IELTS reading test taking strategies employed by high score candidates in academic training module

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************** IELTS READING TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES EMP

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

**********************

IELTS READING TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY HIGH SCORE CANDIDATES IN ACADEMIC TRAINING MODULE

(Chiến thuật làm bài đọc EL S được sử dụng bởi những thí sinh đạt điểm

cao trong kỳ thi học thuật EL S)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111

HANOI – 2017

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

**********************

IELTS READING TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY HIGH SCORE CANDIDATES IN ACADEMIC TRAINING MODULE

(Chiến thuật làm bài đọc EL S được sử dụng bởi những thí sinh đạt điểm

cao trong kỳ thi học thuật EL S)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111

Supervisor: Dr ư ng c inh

HANOI - 2017

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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this thesis is my own original research and written entirely by myself Any citing in the thesis is followed by references and acknowledgement

I also hereby state that I agree to the requirements of the University of Languages and International Studies in terms of using as well as preserving my M.A thesis This condition means that any access to my thesis for study purpose should be allowed

Hanoi, 2017

Phí Thị Mùi

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This research is one of the most challenging academic tasks that I had to face

I could not have been able to complete without the wholehearted help and guidance

of my supervisor, my family, my friends, and my students

First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor Dr Duong Duc Minh for his useful comments, remarks and engagement throughout the process of researching and completing my thesis With patience and knowledge, he always steers in the right direction and encourages me to overcome many difficulties or problems when conducting the study

Furthermore, I would also like to thank the participants in the research, who contributed greatly to the success of the research and provided a great deal of useful information during collecting data stage

Last but not least, my sincere thanks also go to my family and friends for always supporting me and giving me confidence when I needed most

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ABSTRACT

This thesis aims to illuminate how the successful IELTS takers perform their IELTS reading test and provide a useful guidance for anyone concerning about IELTS reading test This study is motivated by three research questions: (1) What test-taking strategies frequently used by Vietnam test takers in performing IELTS

reading tasks? (2) How are those English test-taking strategies related to test takers‟

performance? (3) To what extent do the uses of English test-taking strategy of successful candidates vary significantly with their gender and learning experience?

If yes, what are the main patterns of variation? The research employed multiple methods including a broad survey questionnaire of 100 participants and a thorough interview of 06 English language learners who had taken the IELTS test and gained

at least 7.0 for reading skill to point out the common reading strategies used by high score test takers and indicate the influence of them on the test takers‟ performance Moreover, further suggestions on how the strategy use differs among successful candidates are also concluded in the study The findings from the research illustrate the variety in application of test-taking strategies and the impact of strategies on the results when taking the test The findings also prompt an encouragement to learn and sharpen basic approach when taking the reading test, especially in IELTS reading which examine learners‟ proficient language skill

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: The number of participant according to gender 18Figure 2: English experience of participants 19

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Characteristics of good language learners (Brown, 2007: 259-260) 8

Table 2: IELTS: Guide for Teachers (British Council, 2008) 18

Table 3: IELTS Reading test-taking strategies 25

Table 4: Reliability of General Strategies 26

Table 5: Reliability of Text-related Strategies 26

Table 6: Reliability of Question-related Strategies 27

Table 7: George and Mallery‟s cronbach α value range 27

Table 8: Means and Standard Deviations Indicating Test-taking Strategy Use 30

Table 9: Correlation between English Test-taking Strategy Use and Students‟ Test Performance 33

Table 10: Means and Standard Deviations Indicating Test-taking Strategy Use of Male and Female 37

Table 11: Correlation between gender and IELTS test score 38

Table 12: Means and Standard Deviations Indicating Test-taking Strategy Use based on English learning experience ……… ……… 42

Table 13: The correlation between English learning experience and IELTS score 42

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF ABBRIVIATIONS iv

LIST OF FIGURES v

LIST OF TABLES vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Statement of the problem 1

