The effects of guidee extensive reading on efl students reading comprehension and motivation an action research study at class k50a5, national economics university

A Pre-Test and Survey-Questionnaire were used before the action to identify the level o f students’ reading comprehension, students’ background knowledge, students’ computer and Internet

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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI UNIVERSITY

Ĩ8UMG ĨKÕNG TIN THÚT VtỆr NN-VH NIỈỚC fj&OAl

NGUYEN THI THANH

THE EFFECTS OF GUIDED EXTENSIVE READING ON EFL STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION AND MOTIVATION: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY AT CLASS K50A5, NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY.

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN TESOL.

SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN DUC HOAT, Ph.D

Hanoi

December, 2009

S T A T E M E N T O F A U T H O R S H IP

I certify that the thesis entitled “The effects o f guided extensive reading on

EFL students’ reading comprehension and motivation: An action research study at class K50A5, N ational Economics University ” submitted in partial

fulfillment o f the requirements for the degree o f M aster o f Arts in TESOL is

the results o f my work, except where otherwise acknowledged, and that this

thesis or any part o f the same has not been submitted for a higher degree to any

other university or institution

The research reported in this thesis was approved by Hanoi University

Signed:

Dated:

I am most grateful to my supervisor, Dr Nguyen Due Hoat, for his great

assistance, encouragement, enthusiasm and valuable comments, which have

played a very important role during the course o f writing this thesis Without

his precious support and invaluable guidance, this thesis would never have

been completed

I would like to take this opportunity to express my special thanks to Mrs

Nguyen Thai Ha (MA) from the Department o f Post Graduate Studies o f Hanoi

University for her interesting and informative lecturers prior the information of

the idea for this study as well as her later valuable guidance, encouragement

and advice during the implementation o f the study

I also would like to send my thanks to all the lecturers from the Department of

Post Graduate Studies o f Hanoi University who have provided me with

invaluable sources o f knowledge and instructions during my study at Hanoi

University

I would wish to thank my colleagues and my students o f National Economics

University for their willingness to participate in this study Without their help,

this project could not have been so successful

Finally, my sincere thanks also go to my family and friends whose support has

been o f great significance to the success o f my thesis

As non-native speakers o f English, Vietnamese students in general and the

students at NEU in particular meet a great number o f difficulties in reading

comprehension and motivation for the second-year non-English major students,

the researcher decided to carry out an action plan with 32 students of class

K50A5, NEU

A Pre-Test and Survey-Questionnaire were used before the action to identify

the level o f students’ reading comprehension, students’ background knowledge,

students’ computer and Internet skills as well as their attitudes towards being

asked to involve in Extensive reading program (ERP) An action research was

planned and implemented in six weeks to help students overcome major

problems in reading as well as achieve other skills through the program The

Post-Test and Post-Action Questionnaire were used to study the possible

changes in the students’ reading comprehension and motivation as well as other

skills after the action.

The result o f the study revealed that the program had positive effects on

students’ reading comprehension and motivation Moreover, through the

program, most students indicated that they improved speaking, writing skills as

well as computer and Internet skills Besides, most o f them agreed that they

improved reading speed as well as created reading habits in their free time

It is hoped that the study will be able to serve as a reference as well as provide

useful information for other English teachers at NEU as well as other

researchers who want to conduct researches on extensive reading (ER) in the

future

TABLE OF CONTENT

S T A T E M E N T O F A U T H O R S H I P I

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S I

A B S T R A C T II

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T Hi LIST O F F I G U R E S VI

L IS T O F T A B L E S VII

L IS T O F A B B R E V I A T I O N S VIII

C H A P T E R I: I N T R O D U C T I O N 1

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE S T U D Y 1

1.1.1 Practical background 1

1.1.2 Theoretical background 2

1.2 THE AIMS OF THE S T U D Y 3

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE AND SCOPE OF THE S T U D Y 3

1.4 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS 3

C H A P T E R II: L I T E R A T U R E R E V I E W 5

2.1 READING AND READING CO M PR E H E N SIO N 5

2.1.1 Overview o f reading and reading com prehension 5

2.1.2 The importance o f reading fo r non-English-speaking students 5

2.1.3 Factors affecting the development o f learners ’ reading ability 6

2.2 EXTENSIVE R E A D IN G 10

2.2.1 Definition o f extensive reading 10

2.2.2 Roles o f extensive reading in language learning 10

2.2.3 Materials used fo r extensive reading I / 2.2.4 Major characteristics o f an extensive reading program 12

2.2.5 Top ten principles fo r an extensive reading program 13

2.2.6 Instruments used to monitor students ’ reading in an extensive reading program 16 2.3 THE INTERNET 16

2.3.1 Reasons fo r using the Internet in the EFL c la s s 16

2.3.2 The benefits o f Internet in teaching and learning 17

2.3.3 The Internet as a source o f extensive reading materials / 7

2.3.4 Advantages and disadvantages o f web-based materials 18

2.4 M O T IV A T IO N 20

2.4.1 Definition o f M otivation 20

2.4.2 The role o f motivation in second language lea rn in g 20 2.4.3 Factors affecting students' motivation in learning reading 2 1

