The influence of reading topics on students’ motivation to read at Vinh Bao high school, Hai Phong = Ảnh hưởng của các chủ đề đọc tới động lực học kỹ năng đọc h

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULITY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES ---  --- NGUYỄN THỊ THÚY MINH THE INFLUENCE OF READING TOPIC

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULITY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

-   -

NGUYỄN THỊ THÚY MINH

THE INFLUENCE OF READING TOPICS

ON STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION TO READ AT VINH BAO

HIGH SCHOOL, HAI PHONG

Ảnh hưởng của các chủ đề đọc tới sự động lực học kỹ năng đọc hiểu của học sinh trường THPT Vĩnh Bảo, Hải Phòng

M.A Minor Programme Thesis

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10

HANOI - 2012

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULITY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

-   -

NGUYỄN THỊ THÚY MINH

THE INFLUENCE OF READING TOPICS

ON STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION TO READ AT VINH BAO

HIGH SCHOOL, HAI PHONG

Ảnh hưởng của các chủ đề đọc tới đô ̣ng lực học kỹ năng đọc hiểu của học sinh trường THPT Vĩnh Bảo, Hải Phòng

M.A Minor Programme Thesis

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10

Supervisor: Nguyễn Thị Mai Hữu, M.A

HANOI - 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION……….i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ivii

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES vii

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale for the study 1

2 Aims of the study 2

3 Research questions 2

4 Scope of the study 2

5 Significance of the study 2

6 Methods of the study 3

7 Design of the study 3

PART B: DEVELOPMENT 5

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

1.1 Overview of motivation 5

1.1.1 Definitions of motivation 5

1.1.2 Types of motivation 5

1.1.2.1 Integrative vs instrumental motivation 5

1.1.2.2 Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation 6

1.1.2.3 Global, situational and task motivation 7

1.1.2.4 Resultative motivation 7

1.1.3 Motivation in second language learning 7

1.2 Overview of reading 8

1.2.1 Definitions of reading 8

1.2.2 Types of reading 9

1.2.2.1 According to manners of reading 9

1.2.2.2 According to purposes of reading 11

1.2.3 Reading in foreign language learning 12

1.3 Motivation in learning reading 13

1.3.1 The importance of motivation in learning reading 13

1.3.2 Common factors affecting students’ motivation in learning reading skill 14

1.3.2.1 The students 14

1.3.2.2 The teachers 15

1.3.2.3 The reading materials 15

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 17

2.1 Research methods 17

2.2 Research setting 17

2.2.1 The context of the study 17

2.2.2 Reading sections in TIENG ANH 10, 11 textbook 18

2.3 Participants of the study 19

2.4 Data collection instruments 19

2.4.1 Survey questionnaires for the teachers 19

2.4.2 Survey questionnaires for the students 20

2.4.3 Interview 20

2.5 Data collection procedures 21

2.6 Data analysis procedures 21

CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 23

3.1 Students’ attitude towards reading skill 23

3.2 Types of students’ motivation in learning reading 24

3.3 The students’ attitudes towards the current reading topics and their

preferences for reading topics ………26

3.4 The influence of reading topics on students’ motivation to read 29

PART C: CONCLUSION………33

1 Conclusions……….33

2 Implications……….34

3 Limitations and suggestions for further studies……… 35

REFERENCES……… 36 APPENDIXES……… I APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE STUDENTS….I APPENDIX 2: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE TEACHERS V APPENDIX 3: QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEW ……….VIII

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

I LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Students’ reasons for learning reading skill

Table 2: Students’ opinions on the current reading topics

Table 3: Students’ preferences for the current reading topics in English 10 textbook Table 4: Students’ preferences for the current reading topics in English 11 textbook

II LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Student’s attitudes towards the importance of learning English reading Figure 2: Students’ interest in learning reading skill

Figure 3: Students’ attitudes towards the role of reading topics to the

motivation for learning reading skill

Figure 4: Teacher’s attitudes towards the role of reading topics to motivate their students in learning reading skill

PART A: INTRODUCTION

This part presents the rationale for choosing the topic, the aims of the study, the research questions, the scope, the methods, the significance and the design of the study in order to help readers have a general view on the research