1.2 Purpose of the study 2

1.3 Scope 2

1.4 Research questions 3

1.5 Expected outcome and significance of the study 3

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 4

2.1 Reading 4

2.1.1 Definition of reading 4

2.1.2 Purposes of reading 4

2.2 Language learning strategies 5

2.3 Strategies of successful language learners 6

2.4 Reading comprehension and test-taking strategies 8

2.4.1 Reading comprehension strategies 8

2.4.2 Test-taking strategies 9

2.5 The IELTS test 10

2.6 IELTS reading test 11

2.7 Summary of previous studies 12

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 16

3.1 Participants and setting 16

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3.2 Research method 20

3.3 Research Instruments 20

3.3.1 Survey questionnaire 20

3.3.2 Individual interview 21

3.4 Data analysis procedure 22

3.4.1 Data collection procedure 22

3.4.2 Data analysis procedure 23

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 26

4.1 Reading test-taking strategies used by IELTS candidates in performing IELTS reading tasks 26

4.1.1 Testing the reliability of data 26

4.1.2 Reading test taking strategies used by IELTS candidates 27

4.2 How are those English test-taking strategies related to test takers‟ performance? 33

4.3 Is there any difference in English test-taking strategy use among successful candidates? 35

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 44

5.1 Summary of the major findings 44

5.2 Implications for IELTS test takers and IELTS trainers 45

5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further study 46

REFERENCES 47 APPENDENCES I

APPENDIX 1 I APPENDIX 2 III APPENDIX 3………III

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

Test-taking strategies have been playing a crucial role for language learners

as nowadays test is used as a reliable way of checking and evaluating learners‟ knowledge The International English Language Testing System (IELTS), which is the world‟s leading English language proficiency test, with over 2.5 million IELTS tests taken annually, has been recognized as one of the most secure, valid and reliable means in assessing English language proficiency for education, immigration and professional accreditation IELTS test, which is a high stake test, success or failure, can have a life changing impact on candidates As a result, smart and critical reading and thinking strategies need to be used sufficiently in order to be successful

or achieve the best possible score in the test (Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Rogers &

Harley, 1999)

There are numerous factors affecting the candidates‟ results except for knowledge and ability One of the most important factors is learning and test-taking strategies (Bachman & Palmer, 1996; O‟ Malley & Chamot, 1990) Test-taking strategies are simply defined as specific actions or techniques taken by users to aid them overcome the test easier, faster and more accurate As Oxford defines, learning strategies are “specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed and more transferrable to new situations” (Oxford, 1990)

Reading is considered as a complex cognitive process of decoding, deriving and receiving message from the writer It is a complicated and meaningful skill

of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas, which requires continuous practice, development, and refinement, especially creativity and critical analysis

1.1 Statement of the problem

IELTS test, which serves as a testimonial system, has been gaining its popularity in many countries around the world For many candidates, IELTS plays

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an important role for their future career or further study IELTS is the test of language ability, it concerns with the capacity to use various aspects of language including vocabulary, structure, grammar efficiently so having clear and strategic skills to handle the task would certainly helpful

Test-taking strategies have been the focus of many studies In spite of many attempts have made towards learning and test-taking strategies, few was devoted to test-taking strategies used in reading modules of IELTS while for many Vietnamese candidates, reading is regarded as the most challenging one All of these reasons stated have become the motivations that stimulate the researcher to carry out the

study named “IELTS reading test-taking strategies employed by high score

candidates in academic training module”

1.2 Purpose of the study

Test taking strategies are considered as keys to success for not only researchers, teachers but also for learners, especially test takers For globally difficult standardized test like IELTS, it is necessary to have clear strategies to deal with the test best The study will examine the test taking strategies used by high score candidates in the reading module of IELTS and evaluate the effectiveness of those techniques, further indicate the differences in English test-taking strategies use among winning candidates The research will provide helpful guidance, example and assistance for readers in order to achieve their greatest potential

1.3 Scope

The study is aimed to document the test-taking strategies of 100 Vietnamese English foreign language (EFL) learners who had already attended the IELTS test and gained their latest IELTS band score for reading module of at least 7.0 Furthermore, exclusive interviews among chosen candidates (06 people) who show diversity in their reading strategies are carried out

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1.4 Research questions

The study is going to answer the following research questions:

performing IELTS Reading tasks?

performance?

candidates vary significantly with their gender and learning experience?