2.5 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON ER IN E F L

C H A P T E R 3: M E T H O D O L O G Y

3.1 REASEARCH Q U E S T IO N S

3.2 PARTICIPANTS

3.3 S E T T IN G

3.4 RESEARCH D ESIGN

3.4.1 Definition o f Action research

3.4.2 Advantages, disadvantages o f AR and rationale fo r using A R

3.4.3 Action research procedures

3.4.4 Data collection instrum ents

3.5 S U M M A R Y

C H A P T E R 4: R E S U L T S AND D ISCU SSIO N

4.1 INITIAL D A T A

4.1.1 Results o f the Pre-Test

4.1.2 Results o f Survey Q uestionnaires

4.1.3 Findings fro m the initial da ta

4.2 ACTION D A T A

4.2.1 Students' problem s and concerns

4.2.2 Students' changes

4.2.3 Findings fro m action data

4.3 POST-DATA

4.3.1 Data collectedfrom Post-Test

4.3.2 Data collected fro m Post-Act ion Questionnaires

4.3.3 Findings fro m p o st-d a ta

4.4 EVALUATION OF THE ACTION PLAN

4.4.1 Positive effects o f online business news extensive reading program on students ’ reading comprehension

4.4.2 Positive effects o f online business news extensive reading program on students ’ motivation

4.4.3 Other findings fro m the program

4.5 S U M M A R Y

C H A P T E R 5: R E C O M M E N D A T IO N S AND C O N C L U S I O N

5.1 R E C O M M E N D A T IO N S

5 1.1 Recommendations fo r teachers

5.1.2 Recommendations fo r stu d en ts

5.1.3 Recommendations fo r N E U

5.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE ST U D Y

5.3 CO N C L U SIO N S

.24

2 6

.26 2 6 2 7 27

27 28 29 36

.40

41

41

41 41 47

47

48 52 57

58

58 58 62

62

62

64 64

65

67

67

67 69 69

70 70

R E F E R E N C E S 73

A P P E N D I C E S 81

APPENDIX 1: THE PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST 81

APPENDIX 2: SURVEY Q U ESTIO N N A IRES 90

APPENDIX 3: PHIẾU ĐIỀU TRA KHAO S Á T 92

APPENDIX 4: POST-ACTION QUESTIONNAIRES 94

APPENDIX 5: CÂU HỎI ĐIỀU TRA SAU CHƯƠNG T R Ì N H 96

APPENDIX 6: LIST OF RECOMMENDED BUSINESS W E B S IT E S 98

APPENDIX 7: A SAMPLE OF EXTENSIVE READING 99

APPENDIX 8: EXTENSIVE READING WORKSHEET 101

APPENDIX 9: PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST RESULTS 105

Figure 3.1: Simple Action Research Model (from M aclsaac, 1995)'1"1

Figure 3.2: Detailed Action Research Model (adapted from Susman 1983)1 [in|

Figure 3.3: Action Research Cycle (Somekh in Me Bride & Sckostak, 1989)

Figure 4.1: The length o f time o f learning English before entering NEU

Figure 4.2: Students’ opinions on the time for reading in class

Figure 4.3: Students’ opinion on the number o f readings in Powerbase

Elementary and Pre-Intermediate

Figure 4.4: Students’ needs o f having readings to read outside class to improve

reading comprehension

Figure 4.5: Students’ opinion on the person finding readings

Figure 4.6: Students’ opinions on the topics o f readings

Figure 4.7: Students’ attitude towards being asked to read English news online

Figure 4.8: Students’ experience in sending and receiving attacked files

through e-mail

Figure 4.9: Students’ reading speed

Figure 4.10: Students’ self-rate o f reading comprehension

Figure 4.11: Students’ opinion on the level o f difficulty o f the news

Figure 4.12: Students’ attitudes toward reading the news

Figure 4.13: The difference between mean scores o f Pre-Test and Post-Test

LIST OF FIGURES

Table 4.1 : Results of the Pre-test

Table 4.2: Selecting news

Table 4.3: Checking summary

Table 4.4: Using dictionary

Table 4.5: Results o f the Post-test

Table 4.6: Post-Action Questionnaires

Table 4.7: Comparison o f Pre-Test and Post-Test results

LIST OF TABLES

LIST O F A B B R E V IA T IO N S

AR: Action Research

ER: Extensive reading

ERP: Extensive Reading Program

ELT: English Language Teaching

EFL: English as a Foreign Language

ESL: English as a Second Language

ERW: Extensive Reading Worksheet

C H A P T E R I: IN T R O D U C T IO N

This first chapter presents the background to the study, the aims o f the study,

the research questions, the scope and significance o f the study as well as the

outline o f the thesis

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

1.1.1 Practical background

Among the four macro-skills, reading is “by far the most important skill,

particularly in English as Second Language (ESL) or English as Foreign

Language (EFL)” (Carrel, 1981, p.l) For many students, reading not only

brings them a lot o f interesting information but also provides a variety o f

linguistic expressions as well as grammatical structures, which are very useful

for them to develop other skills Thanks to reading, students can “gain access to

the required knowledge that is available in English” (Munby, 1978, p.3.)

At NEU, students are trained according to certificates with focus on listening,

reading skills Right after entering the university, students were asked to take

the replacement test According to the results o f the replacement tests, students

were divided into two different groups: group A and group B Students got A

level in the replacement test could sign different class for A level as well as

group B Every term, students are asked to take one mid-term paper reading

test, one mid-term paper listening test and a final computer-based multiple

choice grammar and vocabulary test

There were 32 second-year non-English major students in class K50A5 All o f

them got A level in the replacement test In the first year at NEU, they studied

English with the course book Powerbase - Elementary by David Evans in 120

periods Powerbase is a communicative course book that has been specially

written for adults who need English for work, travel and everyday situations

with the two main skills: Listening and Reading However, many students at

class K50A5 complaint that this course book did not give them enough

readings to read as well as the time spending on reading in class was limited

Moreover, by discussing with students at the first meet, the researcher found

out that 50% students got scores 3, 4, 5 for reading tests in the second mid-term

reading test in the first year at NEU and 70% students felt frighten at reading

examination It seemed that the biggest problems faced students at class K50A5

were low reading comprehension and motivation Therefore, the teacher’s

objective here is to find the way to help students improve reading

comprehension (RC) and motivation

1.1.2 Theoretical background

In finding ways to help students improve RC and motivation, the researcher

came across with the notion "extensive reading" (ER) By deeply read about

extensive reading, the researcher found out that ER gave considerable benefits

for learners Hafiz and Tudor (1989) stated that ER could help students

improve reading, writing, speaking, and vocabulary ER could lead to students’ improvement in the areas o f reading, writing, vocabulary learning, and overall

proficiency while also increasing motivation (Day & Bamford, 1998) Nutall

(1982) also stated that an ER program was the single most effective way o f

improving both vocabulary and reading skill, ER also provided input for

speaking and writing skills and it could be the second best way to improve

knowledge o f a foreign language Besides, Mason & Krashen (1997) reported

that reading extensively increased motivation to read, created a good habit o f

reading and developed a positive attitude toward reading

It seemed that ER could be the best solution for students at class K50A5

because ER could help students overcome the limitations o f the course book

Powerbase as it provided more readings for students to read It also helped

students overcome the problems o f limited time on reading in class as students

could read at home Moreover, it was considered as one o f the best solutions to

improve students' RC and motivation in many countries Inspired by the

benefits of extensive reading, the researcher conducted a study on the effects of

