1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
It is undeniable that English is an international language, which plays an
important part in social life. It links people all over the world in many fields:
science, technology, business, communication, education, and so on. It also
helps people to approach the endless knowledge of human beings. Therefore,
teaching and learning English have become the necessity in every country.
In Vietnam, English is one of the foreign languages, which is compulsory
from primary to university. In secondary school, Listening, Speaking, Reading,
Writing are four main skills which students have to learn when they learn
English. Reading seems one of the most difficult skills. Many students make
mistakes and find it difficult with reading texts, reading tasks and reading
exercises, so how to read effectively is a big question. Being a teacher of English,
I find it necessary, meaningful, and practical to do a research named “Some
strategies used to teach Reading Skill to grade 10 students at Ham Rong
High school”. I hope that this research can give benefits to teachers, students
and people concerned about this field.
1.2. Hypothesis
The grade 10 students at Ham Rong upper secondary school may use a
variety of strategies to do reading comprehension and do reading tasks more
actively and exactly.
1.3. Research questions
In the study, some following questions will be answered:
1. What is the present English teaching and learning situation of the grade
10 students at Ham Rong upper secondary school?
2. What are strategies that students often use when they learn reading?
1.4. Objectives of the study
This study is aimed to identify present English teaching and learning
situation of the grade 10 students at Ham Rong upper secondary school. And
then, some of their reading strategies and vocabulary strategies are given. In
addition, some suggestions which could be useful for students’ and teachers’

2: DEVELOPMENT
2.1: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.1. Introduction
In this chapter, some general theories related to reading strategies and
vocabulary strategies such as theoretical background of learning strategies,
reading, reading strategies and vocabulary strategies will be given.
2.2.2. Theoretical background of learning strategies
Successful second language learners are usually people who know how to
manipulate strategy levels in their day to day encounters with the language.
Although research on learning strategies is increasingly popular, there is no
agreement regarding the definition of learning strategies. Up to now, there have
been many different definitions of learning strategies. First, Weinstein and
Mayer (1986) (in O’Malley and Chamot, 1990) defined learning strategies
facilitation “as a goal and are intentional on the part of the learner. The goal of
strategy use is to “affect the learners’ motivational or affective state, on the way
in which the learner selects, acquires, organizes, or integrates new knowledge”.
According to O’Malley and Chamot (1990), “learning strategies are
special ways of passing information that enhance comprehension, learning or
retention of the information” or in their other words, learning strategies are “the
special thoughts of behaviors that individuals use to help them comprehend,
learn or retain new information”.
Wenden, A and Rubin, J (1987) claimed that learning strategies were composed
of the following components:
- They are specific actions or technique
- They can be observable/behavioral or non- observable/mental
- They are problem-oriented
- They can contribute directly or indirectly to learning
- They may be consciously employed and became automatized
- They are changeable.
Obviously, there is not yet a comprehensive definition of learning

readers do not only bring their knowledge about the language but also the
knowledge about the text, which is considered to be specifically important.
Readers build up expectations, make predictions about what is to come and the
extent to which their predictions are accurate is one of the factors that influence
their reading. This process, therefore, has three elements involved: the text that
is read, the background knowledge of the reader and the contextual aspect
relevant to interpret the text.
2.2.3.2. Classification of reading
3.2.1. Reading aloud
The word “reading aloud” has a number of common interpretations. It
may mean reading aloud a very complex skill, which involves understanding
the black marks first and then the production of the right noise. Very few
people are required to read aloud as a material of daily routine except for radio
newscasters, clergymen, perhaps actors and that is all. To the huge majority, the
importance of reading aloud is minimal.
3.2.2. Silent reading
Reading may also mean silent reading and this is the interpretation,
which is most likely for the term. This is, perhaps, the nearest approach to the
essence of reading. It is obviously that by far the greatest amount of reading
that is done in the world is silent unless there are special circumstances (such as
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reading to someone who has lost the spectacles) and a reading room is always a
silent room. However, the nature of silent reading skill is far from uniform.
It varies according to the use to which it is being put. They might be the survey
materials, to gain superficial comprehension, to study the content of what is
read in some detail or to study the language in which the material is written.
3.2.3. Classification according to the purpose of reading
People, generally, do not read unless they have a reason (or a purpose)

