From limitations I listed above, there are some following suggestions for the next researchers:
Firstly, the research instruments should be varied for further studies such as interviews or analysis of authentic materials…etc. For example, interviews support researchers to get a deep answer and they can directly test the reliability of respondents‟ answers by still asking respondents those questions but in other ways.
Secondly, the population should be bigger than 40 participants involving 10th -form students from different classes.
47
Thirdly, it is advisable to take an investigation into providing supplementary materials in different ways with more various types of reading tasks.
Last but not least, it would be much better if there is further evaluation of the reading materials to find out their strength and weakness so design more suitable reading materials to improve students‟ reading comprehension skill.
The thesis is fulfilled with the author‟ endless efforts. The author does hope that it could make a small contribution to the more effective learning, teaching reading skill using the current text book. However, shortcomings are unavoidable.
She strongly recommends further study on the issues raised to bring a prefect picture of the context.
48
REFERENCES
1. Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing reading. Ernst Klett Sprachen.
2. Anderson, N. J. (2012). Reading instruction. The Cambridge guide to pedagogy and practice in second language teaching, 218-225.
3. Bassey, M. (1998). Action research for improving educational practice. Teacher research and school improvement: Opening doors from the inside, 93-108.
4. Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching.
5. Brown, J. D. (1995). The Element of Language Curriculum. Newbury House Teacher Development.
6. Burns, A. (2009). Doing action research in English language teaching: A guide for practitioners. Routledge.
7. Carrel. Et.al (1981). Interactive Approaches to Second Language Reading.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8. Carrell, P. L., Devine, J., & Eskey, D. E. (Eds.). (1988). Interactive approaches to second language reading. Cambridge University Press.
9. Carrell, P.L. (1983). Background knowledge in second language comprehension.
In Language Learning and Communication.
10. Carrell, P.L. and Eisterhold.(1983). Schema theory and ESL reading pedagogy.
TESOL Quartery.
11. Clarke, M. A., & Silberstein, S. (1983). Toward a Realization of Psycholinguistic Principles in the ESL Reading Class. Foreign Language Teaching Abroad, 2.
12. Crawford, J. (2002). The role of materials in the language classroom: Finding the balance. Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice, 80-91.
13. Dochy, F. J., & Alexander, P. A. (1995). Mapping prior knowledge: A framework for discussion among researchers. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 10(3), 225-242.
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14. Erten, I. H., & Razı, S. (2003, June). An experimental investigation into the impact of cultural schemata on reading comprehension. In 2nd International Balkan ELT Conference on Theory and Practice of TESOL.
15. Gillham, B (2000) Developing a Questionnaire, London and New York, Continuum
16. Goodman, K. (1988). The Reading Process in Interactive Approaches to Second Language Reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
17. Grabe, W. (2009). Reading in a second language: Moving from theory to practice. Ernst Klett Sprachen.
18. Grellet, Francoise. Developing Reading Skills: A Practical Guide to Reading Comprehension Exercises. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
19. Gunning, T. G. (2002). Assessing and Correcting Reading and Writing Difficulties. Order Processing, Allyn and Bacon, PO Box 11071, Des Moines, IA 50336-1071.
20. Harmer, J. (1991). The Practice of English Language Teaching. New York.
Longman.
21. Harmer, J. (2001) . The Practice of English Language Teaching. (3 rd Edition).
Pearson Eduction Limited.
22. Herbert Altrichter, Allan Feldman, Peter Posch and Bridget Somekh, Teachers Investigate their Work– An introduction to action research across the professions, Second edition
23. Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes. Cambridge university press.
24. Krashen, S. D., & Terrell, T. D. (1983). The natural approach: Language acquisition in the classroom.
25. Lewis, M and Hill, J. (1985). Practical technique for language teaching.
London: Commercial Color Press
26. McDonough, J., & Shaw, C. (2012). Materials and Methods in ELT. John Wiley
& Sons.
