PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
English has experienced its popularity in teaching and learning in Vietnam over the last
few decades. Demand for learning English even gets stronger when Vietnam fosters its
international relations. English, in parallel with the knowledge of some other fields, turns
out to be a key to open the door into the bustling world. In any walk of life in Vietnam,
you can find people use English; from the big cities to mountainous areas; from the
international conferences to daily conversations, or just few pidgin words with the
foreign tourists. People learn and use English with different purposes, but there is a fact
that they are trying to learn English with the hope that they can use it effectively.
In Haiphong Foreign Language Center, Haiphong University (HFLC), English is the
foreign language dominating the teaching and learning programs for nearly 30 years.
Despite a prejudice that learning English at a center is less effective than that at some
universities, colleges, or international schools, learners at HFLC, regardless of their ages,
always strive for a good command of English as they are well aware of their learning
purposes.
Learners of English, naturally and obviously, want to become the masters of all the four
skills, and those at HFLC are not exceptions. Though there are some who propose what
they need is speaking a fluent English, therein they consider listening a tool for the
realization of their goal, there also are some who say writing is necessary because
documenting reports, letters, memos, etc is what they daily deal with in their office,
learning to read effectively remains the top in the targets of most learners here. However,
most of them say they find it difficult to focus on reading, and especially to have
effective reading. Some even say it is boring to start reading because there are piles of
new words, and lengthy reading texts.
From this fact, we teachers of this center have to do something new to promote reading
skill among learners. Thereby, if the learners do not know how to gain the reading fruits,
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we need to show them the way; if they do not realize the importance of reading or simply
they do not like it, it is our duty to light them up, set fire to them, and add fuel.
With this in mind, the researcher wishes to give a hand in promoting reading skills among

- Chapter one presents various linguistic concepts most relevant to the research
topic such as definition of reading, classification or reading, reading
comprehension, effective reading, etc.
- Chapter two deals with analyses on general learning situation at HFLC, learning
requirements, teachers and their teaching methods, materials as well as material
assessment, this chapter also focuses on data collections – findings and
discussion.
- Chapter three emphasizes the implication of the study in which certain techniques
for improving reading skills to non-major students at HFLC are suggested.
The last part of the study, ‘Conclusion,’ summarizes what is addressed in the study,
points out the limitations, and provides some suggestions for further study.
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PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT
Chapter one: Literature Review
1.1. Introduction
To provide a theoretical background to the study, this chapter is devoted to the re-
examination of concepts most relevant to the thesis’s topic. They are nature of
reading and reading comprehension, reading process, classification of reading.
Moreover, what is effective reading comprehension and the techniques for reading
comprehension will also be discussed.
1.2. An Overview on the Nature of Reading
1.2.1. Definition of Reading
Attempts have been made to give a definition of what reading is. However, the act of
reading is not completely understood nor easily described.
Rumelhart (1977) defines “reading involves the reader, the text, and the interaction
between the reader and the text”. It means the role of learners and reading texts are
placed an important position in reading act.
According to Goodman (1971:135), reading is “a psycholinguistic process by which
the reader, a language users, reconstructs, as best as he can, a message which has
been encoded by a writer as a graphic display”, and the act of reconstruction is