sub headlines. This is sometimes called previewing. Another example is when
the reader glances quickly through a newspaper to see what are main items of
the day. This will often mean just glancing at the headlines.
- When the reader goes through a particular passage such as newspaper article
merely to get the “gist”.
3.2.6. Scanning
It is said that the readers skim material to get the general picture. To find
out precise information they will need the practice the technique of scanning.
The term “scanning” is often used for reading to find specific answers. They
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use the result of the skimming to find relevant sections, and then look quickly
through those sections looking for key words that are relevant to the question.
It will help the readers read and find information and quotes faster.
Techniques when scanning that you should know what you are looking
for and looking for it as rapidly as you can. Do not worry about all the “good
information” you are passing over and discarding on the way. One practical
technique to follow in scanning is to fix your question in mind and then run
your eyes as fast as possible down the pages or columns of the print until you
find the answer. The key to this technique is keeping the question fixed in your
mind. Make use of heading, indentations and italicized words. These will often
give you clues about where the information you are seeking is located.
3.2.7. Intensive reading
“Intensive reading means reading short texts to extract specific information, this is
an accuracy activity involving reading for details” (Grellet, F, 1990). In contrast to
extensive reading, intensive reading is to understand a text in detail. To this
kind of reading, readers are required a very deep understanding of the black
marks on the paper with short texts. As reading intensively, people have in their
mind the purpose of achieving full understanding of the logical argument, the


3. Use efficient silent reading techniques for relatively rapid comprehension
(for intermediate to advanced levels).
4. Skim the text for main ideas.
5. Scan the text for specific information.
6. Use semantic mapping or clustering.
7. Guess when you are not certain.
8. Analyze vocabulary.
9. Distinguish between literal and implied meanings.
10. Capitalize on discourse markers to process relationships.
As above, Brown, H. D (1994) stated that there are ten useful strategies
for readers, but he also gave other strategies which many bring benefit for
them. Therefore, he showed the SQ3R strategies as following:
SURVEY: skim the text for an overview of main ideas.
QUESTION: the readers ask questions about what he or she wishes to get out of
the text. READ: read the text while looking for answers to the previously
formulated questions. RECITE: reprocess the salient points of the text through
oral or written language.
REVIEW: assess the importance of what one has just read and incorporate it
into long-term association.
First, it is SURVEYING. It means readers have to look at pictures,
photos, maps, bold prints, captions, and headings to help them for an idea of
the topic and purpose of the written texts.
QUESTIONING is the second technique. The readers pretend they are
interviewing the author of the written text. Based up on what they surveyed,
what questions do they want to ask the author, they write their questions neat to
the pictures, photos, maps, bold prints, captions, and headings.
The third technique is READING. They have to read the text, use a
pencil or pen to mark the text, and underline words or ideas that they think are
important.

and consolidate a word once it has been encountered. They can be defined as
those are used to understand to word by asking some one who knows it.
4.3.3.Memory strategies: are approaches which related new material to
existing knowledge using some form of imagery or grouping. The strategies
can be listed as followed: picture/ imagery, related words, unrelated words,
grouping, word’s orthographical, words’ affixes, roots and word class.
4.3.4.Cognitive strategies: this group includes repetition and mechanical
means of learning vocabulary such as: verbal and written repetition, word lists
and flash cards, study aid using and vocabulary notebook.
4.3.5. Meta - cognitive strategies: the readers use them to control and
evaluate their own learning by having a conscious overview of the leafing
process. The readers can employ such strategy as: using English-language
media, skipping or passing new words, continuing to study over time and
testing themselves with word test and using spaced word practice can be
considered as organized activities by the readers themselves.
2.2.5. Summary
Section 1 has presented the relevant literature, which has helped to for
the theoretical framework for the study. Different aspects related to learning
strategies, reading and reading strategies as well as vocabulary and vocabulary
strategies have been discussed.
Through what has been mention in this chapter, it is important to
reconfirm that when reading comprehension, reading strategies and vocabulary
strategies are necessary for any reader to acquire the language.
The next section will be a closer look into the present context of teaching
and learning English reading for the grade 10 students at Ham Rong upper
secondary school, with a view to working out strategies students use when
reading comprehension.
2.2: DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
2.2.1. Introduction
This chapter includes three parts. The first one concentrates on the