If yes, what are the main patterns of variation?

1.5 Expected outcome and significance of the study

By conducting this research, the researcher expects to find out the most commonly efficient used test-taking strategies among IELTS candidates and evaluate the effectiveness of those techniques Furthermore, an analysis of the difference in test-taking strategy among users will be revealed to answer the question how much is the variable?

Once finished the paper could serve as a good reference for those who wish to have a closer view into the test-taking strategies employed by students in response

to some specific comprehension tasks Both IELTS candidates and IELTS trainers could refer to the findings of the study to have more effective using as well as teaching reading IELTS strategies

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CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Reading

2.1.1 Definition of reading

According to Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics (1986), reading can

be defined as the process of “perceiving a written text in order to understand its contents This can be done silently The understanding that result is called reading comprehension.” Collins English Learner‟s Dictionary describes reading as “an act

of looking at and understanding point” On the other hand, Anderson (1985) considered reading as a complex process in which the reader had to construct the meaning of the text and used various interconnected informative sources to understand the real meaning of the passage Moreover, skilled reading needed to be constructive, fluent, strategic, motivated and a lifelong pursuit Another interesting definition of reading is reading is an energetic interactive process of “the reader's existing knowledge; the information suggested by the text being read; and the context of the reading situation” (Wixson, Peters, Weber, & Roeber, 1987) Simply defined, reading is a process of reducing the uncertainty about meanings a text conveys and it can be understood as a negotiation of meaning between the text and its reader The way the readers interact with the text is decided by the knowledge, expectations and strategies the readers use Importantly, most texts are understood

in different ways by different readers

2.1.2 Purposes of reading

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment framework indicates that there are two main purposes of reading: reading for

literary purposes and reading for informational purposes

Grabe and Stoller (2002) devided the purposes of reading into seven subtypes, including: searching for simple information; skimming quickly; learning from texts; integrating information; writing or searching for information needed for writing;

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criticizing text and getting general comprehension Actually, the aims and objectives of reading depend greatly on the readers and different readers will have different reading purposes

2.2 Language learning strategies

“Learning strategies” is a familiar term since it can be applied into varieties of fields regarding both content and context such as math, science, history, languages and other subjects According to Weinstein and Mayer (1986), broadly defined learning strategies are "behaviours and thoughts that a learner engages in during learning" which are "intended to influence the learner's encoding process" (Weinstein & Mayer, 1986) In 1988, Mayer developed the definition more specifically and described learning strategies as "behaviours of a learner that are intended to influence how the learner processes information.”

Speaking of language learning strategies, there have been numerous definitions about this category Foreign or second language learning strategies are specific actions, behaviors, steps or techniques students use often consciously to improve their progress in apprehending, internalizing, and using foreign language (Oxford, 1990) Strategies are the tools for active, self-directed involvement needed for developing foreign or second language communicative ability (O‟Malley & Chamot, 1990)

Many scholars have attempted to categorize language learning strategies including some famous linguists like Wenden and Rubin 1987; O'Malley et al 1985; Oxford 1990; Stern 1992; Ellis 1994, Wenden and Rubin in 1987 classified language learning strategies into three main forms, consisting of learning strategies, communication strategies, and social strategies In contrast, Oxford‟s (1990) taxonomy includes direct and indirect strategies

In 1985, O'Malley and Chamot developed a classification of three types of language learning strategies:

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the learning process, planning for learning, monitoring learning while it is taking place, and self‐evaluating of learning after the task had been completed

materials or tasks, it is intended to enhance comprehension, acquisition, or retention

social interactions to assist in the comprehension, learning or retention of information

Nevertheless, different scholars have proposed different categorizations for learning strategies (Brown, 1987; O‟ Malley & Chamot, 1990) Most of them recommend that students develop the following strategies:

important aspects of material to be learned, to comprehend input, to store for future use what they have learned, and to develop facility in using the learned material

conversation, to maintain conversation, to negotiate meaning, and to terminate conversation

make friends who speak the second language, to go to movies in the language, metacognitive strategies, to plan for learning, to monitor learning, and to check the outcome

2.3 Strategies of successful language learners

There have been many studies investigated the characteristics and styles of good language learners as a way to improve and transfer them to less successful language learners Moreover, there have been many studies proved the close

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relationship between strategies application and the possibility of success of students (Rubin (1975), Stern (1975) and Naiman, Frolich, Stern, and Todesco (1978)) According to Rubin (1975), it was essential to enlighten less proficient language learners by encouraging them to learn the strategies of those who were more talented and she listed seven strategies which good language learners often applied, including: guessing, communicating, avoiding inhibition, attending to form, practicing, monitoring and attending to meaning

Stern (1975) also proposed 7 language learning strategies which he believed

to be characteristics of good language learners, consisting of experimenting, planning, developing the new language into an ordered system, revising progressively, using the language in real communication, developing the target language into a separate reference system and learning to think in the target language

Brown in 2007 described an account of good language learners‟ personality and he emphasized the need for teachers to enhance students‟ acquiring information process instead of just delivering it

1 Finds their own way

2 Organize information about language

3 Are creative, developing a “feel” for the language by experimenting with its grammar and words

4 Make their own opportunities for practice in using the language inside and outside the language classroom

5 Use memories and other memory strategies to recall what has been learned

6 Make errors work for them and not against them

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7 Use linguistic knowledge, including knowledge of their first language, in learning a second language

8 Use contextual cues to help them in comprehension

9 Learn to make intelligent guesses

10 Learn chunks of language as wholes and formalized routines to help them

11 Learn certain tricks that help to keep conversation going

12 Learn certain production strategies to fill in gaps in their own competence 13.Learn different styles of speech and writing and learn to vary their language according to the formality of the situation

Table 1: Characteristics of good language learners (Brown, 2007: 259-260)

Generally, many writers such as O‟Malley and Chamot (1990), Oxford (1990), Wenden (1991), Cohen (1998), Cohen and Macaro (2007) and Griffiths (2008) have suggested that learners might be able to learn language more effectively by the use of language learning strategies and those language learning strategies differ from users to users

2.4 Reading comprehension and test-taking strategies

2.4.1 Reading comprehension strategies

Comprehension is always the foremost purpose of any readers with different proficient level and the defining factor to decide the degree of command is reading strategies Most of the previous studies indicated that using effective and appropriate reading strategies would certainly enhance comprehension

Different learners will have distinctive reading comprehension strategies However, generally there exist two most popular ones, they are top-down and bottom – up strategies The top-down strategies facilitate readers to comprehend a larger piece of text, such as paragraph This type of strategies help readers recognize

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the whole meaning of the passage easier On the contrary, the bottom-up strategies deal with sentence-by-sentence, which means in order to understand the whole text, readers need to read and understand each sentence first (Cohen, 1998; Phakiti, 2003; Rogers & Harley, 1999)

2.4.2 Test-taking strategies

Each test taker has favorite strong tactics to deal with the test and it is important to explore and identify those strategies so that high-qualified ones should

be encouraged to be adopted by test takers

There have been a number of studies into this field since as Cohen (1998) indicated, “In order to assess reading comprehension in a second or foreign language, it is necessary to have a working knowledge of what that process entails.”