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27. Nunan, D. (2003) Practical English Language Teaching, New York: McGraw-Hill 28. Nuttall, Christine (1982). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language.
Oxford: Macmilian Publishers Limited.
29. O'Donnel, MP, & Wood M, 2004. Becoming a reader: A developmental approach to. readinginstruction (3 rd ed.). Boston, MA: Perason
30. Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (Eds.). (2002). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge university press.
31. Richards, J.C. (2001). Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.
32. Sheldon, L.E. (1988). Evaluating ELT Textbooks and Materials. ELT Journal, 42(4), 237-246. Oxford University Press.
33. Smith, F., & Goodman, K. S. (1971). On the psycholinguistic method of teaching reading. The Elementary School Journal, 71(4), 177-181.
34. Stevens, K.C. (1980). The effect of background knowledge on the reading comprehension of ninth graders. Journal of Reading Behavior, 12(2), 151-154.
35. Susser, B., & Robb, T. N. (1990). EFL extensive reading instruction: Research and procedure. Jalt Journal, 12(2), 161-1
36. Swans, M. (1975). Practical English Usages. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
37. Tierney, R. J., Pearson, P. D., Singer, H., & Ruddell, R. B. (1994). Theoretical models and processes of reading.
38. Tomlinson, B.(1998). Materials Development in Language Teaching.
Cambridge University Press.
39. Williams, E. (1984). Reading in the language classroom. London: Macmillan Publishers
40. Williams, E., & Moran, C. (1989). Reading in a foreign language at intermediate and advanced levels with particular reference to English. Language Teaching, 22(4), 217-228.
I
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1
QUESTIONAIRE FOR STUDENTS
This questionnaire is designed for my M.A thesis on “Developing supplementary reading materials to improve reading comprehension for grade 10th students at a high school in Bac Ninh province”.
Your effort in fulfilling this questionnaire would be highly appreciated and of great use to my study. You should make sure that the information you provide will be treated in the strict confidence.
1. What is your evaluation of the reading texts in the current text books for year-tenth students?
For questions 1, please tick or circle the number that best reflects your viewpoint.
Options Strongly
agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree a. The reading texts in the
current textbook is too difficult
5 4 3 2 1
b. The reading texts in the
current textbook is too easy 5 4 3 2 1
c. The reading texts in the
current textbook is relevant 5 4 3 2 1
d. The content of the reading texts in the current textbook is interesting
5 4 3 2 1
e. The content of the reading texts in the current textbook is boring
5 4 3 2 1
f. The content of the reading 5 4 3 2 1
II texts in the current textbook
is familiar
g. The content of the reading texts in the current textbook is unfamiliar
5 4 3 2 1
h. The reading texts are too
long 5 4 3 2 1
i. The reading texts are too
short 5 4 3 2 1
j. The reading texts are
relevant 5 4 3 2 1
2. What do you think about the reading exercises in the current English text book for year tenth students?
Please tick all the options as your opinions of the reading exercises in the current English textbooks for year tenth students.
□ Exercises are of various types
□ There are only a few types of exercises
□ Exercises are too difficult
□ Exercises are too easy
□ There are too few exercises for each reading text
□ There are too many exercises for each reading text
□ Other (please specify) _____
3. How often do you practice reading outside the classtime?
For questions 3 , I would like you to tick the option, indicating your answer.
□ Very often
□ Often
□ Sometime
□ Rarely
III
4. Why don‟t you practice reading outside the classtime?
For questions 4, please tick or circle the number that best reflects your viewpoint
Questions Strongly
agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree 1. You don‟t like
reading 5 4 3 2 1
2. You don‟t like the
topic 5 4 3 2 1
3. You don‟t have time
to practice reading 5 4 3 2 1
4. You don‟t have suitable reading materials to practice reading everyday
5 4 3 2 1
5. Others
5. What kinds of reading exercises do you prefer doing in the supplementary materials to improve your students reading?
Please tick all the options as your preference of reading exercises in the current English textbooks for year tenth students.