1 Rationale for the study

Krashen & Terrel (1983:131) state that “Reading may contribute significantly to competence in a second language There is good reason, in fact, to hypothesize that reading makes a contribution to overall competence,

to all four skills” Reading is one of the major skills of learning a second or foreign language and it has a prominent position in the design of a foreign language teaching program Reading skill helps the students to increase their knowledge of English through exposure to language expressions, and structures, and language contents as well Therefore, teaching reading is gaining more attention from both language teachers and language teaching materials developers

However, in Vietnam, many English learners complain that reading

read In fact, motivation is an essential element in learning in general and in learning reading in particular, but creating a motivated atmosphere for students in a reading lesson is a challenging task

For the above reasons, I would like to carry out “The influence of

reading topics on students’ motivation to read at Vinh Bao high school, Hai Phong” to investigate the role of reading topics in learners’ motivation to

learn reading skill and to study their interests in reading topics It is hoped

that the study will be helpful for English teachers in general and those at Vinh Bao high school in particular to stimulate their students in a reading lesson

2 Aims of the study

- Identifying students’ motivation in learning reading skill at Vinh Bao high school;

- Identifying students’ interests in the reading topics;

- Studying the influence of the reading topics on students’ motivation to learn reading skill

3 Research questions

The study was carried out in order to find out answers to the following research questions:

1 What is students’ attitude towards learning reading skill?

2 What types of motivation do they have in learning reading?

3 How interesting do the students find the current reading topics?

4 What is the influence of the reading topics on students’ motivation to read?

4 Scope of the study

With the limitation of the time, I will focus on the 11th - form students’ attitudes at Vinh Bao high school towards learning reading skill, the types of motivation possessed by students, the students’ attitudes on current reading topics and the influence of the reading topics on students’ motivation to learn reading skill Needless to say, it is necessary for the teachers to know what their students like to read

5 Significance of the study

The study highlights the influence of reading topics on the motivation

in learning reading skills

The findings of the study are believed to be useful for English teachers

to be aware of the essential role of reading topics in the students’ motivation

to learn reading Hopefully, it can help them to motivate students in learning reading skills

6 Methods of the study

The theoretical background of the study mainly is developed basing on the references of and analysis on relevant theories about motivation and reading The study is carried out on the basis of survey questionnaires

Firstly, for the theoretical basis, a lot of reference materials on motivation and reading have been gathered, analyzed and synthesized thoroughly with the clue consideration on the teachers’ and students’ teaching and learning situations

Secondly, interviews and questionnaires are carried out with teachers

and students of English to gather the most reliable data for the thesis

7 Design of the study

The study is organized in three parts:

Part A: Introduction presents the rationale, the aims of the study, the

research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study, the methods of the study and the design of the study

Part B: Development consists of three chapters:

Chapter 1: Literature review provides theoretical background for the

study Its focus is on introducing important relevant concepts, discussions of issues and ideas on theories for motivation, nature of reading and motivation

in learning reading as well as factors affecting motivation in learning reading

Chapter 2: Methodology presents the methods used in the study

including research methods, research setting , participants of the study, data collection instruments, data collection and data analysis procedure

Chapter 3: Data analysis and major findings shows the detailed results

together with a comprehensive analysis on the data collected from the survey

questionnaires and the interview

Part C: Conclusion presents the conclusions, implications, limitations

and the suggestions for further study

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, the theoretical background for the study is provided The chapter focuses on three main features: overview of motivation, overview

of reading and motivation in reading skill

1.1 Overview of motivation

1.1.1 Definitions of motivation

Many researchers have given definitions of motivation and most of them agree that motivation is the force that makes one do something According to Kleinginna (1981:6), motivation is “a desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior” Brown (2000:160) points out that “motivation is some kinds of internal drove which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something” Sharing the same point, Dornyei (2001:7) suggests that “motivation explains why people decide to do something, how hard they are going to pursue it and how long they are willing

to sustain the activities”

It is clear from the above definitions that different scholars approach motivation definition differently However, they all share the same point of view that motivation combines external and internal influences

1.1.2.1 Integrative vs instrumental motivation

In 1972, Gardner and Lambert divided the motivation to learn a

language into two types: integrative motivation and instrumental motivation

 Integrative motivation stresses “a sincere and personal interest in the

people and culture represented by the other group” Integrative motivation is the desire to identify with and integrate into the target-language culture

learning a new language” Instrumental motivation is the wish to learn the

language for purposes of study or career promotion

1.1.2.2 Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation

Moore, K.D., (1992) separates motivation into two main categories: extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation

personality factors”