As a result, an approach to test-taking strategies is necessary to understand how test-takers handle the task Test takers use different test-taking strategies, this is demonstrated in many studies (Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Cohen, 1998; Phakiti, 2003; Roger & Harley, 1999) According to Rogers and Harley (1999), test-taking strategies were processes which helped learners to use “the features and format of a test” to get more correct answers in a test-taking situation The test-taking strategies might be talked about were: “reading the rubrics and instruction carefully, planning the allocated time properly, making use of key words in the questions, delaying answering complex and difficult questions, and reading and evaluating the work in order to check the answers” In other aspects, Cohen (1998) claimed that test-taking strategies involved language use strategies and testwiseness strategies To “keep”,

“retain”, “remind”, and “apply” the information for the test, there were four useful kinds of language use strategies, consisting of retrieval, rehearsal, cover and communication strategies, meanwhile testwiseness strategies related more to test-taking experience and knowledge (Cohen, 1998; Goh, 2002) Phakiti in his study in

2003 concluded that the use of metacognitive and cognitive strategies had constructive association with the reading comprehension test performance

& Palmer, 1996; Cohen, 1998; Khaldieh, 2000; Phakiti, 2003; Rogers & Harley, 1999) In addition, the knowledge of how to prepare for exams and take them can have a significant impact on learners‟ perceptions towards exam, decrease their test-anxiety, increase their self-confidence, make a difference in exam scores, and finally, help them to be more successful (Pour- Mohammadi & Abidin, 2012)

2.5 The IELTS test

Generally recognized as one of the most reliable testing system, IELTS- the International English Language Testing System is specifically designed to assess the language ability of candidates needing to study or work in English speaking countries IELTS certificate is the valuable ticket for those who wish to enter to university in not only the UK but also in other countries in the world Moreover, it

is highly regarded by employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia IELTS conforms to the highest international standards of language assessment

There are two forms of IELTS testing: Academic and General Training versions Each test includes 4 skills: Speaking, listening, reading and writing This paper is going to focus on reading skill of Academic Training module, which measures English language proficiency needed for academic, higher educational environment

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2.6 IELTS reading test

There is a distinctive difference between Academic and General Training modules in reading and writing tasks, while listening and speaking are the same for both versions General Reading texts are mainly taken from notices, advertisements, official documents, booklets… and tend to focus on survival reading skills, which aim at workers or employees On the contrary, Academic Reading, as its name suggests, is targeted at those who want to enter undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seeking professional registration This paper only concentrates on Reading test-taking strategies of Academic Training module that is of great concern

in recent years

The topic chosen in Academic Reading module are various, including general science themes, the environment, health and social psychology, technological and social developments, gender and other issues (Everett & Colman, 1999) All of IELTS passages are taken from authentic sources and are generally international but neutral (Brook-Hart, 2012) since “texts which may cause the reader offence or anxiety, texts which require specialist knowledge, are too specific in content or rely

on world knowledge or knowledge outside the texts would not conform to the guidelines of an objective testing procedure” (Everett & Colman, 1999, p23)

In the IELTS Reading Test (Academic Module), there are a number of types

of questions to compose the test, consisting of:

- Matching heading for identified paragraphs/ sections of the text

- Identification of information in the text: true, false or not given

- Classification

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- Matching lists/ phrases

Being familiar with reading strategies is essential for test takers as most of the reading texts in the IELTS test are complicated and challenging Moreover, a variety of question types is used in the reading passages so knowing certain techniques for each question type will be definitely helpful

2.7 Summary of previous studies

Cognitive process underlying readers‟ performance has been a controversial topic for many scholars There have numerous studies related to this topic, some of the outstanding researches we can name, including Hosenfeld, 1977; Block, 1986; Nevo, 1989; Block, 1992; Farr, Pritchard and Smitten, 1990; Sugirin, 1999; Ahmad and Asraf, 2004; Rupp, Ferne and Choi, 2006; Stahopoulou and Nikaki, 2009;