□ matching
□ true/false/no information
□ gap filling
□ Multiple choice questions
□ completion exercises
□ jumbled sentences/ jumbled paragraph
IV
□ summary writing □ Other ( please specify)
6. What should the supplementary reading materials include?
Please tick all the options as your opinions of the things that the supplementary reading materials should include?
□ reading passage of different topic
□ reading passage of related topic
□ reading passage of various level of difficulty.
□ reading passage with various types of exercises
□ vocabulary exercises
□ reading skill practice
□ grammar exercises
□ Other (please specify) ______
V
APPENDIX 2 LESSON PLAN
UNIT 7: CULTURAL DIVERSITY Lesson 1 : Getting started
A. Aims and Objectives:
- To teach Ss to listen and read a conversation about Vietnamese weddings and do tasks: Questions and answers.
- To teach some lexical items related to traditions, cultural characteristics and superstitions.
- By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
+ Use some lexical items related to the topic Cultural diversity.
+ Make simple dialogues using the given expressions.
+ Get to know the topic: Cultural diversity
+ Master some vocabularies about wedding traditions and customs in Vietnam.
+ Get to know two grammar points.
B. Preparations:
- Teacher: Handouts, textbook, pieces of papers and cassette.
- Students: Textbook
C. Methods: - The whole lesson: Integrated, mainly communicative.
D. Procedures:
Time/Stages Teacher‟s activities Students‟ activities I. Warm up
8 minutes
- Ask Ss to compare the two photos of a traditional wedding and a modern one.
- Elicit more ideas from Ss‟
background knowledge
- Students look at the photos and make comparison
VI
- Elicit any topic-related words that Ss may know: ritual, costumes, and decorations….
- Encourage and accept different comments and opinions
II. New lesson 1. Activity 1 7 minutes
2. Activity 2 7 minutes
3. Activity 3
- Introduce the topic of the lesson:Wedding in Vietnam Listen and read
- Tell Ss that they are going to listen to a conversation in the school library between two friends: Kevin and Maria
- Have Ss predict what Kevin and Maria are talking about
- Encourage all kinds of predictions
- Tell Ss not to worry about new words or grammar points because these will be dealt with later.
- Play the recording Answer the question
What is the conversation about?
- Have Ss discuss their answers in pairs. Then check their answers.
Read the conservation again, and give answers to the following questions.
- Tell Ss to focus on the instructions
- Students listen and predict
- Students discuss and answer what is the main topic
a. The Vietnamese wedding
VII 12 minutes
4. Activity 4 8 minutes
- Checks Ss' understanding of the questions
- Set time for this activity, base on Ss‟ level proficiency
- Get Ss to work in pairs or groups to discuss the answers.
- Call on different Ss to answer these questions
- Ask Ss to work in small groups - Ask Ss what they know about Vietnamese weddings, based on the conversation and their background knowledge as well - Encourage Ss to take notes and plan a short report
- Ask one or two groups at random to present their report to the whole class
- Give feedback on Ss‟
presentations
- Students read and answer the questions
Key:
1. Because he is preparing for his presentation about the similarities and
differences between a traditional Vietnamese wedding and a modern one.
2. They follow the same core procedure which consists of the proposal ceremony, the engagement ceremony and the wedding ceremony 3. The modern weddings are less complicated
4. Yes, they get some help from their parents and the attending guests
5.Students’ answers
- Students work in groups and make presentation
VIII III. Consolidation
2 minutes - Ask Ss to summarize the main contents.
- Give feedback.
- Do as required - Listen
IV. Homework 1 minute
- Ask students to write a passage about a wedding in Vietnam (50 words)
- Prepare for the next lesson.
- Take notes and do at home
E. Experience:
...
...
...
*===*===*===*===*
IX
LESSON PLAN
UNIT 7 : CUTURAL DIVERSITY Lesson 2: Language
A. Aims and Objectives:
- To teach Ss to pronounce correctly two –syllable words of different parts of speech but with the same spelling in isolation and in context.
