VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  NGUYỄN VIỆT ANH AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF THE SELF-SELECTED READING ACTIVITIES ON HAIPHONG PRIVATE UNIVERSITY’S ENGLISH NON-MAJORS’ READING PROFICIENCY Nghiên cứu thực nghiệm hiệu hoạt động đọc tự chọn khả đọc sinh viên không chuyên Anh trường Đại học Dân Lập Hải Phòng M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.01.11 HANOI, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  NGUYỄN VIỆT ANH AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF THE SELF-SELECTED READING ACTIVITIES ON HAIPHONG PRIVATE UNIVERSITY’S ENGLISH NON-MAJORS’ READING PROFICIENCY Nghiên cứu thực nghiệm hiệu hoạt động đọc tự chọn khả đọc sinh viên không chuyên Anh trường Đại học Dân Lập Hải Phòng M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.01.11 Supervisor: Dr Nguyên ̃ Thị Ngoc̣ Quyn ̀ h HANOI, 2014 DECLARATION I declare that this thesis entitled: “An experimental study on the effect of the self-selected reading activities on Haiphong Private University’s English nonmajors’ reading proficiency” is my original research work, and that all the resources that I have use or quoted have been acknowledged by means of complete reference Hanoi,2014 Signature: Nguyễn Việt Anh i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On the completion of the study, I wish, first of all, to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr Nguyễn Thi ̣Ngo ̣c Quỳnh Without her enthusiastic guidance and precious encouragement, the study could not be fulfilled My sincere thanks also go to my colleagues in Haiphong Private University for their useful suggestions which have helped much in completing the study I owe a special debt of gratitude to my students, who helped me a lot during the process of the study Last but not least, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to every member in my family as well as our friends Without their spiritual support, this study could not have come up in the present form ii ABSTRACT How to teach reading effectively is becoming a big matter in universities In order to promote students‟ activeness as well as to enhance their reading proficiency, “an experimental study on the effect of the self-selected reading activities on Haiphong Private University‟s English non-majors‟ reading proficiency” was carried out Quasi-experimental design was the main research method employed in this study to find out the answer about students‟ progress after the implementation of the research In addition, so as to get students‟ feedback on the effect of self-selected reading activities, a survey questionnaire is designed to search needed information The study showed positive results with the progress of students in experimental group Besides, students expressed their interest as well as satisfaction to self-selected reading activities through student questionnaire It can be said that the results collected in this study had great significance in applying selfselected reading activities to students at different levels iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DECLARATION……………………………………………………………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………… ii ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………… iii TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………… … iv LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………… … vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………………… viii PART A INTRODUCTION……………………………………………… 1 Rationale…………………………………………………………………… Aims of the study…………………………………………………………… Research questions…………………………………………………………… Scope of the study………………………………………………………….… Research methods………………………………………………………….… Design of the study…………………………………………………… PART B DEVELOPMENT……………………………………………… … CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………… … 1.1 Reading…………………………………………………………………… 1.1.1 Definition of reading……………………………………………… 1.1.2 Intensive and extensive reading……………………………… … 1.1.2.1 Intensive reading………………………………………… 1.1.2.2 Extensive reading……………………………………… 1.1.3 Phases in teaching reading………………………………… …… 1.1.3.1 Pre-reading activities………………………………….… 1.1.3.2 While-reading activities……………………………….… 1.1.3.3 Post-reading activities…………………………………… 1.2 Self-selected reading……………………………………………………… 10 1.2.1 What is self-selected reading? …………………………………… 10 iv 1.2.2 Benefits of self-selected reading………………………………… 11 1.3 Group work…………………………………………………………… … 12 1.3.1 What is group work? ………………………………………… … 12 1.3.2 Why use groups? ……………………………………………….