MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TAY BAC UNIVERSITY

BUI THI NHIN

GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON READING STRATEGIES APPLIED
BY THE THIRD YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS
AT TAY BAC UNIVERSITY

Field: English Methodology Son La, 2013

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First, I would like to acknowledge my sincere gratitude to my supervisor,
Mrs. Do Thi Thanh Tra who has given me the support, guidance and invaluable
critical feedback during the process of carrying out the graduation paper.
I also want to thank the useful suggestions and detailed comments of the
teachers in Foreign Language Department and fellow classmates in 50
th
English
course.
In addition, I am grateful to teachers and students in 51
th
English course at
Tay Bac University who help me collect data for completing this research.
Finally, I am indebted to my family for their love, care and tolerance
encouraging me to do this study.

Son La, 10
th
April 2013
BUI THI NHIN

feeling (social strategies ).

iii
TABLES OF CONTENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i
ABSTRACT ii
TABLES OF CONTENT iii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Rationale 1
1.2. Purposes of study 1
1.3. Research questions 2
1.4. Scope of the study 2
1.5. Methodology 2
1.6. Design of the study 2
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 4
2.1. Language learning strategies 4
2.1.1. Definition 4
2.1.2. Classification of language learning strategies 5
2.2. Reading strategies 10
2.2.1. Definition of reading comprehension 10
2.2.2. Classification of reading 11
2.2.3. Definition of reading strategies 12
2.2.2. Classification of reading strategies 13
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 17
3.1 Description of the subjects 17
3.2. Data collection instruments 17
3.2.1. Document analysis 17
3.2.2. Questionnaires 17
3.2.3. Interviews 18

Chart 4: Students’ use of metacognitive strategies……………….…………….24
Chart 5: Students’ use of affective strategies…………………………… ……25
Chart 6: Students’ use of social strategies 26

1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
It is undeniable that English is an international language, which plays an
important role in social life. It links people over the world in many fields:
science, technology, business, communication, education, etc. It also helps
people to approach the endless knowledge of the human being. Therefore,
teaching and learning English have become the necessity in every country.
Reading is considered one of the most important skills which language
learners should master, particularly as it helps to build a variety of language
expression and structures, widen general knowledge and lead to lifelong
learning and improvement in the first and second language skills. But acquiring
and mastering this skill is likely to become a big hindrance to many learners
while they often find it difficult to exploit this skill in their learning experience.
In Viet Nam, English is one of the foreign languages, which is compulsory
from primary to university. In upper secondary school, listening, speaking,
reading and writing are four main skills that students have to learn when they
learn English. Reading seems to be the most challenging skill for many students.
They find difficult in reading texts, reading tasks and reading exercises. There
are several reasons for this problem, and lack of using strategies during reading
process seems to be the biggest reason. Therefore, it is necessary, meaningful,
and practical to do the research “A study on reading strategies applied by the
third year English major students at Tay Bac University”
1.2. Purposes of study
For the above-mentioned reasons, the main purposes of the thesis are as
the following:

Chapter 2, Literature review, involves different issues in the theories of
language learning strategies in a foreign language as well as reading strategies.
Chapter 3, Data collection and analysis, consists of two parts: the first part
focuses on the description of the subjects. The second part is an analysis on the
data collected from the survey questionnaires for students and interview questions
for teachers.

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Chapter 4, Major findings and solution, consists of two parts: The first part
focuses on the major findings inferred from the data analysis in Chapter 3. From
these findings, some strategies and activities are recommended.
Chapter 5, Conclusion, is the conclusion and the weakness of the study as
well as some suggestions for further study.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter involves different issues in the theories of language learning
strategies in a foreign language as well as reading strategies.
2.1. Language learning strategies
2.1.1. Definition
This section presents several definitions of language learning strategies by
leading figures in the second and foreign language field: MacIntyre (1994),
O'Malley and Chamot (1990) and Oxford (1990).
Language learning strategies are “the actions chosen by language students
that are intended to facilitate language acquisition and communication”
(MacIntyre, 1994, p.190). MacIntyre emphasized learners’ deliberate action of
language learning strategies. This definition highlights the awareness and
intention of learners’ use of language learning strategies (to facilitate language
acquisition and communication).