Bottom-up Models have been long known, and as for Cambourne (1979), it became
the basis of a large number of reading schemes.
In Bottom-up models, the reader begins with the written text (the bottom), and
constructs meaning from letters, words, phrases, and sentences found within, and then
processes the text in a linear fashion. In the process of meaning interpretation, the
language is translated from one form of symbolic representation to another (Nunan,
1991). Clearly, these are text-driven models so the reader plays a relatively passive
role as s/he builds comprehension by moving eyes from letters to letters, words to
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words, phrases to phrases, and sentences to sentences to identify their exact meaning.
Samuels and Kamil (188:301), in which the shortcomings of these models are stated,
says the lack of feedback makes it “difficult to account for sentence-context effects
and the role of prior knowledge of text topic as facilitating variables in word
recognition and comprehension.”
Next come Top-down models in which the reading process moves from the top, the
higher level of mental stages down to the text itself. This approach emphasizes the
reconstruction of meaning rather than the decoding of form, the interaction between
the reader and the text rather than the graphic forms of the printed pages. The readers
proves his active role in the reading process by bringing to the interaction his/her
available knowledge of the subject, knowledge of and expectations about how
language works, motivation, interest and attitudes towards the content of the text.
Apparently, the strong points of top-down models outnumber those of the bottom-up
as the reader – the central of the reading process as we personally assume – proves his
active role. However, to some researchers, these models still reveal certain
shortcomings because it sometimes fails to distinguish adequately between beginning
readers and fluent readers. Moreover, a purely top-down concept of the reading
process makes little sense for a reader who can be stymied by a text containing a large
amount of unfamiliar vocabulary. What is more, in top-down models, the generation
of hypotheses would actually be more time-consuming than decoding (Stanovich,
1980).

secondly they can read at their own speed and if they do not understand the sentence,
they can go back, thirdly students can not only attain the main ideas in a short time
but also understand its details thoroughly to answer the questions, and finally the
teacher can check his/her learners’ understanding easily and add reading materials
and exercises suitable to their ability.
1.3.2. Classification according to Purpose
According to purpose, reading is categorized into four types: skimming, scanning,
extensive reading, and intensive reading.
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Skim-read and scan-read are necessary reading techniques for general sense or the
gist of a reading text.
Nuttal (1982:36) says “by skimming, we mean glancing rapidly through the text to
determine whether a research paper is relevant to our own work or in order to keep
ourselves superficially informed about matters that are not of great importance to us.”
Grellet (1981:19) states that “when skimming, we go through the reading material
quickly in order to get its main points or the intention of the writer, but not to find the
answer to specific questions. … When scanning, we only try to locate specific
information and often we do not even follow the linearity of the passage to do so.”
Though these two reading techniques are important for quick and efficient reading,
they should not be selected separately because a text can be best tackled by a
combination of strategies. So after skimming and scanning, students need to have the
products of critical reading, which would be “chewed and digested” as stated in
Francis Bacon (1992:386) that “some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed and digested.”
Unlike skim-read and scan-read which to some extent still have something in
common, extensive and intensive reading are viewed differently. While extensive
reading is associated with reading outside the classroom and fluency and pleasure in
reading are expected as reading fruits while intensive reading, also called study
reading, involves the close guidance of the teacher and require great attention to the
text. Students need to “arrive at a profound and detailed understanding of the text not

- Previewing
- Anticipation
- Skimming
- Scanning
Nuttal (1982) provides a list of reading skills which consist of macro-skills with
Word-attack skills and Text- attack skills. While the former compose of
morphological information, structural clues, inference (or guessing the meanings of
unfamiliar words) from context, active, receptive and throw-away vocabulary,
learning to ignore difficult words, and using dictionary, the latter include two
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subgroups: significance and cohesion with understanding sentence syntax,
recognizing and interpreting cohesive devices, interpreting discourse markers, and
discourse with recognizing functional value, tracing and interpreting rhetorical
organization, recognizing the presuppositions underlying the text, recognizing
implications and making inferences, prediction, and integration and application.
The techniques are actually various, and in each case and for different purposes of
reading, one proves to be more advantageous than the other. However, hereby are
some suggested approaches which the researcher personally expects to help readers
get better reading fruits.
- Establishing a purpose for reading
- Activating and building background knowledge
- Previewing the text to build expectations
- Rereading activities for lower levels of language proficiency
- Building and monitoring comprehension of the text
- Adjusting reading strategies when necessary
- Reviewing reading information in the text
1.5. Summary
In short, this chapter focuses on the concepts useful for the accomplishment of the
study. First comes an overview on the nature of reading in which the definition of
reading and reading comprehension is focused. Then, dominant groups of models of

