Triển khai dự án đọc rộng: Nhận thức của sinh viên dự bị tại trường Đại học Hà Nội

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hi nhp Tháng 11/2014 93 TRIỂN KHAI DỰ ÁN ĐỌC RỘNG: NHẬN THỨC CỦA SINH VIÊN DỰ BỊ TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC HÀ NỘI Vũ Th Huyn, Nguyn Văn Trào Trường Đại học Hà Nội Tóm t t: Ở bậc đại học, kỹ năng đọc ngày càng được chú trọng nhiều hơn vì nó đóng vai trò quan trọng trong việc nâng cao năng lực ngôn ngữ. Trong các phương pháp đọc thì Đọc rộng được coi là một phương pháp hiệu quả giúp nâng cao khả năng đọc cho sinh viên học tiếng Anh là ngoại ngữ hoặc ngôn ngữ thứ hai. Chính vì thế, việc lồng ghép Đọc rộng vào chương trình giảng dạy là một nhu cầu thực tiễn. Bài viết này trình bày về một dự án nghiên cứu định lượng tìm hiểu cảm nhận của 15 sinh viên dự bị của Trường Đại học Hà Nội về việc triển khai một chương trình Đọc rộng. Dữ liệu về sự thay đổi thái độ của sinh viên đối với hoạt động Đọc rộng được thu thập qua ba công cụ gồm Bảng câu hỏi khảo sát, Nhật ký cảm nhận của sinh viên và Phỏng vấn. Kết quả cho thấy hầu hết sinh viên tham gia đã có cảm nhận tích cực với chương trình Đọc rộng và coi Đọc rộng là một phương pháp hiệu quả để học ngoại ngữ. Dựa trên kết quả nghiên cứu, các tác giả đã đưa ra những đề xuất có tính sư phạm để giáo viên tiếng Anh có thể thực hiện những chương trình Đọc rộng tại lớp học của mình. T khóa: thái độ, đọc rộng, phương pháp đọc Abstract: More emphasis has been attached to the teaching of reading at tertiary level as the mastery of reading is of great importance for the second language development. Among reading approaches, extensive reading (ER) has been put forward as an effective strategy in developing EFL and ESL learners’ reading ability and the inclusion of ER into the curriculum has been considered a real need in the second language learning context. This paper reports on a qualitative research project investigating the perceptions of 15 pre-university students at Hanoi University towards the implementation of an ER project. Three instruments namely questionnaires, journals and interviews were designed to investigate the changes in the students’ attitudes towards extensive reading after they participated in a two-month extensive reading project. The results showed that the majority of the students expressed positive feelings towards the implementation of the extensive reading project and perceived ER as an effective approach in the second language learning. Based on the research findings, important pedagogical implications are drawn and included to provide the English teachers with the guidelines on the implementation of ER projects in their classroom. Key words: attitudes, extensive reading, reading approach THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EXTENSIVE READING PROJECT: PERCEPTIONS OF PRE-UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY 1. Introduction Reading has been emphasized as one of the most important skills to be acquired by ESL/EFL learners because the mastery of reading skill is proven to be essential for the development of language proficiency. Among reading approaches, extensive reading (ER) has been regarded as an effective learning approach in promoting reading skills in particular and English language proficiency in general. This is also stated by Nuttall (1982, p.168) who wrote, “The best way to improve your knowledge of a foreign language is Tiu ban 1: Đào to chuyên ng 94 to go and live among its speakers. The next best way is to read extensively in it." Extensive reading is regarded as an effective strategy in developing the reading ability for an ESL/EFL learner. A bulk of studies over the past decades have asserted the need to include extensive reading into the curriculum (Takase, 2007) to nurture learners’ habit of reading in English and to positively influence students’ attitudes towards reading in a foreign language. Extensive reading has been defined in a number of ways by various linguists, researchers and educators over the past decades. Among these, Harold Palmer, a renowned applied linguist, was regarded as the first to coin the term “extensive reading” in 1917 (Iwahori, 2008). Since that time, ER has been known as supplementary reading, pleasure reading, book flood or free voluntary reading. Though it was termed with different names, it all means reading books after books rapidly to grasp the general content of the reading text. The emphasis of ER is on the meaning of the text, not the structure or the language used. Therefore, Harold Palmer (1917) termed it “extensive reading” to distinguish it with intensive reading which involves reading a passage carefully to acquire its specific meaning to develop different reading strategies and to boost the growth of vocabulary (Renandya, 2007). The theory behinds ER is based on the “comprehension input” developed by Krashen (1982), a famous linguist and researcher who has a renewed interest in conducting research on reading. Krashen (1982) put forward the theory in which language can be acquired naturally when learners are exposed to sufficient comprehensible input in a comfortable and relaxing environment. As the focus of extensive reading is on the meaning rather than the form, learners are not aware of language acquisition; therefore, they can achieve “incidental learning” (Krashen, 1989, p. 440, cited in Iwahori, 2008). ER programs have been based on the recommendations made by Day and Bamford (1998) about how an appropriate ER program could be set up and carried out so that it can benefit the learners. In fact, numerous ER programs which have been implemented so far follow the ten principles of ER recommended by Day and Bamford (2002). These guiding principles include: • The level of the reading material is easy. • Learners are able to get access to various reading materials with different genres. • Learners are empowered to choose their reading material. • Learners read as much as they can. • Pleasure, information and general understanding of the reading text are the emphasis of ER. • Reading is its own reward. • Learners often read with a fast speed. • Reading is an individual and silent activity. • Teachers are to provide guidance and orientation. ER has been researched by numerous researchers and teacher-practitioners all across the globe and the benefits of ER both in terms of the language aspect and non-language aspect have been well-documented. Regarding the first, ER has been reported to have a positive effect on reading comprehension and reading fluency (Bell, 2001; Krashen, 1993; Morgado, 2009; Nation, 1997); vocabulary acquisition (Cho & Krashen, 1994; Horst, 2005; Nation, 1997; Pigada & Schmitt, 2006); grammar enhancement (Elley & Mangubai, 1983). Regarding the second aspect, ER has been claimed to increase language learners’ motivation and enhance their positive attitudes towards learning (Leung, 2002; Murphy, 2010; Yamashita, 2004). These studies have been Chi
