Rationale
As we entered the new millennium, globalization has become an essential development, highlighting the growing need for mutual understanding among global economies and citizens.
With globalization and Vietnam's entry into the WTO, the country is experiencing significant economic growth, making English an essential tool for communication Proficiency in English is crucial for securing stable jobs and achieving high social status Consequently, the demand for teaching and learning English is rapidly increasing worldwide.
English learners should focus on four essential skills: reading, speaking, writing, and listening, with many aspiring to master all of them While some prioritize speaking and listening as vital communication tools, others emphasize the importance of writing for professional documents and correspondence However, reading is often perceived as the most challenging skill, with learners struggling to engage with lengthy texts and unfamiliar vocabulary, leading to boredom in reading classes To address these challenges, teachers must implement innovative strategies to enhance reading skills, ensuring that students are equipped with effective methods to foster motivation and improvement in their reading abilities.
Viettrronics Technology College, established seven years ago in Hai Phong city, features four faculties, including the Basic Department, which houses the English group This group teaches non-English major students using the Lifelines book (Elementary by Tom Hutchinson) during their first and second terms First-year students often struggle with reading due to their recent transition from high school, leading to a lack of foundational reading skills They face challenges with lengthy texts and unfamiliar vocabulary, compounded by limited class time—only two periods per lesson to read and comprehend Consequently, students frequently resort to looking up new words and taking extensive notes during explanations, resulting in fatigue and stagnation in their reading skills.
For all above reasons, the researcher wishes to try some new advances to improve reading skill for students, especially the first year students And the writer’s thesis is:
“Advances in English Linguistics Employable for the Teaching of Reading Comprehension Techniques to First Year Students at Viettronics Technology College”.
Aims and objectives of the study
Aims of the study
This study aims to explore the reading difficulties faced by non-English students at Viettronics Technology College By identifying these challenges, the research seeks to provide effective strategies in English linguistics that can enhance reading comprehension skills and motivate students to improve their reading abilities.
+ To investigate into current situation of teaching and learning reading at VTC
+ To find out the difficulties encountered by non – English students at VTC
+ To give the employment of extensive reading as a possible way of teaching reading comprehension techniques to the first year students at VTC
Objectives of the study
+ Data collection for the analysis from the first year students of classes in Economic administration department at VTC:
+ Find out the dominant difficulties
+ Evaluate what advances in English linguistics employable for the teaching of reading Comprehension Techniques are best suitable
This study employs both quantitative and qualitative research methods to analyze students' attitudes towards reading lessons Additionally, the writer aims to systematically categorize the research findings to identify the challenges faced by first-year students at Viettronics Technology College in reading comprehension The ultimate goal is to determine the most effective teaching strategies to enhance reading comprehension skills among these students.
This study explores the use of extensive reading as a method to enhance reading comprehension skills among non-English major students, particularly in tackling lengthy texts with unfamiliar vocabulary Focusing on first-year students in the Economic Administration department at VTC, the research aims to identify common reading difficulties faced by these students Based on the findings, the author will propose principles of extensive reading that can be implemented to improve reading comprehension techniques and motivate students to enhance their reading abilities.
This minor thesis is divided into three parts
In today's globalized world, proficiency in the English language is essential, with students increasingly seeking to enhance their skills in reading, speaking, listening, and writing However, many learners at VTC face challenges in mastering reading comprehension, which can hinder their overall language development This study aims to explore these difficulties, outlining the objectives, research methods, and scope of the investigation to provide insights into improving English language education.
Part B: Consists of three chapters:
Chapter 1: Reviews literature and the literature of previous works and some linguistic concepts concerning to research topic such as definitions of reading, definitions of reading comprehension, types of reading, reading comprehension, definition of extensive reading, extensive reading versus intensive reading etc
Chapter 2: Analyzes the general learning situation at VTC, teachers and their teaching methods, materials and assessment, especially, data collection, finding and discussion also will be focused in this chapter
Chapter 3: Gives the employment of extensive reading as a possible way of teaching reading comprehension techniques to the first year students at VTC
Part C: “Conclusion” summarizes what is obtained in this study and shows the limitations and gives some suggestions for further study
This chapter is divided into four sub-sections: the first explores the theoretical background of reading skills, including definitions, comprehension, processes, types, and purposes of reading The second section highlights advancements in English linguistics relevant to teaching reading comprehension techniques, with a focus on extensive reading, covering its definition, comparison with intensive reading, and its application in language classes The third section reviews previous research on the impact of extensive reading on students' reading abilities Finally, the fourth section provides a summary of the chapter.