… 13 1.3.3 Group formation…………………………………………… …… 15 1.3.3.1 Group size…………………………………… ………… 15 1.3.3.2 Group composition……………………………………… 15 1.3.4 Criteria for assessing group work……………………………… 16 CHAPTER METHODOLOGY…………………………………………… 18 2.1 Experimental research design…………………………………………… 18 2.1.1 Experimental research…………………………………………… 18 2.1.2 Why was quasi-experimental research adopted in the study? …………………………………………………………………… 18 2.1.3 Variables………………………………………………………… 19 2.2 Setting……………………………………………………………………… 19 2.3 Participants……………………………………………………………… 20 2.4 Data collection…………………………………………………………… 20 2.4.1 Group work for self-selected reading…………………………… 20 2.4.1.1 Group division……………………………………… … 20 2.4.1.2 Requirements for group work…………………………… 21 2.4.1.3 Self-selected reading assessment……………………… 23 2.4.2 Pretest and posttest……………………………………………… 25 2.4.2.1 The tests………………………………………………… 25 2.4.2.2 Statistical concepts in experimental research…………… 26 2.4.2.2.1 Mean…………………………………………… 26 2.4.2.2.2 Mode…………………………………………… 27 2.4.2.2.3 Variance and Standard Deviation (SD)… …… 27 2.4.2.2.4 CV……………………………………………… 28 2.4.2.2.5 DF (degree of freedom)……………………… 29 v 2.4.2.2.6 T-test…………………………………………… 2.4.3 Student questionnaire…………………………………………… 30 31 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION………………………… … 32 3.1 Findings…………………………………………………………………… 32 3.1.1 Comparison of the pretest scores between the experimental group and control group……………………………………….… 32 3.1.2 Comparison of the pretest and posttest scores in the experimental research…………………………………………… 33 3.1.3 Comparison of the posttest scores between the experimental group and control group………………………… 34 3.1.4 Students’ attitudes towards self-selected reading activities……… 35 3.1.4.1 Students‟ points of views on the items appeared in their classmates‟ presentation…………………………… 35 3.1.4.2 Students‟ viewpoints on reading materials supplied by their classmates……………………………… 36 3.1.4.3 Students‟ ideas on reading tasks following reading materials…………………………………………… …… 37 3.1.4.4 Students‟ opinions on their chance to contribute in self-selected reading activities…………………………… 38 3.1.5 Students’ opinions on their self-selected reading activities……… 39 3.2 Discussion……………………………………………………………… … 40 PART C CONCLUSION…………………………………………… …… 42 Concluding remarks……………………………………………………… 42 Limitations…………………………………………………………………… 43 Suggestions for further studies………………………………… ……… … 43 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………… 44 APPENDICES………………………………………………………………… I vi LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1: Topics for self-selected reading………….………….………………… 21 Table 2: Mode of the pretest and post test scores of the two groups………… 27 Table 3: The pretest scores between the experimental group and control group………….………….………….………….………….……………… Table 4: The pretest and post test scores within the experimental group…… Table 5: The posttest scores between the experimental group and control group………….………….………….………….………….… …… Table 6: Students’ opinions on items appeared in their classmates’ selfselected reading………….………….………….………….………….…… Table 7: Students’ viewpoints on self-selected reading materials supplied by their classmates………….………….………….…………… Table 8: Students’ ideas on tasks following the self-selected reading texts… 32 33 34 35 36 37 Table 9: Frequency of contributing to students’ classmates’ selfselected reading presentation………….………….………….………… 38 Table 10: Students’ opinions on their self-selected reading activities…….… 39 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS KET : Key English Test PET ; Preliminary English Test CV : Coefficient of variation M : Mean SD : Standard Deviation N : Number of sampled students X : Individual sampled students DF : Degree of freedom T : Obtained value P : Probability viii ... READING PROFICIENCY Nghiên cứu thực nghiệm hiệu hoạt động đọc tự chọn khả đọc sinh viên không chuyên Anh trường Đại học Dân Lập Hải Phòng M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology... VIỆT ANH AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF THE SELF-SELECTED READING ACTIVITIES ON HAIPHONG PRIVATE UNIVERSITY’S ENGLISH NON-MAJORS’ READING PROFICIENCY Nghiên cứu thực nghiệm hiệu hoạt động. .. quoted have been acknowledged by means of complete reference Hanoi,2014 Signature: Nguyễn Việt Anh i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On the completion of the study, I wish, first of all, to express my deepest