies across individuals and groups of learners, making motivation a complex issue Nevertheless, it is possible to identify texts that are inherently motivating, offering topics and presentation styles that resonate with learners and support sustained engagement.
When discussing reading materials,Williams (1984 : 18 - 19) indicates:
Choose reading materials that match the students' reading level to avoid language that is too difficult for most of the class When texts are too challenging, the lesson pace can stall and students may become bored; when texts are too hard, the pace can rush, leaving students confused and frustrated Selecting accessible, level-appropriate texts sustains engagement, maintains steady lesson pacing, and supports better student comprehension.
Selecting a reading passage is crucial because its sampling directly influences the learning experience and must align with the broader aims of the language teaching context The chosen text should reflect the curriculum’s instructional objectives and support realistic language-use opportunities, rather than serving isolated interests By aligning passage sampling with language teaching goals, educators promote authentic reading practice, meaningful comprehension, and measurable progress in students’ reading skills.
Material selection usually begins with an authentic text, which is then simplified, a form of modification known as text simplification This technique is primarily applied to texts, especially reading passages, to make them more accessible The broader set of adaptation techniques will be discussed in more depth in section 4.7 below.
Evaluating and Selecting EFL Teaching M aterials
Typically, when a teacher must choose a specific instructional material for a particular group of students, they engage in a detailed analysis of the available resources In this process, teachers naturally look for materials that may be suitable for adoption or selection at some point in the future.
There are certain general principles which will help us in our task of evaluating course books in general and reading material in particular.
4.6.1 Relate the Teaching Materials to Teaching Aims and Objectives
Teaching materials should be chosen to move learners directly toward clearly defined objectives Objectives must be established first, and then materials should be selected that align with those objectives The overall aim of the teaching programme should guide the selection of instructional resources, ensuring that every element supports learner progression.
4.6.2 Be Aware o f What Language is for and Select Teaching Materials Which will Help Students to Use Language Effectively for Their Own Purposes
Material selection should be based on what learners need to learn—specifically how they will use English after completing the course This approach pushes teachers to look beyond the classroom into the real world and to focus on how each learner will apply what they have learned The aim of language teaching is to enable learners to use the language for their own purposes, not merely to perform grammar drills; it should emphasize authentic communication, contextualized learning, and the development of communicative competence through relevant, real-world materials.
4.6.3 Keep Students' Learning Needs in Mind :
Learning needs include not only the language to be learned—how it is selected, graded, presented, and practiced—but also the small pieces of new language students encounter at each stage Materials should be chosen so that learners can relate new language to what they already know and gradually build their English knowledge.
In language learning, needs go beyond language itself; learners have intellectual and emotional needs as well Language learning is demanding, and students benefit from ongoing encouragement and stimulation from teachers as they progress Teaching materials can boost engagement by using subject matter that is intellectually stimulating and personally relatable, helping learners connect with the content and stay motivated.
Materials should be accessible to the whole class, to small groups, and to individuals, so every learner can engage in the lesson regardless of the format This approach supports students as both individuals and members of a group, enabling a mix of independent work and collaborative tasks In a single lesson, a student may switch between acting as an independent learner and as a group member, depending on the activity, the skills being practiced, and the learner’s preferred strategies.
4.6.4 Consider the Relationship between Language, the Learning Process and the Learner
Current understanding of language learning shows that there is no single 'best' way to learn; the learning process reveals that learners adopt diverse strategies and frequently switch among them over time These adaptive strategies reflect individual differences, goals, and contexts, shaping how language skills develop and improve By recognizing the value of flexibility and personalization, educators can support learners in choosing and refining approaches that work best for them.
Some recent approaches to language learning overemphasize the learner’s desires and feelings while neglecting the linguistic difficulties inherent in acquiring a language Effective learning should present and practise English in a systematic and comprehensive way so that new items can be assimilated by learners There is a tendency to use activities for the students’ own sake—because they are enjoyable or because they “work” as activities—and this can sideline the linguistic hurdles that must be addressed Of course, activities in class should be interesting and enjoyable, but they must also be structured to build real language competence.
General principles for material evaluation offer teachers practical guidance for assessing and selecting materials in general, and reading materials in particular, which this study targets When English teachers at HUT consider a specific group of learners, they should make tentative judgments that reflect the learning situation In practice, a two‑stage process—an initial preliminary evaluation followed by a full evaluation—is necessary to identify and select materials that best meet their students’ needs.
English teachers at HUT should consider the following criteria when evaluating available reading materials before selecting the most appropriate resource for teaching second-year students: alignment with the curriculum and learning objectives; appropriate readability level and age-appropriate content; authentic, diverse, and culturally relevant texts; strong scaffolding and teacher support, including guides, answer keys, and ready-to-use activities; explicit coverage of core reading strategies (predicting, skimming, scanning, inferring, summarizing) with ample opportunities for practice and formative assessment; inclusivity and accessibility for learners with different abilities and backgrounds; engaging content that reflects real-world language use and sustains student motivation; compatibility with assessment standards and the ability to monitor student progress; practical classroom fit, including instructional time, technology requirements, and both digital and offline accessibility; licensing, cost, and reuse rights that protect classroom use; adaptability for mixed-ability groups and flexible differentiation; and high-quality content featuring accurate language, clear visuals, and reliable teacher support.
- The intended audience : Teachers need to ascertain who the materials are targeted at The topics that will motivate one audience will probably not be suitable for another.
- The proficiency level : Most materials are claimed to aim at a particular level Here we need the materials for students at pre intermediate level.
Materials should be selected for teaching English for General Purposes (EGP) to learners, not for English for Specific Purposes (ESP); however, the chosen materials should presume a certain degree of knowledge in the relevant specialized subject.
- The materials to be chosen will not be used as the main "core" course-book but will be supplementary to i t
- W hat visual material the text contain (photographs, charts, diagrams)
In reading instruction, teachers often find that materials emphasize skill development too much while offering too few opportunities for students to practice those skills through extended reading passages This gap between practicing isolated skills and applying them in longer texts can hinder students' ability to transfer what they learn to real reading tasks.
Materials should be sufficiently transparent to motivate both teachers and students, recognizing that what inspires instructors may not always engage learners A balance is needed to avoid a teacher-focused resource that fails to motivate students, or vice versa Designers should consider how materials frame and guide teacher–learner interaction and shape the teacher–learner relationship, so that instruction supports meaningful dialogue, appropriate challenge, and collaborative learning By aligning content, tasks, and assessment with both sides’ needs, the materials become more effective at sustaining motivation and promoting positive classroom dynamics.
Adaptability is a key factor for teachers to consider: can parts of the materials be added, removed, used in another context, or modified to fit local circumstances? While the materials may have strong qualities, some reading passages might be unsuitable and require modification or localization If adaptation is feasible, educators may choose to implement these changes to better align resources with their teaching goals and students' needs.
When all the above criteria taken into account by the teachers in evaluating materials they can decide the materials' appropriacy for adoption / selection purposes, the suitability for specified groups.
To kick off the preliminary selection, a thorough material evaluation should be carried out Material evaluation is a critical component of a broader decision‑making process that relies on essential criteria to assess options, make informed judgments, and identify the best educational materials for a specific group of students.