Karbalei, 2010…

By using think-aloud protocol and follow-up oral interview, Hosenfeld (1977)

illustrates clearly the close relationship between certain types of reading strategies

and successful or unsuccessful readers He indicates that poor readers or less advanced readers tend to process language according to Bottom-up model, which means the reading process is considered a text-driven decoding process wherein the sole role of the reader is to reconstruct meaning embedded in the smallest unit of the text They tend to focus on individual words or phrases, on sequential manner of language itself Whereas, good readers take an opposite position which considers readers‟ interest, world knowledge, and reading skill as the driving force behind reading comprehension

Applying a multi-method approach including think-aloud protocol analysis, retelling or retrospection, in-depth interviews and casual observations Sugirin (1999) demonstrated that poor readers tended to apply bottom-up model in reading comprehension, while good readers prefered to use top-down model which consisted of skimming the whole text, inferring, making association with prior

by integrating new information in the text with the old information, extracting main ideas from details, referring to their background knowledge and focusing on textual meanings of the words Readers with low scores, on the other hand, hardly employed these strategies In another study carried out in 1992, Block used the same method of collecting data to document the comprehension-monitoring process

of English readers who were then classified as proficient readers and non-proficient readers The findings showed that proficient readers tend to assess their background knowledge and made use of context clues to figure out the meaning of the word while less proficient readers did not attempt to find out the word‟s meaning and failed to identify the key words in the reading text

Aimed at investigating the relationship between the test-taking behaviours and reading comprehension of a group of college students, Farr, Pritchard, and Smitten (1990) employed introspective interviews and retrospective interviews after the participants completed a multiple-choice reading comprehension test The data analysis of the study revealed interesting patterns in the test-taking behaviors with three broad categories of reading comprehension behaviors which included an overall approach to the task, the specific reading strategies and test-taking strategies The finding of the study also reported difficulties encountered by the test-takers during the process The results of the study indicated that the most commonly used strategy utilized was using the questions to direct a search for relevant information in the text to answer the questions Moreover, there were certain test-taking strategies that were shared among a number of language skills (test taker

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prefered to read the questions first on both reading and listening comprehension tests administered in a multiple-choice format) Second, while reading strategies were generally used when readers engaged in a reading activity and thus “are related to text comprehension (Singhal, 2001, p1), test-taking strategies were only used when dealing with a test and were thus more “driven by the test questions” (Farr, Prichard, Smitten, 1990, p.218)

According to Nevo (1989), since reading test-taking represented a solving situation, high proficiency test takers tended to employ strategies that increased their chance of getting question items correct to a greater extent when compared to low-level test takers Having the same point of view, Bachman (1985) proposed that test takers who were highly proficient also exhibited skillfulness in using text-level comprehension Phakiti (2003) once again, counted the proficiency level as another factor affecting strategy use He suggested that high-proficiency test takers tended to exhibit more automatic use of such strategies as checking or monitoring than their low-proficiency counterparts did

problem-Another research on the underlying strategies employed by second language learners in comprehending both the source text and target text was conducted in

2004 by Ahmad and Araf The author aimed at testing the hypothesis of whether there was a difference between good and average readers in their use of eight reading comprehension sub-skills The result proposed that there were remarkable difference in strategies used by good and average readers as good readers were much more focused on each question type than average readers The researchers suggested that to foster the learners‟ ability to react “critically to text”, reading comprehension skills and vocabulary learning skills should be equipped for students

On the whole, there have been a great number of studies concentrate on reading strategies Most of those tried to differentiate the difference in approach used by high-proficient and low-proficient readers However, little attention was

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paid to studying the reading and test taking strategies in the IELTS Test For this

reason, the researcher decided to conduct the study on the topic “IELTS reading

test-taking strategies employed by high score candidates in academic training module” with primary aim at seeking the most frequent and effective used

strategies to handle the test

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CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY This chapter is going to describe in details the subjects, instruments as well as the procedure of collecting data to answer the study’s questions

1 What test-taking strategies frequently used by Vietnam test takers in

performing IELTS Reading tasks?