 Extrinsic motivation

Paul (2002) states that extrinsic motivation is “motivation to engage in

an activity as means to an end” Moore (1992) gives easily understandable definition that “extrinsic motivation originates outside the individual and is concerned with external environments factors that help shape students’ behavior”

It can be said that the main difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is the goals of the students With intrinsic motivation, the students study subject material for the sake of learning These students find studying enjoyable and learning new ideas as a reward itself In contrast, with extrinsic motivation, the students study for the sake of outside influences such as

getting teacher and peer praise, acquiring a good grade or some other type of reinforcement that a teacher or peer might offer

Intrinsic and extrinsic interact with each other and play an important role in classroom motivation Therefore, these two kinds of motivation seems

to be more useful for teachers

1.1.2.3 Global, situational and task motivation

Brown (1990) identified three types of motivation:

 Global motivation: the overall orientation of the learner towards the

learning of the foreign language

 Situational motivation: it has to do with the context learning (classroom,

1.1.3 Motivation in second language learning

Motivation is one of the main determining factors in success in foreign

or second language learning It is not only the cause of success but it can also

be the effect of success Brown, H.D (1994) also affirmed that a learner will

be successful with proper motivation in learning Rebeccal and Jill Sheorin (1996:121) pointed out: “Motivation is important because it directly influences how often students use second language learning strategies, how

much students interact with native speakers, how much input they receive in the language being learned, how well they do on curriculum-related achievement tests, how high their general proficiency level becomes, and how long they preserve and maintain second language skills after language study is over”

Therefore, teachers should pay attention to developing both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for their students in learning

1.2 Overview of reading

1.2.1 Definitions of reading

In the reading class, what the teacher understands about reading will have a great influence on what he or she teaches in the classroom Therefore, for the teacher of reading, a careful look at definitions of reading is very important

However, defining reading is not easy although a lot of attempts have been made to define it Different people define the term reading in different ways and each definition reflects a different viewpoint of reading According

to Robinson and Good (1987: 9), “reading is best described as an understanding between the author and the reader Reading is much more than just pronouncing words correctly or simply knowing that the author intends; it

is the process whereby the printed page stimulates ideas, experiences and responses that are unique to an individual Reading can simply be thought of

as a personal encounter with the printed page Basically, an important aspect

of reading is the process of constructing meaning from printed materials.” Petty and Salzer (1989: 323) held a similar point of view, that is,

“reading involves the identification and recognition of printed or written symbols which serve as stimulus for the recall of meanings built up through past experience and further the construction of new meanings through the

reader's manipulation of relevant concepts already in his or her possession The resulting meanings are organized into thought processes according to the purposes that are operating in the reader.”

Both of the above definitions indicate that reading is not only an interaction between the reader and the author but also between the reader and the text

Although "no definition of reading can possibly include all viewpoints and features" (Robinson and Good - 1987: 9), for the sake of teaching and learning reading skills, the following definition should be emphasized:

“Reading means "reading and understanding" A foreign language learner who says, "I can read the words but don't know what they mean" is not, therefore, reading, in this sense He or she is merely decoding - translating written symbols into corresponding sounds.” (Ur - 1996: 138) This does not mean that the reader needs to understand every word in a text but actively work on the text and extract the required information efficiently

1.2.2 Types of reading

Although there are different ways to classify reading, the most popular one is to base on manners and purposes of reading (or reasons for reading)

1.2.2.1 According to manners of reading

Based on manners of reading, reading can be divided into reading aloud and silent reading

According to Doff (1995: 67), “reading aloud involves looking at a text, understanding it and also saying it” What he meant is that when we read aloud, our purpose is not just to understand a text but to convey the

information to someone else In his opinion, “reading aloud can be useful at

the earliest stage of reading (recognizing letters and words); it can help students to make the connection between sound and spelling”

However, Doff (1995: 58) also pointed out that "for reading a text, it is not a very useful technique" because it is not a natural activity – most people

do not read aloud in real life In addition, when reading aloud, only one student is active at a time while the others are either not listening at all or are listening to a bad model And students only pay attention to pronunciation, not understanding the text Besides, students usually read slowly because they find it hard to read aloud in their own language, let alone in a foreign language Therefore, it takes up a lot of time in class