desiring to have a good faculty of English with four fluent skills. Generally, in the Center,
students at A level classes occupy the largest proportion, next come students at B level,
and the smallest is students at C level. In the last few decades there has been an
increasing number of learners attending tertiary education. In 1990, the number was
about 6 classes annually, but it doubled in 2000 with 12 classes, and tripled in 2004 with
nearly 20 classes. These figures show that it is potential for teachers at this center to
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access to students of various levels, different competence, and variable requirements,
thereby can develop their teaching methods as much as they can.
Alongside with hundreds of evening classes, HFLC has full-time classes and classes for
upgrading teachers. Apart from this, the center also has training cooperation with other
colleges, universities, or institutes both within Vietnam and from other countries such as
Hanoi Foreign Language College, Hanoi Open University, English Language Institute of
USA, Finish Lahti Polytechnic College, Irkutsk National University, etc.
Together with teaching foreign language and upgrading teachers, HFLC has taken part in
other activities: translation and translating, giving assistance for teachers of English in the
city’s schools or other centers.
With its new position as a member of Haiphong University (Decision No.84/2000 signed
by the Government on April 20
th
, 2000), the Center goes on with upgrading teaching and
learning facilities, training teachers, expanding the teaching areas.
2.3. Learners and Learning Requirements
The learners of English at HFLC are quite different in age, sex, and learning purposes.
According to statistics of the center, learners’ age ranges from 8 to over 50. This means
that some classes of students are still very young, and they learn English sometimes
under the pressure of their parents. In such cases, the motivation is not strong and clear
enough. There are also many school children attending English classes to get a good
ability of English grammar to do well in their examination. So apart from grammar, other
skills are not paid much attention to. To adult learners, all of the four skills are essential

class at least once a day. In classes of A, B, or C level, each teacher is responsible for one
class separately. This means he/she has to perform his/her task with four skills
simultaneously. Hence it is not easy at all for a teacher to do well all the time with four
different skills. If he goes further for speaking, there will be less time for the other. But if
reading is placed an important post in the teaching syllabus, the other skills may receive
less attention.
In addition, most of the teachers especially who used to be teachers of Russian and had
informal or in-service ELT training courses though experienced enough still reveal their
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limitations in language knowledge and are not used to applying communicative approach
in their teaching. They often attach themselves to the traditional teaching method, i.e.
grammar translation, in which grammar and vocabulary always become the focus of their
attention every lesson and three teaching stages: presentation, controlled practice and
free-practice are dominantly used. In teaching reading, the skill that learners demand for
most as it is always in the testing list of any examination, or in the reading list of any
company in which English is used, teachers resist in using teacher-centered approach and
it seems that they have never made reading an interactive skill. New words or structures
are always written down on the blackboard and the meaning of every word is provided
right away without any requirement for students’ prediction or guessing from context.
Students are then ordered to read new words aloud one by one, frequently after the
teachers. After that, they are asked to read the text for the first time, sometimes with
some guided questions, mainly to find other words or structures still unfamiliar to them.
Then, teachers again order the students to read. This time is to answer the questions given
at the end of the reading text. Finally, students are required to translate the text from
English into Vietnamese, or complete the exercises provided in each lesson. Actually, in
all three stages of the lesson, teachers remain the center of the class and they seem to be
practicing a golden rule of traditional Vietnamese education: teacher is father and
whatever he says is true.
From what mentioned above, it is apparent that learner-centered approach has not been
widely used in teaching reading at HFLC. The teachers still take the key role in