2 How are those English test-taking strategies related to test takers‟ performance?

3 To what extent do the uses of English test-taking strategy of successful candidates vary significantly with their gender and learning experience? If yes, what are the main patterns of variation?

3.1 Participants and setting

In the context of IELTS test receives lots of attention of many English learners, who aim at achieving specific score to serve different purposes such as institution‟s requirement, studying abroad or academic pursue, studies about reading strategies are encouraged to serve as guidance for learners The researcher decided

to follow this approach

In order to select enough suitable participants, the study was announced widely to many subjects including teachers, students, English foreign language learners in many parts of Vietnam and having got at least 7.0 for Reading module in IELTS test taken placed at British Council or IDP centers The respondents were mainly researchers‟ friends, colleagues, and students studying and working at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University and School of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University The reason why 7.0 scorers are considered by researcher to be appropriate is according to British Council, 7.0 scorers are good users who have “operational command” of the English but only some irregular random mistakes and they have ability to comprehend complex argument

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IELTS score and interpretation

9 Expert user Has fully operational command of the language:

appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding

8 Very good user Has fully operational command of the language

with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate words Misunderstandings may occur

in unfamiliar situations Handles complex detailed argumentation well

7 Good user Has operational command of the language, though

with occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate words Misunderstandings may occur

in unfamiliar situations Handles complex detailed argumentation well

6 Competent user Has generally effective command of the language

despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate words and misunderstandings Can use and understand fairly complex language particularly in familiar situations

5 Modest user Has partial command of the language despite some

misunderstandings Can use and understand fairly complex language particularly in familiar situations

4 Limited user Basic competence is limited to familiar situations

Has frequent problems in understanding and expression Is not able to use complex language

3 Extremely limited

user

Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations Frequent breakdowns in

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communication occur

2 Intermittent user No real communication is possible except for the

most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English

1 Non user Essentially has no ability to use the language

beyond possibly a few isolated words

0 Did not attempt

the test

No assessable information provided

Table 2: IELTS: Guide for Teachers (British Council, 2008)

The link to answer the survey‟s questions on google form was sent to over 100 people; thus, only 100 received feedbacks were satisfactory overall due to unqualified score As a result, the research sample was a group of 100 people at different aged groups and fields The primary requirements are meeting the score (at least 7.0 for Reading module) and certainly having taken the IELTS test Of the

Figure 1: The number of participant according to gender

21 %

79 %

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The participants also had diverse experience in English learning and teaching, 50 respondents reported to be the most experienced language learners (>10 years), 22 are experienced ones (5-10 years ), and 28 are less experienced (<5 years)

Figure 2: English experience of participants

Generally, all participants had some familiarity with the test as they prepared

to take the IELTS test Accordingly, a survey conducted widely on high score IELTS Reading Academic module participants is revealed, lots of valuable information about the degree of adopting some specific strategies in IELTS reading skill can be gained thanks to carrying out this investigation After that, a thorough interview on 06 participants coming from different groups to have a deep understanding about why and how they followed those strategies were conducted Some key information about 100 participants consisting of English learning experience in general and IELTS skill in particular were also concluded in the survey

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3.2 Research method

In this research, the researcher decided to choose survey and descriptive research methods to explore the test-taking strategies of 100 Vietnamese studying English foreign language, most of them concentrate on English language major As

a matter of fact, a mixed method study was applied At the beginning, a survey questionnaire which consists of two sections was conducted Section 1 includes 04 personal questions about sex, English learning experience, IELTS Reading score, and purposes of taking the IELTS Section 2 comprises of 26 listed Reading strategies proposed by Farr, Pritchard and Smitten (1990), Rupp, Ferne and Choi (2006), Cohen & Upton (2007), and Dinh Phuong (2014) The participants were required to tick the box according to likert scale or the degree that they follow from never to always After that, based on the results of the survey, participants were categorized into different typical groups and then selected to take part in an individual interview In this semi-structured interview, questions were designed to ask how and why they chose to take on those approaches