ER on students' RC and motivation by way o f action research Through this

small scale research, the researcher hopes that ER will help students at class

K50A5, NEU improve RC and motivation

1.2 THE AIMS OF THE STUDY

The study aims:

- to investigate the problems and concerns in ER o f students at class K50A5,

NEU

- to study the possible changes in the students’ RC and motivation through the

action program

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY

As mentioned above in the “Background to the study”, RC is very important to

the students at the NEU Therefore, helping students to improve their RC and

motivation is very helpful

ER has been proved to bring many effects on students' RC and motivation and

other countries by different researchers whereas no similar program was

conducted in NEU with non-English major students This fact encourages me

to conduct this research study

It is hoped that the findings o f the study will provide convincing information

about the ways to run extensive reading program (ERP), the value o f using ER

on EFL, ESL students as well as better understanding about action research

However, due to the limit o f time and conditions (the study was carried out

only in one class in only 6 weeks), the results o f the study might be able to be

applicable to research class only

1.4 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS.

The study will consist o f five chapters:

- Chapter I: “Introduction ” deals with back ground information o f the study,

the aims o f the study, the research questions, significant and scope o f the study

and outline o f the thesis

- Chapter II: “Literature review ”-, concerns with an overview literature o f reading and RC, extensive reading, the Internet, and motivation

- Chapter III: “Methodology ” will provide the readers with definition o f action

research, procedures o f action research, detailed description o f the participants

and data collection instruments

- Chapter IV: “Results and discussions ” will present results o f the study It also

provides discussion about the results

- Chapter V: “Conclusion and recommendations ” is expected to provide final

conclusion o f the study, the limitations o f the study as well as suggestions for

further study

C H A P T E R II: L IT E R A T U R E R E V IE W

2.1 READING AND READING COM PREHENSION

2.1.1 Overview o f reading and reading comprehension

Reading might be understood as being able to identify or to decode written

words, reading behavior generally involves an understanding o f what is read

We read because we want to get something from the writing which we call message

Among reading skills, RC is an important part in teaching and learning a

foreign language in general and teaching and learning reading in particular RC

can be defined in different ways by different researchers

Richards et al (1992) stated that RC is best described as an understanding

between the author and the reader Lee and Vanpatten (1995, p 191) stated that

R C , by definition, is the process o f relating new or incoming

information to information already stored in memory Readers make connections between the new information on the printed

page and their existing knowledge They must allow the new

information to enter and become part o f their knowledge store”

Davies and Whitney (1979) considered RC as the process o f decoding language

to thought or working out the meaning o f a reading

RC can be defined in different ways however in this study, RC is meant when

reader can get out o f the text the message the writer put into it

2.1.2 The importance of reading for non-English-speaking students

Reading may be an all-important language skill that is now in more demand

than in any time in our history We read everyday for information or for the

satisfaction o f knowledge In a society that places increasing emphasis on the

importance of information and communication, reading skills are essential not

only for students’ academic success but also for their social and business

advancement Pham (2005) (cited in Hoang et al., 2005) noted that reading

offered students to improve other language skills like speaking, listening,

writing By reading, students got familiar with a number o f topics therefore

when they listened to well-read topics they became familiarized with related

words and dealt with it without much difficulty Consequently, students would

become more confident about the topics in the text; they could speak

confidently and write well Hoang et al (2006) even considered reading as the

most effective means o f improving students’ language competence In short,

reading comprehension is an essential skill that helps language learners become

successful in learning as Byrne (1988) believes "reading gives the students as skill which they can use their own"

2.1.3 Factors affecting the development o f learners’ reading ability.

2.1.3.1 Strategies

The impacts o f strategy used on foreign and second language learning have

heen consistently discussed and implied in language learning For instant, Ehrman and Oxford (1990, p.312) argued that strategies were able to help

second language learners to "enhance the acquisition, storage, retention, recall,

and use o f new information" Moreover, when discussing about the methods o f

applying strategies in class, Nam and Oxford (1998, p.53) stated that

“unsuccessful language learners do not necessarily use fewer learning

strategies than their more successful peers; rather they simply employ strategies

in a haphazard fashion In other words, it is the manner o f how strategies are

used that determines and differentiates o f how many strategies are chosen

From this perspective, any positive effects that strategies can exercise o f

facilitating language learning outcomes must be based on an assumed premise

Learners have to be capable o f choosing a series o f strategies that can

appropriately meet particular requirements in various contexts On the basis o f

this understanding, it is hypothesized that the effectiveness o f using one

are employed In other words, the use o f various strategies must be logically

connected in such a sense that all initiated strategies can either effectively solve

reading difficulties encountered or efficiently facilitate the process o f reading

comprehension Strategies mostly used in ESL/EFL might include: predicting,

scanning, skimming, analyzing, differencing, analyzing, information transfer, brainstorming, semantic mapping

2.1.3.2 Materials

According to White (1988), “materials” was considered to be one o f the key

elements in the model o f language teaching and learning Besides, O ’malley

and Chammot (1990, p.210) stated that

“ the objectives o f materials are to develop academic English

language skills through content-based instruction, to develop

understanding and skills in content areas and to teach students

learning strategies that will help them become autonomous

learners o f both language and content”

Among materials used for reading, authentic texts are considered the most

valuable materials for low level students because “classroom work in

referenced against the type o f language which learners will encounter outside

classroom” Nunan (1991, p 16) Sharing the same idea, Grellet (1981) agreed

that “it is important to use authentic texts whenever possible”