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hi nhp Tháng 11/2014 95 conducted in various parts of the world and provide valuable insights on the practice of ER; however, most of these studies have focused on investigating whether ER is beneficial to language learners rather than how these language learners respond to the implementation of ER program. In addition, few studies have provided a clear picture about the problems and difficulties that these learners encounter during their participation in the ER program as well as the learners’ aspiration for an ER program. In this paper, the perceptions of the language learners when they engaged in a two-month ER program are explored. It is hoped that the findings of the research could provide valuable information about the impacts of ER on the language learners and what they experience when participating in the program. Two main research questions guided the analysis: 1) What are the perceptions of the pre- university students at International Education Centre, Hanoi University of the implementation of the ER project? 2) How do their attitudes towards ER change over time? The remaining of this paper is structured as follows. First, we will discuss the method of the present study which includes the information regarding the research settings, the data collection and the procedures of implementing the ER project. Second, the findings and discussion will be reported to shed light on the participants’ perceptions of ER. Third, we will discuss the limitations as well as propose the implications of the study. Finally, we will draw the conclusion of the research. 2. Method 2.1. Participants 15 pre-university students consisting of 9 females and 6 males aged 18 to 21 were selected to participate in the study. They were the students at Class B at International Education Centre, Hanoi University. These students had formal English education at school for at least seven years; therefore, their English learning background before they participated in this study was somehow comparable. However, these students were familiar with the traditional way of teaching English at secondary schools and high schools that played the most emphasis on teaching grammar, which resulted in the students’ reluctance in reading outside the classroom and reading for pleasure in English. Most of the participants in this ER project had failed their entrance exam into university and they, therefore, seized another opportunity to be admitted by La Trobe University’s Offshore Programs in coordination with Hanoi University. In order to be eligible for La Trobe University’s Offshore Programs, they were required to achieve 6.0 IELTS. They registered to study English intensively at International Education Centre, Hanoi University so that they could improve their English proficiency. Their English proficiency level was at the lower intermediate level at the time the research project was conducted. 2.2. Materials As aforementioned, the participants were at the lower intermediate level when the study was conducted; therefore, the selection of books at level 2, level 3, level 4 and level 5 according to the classification system of Cambridge English Readers, Oxford Read and Discover or Penguin Readers would provide the participants with a wide choice of the reading materials which correspond to their linguistic competence. However, when the ER project was introduced to the participants, all of them were advised to start with the books at the lower levels and once they read these books comfortably, they could move on to the next level. Tiu ban 1: Đào to chuyên ng 96 32 graded readers on different themes and genres were made available in order to provide some variety and to cater for the different needs of the participants. The levels of these books were clearly labeled so that the participants could easily select the books that were appropriate to them. In addition, the students were encouraged to share their reading experience with each other, discuss with each other the books they read and help each other to select the books which suit their taste and level of competency. 2.3. Data collection Data were collected through questionnaires, interview and journal. Three instruments were used to triangulate and to enhance the reliability of the data gathered. Questionnaires were frequently utilized by the researchers conducting research on the relationship between ER and motivation or attitudes. The pre-questionnaires were delivered at the commencement of the program and the post- questionnaires were delivered at the conclusion of the research to gather the information regarding the students’ attitudes in reading for pleasure, their reading habits and how their attitudes changed upon the implementation of the ER program. Interviews have been employed by numerous researchers to gather qualitative data as interviews are aimed at accumulating the data which is not directly observable. When the ER program completed, semi-structured interviewed were administered to collect data regarding the participants’ perceptions of the ER program. Semi-structured interview was employed because it allowed the certain degree of flexibility and it could create the most comfortable atmosphere for the interviewees to express their views. Interview questions cover such aspects as attitudes towards the ER program, the perceived benefits of ER and the difficulties the participants encountered during the ER program. Journal has been utilized as an activity to promote language development in EFL classroom, but it is also regarded as a communication channel between learners and teachers. Journal writing was used in this ER program to seek information about the participants’ practice of ER. Journal entries composed by the participants provided the information about how they reacted to the reading materials, the specific difficulties they met or the elements they particularly enjoyed when they read the reading materials. 