will be discovered in the last part.
2.3.2. Class observation
The author of the study randomly selected three classes (10A8, 10A9,
10A10) of Ham Rong upper secondary to observe. All activities, which the
students and teachers were performing in real reading lesson, were watched and
recorded. These enable the researcher to get reliable data. The classroom
observations were carried out in three stages: pre-reading, while reading and
post reading, and three times for three different units in these classes.
For each class, the researcher observed in a 45 minute lesson. The
reading lessons chosen to be observed were in Unit 11 - National Parks, Unit 12
- Music and Unit 13 - Film and Cinema . All of them were considered as long
texts and consisted of more new words than the previous lessons. The author
would like to observe how students faced to the exercises after reading texts.
2.3.3. Teachers interview
As mentioned above, there were two teachers of English who have taught
10 form were invited for a fifteen minutes interview. Each of them was asked
many questions related to the topics, the content of reading texts, the exercises,
the English learning results of students, the ways their students using in reading
comprehension, etc. The purpose of the interview was to get information by
10%
talking directly to the subjects.
0%
2.2.3. Data analysis
15%
2.2.3.1. Data analysis from
questionnaire for students
Students’ attitude toward reading texts and reading tasks
Question 1: How do you find the topics of the reading texts?
8
75%

Question 3: How do you think about the number of new words in reading texts?
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

There are too many new words.
The number of new words is suitable.
There is only a few of new words
There are no new words.
I do not care about the number of new words in reading texts.

92

6

0
ABCDE

0

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of the reading texts. It was an easy way to guess the content of the texts. The
second rank was for discussing with friends (55 %). It helped them share ideas,
thoughts, feeling and whatever they thought about the topic. There were only 12
students (12 %) read the requirements of the reading tasks. Surprisingly, no one
made questions themselves or investigated the purposes of reading texts before
reading.
Question 5: What kind of Reading do you use in Reading the texts?

42%
58%

Reading aloud
Silent reading

Chart 5: Students’ types of reading
The data depicted in the Pie Chart above reveal students’ types of
reading. There are 58 % of students using reading aloud while 42 % of them
use silent one. It can be explained that they preferred practicing reading texts
rather than focusing on the content of the texts.
Question 6: Do you often underline new words in the Reading texts?
Choices
Frequency
A. Underline words you think they are important in reading texts
32 %
B. Underline all new words in reading texts
53 %
C. Underline the signal words: however, but, therefore, ect.
0%
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students answered questions from what they understood about the text. Other
19 % of the students found the sentences, which contained the words appearing
in the questions and the last 33 % of them found the paragraphs, which had the
similar idea with the question to give answers.
Question 8: What do you do when Reading the texts?
Choices
Frequency
A. Discuss with friends
22 %
B. Find interesting structures to take notes
0%
C. Write summary about the text
0%
D. Find other reading passages which have the same topic
0%
E. Do nothing
88 %
According to table 4, one can see that 82 % of students asked teachers or
friends whenever they met new words, while 38 % of them had other strategies
when facing to new words. They read from the beginning to the ending of the
text without paying any attention to the new words. Only 25% of them tried to
guess the meaning of words, which they thought that those words were
important in reading texts. No one looked up dictionary because they had no
dictionary.
Question 9: How do you guess the new words?
Choices
Frequency
A. Base on their part of speed: noun, verb, adjective, ect.
0%
B. Base on the affixes, such as prefixes and suffixes