Authentic texts can be presented in a linear fashion in traditional print or in

nonlinear in semantic network in modem print (hypertext) where multiple

related sections o f the text are connected to each other The reader can engage

with the text through links from the websites The reader can choose the most

relevant texts to his needs and interests Hypertext provides easy access to

multiple cross-references on related topics across several documents, or

screens By following different links online, students can develop strategies to

approach text content Reading hypertext is a naturally dynamic and integrated

process as students have opportunities to acquire, test and reframe knowledge

Activities that are intrinsically motivating also carry other significant

advantages such as personal satisfaction, challenge, relevance, and promotion

o f a positive perspective on lifelong learning (Keller & Suzuki, 1988; Kinzie,

1990) Among the activities used in teaching and learning English, the

activities on the Internet were the best as they provided contexts for the

learners which are challenging and stimulate curiosity (Malone, 1981)

2.1.3.5 Backgro und knowledge

Background knowledge is considered one o f the key factors o f RC process It is

easier to read a text which learners know something about the topic or the topic

is familiar to them In terms o f background knowledge, first language (L I)

abilities might exert another kind o f influence on second language (L2) RC

Individual and experiential differences refer to resources and experiences that

influence L2 RC including learners' proficiency level in L2 literacy, their

personal experiences with and motivation for L 1 and L2 reading, their attitudes

towards authentic texts, and their trainings in the use o f various supporting

resources L2 readers are not likely to be exposed to the full range o f texts to which they are exposed in L I in terms o f length and complexity o f language

used in the texts L2 readers often use bilingual and learner dictionaries while

reading They also may write out translations in the L I They may access

cultural knowledge from L I to help them

By doing exercise as well as reading extensively, students are exposed to a

wider range o f texts than what is provided in their textbooks Moreover,

students are provided with more reading extracted from authentic resources

Authentic resources could be downloaded unrestrictedly in any topics with real

figures and beautiful graphics from the Internet By linking what they are

reading with what we know about that aspect, students can understand the

reading easily and clearly Therefore, students will be exposed to the target

language in a natural way, at the same time practicing the target patterns while

they are not just limited to information provided in the textbook

through cognitive reconstruction of text Therefore, hypertext may promote

comprehension through the elaboration and integration o f new information into

the existing knowledge network as readers create and expand the cognitive map that guides their construction o f meaning

2.1.3.3 Feedback

Feedback is essential to language learning because students need to know

whether their conclusions about the target language are right or wrong

Lightbown & Spada (1990) indicate that learners provided feedback

outperform those given minimal or no feedback Van Dusen & Worther, (1995,

p.30) stated that learners also remain more engaged longer on computer tasks

with immediate feedback” Besides, Goldenburg (1984) stated that the more

immediate that feedback is the better comprehension students are as students

can both correct their mistakes immediately and keep using the language that

they have master Moreover, learners who receive explicit feedback were

shown to perform better than who were given implicit feedback (Carrill & Swain, 1993)

2.1.3.4 Motivation

Motivation is a significant variable in reading People are more motivated to

read if they are interested in the topic The highly motivated learners

demonstrated better results in language learning (Gardner & MacIntyre, 1991)

argued that both integrative motivation and instrumental motivation facilitated

learning It means that when L2 learners are highly and appropriately motivated

to accomplish a language learning task, they become more active in exerting

cognitive and met cognitive efforts, more determined for maintaining their

efforts, and more cautions about their current levels o f achievements as a result,

they tend to use more strategies to assure the occurrences o f their anticipated learning outcomes

To help students motivate, Grellet (1992, p.9) noted that “activities should be

flexible and varied” because some o f them are “intrinsically good or bad”

2.1.3.6 Practice

It is written in an English website when the researchers were searching the

materials for the students' practice class that the only way for ESL and EFL

students to improve their reading skills is through practice because practice

makes perfect By practicing reading, learners will familiar with vocabularies

and topics before reading it Teacher can ask students to do follow-up activities

like summarizing the text, giving opinion to reflect the content o f the reading

Another way to let students practice reading is by giving them a topic and

asking them to search for it from the World Wide Web

2.2 EXTENSIVE READING

2.2.1 Definition o f extensive reading.

A lot o f trials have been made on working out a through definition o f ER

Concentrating on teaching and learning methods, Munby (1979) saw ER as just

another sub-skills such as skimming or scanning, Bamford and Day (1997)

defined ER as an approach to foreign language teaching in general, and to the teaching o f foreign language reading in particular whereas Day and Bamford

(1998, p.viii) defined ER in a second language as “an approach to the teaching

and learning o f second language reading in which learners read large quantities

o f books and other materials that are well within their linguistic competence”

In order to give an overall picture o f ER, Robb and Susser (1989, p.3) defined

ER as a language teaching/learning procedure because it was reading “(a) o f

large quantities o f material or long text; (b) for global or general understanding;

(c) with the intention o f obtaining pleasure from the text; (d) individualized,

with students choosing the books they want to read; (e) the books are not discussed in class”

2.2.2 Roles o f extensive reading in language learning.

The roles o f ER can be seen in the following aspects:

ER as comprehensible input: In his book, Krashen (1982) argued that “ER will

lead to language acquisition if such certain preconditions as adequate exposure

to the language, interesting material, and a relaxed, tension-free learning environment are met”

ER as language competence enhancement: Grabe (1991) emphasized the

importance o f ER in providing learners with practice in automatic o f word recognition and decoding the symbols on the printed page

ER and knowledge o f vocabulary: Nagy, Anderson and Herman (1987)

claimed that children between grades three and twelve learnt up to 3000 words

a year It was thought that only a small percentage o f such learning was due to

direct vocabulary instruction, the remainder was due to acquisition of words from reading

ER and writing: Hafiz & Tudor (1989) studied the second language learning in

the UK and Pakistan; Robb and Susser (1989) studied the second language

learning in Japan All o f them concluded that ER reveals more significant improvement in students’ written work than in other language skills

ER and learners’ motivation to read: Bell & Campbell (1997) explored the

issue in South East Asian context and came to conclusion that ER motivated

learners to read and advanced the reading habit

2.2.3 Materials used for extensive reading

Materials plays important role in reading Day and Bamford (1998) stated that

getting students to read extensively depended on what they read The reading

materials must be both easy and interesting “Easy” means materials with

vocabulary and grammar well within the students’ linguistic competence

“Interesting” means students are familiar with the topics and are interested in

the readings Among the available materials, authentic materials or simplified

texts written for non-native speakers are used as they provide favorable

conditions lor language learning Nunan (1991) stated that most everyday

objects in the target language could be qualified as authentic materials The

source o f authentic materials could be newspapers, TV programs, menus,

magazines, movies, songs, brochures, com ics, and the Internet (Martinez,

2002).