3.3 Research Instruments

3.3.1 Survey questionnaire

A comprehensive survey questionnaire with items relating to the participants‟ age, gender, and current level of English as well as their English learning experience in general and IELTS in particular will be used to provide the researcher with a wide-ranging knowledge of the participants‟ experience in learning English Furthermore, that survey contributes greatly to the success of the research by providing an all-embracing view of the most and the least frequent strategies adopted by IELTS test takers A great deal of interesting information can be obtained thanks to that broad survey

At the beginning, survey questionnaire was used as the first and foremost tool to identify the strategies applied by different users By applying this research instrument, a huge amount of information concerning both general understanding of

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the subjects and specific traits of different users could be collected in a short period

of time Moreover, survey questionnaires, in this situation, facilitated researcher to collect three types of data which were extremely important for the findings of the study, including factual, behavioral and attitudinal information ( Dornyei, 2003)

“Factual questions”, in other word, “classification” questions or “subject descriptors” in the study are questions related to Gender, English learning experience, IELTS Reading score, purpose of taking the IELTS test “Behavioral questions” are used to identify participants‟ habits, in this case, are the frequency of language learning strategies “Attitudinal questions” concerns test-takers‟ attitudes, interest in specific reading strategies (Dornyei, 2003) Overall, survey questionnaire

is a perfect choice, especially in this research, which investigates frequency of strategies use of a group of high score IELTS test takers Based on Dornyei (2003)‟s framework, the questionnaire was designed into five parts: title, instructions, questionnaires items, additional information and final thank Furthermore, all the contents were examined with awareness in advance by asking for comments from researcher‟s supervisor and colleagues about the questionnaires Some corrections relating to appearance and questions were made before announcing to participants Apart from that, in order to ensure the quality of responses, Cronbach‟s alpha is applied to measure the reliability as well as “shared covariance” among responses

3.3.2 Individual interview

Individual interviews were conducted after the result of the survey questionnaire were collected and classified Based on Hatch (2002)‟s framework, interview questions were mainly semi-structured or open ones with What-, Why-, and How- to encourage interviewees share and describe their actual thought while remembering the way they often do the reading tasks in IELTS Moreover, the questions depend greatly on respondents‟ strategies so there is no fix prompt of interview Because some interviewees are far from the researcher, 04 of them were interviewed through Skype, the rest are researcher‟s colleagues, who were talked to

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directly In this situation, interview was like a discussion section between test-takers and researcher However, still a prepared version with some basic questions and guidelines were necessary and arranged in advance

Some typical questions which appeared in most of the interview prompts were:

- Do you often use the reading test-taking strategies in IELTS test? (This question aims at asking the degree of adopting the test-taking strategies of test takers)

- Can you describe in details some basic / familiar steps to do the IELTS reading tasks in general? (This question aims at understanding the basic steps of doing different tasks in IELTS test of different users)

- Why do you follow the described steps? (This question aims at comprehending the reasons of taking the reading strategies)

- Do you think the reading strategies that you often follow affect the results of the test? If not, why? (This question aims at recognizing the relationship between test-taking strategies and test performance)

- In your opinion, what are the advantages of your reading strategies? (This question aims at identifying the benefits of employing reading strategies)

- In your opinion, what are the disadvantages of your reading strategies? (This question aims at identifying the drawbacks of employing reading strategies)

This follow-up interview part supposed to be an in-depth investigation into the strategies of different test takers and would reveal a great deal of useful information which certainly could not be gained in the survey part

3.4 Data analysis procedure

3.4.1 Data collection procedure