1.2 An Overview on the Nature of Reading
There are numerous of reading definitions as:
Reading is defined by Goodman (1971) as a psycholinguistic process where the reader reconstructs a message encoded by the writer in a visual format This reconstruction involves a cyclical process of sampling, predicting, testing, and confirming the relationship between the reader and the text.
William emphasizes that written texts often contain more information than necessary for comprehension An efficient reader skillfully extracts only what is needed to grasp the intended meaning.
According to Harmer (1989:153), reading involves the eyes capturing the message while the brain interprets its significance, highlighting a unique perspective that frames reading as a mechanical process.
Obviously, Experts give different reading definitions but they all share the same idea that reading includes reader, text, reading process and reading message
Reading comprehension plays a very important part in teaching and learning reading a foreign language It is the ability to understand information in a text and interpret it appropriately So that:
Swam (1975:1) states “a student is good at comprehension we mean that he can read accurately and efficiently to get the maximum information of a text with the minimum of understanding”
Grellet (1981:3) proposes “reading comprehension or understanding a written text means extracting the required information from it as effectively as possible”
According to Lenz (2000:3), reading comprehension is the process of constructing meaning from a text, involving both the reader and the writer This process requires the reader to decode the writer's words while utilizing their background knowledge to form an understanding of the passage.
On the whole, reading comprehension is the process that helps readers obtain information in a text and understand it appropriately
Kamil (1986) claims that there have been three general orientations of reading models: bottom-up models (text – based), top- down models (reader – based), and interactive models (balanced – models)
In bottom-up the reader begins with the written text and constructs meaning from letters, words, phrases and sentences and then processes the text in a linear fashion as Kamil
(1986: 73) says “the reader begins the reading process by analyzing the text in small units and these units are built into progressively larger units until meaning can be extracted”
Top-down processing in reading involves the reader engaging with higher-level mental processes before interacting with the text itself This model prioritizes the reconstruction of meaning over mere decoding of words, highlighting the dynamic interaction between the reader and the text rather than focusing solely on its graphic elements According to researcher Goodman (1976), the reading process begins with making educated guesses about the text's meaning.
The interactive approach proposed by Samuel and Kamil (1988) integrates bottom-up and top-down models, emphasizing the reader's active involvement This model necessitates the use of various strategies, drawing on both world knowledge and linguistic understanding to effectively interpret text meaning.
The emergence of interactive models highlights their ability to leverage the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses of both bottom-up and top-down approaches This synergy between bottom-up and top-down processing is essential for achieving effective reading comprehension.
Traditionally, the types of reading are divided into two parts: according to manner of reading and purposes of reading
The figure 1 will show the traditional types of reading
Figure 1: The traditional types of reading
According to Doff (1988), reading is categorized into two primary types: reading aloud and silent reading Reading aloud involves not only looking at the text and comprehending it but also vocalizing it, making it an effective method for sharing information, though it is less common outside of classroom settings Additionally, some researchers view reading aloud as a valuable tool for helping students establish connections between the text and their understanding.
Reading for language sounds and spelling of words and to assist teachers to check students’ pronunciation Natal
(1996) says “reading aloud is an aid for beginners to improve their pronunciation”
Silent reading, as noted by Lewis (1985:110), is the primary method employed in our native language and is generally the fastest and most effective approach This form of reading is predominantly utilized both in everyday situations and within educational settings.
According to Greenwood (1985), Williams (1986) and Grellet (1990), reading is divided into four types: skimming, scanning, extensive reading and intensive reading
According to Nuttal (1982:36), skimming involves quickly scanning a text to assess its relevance to our research or to stay lightly informed on less significant topics This technique allows us to rapidly identify the main points within the material.