consolidation.
Furthermore, reading texts are not designed specially for teaching reading so reading
activities are not set: no pre-reading activities, no while-reading activities and no post-
reading activities. What are given at the end of the reading texts are exercises for
grammar revision. In addition, all the reading texts are presented in form of a narrative.
Thus, learners will not have chance to get access to varied forms of text presentation.
From the combination of the four skills in one text, and probably poor organization of the
book, teachers at HFLC find it hard to develop intensively each skill separately,
especially reading. What they often do in reading lessons are writing the words and
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structures possibly new on the blackboard, explaining their meanings mainly dictionary
but not contextual ones, then ordering the students to read for the first time usually
without purposes but to find the words or phrases that still remain unfamiliar. After that
the teachers explain any words that come in lists then ask the students to read the text for
the second time and do the exercises given.
Seemingly, various topics given in the reading texts are beneficial for reading
comprehension development. However, these are not designed for reading skill
improvement, so it is hard for the teachers to foster their students’ reading ability if they
do not set tasks for reading and employ suitable reading techniques. Teachers at HFLC
have already tried some ways such as providing further practice reading exercises but
these materials are not well systemized and reading topics are not closely related to one
another. These are certainly temporary solutions, so goals should be set for a long-term
measure in which appropriate techniques must be worked out to improve reading skill for
learners.
2.6. Data Collection, Findings and Discussion
2.6.1. Data Collection
2.6.1.1. The Subject
The survey was conducted with the participation of 240 learners (aged 14-45) at 6 C level
classes in 2005. These classes did not start at the same time. This means the students are
not learning the same lesson when the survey is carried out. However, they have ever

Destination (Question 1&2)
Option
Question
a B c d
1 2.5% 25% 50% 22.5%
2 4.1% 12.5% 53.3% 30%
Table 1
The scores on the students attitude towards the reading text in Streamline English –
Destination were tabulated for each of the four suggested answers (a, b, c, or d). Half of
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the students being questioned find the reading texts in this book rather interesting. Only a
very small number (2.5%) agree that the reading texts are very interesting. It is actually a
contradict when 25% think it interesting to read the texts and a nearly equal number
(22.5%) state it is boring.
As for the length of the reading texts, a large number (53.3%) suppose it is moderate. But
not a small number (30%) consider the readings texts short. 4.1% of the students involved
in the survey choose the option that the reading texts are very long and 12.5% decide they
are long.
The figures indicate that it is acceptable to use this book because three times as much as
the number of students who consider the reading texts are boring (75%) agree that these
texts are interesting and rather interesting and most of them say the length of the reading
texts are suitable with their ability. However, more attention should be paid to figure out
the reasons why not a small number of students do not feel like the reading section.
Therefore, it should be first the teacher’s task to sort out and apply appropriate teaching
techniques in order to stimulate their students’ interest for the book. The teacher with his
techniques is like a good cook, in food-art with his own recipe, who can make nice dishes
to suit the taste however simple the ingredients may be.
2.6.2.2. Students’ attitude towards the way their teachers create reading interest
and motivate them. (Question 3-6)
Option

reading but up to 25% ignore the effectiveness of motivation as asking the students read
straightaway. This figure indicates that the teachers realize the importance of motivation for
their students in every reading lesson. And this attitude is well-worth. However, the ways in
use are not appropriate as it is shown that a very low number of students (4.1%) say much
interested but 8.3% say not at all and up to 50% agree just little.
2.6.2.3. Teachers’ activities towards their students in the reading lesson
(Question 7-9)
Option
Question
a B c d e
7 3.3% 17.5% 66.6% 8.3%
8 2.5% 6.3% 2.5% 78.6% 10%
9 0% 66.6% 25% 8.3
Table 3
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The summary of the ratings of what teachers often ask their students to do every reading
lesson given in Table 3 signals that the teachers are aware of their duty in class. They
have attempted to help their students understand what should be done to get a good
comprehension of the reading text. However, what they do indicates that teacher-centered
approach is still widely used in HFLC. Most of the students (66.6%) say their teachers
rarely help them to be aware of the purpose of their reading. They added that their
reading purpose is always to get information (but exactly what is seldom suggested) and
answer the questions at the end of the section. 17.5% say sometimes and only 3.3%
usually. The number of the students who suppose that their teachers never help them to
understand their reading purpose is only 4.1%.
Also from Table 3, it is a big surprise to know that teachers scarcely help their students
understand the text before hand by asking them to predict the content of the text. Only
2.5% of the students answer they often follow this activity. Also astonishingly, when
exactly the same number (2.5%) propose their teachers ask them to scan it and 6.3% say
they often skim the text. However, it is ironical when these students themselves reveal