2.2.4 Major characteristics of an extensive reading program.

2.2.4.1 Large quantity

Large quantities are essential for this procedure to be “extensive” but there is

no agreement on how much ‘extensive” is Different authors have different

views on it Firstly, the large quantities can be counted by pages The number

o f pages can be counted as thirty pages an hour (Hill and Thomas, 1988), three

pages an hour (Matsumura, 1987 cited in Susser and Robb, 1990), one page per

day and three pages per day during summer vacation (Matsumura, 1987, cited

in Susser and Robb, 1990) Secondly, the quantity can be counted by hours

spending on reading It can be an hour per evening, (Krashen, 1981, cited in

Susser and Robb, 1990), five hours by a specified date (Bowen, Madsen, 1981,

citcd in Susser and Robb, 1990), sixty hours over three months (H afiz and

Tudor, 1989), an hour o f ER for every hour o f intensive reading (Williams,

1986), thirty minutes per day for five stories, poems, or essays (Dalle, 1988,

cited in Susser and Robb, 1990) Thirdly, the quantity can be counted by reader

or book as one reader per week (Stoller, 1986, cited in Susser and Robb, 1990),

at least two books a week (Carroll, 1972, cited in Susser and Robb, 1990), a

minimum o f 36 simplified readers per year (Hill, 1983, cited in Susser and

Robb, 1990), 60 books a year (Bright & McGregor, 1970, cited in Susser and

Robb, 1990) In short, the quantity o f readings is not an absolute number of

hours, pages, readers or books but depends on the type and purpose of the

program, the participants and other variables

2.2.4.2 General comprehension

In reading extensively, it is not necessary to comprehend 100% the content of

understanding This means that they should be able to follow the general

storyline and grasp the main ideas of the text In ER, the aim is to read a great

many books, so it is in the learners' best interest not to struggle over every

detail and worry about the exact meaning o f every word or phrase By aiming

at general comprehension, this procedure reduces both teacher demands on the

students and students' demands on the texts to obtain the objectives o f fluency

and speed as well as comprehension Broughton et al., (1978, cited in Susser

and Robb, 1990) stated that “ER must imply a relatively low degree of

understanding, which must be taken in context” Students are wished to achieve

a degree o f understanding sufficient for pleasure reading If students find the

book too difficult to enjoy, the ER procedure requires that the book be changed

and not that the students be made to study it more closely The level o f global

understanding required varies with the students’ language proficiency, the

nature o f the text and other factors

2.2.4.3 Pleasure reading

For pleasure, Nell (1988), in his interesting study o f the psychology o f reading

for pleasure, argued that “one could not read for pleasure in a foreign language

before mastering it” This means that students need to practice reading and gain

pleasure from that practice Moreover, students will enjoy reading texts that

they have chosen on topics o f interest If they have chosen correctly, the texts

should be easy to read for general understanding and students can gain pleasure

from reading these texts Further, even students who have far from fluent

derive pleasure from the experience o f reading a book in a foreign language

Students in ER courses regularly comment on their joy at having finished

whole books in the target language

2.2.5 Top ten principles for an extensive reading program

Day and Bamford (1998, p.7-8) and Day and Bamford (2002) provided the

following ten top principles o f an ERP:

- The reading material is easy The benefits of ER come from students So we

have to get our students reading One way to get them read a lot is to make sure

that they read material that contains vocabulary and grammar within their

linguistic competence In addition, reading easy material helps the effective

dimension o f learning to read The students discover that they can read foreign

language material, and as they read more and more material, they see

themselves as readers in the target language

- There m ust be a wide variety o f materials on a wide range o f topics Having

variety allow students to find materials they want to read Different kinds of

reading materials also encourage a flexible approach to reading Students learn

to read for different reasons (e.g., entertainment, information, passing time) and

in different ways (skimming, scanning, more careful reading)

- Students select what they want to read The principle o f freedom o f choice

means that students can select texts as they read, that is, they can choose texts

they expect to understand, to enjoy or to learn from

- Students read as much as possible, in class and out o f class This is the

“extensive” o f ER, made possible by the previous principles The most critical

element in learning to read is the amount o f time spent actually reading While

most reading teachers agree with this, it may be the case that their students are

not being given the opportunity or incentive to read, read, and read some more

There is no upper limit to the amount o f reading that can be done

- The purpose o f reading are usually related to pleasure, information, and

general understanding and are determined by the nature o f the material and the interest o f the students Students are encouraged to read for a variety of

real-world reading purposes from entertainment to finding specific information

Also in common with real-world reading, 100% comprehension is not usually

the goal Only sufficient understanding to achieve one’s purpose is required

- Reading is its own rewards Because the goal is for students to experience

reading, they are not required to demonstrate their understanding by answering

comprehension questions However, teachers may need to ask students to

engage in follow-up activities after reading for a number o f reasons: (a) to

discover what the students understood and experienced from reading; (b) to

keep track o f what students read; (c) to monitor the students’ attitude toward

reading; and (d) to link reading with other aspects o f the curriculum

- Reading is individual and silent Silent, individual ER contrasts with the way

classroom texts are used as vehicles for teaching language or reading strategies

or translating or reading aloud It allows students to discover that reading is a

personal interaction with the text, and an experience that they have

responsibility for Thus, together with freedom to choose reading materials,

individual silent reading can be instrumental in discovering how foreign

language reading fits into their lives ER means learners read at their own

paces It can be done both in the students’ own time when and where the

students choose, or inside the classroom when part or all o f a classroom period

is set aside for silent, self-selected reading

- Reading speed is usually faster than slower When students read materials

that are well within their linguistic ability, for personal interest, and for general

rather than academic purpose, it is an incentive to reading fluency Nuttall

(1982, p 128) noted that “speed, enjoyment and comprehension are closely

linked with one another”