Additionally, he wrote "if a teacher wants students to read aloud, it should be the final activity at the end of a reading lesson" It can be suggested that to make full use of this type of reading, a reading lesson must be carefully prepared and carried out in various ways to motivate and encourage the student to learn

 Silent reading

Different from reading aloud, silent reading is the normal and natural activity that most students do in classroom as well as in real life “Normally, reading is a silent and individual activity since the writer's expectation was that the text would be read, not heard” (Abbott and Wingard - 1985: 81) Doff (1995: 67) added that “it involves looking at sentences and understanding the message they convey, in other words, "making sense" of a written text.” This means that when we read, we do not merely sit as "passive receivers" of the text but we, based on our own knowledge of the world and

of the language, extract the required information and relate it with real life In addition, in silent reading, the student can read at his own speed and can go back and read whatever he wants to understand more

1.2.2.2 According to purposes of reading

types: skimming, scanning, extensive reading and intensive reading

Skimming can be defined as follows: “By skimming we mean glancing rapidly through a text to determine its gist, for example in order to decide whether a research paper is relevant to our own work , or in order to keep ourselves superficially informed about matters that are not of great importance to us” (Nuttall - 1989: 34) Or simply speaking, when skimming,

we go through the reading material quickly to get general sense or the gist of it

without being concerned with the details Therefore, skimming should be treated as a useful skill in teaching and learning reading and can be applied at the first stage of a reading lesson with the aim that the student can have an overview of what he is going to read

Scanning is also a necessary technique in reading efficiently

Nuttall (1989: 34) stated that “by scanning we mean glancing rapidly

through a text either to search for a specific piece of information or to get

an initial impression of whether the text is suitable for a given purpose ”

Unlike skimming, scanning is a kind of reading carried out when we go through the text very fast in order to find a particular item of information, then concentrate on it When scanning, we only try to find what we are looking for Therefore, this kind of reading can be very useful in reading selectively

Extensive reading is also called "reading for fluency" The student reads long texts to have general understanding, to practice his fluency in reading, or to relax Therefore, this kind of reading is often carried out

individually outside classroom In general, the student should be encouraged

to do extensive reading to improve his knowledge of the world as well as of the target language or simply to foster fluency and pleasure

 Intensive reading

In contrast with extensive reading, intensive reading requires full understanding of the text Nuttall (1989: 23) wrote “intensive reading involves approaching the text under the close guidance of the teacher , or under the guidance of a task which forces the student to pay great attention to the text The aim of intensive reading is to arrive at a profound and detailed understanding of the text: not only of what it means, but also of how the meaning is produced The "how" is as important as the "what", for the intensive reading lesson is intended primarily to train students in reading strategies.” Accordingly, intensive reading should be a basic activity in a reading classroom

In conclusion, the above kinds of reading are closely related They can

be used either alternatively or in combination in reading one text The teacher

of reading should vary reading strategies and make full use of each kind of reading Furthermore, to make the teaching and learning reading better, the teacher should select activities suitable for promoting reading skill

1.2.3 Reading in foreign language learning

In reality, the ability to read is very important to personal development,

academic studies, professional success, etc Therefore, it is agreed that

1 Where there is little reading, there will be little language learning It will be true for a few years yet that the student who wants to learn English will have to read himself into knowledge of it unless he can move into an English environment He must substitute imaginary for actual experience;

2 Only by reading can the pupil acquire the speed and skills he will need for practical purposes when he leaves school In our literate society, it is hard

to imagine any skilled work that does not require the ability to read;

3 Further education depends on quantity and quality of reading All the important study skills require quick, efficient and imaginative reading; and

4 General knowledge depends on reading The "background" or cross - culture problem can only is tackled by wide reading The more the student reads, the more background knowledge he acquires of other ways of life, behavior and thought and the more books he finds he can understand

(Bright & McGregor - 1977: 52) Thus, it can be said that reading is the core of the syllabus as it helps students broaden their general knowledge as well as professional one, improve other language skills and succeed in their future life As a result, it is the teacher of reading that helps and motivates students to learn to read so that they can read to learn