2.4. Procedures The pre-questionnaire was delivered in the first week when the program started. Specifically, in the first reading class, the pre-questionnaire was handed to the learners after they were introduced about ER and the ER programs. The pre- questionnaire was aimed at collecting information about the students’ reading habits in English, their beliefs about reading along with their preferences for reading materials. Also in this first week, the guidelines for the journal writing activity were presented and the sample of journal writing was distributed to the students so that they were fully aware of what they were required to do. The first author clarified that the journal writing was chosen to get information about the students’ response to the ER program rather than to test their writing competency; therefore, they could use either English or Vietnamese to compose their entries. From week 1 to week 8, the students had to record their reading in the journal and reflect their feelings and thoughts about the books they have read. The first author checked the students’ progress when she read their journals and gave comments. In addition, the journal helped the first author detect any problem when it arose so that the program could run smoothly. In week 9, when the program came to an end, the post-questionnaire and the focus group interviews were administered to seek the evidence about how the students feel about ER and the ER program. Chi
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hi nhp Tháng 11/2014 97 3. Findings and Discussion The data collected from questionnaires, interviews and journals are mainly qualitative. The data reported in this section is grouped thematically for analysis. The participants are given pseudonyms to ensure their rights to privacy. 3.1. General Evaluation of the ER Program The data from the three research instruments indicates the positive evaluation of the participants towards the ER project. In response to the question “How do you feel about the ER project?” the participants’ overall impression on the ER project was good. Five participants reported that they liked this program very much; nine participants said they liked this ER program and one student said they thought it was generally acceptable. When being asked whether they would continue the habit of reading extensively after the completion of this ER, the majority of the students responded that they would continue to read extensively. One student was not sure about continuing this habit as he was concerned about finding the suitable the ER materials. 3.2. Perceived Benefits of ER The results from three data collection methods revealed that the participants reported the benefits of ER in improving different aspects of their language proficiency and their knowledge. The improvements in language proficiency are categorized in different themes namely reading speed, reading comprehension, vocabulary development and the consolidation of grammar structures. The improvement in knowledge is coded as non-language benefits. 3.2.1. The Improvement in Language Proficiency  Reading speed In this regard, 12 out of 15 participants perceived the improvement in the reading speed as the most valuable gain from ER. One student mentioned that her reading speed was improved as she had not stopped to check the meaning of the new words in the books. She mentioned this in the interview, “I can read faster when I don’t care about checking the new words”. Another student also reported the benefits in reading speed and explained that he was no longer disturbed by some new words in the reading; therefore, he could keep reading as long as he understood the general meaning of the reading text. Below are some other excerpts from the semi- structured interview in relation to the reading speed: “I think that thanks to this reading project, I could read faster. I don’t have to use dictionary so often, so I could save a lot of time...” (Duong, int) “I often read for the general meaning of the book so I often read quite fast.” (Linh, int) The improvement in the reading speed reported by the participants in this study is correlated with the results in Bell’s study (2001). In Bell’s study, the data collected robustly supported the hypothesis that the participants in the extensive reading group would experience the more significant achievement in the reading speed in comparison with the learners belonging to the intensive reading group. Although the achievement in the reading speed in the present study was perceived by the participants rather than measured statistically as in Bell’s study; the data showed positive reactions of the participants towards the extensive reading program.  Reading comprehension Five participants mentioned the benefits of ER practice in improving their ability to comprehend reading materials. Binh, Giang, Khanh, Nam and Son commented that they could understand the general content of the book they had read. To be more specific, Giang reported that her experience with ER was quite different from reading the short passages in class. She went on explaining that she could understand the main story or the main topics Tiu ban 1: Đào to chuyên ng 98 in the books she had chosen but during the reading lessons in class, she met a lot of difficulty comprehending a short text. In his journal, Son also mentioned this aspect of improvement as below: “...I could understand the main story of this book although there are new words in the book” (Son, jour) “...There are some parts of the book I don’t understand clearly but I think I understand the main points in it. In the reading lessons in the class, I think the reading is more difficult to understand” (Binh, int) • Vocabulary development The majority of the participants mentioned the benefits of ER in improving their vocabulary. Duong, Cuong, Anh and Oanh reported that they could learn a few new words from each reading if these words were repeated frequently. In the meantime, Hai, Minh, Son and Cuong believed that ER helped them to reinforce the words they already knew but they rarely used them. In other words, they had the opportunities to activate the words they already knew. Some of the respondents (Phuong, Giang and Nam) commented that their guessing techniques were improved since they felt more