64 %

Table 6: Students’ strategies to learn new words in the reading texts at home
The aim of question 10 is to find out what strategies students use to learn
new words in the reading texts at home. It is surprised that more than 60 % of
students did not learn new words at home while no one learnt new words by
engaging them with the words have the same category or engaging them with
synonyms and antonyms. There were 34 % of them reading aloud words or
phrases and comparing them with the Vietnamese meaning. 20 % of them read
and wrote new words many times. Besides, there were only 5 participants using
pictures to learn new words.
4. Students’ vocabulary strategies
There are three classes (10A8, 10A9, 10A10) at Ham Rong upper
secondary school with two different teachers were observed.
Question 11: What do you do when you face new words?
Choices
Frequency
A. Stop and ask teacher or friends for helps.
82 %
B. Try to guess the meaning of every word in the text
25 %
C. Read from beginning to the ending of the texts without paying
38 %
any attention to the new words.
D. Look up dictionary
0%
Table 7: Students’ strategies when facing to new words
The first observation was taken placed in class 10A8 with unit 11National Parks. At pre-stage, teacher asked students to list as many as possible
national parks they have known. Students worked in groups to find out the
answers. There were some of them not really focusing on finding answers as

5. Data analysis from interview
There were two teachers to be interviewed. Both of them were asked the
same questions but their answer had some similarities and differences.
When being asked about the results of English in 10 form at am Rong upper
secondary school, both of them sang the same song that they were very low and
bad. Most of them got marks from 3.0 to 6.5 at the end of the first term.
Therefore, the teachers faced to many difficulties when working with them.
They said that their students’ knowledge of English was limited while the
reading texts were too long with them, there were also too many new words
hence they could not cover the idea of reading texts. About reading tasks, they
complained that there were many too difficult exercises for students to do.
Especially, it was task 1 of unit 2, 9, 11, 12 and 13 with the following requests:
- The words/ phrases in the box below all appear in reading passage. Use them
to complete the sentences.
As a result, they always have had to adapt them correspond with their students.
Both of them considered that the topics of reading texts are very
interesting and realistic with students. Students can learn much from them.
When being asked about what they have done before reading, the first
teacher said they she went directly into lesson by introducing new words.

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Other said that, she always asked them to observe pictures or asked them
some questions to lead to new lesson. In addition, about students, they did
what their teachers asked.
While reading, if students met new words, they always stopped to ask
teacher immediately. It seemed to be affected the readers’ speed when
reading. After reading, they sometimes asked them to summary the reading
texts but they did nothing.

words. However, for them, most of words in the texts were new words.
Because there were too many marks in reading texts, the readers will lose the
attention on the texts. There also had many people marked nothing on the
texts, therefore, they did not know what information is more important and
what is less important one to pay attention.
When answering questions, they did not know what they have to fill with
those questions. As a result, they usually found the sentences containing the
words appearing in the questions to answer; hence, many of their answers were


incorrect at all. However, when did reading exercises if they find what is easier
they will do first, and what is more difficult they will do later, it will help them
save time when reading. Most of students did nothing after reading. Therefore,
they were easy to forget what they have learnt. There were only some of them
discussing with friends, but they used their own language.
In short, most of students’ reading strategies were teachers’; thus
students were always passive when they read the texts and finished the reading
exercises.
2.2. Students’ vocabulary strategies
Vocabulary is an important part when reading.
When facing new words, they stopped immediately and asked teacher or
friends for help. It affected their reading speed. Looking up dictionary was a
good way to discover the meaning of new words, but no one used this way
because they had no dictionary. When guessing the meaning of new words, the
students based on words or phrases in the text to them. It will help them have a
general idea about those words.
Consolidating new words at class and learning new words at home were
also good ways to get more words about the topic. However, many of students
did nothing at these stages. Therefore, their vocabulary was so limited.
All in all, it can be seen that students used discussing strategies at any