1.3 Motivation in learning reading

1.3.1 The importance of motivation in learning reading

It can be clearly seen that reading motivation plays a crucial role in second language reading process Most academic knowledge is gained through reading so students must read often throughout their school years

Reading motivation refers to the desire to read even when not required

to do so and involves seeking out opportunities to read for curiosity, knowledge and involvement Reading researchers recognized that in order to create lifelong readers, endowing the learners with proficient reading skills is not enough They also need to have internalized motivation Reader’s

motivation has been shown to relate to the quality of the outcome of reading Many studies have shown that bad readers lack motivation to read or to spend time improving their ability to read Therefore, “it is an important part of a reading teacher’s job to motivate learners” (Girard, 1977:20)

1.3.2 Common factors affecting students’ motivation in learning reading skill

Besides, the students’ background knowledge also dominates their motivation to read Without background knowledge, the students would meet

a lot of difficulties in comprehending the text and even the language comprehension could not take place at all Consequently, the students would lose their interest in reading and never read any more

Moreover, the students’ success is a strong factor influencing their motivation in learning reading As human being, we generally like what we

do well, and therefore we are more likely to do it again and put in more effort

If students put in more effort, they will get better results and so this sustains their motivation

1.3.2.2 The teachers

The other important factor is the teachers Ericksen (1978: 3) wrote that

“Effective learning in the classroom depend on the teacher’s ability…to maintain the interest that brought students to the course in the first place.”

The teachers should employ suitable techniques or methods of teaching

to help the students to develop their competence as readers during the reading lessons The teachers can help the students to get involved in dealing with the reading texts A good and suitable method of teaching can help the students find more easily to understand the reading texts therefore they become more motivated to read Moreover, the teachers’ activities and tasks are the key component to the students’ motivation in learning reading skill

In addition, the teacher’s personality and attitude towards the students play a prime role in affecting both student motivation and progress Many educational researchers admit that the teacher with warm, sensitive, enthusiastic and humorous characteristics would be more likely successful in teaching than the ones without those characteristics Those teachers, who are enthusiastic in teaching have a positive attitude to the subject and the students, would be capable of keeping students interested in reading

Finally, the way the teacher assesses and evaluates the students’ progress also influences their motivation in learning the subject The teacher should not compare the performance of a student to that of the others but encourage and create a supportive environment for them to put more effort It

is important to evaluate their progress with themselves in order to make them more self – confident and motivated

1.3.2.3 The reading materials

The reading materials play an important role to students’ motivation in reading in terms of its level of challenge, its topic and content Reading

materials that are interesting and relevant to the students will motivate them to read more

Firstly, reading materials should have suitable topics and contents, this means, the texts should interest the students Nuttal (1982:70) points out that

“the texts that are considered suitable will tell the students things they do not know and introduce them to new and relevant ideas” In the case the topic of the text is not interesting and irrelevant to their experience and knowledge they may stop reading because they cannot understand the meaning of the text enough to satisfy their expectations, need or interests In general, if students enjoy what they read, the reading comprehension is the best achieved

Secondly, reading materials’ vocabulary and grammatical structures also have an impact on the students’ motivation The students would also be tired when encountering with a great deal of new words, complex sentence structures and so on In terms of linguistic items, the vocabulary in the reading text must be of appropriate level The complexity of grammar must not be too great Besides, the background of the text must be within the students’ imaginative grasp

Therefore, it is a challenge for the teacher to select or exploit the texts

in the ways that improves students’ interests and motivation in reading

In summary, some theoretical background knowledge related to motivation and reading skills has been presented in this chapter The chapter has discussed some concepts and ideas concerning motivation, types of motivation and its role on second language learning In addition, definitions, types and roles of reading skill have been presented Especially, the chapter has mentioned some aspects related to factors affecting students’ motivation

in learning reading comprehension skill The following chapter will display the detailed description of the methodology

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methods used in the study including research

methods, research setting, participants of the study, data collection instruments, data collection and data analysis procedure

2.1 Research methods

In this study, the researcher applied questionnaires as a main means of data collection because of some advantages Firstly, this method can give the researcher the needed data in quantitative form Secondly, all informants have the chance of expressing their attitudes However, the using of questionnaires also has some limitations: the answers may be simple and superficial, the respondents are unreliable and motivated Therefore, interviews were carried out As a result, the researcher can have more uniform and accurate data