- Teachers orient and guide their students Students may not be accustomed to

the freedom o f making choices in school, so they need to be introduced to the

practice o f ER The teacher could begin by explaining the benefit o f ER Then

teacher discusses the choice o f materials, self-selection and reading for overall

understanding

- The teacher is a role model o f a reader fo r students When the teacher read s

the same materials that students read, they can form a reading community

where teacher is the model for students

2.2.6 Instruments used to monitor students’ reading in an extensive reading program

Bell (1998) stated that “in order to run an extensive reading program (ERP)

successfully, effective monitoring is required, both to administer the resources

efficiently, and to trace students’ developing reading habits and interests” Bell

(1998); Hafiz & Tudor (1989); Mason & Krashen (1997) suggested weekly

reports as monitoring tools Moreover, Smith (1988) also stated that “writing

summaries to improve comprehension is also considered as a useful tool”

Keeping journals o f what they have read also is used to monitor because they

provide “an effective means o f identifying variables that are important to

individual teachers” (Hafiz and Tudor, 1989)

2.3 THE INTERNET

2.3.1 Reasons for using the Internet in the EFL class

In the field o f EFL, there are many reasons for using the Internet in English

classes First o f all, using computer in general and using the Internet in

particular “provides a strong intrinsic motivation for learning English”

(Muehleisen, 1997) The second possible reason is that “learning computer

skills is essential to students’ future success” (Warschausuer, 1997) The third

reason is that throughout the Internet, students can find a great number of

documents and texts written in English The fourth reason is that a lot o f

Internet-based activities that can be used with English learners’ to improve

their English language proficiency It seems that using Internet is necessary for

both teacher and students in ESL and EFL classes

2.3.2 The benefits o f Internet in teaching and learning

Davies (1997) listed some benefits o f the Internet in education as: “(a) the

Internet provides us with an easy access to information and databases; (b) using

Internet can promote learning when it is used properly as an instructional web;

(c) it enables teachers to adopt new instructional models made on the web; (d)

the Internet enables Computer-M ediated Communication in its different forms

to take place” Besides, Oliver (2003) stated that “the Internet can have a

positive effect on student reading achievement” McNabb, et al., (2002), also

agreed that “the Internet-based learning activities make reading enjoyable for

students, foster use o f critical reading skills and promote reading fluency”

Mike (1996) mentioned the use o f the Internet in prom oting higher order

thinking skill Moreover, Singhal (2009) stated that the Internet could also be

used to retrieve and access information; it was a readily available world o f

information for the language learners Students could use the Internet to

retrieve and access and acquire information from language resources for a

variety o f purposes Besides, by using the Internet, students could promote computer skills and the technical and conceptual experiences o f using a

computer In short, students could gain a number o f benefits from using the

Internet, therefore, it is necessary to use the Internet in ESL and EFL classes

2.3.3 The Internet as a source o f extensive reading materials

For teaching and learning reading, The Internet has become a very useful tool

for exposing learners to online authentic materials (Anderson, 1984) or

provides authentic reading materials that encourage students to read more and

it offers a rich variety o f authentic, low-cost and easy accessible input in target

language (M ulholland, 2002) The Internet provides a “medium o f global

communication and source o f limitless authentic materials” and gives better

opportunities for cooperative learning and encourages interaction in authentic

learning environment (W arschaue, 1996 cited in Pala, 2005, p 18) The Internet

provides information o f all topics for them to search and select and the

information is the latest However when using this kind o f reading, both

teachers and students must be aware three following variables that can affect

reading on the Internet: (a) the students need to get used to the new method of

learning because instead o f looking at the board, they now look at the computer

screen shown in front o f them; (b) the teacher could have good knowledge and

skills o f computers and know how to apply a new method o f teaching; (c) the computer needs to work well during the lesson

2.3.4 Advantages and disadvantages of web-based materials

2.3.4.1 Disadvantages

There are a number o f disadvantages associated with the use o f new

technologies which are often forgotten in the rush to embrace innovation such

as expensive equipment, unreliability o f hardware and software, technophobia

phenomenon among teachers and students, teachers' lack o f IT skills, lack o f

specialized language learning materials on the market

2.3.4.2 Advantages

Despite the disadvantages, in a increasingly digital environment, web-based

materials are becoming the medium o f the choice for their overwhelming advantages

Firstly, they support open and distance learning Learners can choose to use

materials from around the world or can be supported or taught at a distance in

either synchronous or asynchronous time using the Internet The classroom is

not located to a fixed locality It is "mobile" and could "go" to anywhere equipment is sufficiently facilitated

Secondly, they offer flexible access to authentic learning environments Instead

of the artificial, practice environment o f the classroom, learners can use e-mail

to communicate with native speakers, carry out researches on the web and read newspapers online

Thirdly, they offer the possibility of multimedia, written texts and reference

materials can all be located in one Internet-based environment rather than

stored separately in three or more different locations

Fourthly, they allow the learner to practice in a controlled environment-using

multimedia software, for example, the learner can listen, record, write and read

in a life-like way and gain confidence before using the language in a real-life

environment

Fifthly, they encourage collaborative working which is an important life skill

New technologies facilitate teaching and learning methodologies which value

pair or group works through the use o f task or project-based learning, email and

conferencing

Sixthly, they help develop and practice a number o f transferable skills that

learners need for their future careers The skills are not limited to IT skills but

include other life skills like analyzing and evaluating information, decision

making, problem solving and other group work skills

Finally, they provide a source o f up-to-date materials For both teachers and

learners, the Internet has become an invaluable regularly updated resource

Readers can open their computer, get online and enjoy new reading articles or

quizzes every day in web pages

In short, web-based materials bring readers with a number o f advantages in

terms o f availability, students’ familiarity, variety in topics, text length, up-to-

date and level o f difficulty and importantly, they encourage independent

learning which is essential for not only language learning but also academic

studies

2.4 M OTIVATION

2.4.1 Definition o f motivation

Brown (2002, p 160) suggested that “motivation is some kind o f internal drove

which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something” Williams

and Burden (1997) also pointed out that the reason for and factors affecting

your choice o f behaving in this way but not in others and how much effort you

decide to make in order to obtain your objects were all aspects relating to motivation