comprehension strategies in the present study.
2.1.2. Classification of language learning strategies
According to Oxford’s way of classification, there are direct strategies
and indirect strategies. The former consists of mental processing of the language
that includes memory, cognitive and compensation strategies. The later are meta
cognitive, affective, social strategies that support and manage language learning
without directly involving the target language.
* Direct strategies
As it is stated by Oxford (1990, 80), “language learning strategies that
directly involve the target language are called direct strategies”. All direct
strategies require mental processing of the language and use for different
purposes.
Direct strategies are classified into :
+ Memory strategies
+ Cognitive strategies
+ Compensation strategies

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● Memory strategies
Memory strategies help students memorize, store, and retrieve new
information. Memory strategies require very simple principles such as arranging
things in order, making association and reviewing. Although memory strategies
can be powerful contributor to language learning, stressed by Oxford, some
researchers have shown that students are rarely reported using these strategies.
Memory strategies include the following techniques:
a. Grouping
b. Associating/elaborating
c. Placing new words into a context
d. Using imagery
e. Using keywords

these strategies.
Compensation strategies include the following techniques:
a. Using linguistic clues
b. Using other clues
c. Getting help
d. Using mime or gesture
e. Selecting the topic
f. Adjusting the massage
g. Coining words
h. Using a circumlocution or synonym
* Indirect strategies
According to Oxford (1990), all strategies that support and manage
language learning without directly involving the target language are called
indirect strategies. They are strategies that underpin the business of learning
language, allow learners to control their own cognition, help learners learn
through interaction with others as well as regulate their emotions, motivations
and their attitudes. Indirect strategies are divided into three groups:
+ Metacognitive strategies
+ Affective strategies
+ Social strategies

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● Meta-cognitive strategies
Metacognitive strategies are “actions which go beyond purely cognitive
device, and which provide for learners to coordinate their own learning process”
(Oxford 1990:136). He further indicated that those metacognitive strategies are
extremely important; learners use these strategies sporadically and without much
sense of their importance. In several studies of second and foreign language
learning, reported by Oxford, “students used metacognitive less often than
cognitive strategies and were limited in their range of metacognitive strategies,

h. Using a checklist to assess feelings about language learning
i. Writing a language learning diary
j. Discussing feelings with someone else
● Social strategies
Social strategies are used to create and maintain language communication
between and among people. Language is a form of social behavior. Learning a
language, thus “involve other people, and appropriate social strategies are very
important in this process” (Oxford, 144)(Oxford
Oxford (1990) noted that there is a large overlap among six groups in her
strategy classification system. For instance, metacognitive strategies help
students regulate their own cognition by assessing how they are learning and
planning often requires reasoning, which is itself a cognitive strategies.
Similarly, the compensation strategies of guessing, which is clearly used to
make up for knowledge gaps, also require reasoning as well as involve socio-
cultural sensitivity typically gained through social strategies.
Social strategies consist of the following techniques:
a. Asking for clarification or verification
b. Asking for correction
c. Cooperating with peers
d. Cooperating with proficient users of the new language
e. Developing cultural understanding
f. Becoming aware of others’ thought and feeling
Apparently, there is a strong mutual support among all the types of
strategies among direct and indirect ones. Oxford (1990) even compared the

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former and the later to the Director of a play. The Director acts as an internal
guide who administers the Performers, who cooperate and realize the play. In
other words, both direct and indirect strategies interact closely and actively for
the best possible outcome. Using language learning strategies help learners

bring to reading process.
To sum up, it is obvious that attempts to define reading have been various
but only Aebersold and Field’s (1977) definition reveals the features and ideas
of reading as it indicated that reading takes three elements for the occurrence of
process of transferring meaning from writer to reader. The reader, the text and
the interaction between these two factors.
So far, general views on reading have been mentioned, the next section will
look into the models that describe the reading process in order to have a full
understanding about the nature of reading.
2.2.2. Classification of reading
Depending on the purpose of reading, each person has different methods of
reading. In other words, the purpose of reading will determine the manner in
which the reader access to reading materials. This study will classify reading
according to the criteria of the manner of reading and the purpose of reading.
- Classification according to the manner
Doff (1988), there are two ways of reading: reading aloud and silent reading.
"Reading aloud is the process that the readers look at the text to understand
the text and read aloud" (Doff: 70). Doff said that reading aloud is one way
transmission of necessary information, Nuttall (1996) considered read aloud a
useful tool to practice pronunciation.
Reading aloud aims at practicing the ability to communicate with others,
the ability to express thoughts and feelings. So, reading aloud as a procedure
to form the reader the technical skill of reading as: pronunciation, intonation,
fluency, etc. On the other hand, reading aloud allows the reader to
comprehend the letters of the language, so it helps the reader to remember the
text more easily.