2.2 Research setting

2.2.1 The setting of the study

The study was conducted at Vinh Bao high school, Hai Phong For about 20 recent years, English has been a compulsory subject and also the only foreign language at the school All of the students of Vinh Bao high school have at least four years learning English at secondary schools They have to learn English for three years at high school before taking part in the general education exam at the end of grade 12 Although the school is located

at Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong, the students have not many chances to approach English language except reading their textbooks and studying at schools

The teaching and learning English at Vinh Bao high school follows the new curriculum (since 2006) of The Ministry of Education and Training All

the students learn the set of basic program textbooks Tieng Anh 10, Tieng Anh 11, Tieng Anh 12 which includes 315 periods of 45 minutes in the class

It means that students have 3 classes of English per week, equivalents with

105 classes per school year

Reading skill is taught in 16 periods per school year, in which students

read 16 different texts of the six themes: You and me, Education, Community,

Nature and environment, Recreation, People and places Students are trained

to improve such reading strategies as: skimming for gist, scanning for specific information, drawing conclusion, making inferences and restatements, writing summaries

In Vinh Bao high school, the English group has 11 teachers The oldest teachers have more than 25 years of teaching experience and the youngest ones have more than three years of experience All of them are very enthusiastic and willing to apply better methods to upgrade their teaching quality

2.2.2 Reading section in TIENG ANH 10, 11 textbooks

Every unit in TIENG ANH 10, 11, textbook begins with a reading section, which is aimed at developing students’ reading skills, getting them accustomed to the topic and providing language input so that they can speak, listen and write better in the following lessons The length of each reading passage is 240 – 270 words The reading parts are presented with various colored pictures to raise students’ interests in the reading topic A reading lesson is taught in three stages: before you read, while you read and after you read “Before you read” helps students get involved in the topic and content of the reading passage, presents some new vocabulary required for their comprehension “While you read” consists of two or three tasks that ask

students to read for main ideas or details, finally grasp the content of the text

“After you read” focuses on consolidating students’ comprehension by such activities as summarizing, retelling the reading passage

2.3 Participants of the study

The study was carried out with the participation of 82 students of grade

11 at Vinh Bao high school They are at the age of 17-18 and have learnt English for (at least) 4 years at secondary school and two years at Vinh Bao high school Of the 82 participants, 56 students (68.3%) are female and 26 students (31.7%) are male All of them are living in the countryside and have not many chances to approach English language except reading their textbooks

Besides, ten teachers of English at Vinh Bao high school were also invited to take part in this study by answering the survey questionnaires and the interview Among them, two teachers are male and the others are female All of them have been teaching English at the school for years

2.4 Data collection instruments

To obtain the information for the study, the researcher used two instruments: questionnaires for the teachers and questionnaires for the students

2.4.1 Instrument one: Questionnaire for the teachers

The survey questionnaire for the teachers included three parts:

The first part was designed to gather personal information about the teachers (their gender, age, teaching experience)

The second part consisted of six questions It was designed to get the teachers’ opinions about the importance of reading to their students, teachers’

difficulties in teaching reading, the role of reading materials and reading topics to motivate their students in learning reading skill, their opinions about the reading topics in the textbook and their suggestions other topics

The last part was about the teachers' suggestions to improve the

textbook

2.4.2 Instrument two: Questionnaire for the students

Two main parts were focused in the questionnaires

The first part was to get the students’ personal information which included their gender, age, duration of learning English

The second part was designed to elicit the students’ opinions about the reading subject The first three questions 1, 2 and 3 dealt with the students’ attitudes towards reading English, questions 4, 5 mentioned the role of reading materials, reading topics to their motivation for learning reading skill Questions 6, 7 aim to get their attitudes towards the current reading topics in the textbook Question 8 is to find out their suggestion about other topics (currently not available in the course books) which are of their interest

2.4.3 Instrument three: Interview

The purpose of interviewing was to get students’ opinions on the importance of learning English reading, the reasons for learning reading skill, the role of reading topics in their motivation to learn reading skill and the teachers and students’ comments on the influences of reading topics on the motivation to read The participants were invited to answer the questions with the researcher’s explanation of the questions and to clarify unclear answers Each interview lasted about 10 minutes The informal talks were sometimes done between the researcher and teachers, between the researcher and students at English lesson breaks