people, the readers might think poor them, they have strong feeling, etc.
After reading, they can know their thought is similar with author’s or not.
Discussing with friends about the topic will be also used. It will help the
readers have more information about the topic because they can share opinions,
thoughts, ideas, feeing about the topic.
In short, strategies in pre-reading will give the readers a general idea about
the topic and help them easy to catch information when reading the text.
3.1.2.While-reading
While-reading seems to be the most important stage in reading lesson
because at this stage, the students read the text for understanding to finish the
reading tasks.
Controlling reading speed will be encouraged. Controlling reading rate
means adjusting the readers' space according to what they are reading and why
they are reading. When they are reading material that does not demand
complete careful attention, they push themselves to move through it quickly.
But when they are reading critically, they read much more slowly and
deliberately. It will save the readers’ time while reading.
Underlining or using a highlighter to indicate key words or phrases in
the text is also highly appreciated strategy. In running text, the readers focus on
key terms; they may be in boldface or in italicized. Text to mark includes
definitions, items in lists and main idea within a text. Remembering that the
readers mark only important words or phrases, not really all the material. Often,
they will want to mark the topic sentence in each paragraph. The topic sentence
is usually the first sentence of the paragraph. It tells what the paragraph about
and is followed by sentences that amplify and further explain it. Occasionally,
the topic sentence is the last in a paragraph, serving as a summary of material
that precedes it. Some paragraphs have both a topic sentence at the beginning
and a summary at the end, which in effect restated the topic sentence.
Remembering that the opening and closing paragraph in a text are particularly

The readers try to figure out words from their contexts. One way for readers to
guess the word meanings is analyzing it in terms of what they know about it.
- Looking for prefixes: -un, -in, -inter, -super, -so, -il, etc will give the readers
clues about its meanings. For example, considering the word international in
unit THE WORLD CUP. “National” belongs to one country. The prefix “inter”
means lots of, so the meaning word international can be figure out as
“belonging many countries”.
- Looking for suffixes:-tion, -cian, -ly, -ful, -tive, etc may indicate the part of
speed it is. For example, in unit 9 - UNDERSEA WORLD, the readers can meet
many new words: the word biodiversity they can see that this is a noun, or word
independently, it is an adverb, etc.
It is suggested that teachers should spend more time in introducing
a topic, encouraging skimming, scanning, and activating schemata before
reading. Students can bring their knowledge and skills to a text when they have
been given a chance to “ease to” the text. Students have no dictionary to look
up new words; hence, teachers should supply them new words before new
reading lessons. It will give them time to prepare new lesson at home, and easy
to finish all the tasks carried in new lessons at class.
While reading, it is suggested that teachers should guide students how to
read, where to focus on, how to face to new words and how to answers
questions


PART 3: CONCLUSION
1. Summary of the main findings
From the practical reason that reading is one of the most difficult skills
when learning English. Students in upper secondary school find many difficulties
with this skill. The researcher would like to find out what strategies they use when
reading comprehension. A study has been conducted by theoretical study, doing a
survey questionnaire, observing classes and interviewing namely “Some

students use when reading comprehension and giving some suggestions, which
can help students choose suitable strategies for them and teachers will have more
information when guiding students reading. Therefore, the study, to some extent,
has contributed a small part in teaching and learning English reading at Ham
Rong Upper Secondary School.
The author of the research is fully aware of how students use strategies in
reading comprehension and how effective those strategies are, just only focuses
on learning reading not every skill. It is the author’s hope that she would go
further with the investigation of the following issues: studying on writing


strategies, studying on listening strategies, studying on speaking strategies.
XÁC NHẬN CỦA THỦ
TRƯỞNG ĐƠN VỊ

Thanh Hóa, ngày 24 tháng 4 năm 2018
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