Motivation also refers to the need and desire According to McKay and Tom

(1999), the need and desire to communicate with others in the new language

provided strong motivation for most newcomers In a similar but more

specified way, Lightbown and Spada (1999) stated that motivation in second

language learning was a complex phenomenon which could be defined in terms

o f two factors: learners’ communicative needs and their attitudes towards the

second language community I f students needed to speak the second language

in a wide range o f social situations or to fulfill professional ambitions, they would perceive the communicative value o f the second language and would

therefore be motivated to acquire proficiency in it Likewise, if learners had

favorable attitudes towards the speakers o f the language, they would decide

more contact with them

2.4.2 The role o f motivation in second language learning

Gardner and Lambert (1972) stated that motivation plays a major part in

language learning for adults and may be affected by learner's attitudes,

experience and cognitive abilities Without motivation, we will almost certainly

fail to make the necessary effort for the tasks o f language learning In contrast,

the more motivation we have, the more time we will spend on learning an

aspect o f a second language

Besides, Brown (2002) also agreed that motivation is strongly related to

success in language learning Motivation is not only the cause o f success but it

can also be the effect o f success, said that a learner will be successful with the proper motivation in learning

Moreover, Resnick and Lester (2000: 5) stated that "motivation is one o f the

most important ingredients in skilled reading" Most o f the English learners

complained that they felt bored with the reading lessons One reason was the

fact that reading was the most difficult and boring o f the four practical skills

Students often lost interest in the reading text and were reluctantly participate

in the reading lessons

In short, motivation plays important role in language learning in general and

learning reading in particular Therefore, it is an important part o f a reading

teacher’s job to motivate learners (Girard, 1977)

2.4.3 Factors affecting students’ motivation in learning reading

There have been so many studies on the factors that influence students’ motivation in learning reading in foreign language However, most o f

researchers have come to an agreement to some common factors affecting

students’ motivation These include students’ factors, teachers' factors and reading materials factors

2.4.3.1 Students ’ factors

No one can deny that reading in a foreign language plays a vital part in

academic studies, personal development and professional success However,

reading in a foreign language is really difficult Scholars agreed that problems

in reading for foreign language learners may be either in reading skill, language

or readers’ background knowledge

- Reading Skill Problems: Students’ reading skills or reading strategies can

affect their motivation in engaging in the text Reading strategies can be

defined as plan for solving problems encountered in constructing meaning If a

student did not know how to make use o f grammatical, logical and cultural

clues, he would read the text with less comprehension than he might expect

Poor RC might result in disinterest in reading as results, he might be trapped

into the Vicious Circle o f the Weak Reader (Nuttall, 1982, p 167) as

doesn't understand

- Language Problems: According to Aebersold and Field (1997), knowing

vocabulary and structures was necessary for getting meaning from the text

Students’ limited knowledge o f vocabulary and structures makes it really

difficult for them to read the text As a result, students may give up exploring

the text

- Readers’ Background Knowledge: Background knowledge refers to the

existing information on a specific topic When readers deal with a reading text,

the first problem is that they may encounter an unfamiliar topic The content o f

the text is comparatively new and difficult for them to understand, which may

make them lose their interest in reading the text

2.4.3.2 Teachers’ factors

Linguistics leave out an essential element o f the teacher’s role Nuttall (1982,

p 192) sees teacher’s job as “providing suitable texts and activities that will

focus the students’ attention on the text”

Learners’ motivation in foreign and second language learning is strongly

influenced by what happens in the classroom, including teachers’ teaching

methods, teachers’ personality and teachers’ rapport with learners

2.5 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON ER IN EFL

Regarding the benefits o f ERP on improving learners’ reading comprehension

and motivating learners to read, a number o f studies to date have been

conducted Here are some researches found through the libraries, books and the

Internet

Davis- the author of the article “ER: an expensive extravagance” in ELT

journal 49 (1995) conducted ER programs in Singapore and Cameroon on forty

weakest secondary students for five years The result showed that pupils had

more positive attitudes toward starting new texts, their imaginative responses

improved, as did their personal engagement with what they read Their overall

comprehension skills improved and they found it easier to read on other

subjects Overall they came to see reading as a pleasurable, rather than a

stressful activity

Macalister, J (2008) carried out an action research project on eighteen students

in a university in New Zealand in 12 weeks He used Pre-course questionnaire and interviews to collect initial data Mid-course questionnaire, mid course

letters and observation were used to collect action data End-of-course

questionnaire was used to collect post-data By analyzing the data collected, he

came to conclusion that ER brought a number o f benefits to students’ reading

ability and it should be implemented in an EAP program

Hitosugi and Day (2004) incorporated an ERP through reading book on

students at class 102 in a second semester Japanese course at the University of

Hawai After collecting data through reading test and affective questionnaire,

they saw that students improved scores according to a traditional measure of

reading comprehension and they also found positive results in an affective

questionnaire that measured attitudes toward and motivation for learning

Pino-Silva (2006) conducted a study on the benefits o f extensive reading on the

Internet with students o f Universidad Simon Bilivar, Caracas, Venezuela He

asked students to read authentic, scientific texts written in English for native

- Teachers’ teaching methods refer to a set o f techniques or activities used to

get learners involved in learning to achieve a goal Harmer (1991) found that

classes in which the teachers presented a variety o f activities were far more

likely to ensure learners’ continuing interest and involvement in learning,

whereas classes in which the teachers continually gave the same activities were

not likely to engage learners’ interest so a variety o f teaching activities could

contribute to learners’ motivation while routine and monotony endangered it

- Teachers’ Personality: During the learning process, “all learners are likely to

be influenced by their personal feelings about their teachers, and therefore,

their perceptions o f their teachers and o f the interaction that occurs between

them and their teachers will undoubtedly affect their motivation to learn”