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Silent reading is as the link between the visual stimulus and the meaning or
process of seeing and understanding. Silent reading helps the reader to

information from the reading texts effectively.
2.2.2. Classification of reading strategies
According to Oxford’ way of classification, in this study, reading strategies
are divided depending on learning strategies. These are direct strategies, which
include memory strategies, cognitive strategies, compensation strategies and
indirect strategies which consist of metacognitive strategies, affective strategies
and social strategies.
A. Direct strategies
I. Memory strategies
1. Placing new word into context: readers should place new words and
expressions into a meaningful context or a real situation, such as a spoken or
written sentence, to remember information better and longer.
2. Using imagery: readers create meaningful visual imagery of the spoken
input either in the mind or in real drawing to comprehend and store information.
3. Previewing and predicting: readers focus on previewing key elements
(titles, headings, etc.) to determine what they already know about a reading text.
Then predict what they will learn.
4. Employing action: readers use body movement, total physical response,
physical response or sensation to remember information better. For example: use
your finger to help your eyes follow lines of text, underline or highlight words
you don’t understand, and circle or highlight key words in a bright color.
5. Grouping words: readers list all words in the assignment that may be
important for them to understand. Arrange words to show the relationships to
the learning task. Add words they probably already understand to connect
relationships between what is known and the unknown.
II. Cognitive strategies
6. Using background knowledge to infer information: readers are
encouraged to use what they already know before reading new material, or how
much background knowledge they have in order to do the tasks more quickly
and easier.

the number, you stop "reading." This principle helps readers to get the focus or
theme, or main ideas, or main facts or figures, or evidence, arguments and

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examples, or relations, or methods, that can prompt them to use what they want
in the minimum time.
14. Self-monitoring: readers check their comprehension during reading by
asking themselves questions to know how much they understand about the text.
15. Advance organizers: Before reading an assignment, readers should be
pointed out such as cause-effect or problem-solution. It can be beneficial to call
attention to specific plans of paragraph or text organization such as signal
words, main idea sentences, highlighted phrases, headings and subtitles. A
review of skimming techniques might also be appropriate as these various areas
are covered.
V. Affective strategies
16. Rewarding you: Readers had better give themselves valuable rewards
for a particular good performance in learning to make them feel happy and
encourage them to learn.
17. Writing a language-learning diary: readers write a diary or journal to
keep track of events or feeling in the process of learning to review when
necessary.
18. Seeking practice opportunities: readers create opportunities to practice
reading skill outside classroom setting such places as in the library, on the bus,
or in the garden, etc. depending on learner’s choice.
VI. Social strategies
19. Asking for clarification or verification: readers ask the speakers or
language instructors in classroom setting to slow down, paraphrase, repeat, or
explain what has been said. They ask for classifying to make sure that something
has been understood.
20. Cooperating with peers: readers work with their friend in pairs or

3.2. Data collection instruments
3.2.1. Document analysis.
The documents which were analyzed are: Newly published English books
which have been using since school year 2004-2008, the books according to the
3-year English program at secondary schools, and the reading materials
introduced for English major students by teachers of Foreign Language
Department at Tay Bac University such as Concept and comments (Patricia
Ackert, 2005), Practice your reading skills (Hanoi National University, 2006),
Effective Reading (Simon Greenall and Michael Swan, 1986),etc.
3.2.2. Questionnaires
The questionaires for the students (see appendix 1) was conducted in order
to investigate students’ attitudes toward reading strategies and students’ use of
reading strategies.
The questionnaire consists of two parts, which was designed with two main
purposes. The first part aims at collecting students’ attitude toward the importance

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of reading strategies. The second part focuses on six kinds of strategies with 22
techniques so as to evaluate the students’ frequency in using reading strategies.
The strategies are : memory strategies (1 to 5), cognitive strategies ( 6 to 10 ),
compensation strategies ( 11 to 12 ), metacognitive strategies (13 to 15 ), affective
strategies (16 to 18 ), social strategies (19 to 22). Both six strategies require
students to answer by choosing one of four answers, answers 1 = usually,
answers 2 = often, answers 3 = sometime, answer 4 =never .
The questionnaires were distributed to students in period 2 of the reading
lesson and collected after 20 minutes.
3.2.3. Interviews
As mentioned above, there were five English teachers, aged from 29 to 36.
They all have from 6 to 12 working years at Tay Bac University attended the
interview. The interview questions related to reading strategies and its