- To teach Ss to use comparative, superlative adjectives and articles.
- By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
+ Understand and use the passive voice with modals.
+ Pronounce correctly two –syllable words of different parts of speech but with the same spelling in isolation and in context.
+ Use some lexical items related to the topic Cultural diversity in context.
B. Preparations:
- Teacher: Handouts, textbook, pieces of papers and cassette.
- Students: Textbook
C. Methods: - The whole lesson: Integrated, mainly communicative.
D. Procedures:
Time/Stages Teacher’s activities Students’ activities I. Warm up
5 minutes
- T informs the class of the lesson objectives: Getting to know
comparative and superlative adjectives and articles, pronouns
- Listen
II. New lesson 1. Vocabulary:
10 minutes Activity 1
Matching
- Ask Ss to read the conversation - Students read and listen
X Activity 2
again to find and underline the seven words
- Have Ss identify the part of speech of these words (they are all nouns)
- Ask Ss to study the words and phrases around these seven words and predict their meanings
- Tell Ss to match these words with their given definitions - Let Ss work on their own first, then compare their answers with a partner
- Check the answer as a class - Teacher may teach some related words or phrases depending on Ss‟ level of proficiency
- Introduce and explain the requirement of this activity is to choose the correct word for the context in each sentence.
- Set a time limit for completing the activity
- Encourage Ss to exchange their answers with a partner to see if they understand the contexts and meaning of each sentence
- Elicit answers from the whole
and then do the task Vocabulary:
+ to be/ get engaged to sb +to propose to sb: to ask sb to marry you
+to arrange / plan a wedding
+to make a toast to the bride and groom
+the newly-wedded couple
* Key: 1. g 2. e 3. d 4. b 5. a 6. c 7. f
- Students read and answer the questions
XI 2. Pronunciation
10 minutes Activity 1
Activity 2
class and give more explanation to help Ss understand correctly, if necessary.
Listen and repeat
- Tell Ss to listen and repeat sets of words with the same spelling - Ask Ss to pay attention to the stress patterns
- Encourage Ss to say how the stress patterns are different in these words.
- Give them the meaning of these words, if necessary.
- Ask Ss to work in pairs and take turns reading these words in columns and in rows
- Invite individuals Ss at random to read the words. Correct them, if necessary
- Ask Ss to listen to the sentences and practice saying them correctly - Pay attention to the stress of the underlined words consisting of two syllables
- Have Ss listen and put a mark (‟) before the stressed syllable.
Key:
1. wedding 2. groom 3. Bride 4.
reception 5. guests 6. before 7. engaged
- Students listen and repeat
- Students listen and mark the stress
XII 3. Grammar:
17 minutes Activity 1
- Check if Ss have marked the stress correctly and let them practice in pairs saying these sentences
- Invite some Ss to read these sentences in front of the class and correct mistakes, if there are any.
Comparative and superlative adjectives
- Firstly ask Ss to look at the examples and revise the comparative and superlative form of the adjectives.
- Ask Ss to tell the T the comparative and superlative form of the adjectives.
- Listen to the S and give remarks.
- Explain the activity
- Ask Ss to read through the six statements
- Students listen and look at the examples
E.g: My house is smaller than your house.
My house is the smallest in this street.
Exercise 1 is more difficult than exercise 2.
- Students revise the form Notes:
Irregular adjs
good => better
=> the best
bad => worse =>
the worst
far => further/farther
=> the furthest/farthest
XIII Activity 2
Activity 3
- Help them to understand the meaning of these statements.
Explain any new words that they don‟t know
- Ask Ss to work in groups to discuss whether or not they agree with these statements. Ss are encouraged to speak their minds.
Tell Ss that there are no right or wrong answers here
- Call on some groups at random to report their opinions.