(Williams and Burden, 1997, p 13) Teacher’s personalities like sensitivity,

encouragement, sympathy, enthusiasm are always highly appreciated by

learners

- Teachers’ Rapport with Learners: Wubbel and Levy (1991) (quoted in

W illiam s and Burden, 1997) emphasized that teachers w ho demonstrated more

relationship, as well as friendly and understanding behavior in their interaction

with learners were found to foster greater learner achievement and more

positive attitudes towards their subjects Teachers who showed more uncertain,

dissatisfied, and admonishing behavior produce the reverse effect

2.4.3.3 Reading m aterials’factors

Reading materials are one o f the most important factors determining students’

motivation According to Broughton et al (1978, p 102), “the choice o f an

appropriate text is very important in building up students’ reading

competence” Also, students are more likely to be motivated to read more by

reading materials that are interesting and relevant to their age and level of

ability (Lightbown and Spada, 1999)

speakers in three years By analyzing data collected through questionnaires,

reading reports, he came to conclusion that students developed a positive

attitude towards reading online and ER on the Internet appeared to be a very

promising pedagogical approach that may strengthen students’ learning in that

they (a) capitalized on the opportunity to gain access and read from the vast

amount o f information available on the web, (b) ensured access to updated and

varied information, (c) developed discipline in the use o f their own time and

took the necessary risks to explore, evaluate and make their own decision on

what to read now and what to postpone for later

Although the studies on the use o f ER in language learning in improving

learners' RC and motivation are not many, they provide supportive and

encouraging findings o f the effectiveness o f the integration into English

courses

C H A P T E R 3: M E T H O D O L O G Y

This chapter presents in detail research questions, participants, setting and research design

3.1 REASEARCH QUESTIONS

The research was carried out to answer the following questions:

1 What are students' reading problems and concerns in ER?

2 What are the possible changes in the students’ RC and motivation through

the action program?

3.2 PARTICIPANTS

The participants o f this study are 32 second-year, non-English major students at

the class K50A5, NEU They are from 18 to 22 They are trained in different

fields but they got the same English elementary level at the replacement test In

the first-year at the National Economics University, they learnt English with

course-book "Fowerbase - Elementary” (U m tl-U nit 12) in 120 periods The

content o f the books is about general business Each unit has 4 lessons in which

lesson 1 presents generals situation o f the unit through conversations, lesson 2

provides the grammar o f the unit, lesson 3 is the practice o f listening, lesson 4

is the practice o f reading The skills mainly focused in this book are reading

and listening In one term, they have to take one mid-term paper-based reading

test, one mid-term paper-based listening test and one computer-based final test

The results o f first-year reading tests were low (70% students got marks 4, 5,

6) This term students were asked to study “Powerbase - Pre-Intermediate”

(Unit 1-Unit 6) in 60 periods and after studying, they also have to take one

mid-term paper-based reading test, one mid-term paper-based listening test and

one computer-based final test

3.3 SETTING

This study was carried out at class K50A5, National Economics University,

Hanoi, Vietnam At NEU, all the subjects are conducted in Vietnamese,

therefore, students learn and use English only in English lessons In terms of

learning reading, students learn to read and do exercises in the textbooks:

Powerbase Elementary and Pre-Intermediate

3.4 RESEARCH DESIGN

There are a lot o f research methods offered to be used in the field of applied

linguistics such as experimental method, case study However, because o f its

outstanding advantages discussed below, Action Research (AR) was selected as

the research method for this study In this section, the definition of AR, the

advantages and disadvantages o f AR, AR procedure will be explained in

details Besides, the data collection instruments such as Pre-test and Post-test,

the Survey Questionnaires, the Post-action Questionnaires and the Students’

Reading Journal will be described

3.4.1 Definition of Action research

AR is defined in different ways by different researchers

Firstly, Wallace (1998) defined “AR’’ as the work done by systematically

collecting data on teachers’ every day practice and analyzing them in order to

come to some decision about what teacher's future practice should be or the

process o f systematic collection and analysis o f data in order to make changes

and improvement or solve problems

Secondly, Kemmis and Me Taggart (1998) defined that “an AR is teacher-

initiated classroom research which seeks to increase the teachers’

understanding o f classroom teaching and learning, and therefore, brings about improvement in classroom practices”

Thirdly, it was stated by Nunan (1992) that AR was “problem focused”, mainly

concerned with a single case in a specific situation, and tried to find solutions

to the problem in focus It not only encouraged teachers to compare methods

and ideas with critical eye and to adopt these ideas into their teaching

environment but also engaged them in their teaching in a deeper way

Although AR can be understood in different ways by different researchers, in

this study, AR was followed the definition o f Nunan (1992)

3.4.2 Advantages and disadvantages o f AR and rationale for using AR

3.4.2.1 A dvantages

Denscombe (1998) stated a number o f advantages o f AR as follows:

- It addresses practical problems in a positive way, feeding the results of

research directly back into practice

- It has personal benefits for the practitioner, as it contributes to

professional self-development

- It should entail a continuous cycle o f development and change via on­site research in the workplace, which has benefits for the organization to the

extent that it is geared to improving practice and resolving problems

- It involves participation on the research for practitioners This can

democratize the research process, depending on the nature o f the partnership,

and generally involves a greater appreciation of, and respect for, practitioner

knowledge

3.4.2.2 Disadvantages

Denscombe (1998) stated a number o f disadvantages o f AR as follows:

- The necessary involvement o f the practitioner limits the scope and scale

o f the research

- The integration of research with practice limits the feasibility of

exercising controls over factors o f relevance to the research

- The nature o f the research is constrained by what is permissible and

ethical within the workplace setting

- Ownership o f the research process becomes contestable within the

frame-work o f the partnership relationship between practitioner and researcher

3.4.2.3, Rationale f o r using AR

AR was used as research design in this study for two reasons suggested

by Nunan (1992) as follows:

- It can have a specific and immediate outcome which can be directly

related to practice in the teacher's own context

- The "findings" o f such research might be primarily specific It is not

claimed that they are necessarily o f general application, and therefore the

methods might be more free-ranging than those o f conventional research

3.4.3 Action research procedures

There have been some different models on AR procedures given by different

researchers M aelsace (1995) suggested that the A R procedure should consist

o f four steps which could be mentioned in figure 3.1 as follows:

Figure 3.1: Simple Action Research Model (from Maclsaac, 1995)"!"1

CYCLE 1

CYCLE 2