However, this is understandable when referring to Table 3 from which it is indicated that
their teachers rarely ask them to do so.
The result is not better when students are asked what they often do to have an overview
of the text. Only 5.8% of the students involved in the study agree that they often glance at
the title, the heading or subheading, however, this is not what their teachers ask them to
do. Actually, this activity is resulted in as their habit but not a built-up skill thanks to
their teachers. Reading the first and the last sentence of the text is also far beyond the
student’s knowledge. Only 2.5% say they often follow this activity. It is unbelievable that
25.8% of the students reveal they depend on their teachers’ suggestion for an overview of
the text and up to 65.8% answer reading line by line is their best (more exactly the
unique) choice.
From this figure, it is easy to realize that teachers of reading at HFLC- HPU have not
helped their students realize what they should do before starting to read. In other words,
the teachers themselves have not mastered the use of communicative method with
different stages in teaching reading as well as the activities set for each stage. To get
students ready for the lesson, teacher’s presentation such as writing down the new words,
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explaining grammatical structures, introducing the main ideas of the text dominates the
class-time.
2.6.2.5. Students’ activities while reading the text (Question 12-15)
Option
Question
a B c d e
12 44.1% 46.6% 4.1% 5%
13 2.5% 2.5% 80.7% 8.3% 5.8%
14 50% 0% 20% 6.6% 23.2%
15 0% 8.3% 60% 27.4% 4.1%
Table 5
Findings from Table 5 indicates that a large number of students (45.7%) read the text
attentively from the beginning to the end after having general view. 46.6% move their eyes

16 5% 33.3% 44.9% 20.8%
17 5% 75% 2.5% 13.3% 4.1%
18 0% 12.5% 55% 32.4%
Table 6
Data in Table 6 states clearly that students do not have the habit of summarizing the text
after reading though this skill is very beneficial for them to gain better understanding and
memorizing of the text. Only 5% of the students often apply this technique and much
larger number say never (20.8%). 33.3% propose they sometimes do this as they do not
have enough time in class and 44.9% say they rarely for the lack of time and more
importantly they do not know how to do it. However, it should be a must that the teachers
help their students recognize the importance of this skill after reading.
From the Table, we know that follow-up activities have also been developed in reading
lessons at these C level classes but not effective since what most students (75%) often do
is completing the exercises given at the end of the reading text. Obviously, these
exercises should not be a choice for reading improvement because they are mainly of
grammar concentration. Only 5% summarize the text and much fewer (2.5%) take writing
as a follow up activities. Attention also should be paid to those who do nothing after
reading section (13.3%).
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Also from the figures in this table, one matter that may worry teachers of reading is not
many students are aware of the importance of increasing their reading speed. Ironically,
no one say they often try to faster their reading, and up to 32.4% answer never, adding
that they do not care what their reading speed is and exactly they do not know what to do
to speed up their reading. 55% propose they rarely attempt to increase their reading pace
and 12.5% agree that they sometimes.
It can be inferred that teachers may have glimpsed the idea of follow-up activities in mind
but they do not know what activities should be used to activate their students to work further after
the reading section. The seemingly unique and best choice is asking the students do the
exercises. This is understandable because the teachers’ technique may partially be
influenced by their background, not accessing to ELT training or updating with modern

need to do every reading lesson. However, what they have done seem not efficient
enough to improve their reading skill.
Additionally, statistics gained from the questions identifying the habit of extensive
reading and increasing reading speed indicate that students do not realize the benefits of
such reading activity, and do not have any effective ways to speed up their reading.
Therefore, teachers, as an instructor, an educationist, and a father, should work out
appropriate techniques to help handle the difficulties or clear away the obstacles faced by
students in their reading process so as to gradually better their reading skill.
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