- Ask Ss to study words or phrases in italics and work out the rules for comparative and superlative adjectives
- Go through the examples in Do you know…? box and provide any explanations
- Explain the activity: write five sentences comparing the two weddings
- Ask Ss to work in groups. Give each group a large size piece of paper to write down their sentences
- Set a time limit for this activity.
When time is up, ask all the
- Students work in groups and discuss
- Students work in groups, write sentences comparing about wedding and use comparative
Answers:
1. Mr Smith’s wedding was more crowded than Mr Long’s (wedding)
XIV Activity 4
groups to stick their paper on the board or around the classroom.
- Give Ss time to look at other groups‟ sentences to see if they have interpreted and presented the information from the table in the same way
- Check all groups‟ sentences and encourage Ss to come up with sentences using other
comparatives in addition to the suggested answers.
- Give Ss time to write the correct sentences into their notebook.
Articles:
- Teacher provides information on articles
- Tell Ss that in this activity they are expected to choose the correct articles from the ones given in brackets.
- Let Ss work individually first.
Set a time limit for this activity and assist Ss if they have any problems understanding the information from the text
- Ask Ss to check with a partner to see if they have the same answers.
2. Mr Smith’s wedding reception was more expensive than Mr Long’s 3. Mr Smith was older than Mr Long when he got married.
4. Mr Long’s engagement period was longer than Mr Smith’s
5. The service at Mr Smith’s wedding was better than at Mr Long’s wedding
- Students attentively listen and take notes
+We use a/an with c countable noun when we first mention it and the after that
Eg: He is planning a
XV
If they have different answers, ask them to explain their choices - Check the answers with the whole class and ask Ss to refer to Do you know…..? box for further explanation
wedding reception
He has invited 100 people to the wedding reception
+ We use the when it is clear in the situation which thing or person we mean
Eg: The bride looks very happy
Key: 1. a 2. a 3. the 4. the 5. the 6. the 7. a 8. the 9. the
III.
Consolidation 2 minutes
- Ask Ss to summarize the main contents.
- Give feedback.
- Do as required
- Listen
IV. Homework 1 minute
- T asks Ss to do exercises again at home.
- Prepare for the next lesson.
- Take notes and do at home
E. Experience:
...
...
...
XVI
LESSON PLAN
UNIT 7: CULTURAL DIVERSITY Lesson 3: Reading
A. Aims and Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
+ Read for general ideas and for specific information about superstitions in Viet Nam and answer the questions.
B. Preparations:
- Teacher: Handouts, textbook, pieces of papers.
- Students: Textbook C. Methods:
- The whole lesson: Integrated, mainly communicative.
D. Procedures:
Time/Stages Teacher’s activities Students’ activities I. Warm up
6 minutes
* Ask Ss to look at the picture and describe it
- Ask some guiding questions to facilitate them
(?) Is this an altar?
(?) How do you know that?
(?) Can you see the peach blossoms?
(?) What is it laid on the altar?
- Describe the picture - Answer the questions
II. New lesson 1. Activity 1 12 minutes
Are you superstitious?
Are the following statements true for you?
XVII 2. Activity 2
10 minutes
- Ask Ss to read the statements and help them to understand the meaning
- Ask Ss to work in groups and exchange their answers - Encourage Ss to give explanations or reason for their behaviour
- Elicit answers from the whole class. Encourage different viewpoints and explanations
- Tell Ss that they will read a text on a topic related to the things they have just
discussed.
Pre-teaching vocabulary:
+ superstition (n) sự mê tín, dị đoan
+ superstitious (a) mê tín + mystery (n) bí ẩn + legend (n) truyền thuyết
+ ritual (n) lễ nghi + prestigious (a) có uy tín + fortune (n) vận may + ancestor (n) tổ tiên
- Ask Ss to read the questions.
-Discuss some questions to find out the content
- Read the text carefully - Work individually , check answers with peers
- check answers with the whole class
- Read the questions and answer the questions
- Look at the options and predict the answers based on the answer options given and Ss‟ background knowledge
- Read the text again to see if they still find it difficult to understand