VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY
OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

KHỔNG THỊ HỒNG LÊ

DESIGNING A SUPPLEMENTARY READING SYLLABUS WITH A VIEW TO
IMPROVING READING SKILLS FOR THE FIRST-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS
AT HAI PHONG PRIVATE UNIVERSITY

(Thiết kế chương trình đọc hiểu bổ trợ nhằm cải thiện kĩ năng đọc cho sinh viên
chuyên ngành tiếng Anh năm thứ nhất tại trường Đại học Dân lập Hải Phòng)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10

HANOI – 2012


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
Acknowledgment ………………………………………………………….............. i
Declaration ………………………………………………………….……..............ii
Abstract ……………………………………………………………….…..............iii
Table of contents ……………………………………………………...…..............iv
List of abbreviations ………………………………………………………….....viii
Part A: Introduction
1. Rationale ………………………………………..……………………….... 1
2. Aims and objectives of the study ………………………………………….2

1.1.3.5.

Topical or content-based syllabus ………………………....... 9

1.1.3.6.

Competency-based syllabus ………………………………... 9

1.1.3.7.

Skill-based syllabus …………………………...…………….. 9

1.1.3.8.

Task-based syllabus …………………………...…………..… 9

iv


1.1.3.9.

Text-based syllabus …………………………...………….. 10

1.1.3.10. Integrated syllabus ……………………………...………… 10
1.1.4. Approaches to syllabus design
1.1.4.1.

The language-centered approach ………..……...………… 11

1.1.4.2.

The teaching and learning situation with the current reading textbook at
HPU ……………………………………...……………........................................ 22
The learners …………………………….……...……………………............ 23

v


The teaching staff of Foreign Language Department ……………...............23
A critical look at the existing syllabus ……………………………................24
The study
The subjects …………………………………………………………................25
Data collection instruments and procedures
Data collection instruments …………………………………...….....................25
Data collection procedure ………………………………..…...….....................25
Major findings and discussion
2.5.3.1. Needs perceived by the teachers of FLD
2.5.3.1.1. Teachers‟ expectations for the supplementary reading syllabus …. 26
2.5.3.1.2. Necessary topics perceived by the teachers of FLD …………….... 27
2.5.3.1.3. Necessary grammar and structures perceived by the teachers of FLD
……………………………………………………………………………..… 27
2.5.3.1.4. Necessary reading skills/ exercises perceived by the teachers of FLD
……………………………………………………………………….………. 27
2.5.3.2. Needs perceived by the learners
2.5.3.2.1. Students‟ expectations for the supplementary reading syllabus ….. 28
2.5.3.2.2. Necessary topics perceived by the students ………………………. 28
2.5.3.2.3. Necessary grammar and structures perceived by the students …..... 29
2.5.3.2.4. Necessary reading skills/ exercises perceived by the students ….... 29
Summary ……………………………………………………………...............29
Chapter III: Designing a supplementary reading syllabus
with a view of improving reading skills for the firstyear English majors at HPU

English Language Teaching

ESP

English for Specific Purposes

ESL

English as the Second Language

E

English

FLD

Foreign Language Department

FLT

Foreign Language Teaching

GE

General English

HPU
N
SLA


There is no denying that English is becoming a dominant language over the
past few years, especially in the context of globalization and internationalization as
stated by Crystal (2003: 189) that “there has never been a language so widely
spread or spoken by so many people as English. There are therefore no precedents
to help us see what happens to a language when it achieves genuine world status”.
It is the ongoing process of regional and global integration that has led to the highly
increasing demand for English teaching and learning worldwide. Wallace (2003:
67) adds that “the role of English as a second language has taken on new urgency
with its ever-extending global reach”. Therefore, the need for people with good
English proficiency is undeniable. This requires students in the new era to be
equipped with the most essential knowledge in order that they are able to meet the
society‟s needs.
In Vietnam, English is also given the high priority by many schools and
organizations. However, Vietnamese students hardly have opportunities to use
communicative English outside the classroom. In fact, they can have access to a
great number of specialized documents written in English via electronic or printed
sources in order to broaden their knowledge and update information in their study
day by day. Hence, for these students, “reading by far is the most important of four
skills” for their study as well as their future job (Carrel, 1988: 1). This puts a big
burden on teachers of English in enhancing reading skills for their learners.
The first-year English major students at HPU are no exception. They also
realize the paramount importance of reading in the process of learning English.
Nevertheless, they face problems with the current reading syllabus which does not
appear helpful enough to assist them to improve their English proficiency in terms
of reading skills and grammar structures. They seem to cope with a lot of
difficulties in memorizing and using the language due to the lack of grammatical

1





 To propose a supplementary reading syllabus based on needs analysis
3. Research questions
To achieve the aforementioned aim and objectives, the following research
questions are set out to be answered:
 What objectives do the learners expect to gain through the supplementary
reading syllabus from the perspectives of the teachers and students?
 What knowledge do the learners expect to achieve in terms of vocabulary,
grammar and skill through the supplementary reading syllabus from the
perspectives of the teachers and students?
4. Scope of the study
This study was initiated from the urgent needs to design a supplementary
reading syllabus to supplement the current textbook “Tapestry Reading 1” being
used for the first-year English majors at HPU. It was carried out within FLD at HPU
and the priority was given to reading skill. The subject of the study mainly aimed at
all the freshmen of English major whose English proficiency is at pre-intermediate
level and all the teachers in charge of teaching reading skill. Within the scope of a
minor thesis, this study focused on the designing process itself; only basic theories
concerning syllabus design and reading were presented.
5. Significance of the study
The study is of great significance to both the first-year English major students
and the teachers responsible for teaching reading skill because it may have a great
contribution to ESL teaching and learning. For learners, the study may help them
realize the importance of supplementary reading materials in their study and have a
useful reference source to enhance their reading ability and self-study at home.
Besides, for teachers, the study will be a valuable source for them to apply in
teaching reading skill to their learners without taking too much of their effort and
time. It is expected that the results of the study will enable both teachers and
learners to feel more enjoyable with reading lessons.

Chapter I: theoretical background
1.1. Syllabus design

4


1.1.1. Definition of syllabus
Syllabus is a common and familiar notion in language teaching and learning.
Many of the teachers regard syllabus as a standard material orienting them what
should be taught to their learners. In fact, there exist various perceptions on syllabus
by different authors such as Allen (1984), Dubin and Olshtain (1986), Nunan
(1988), Yalden (1987) and Hutchinson and Water (1987). It is important to
distinguish between the narrow and broad approach to syllabus definition. In the
narrow view, some authors believe that syllabus and methodology are separate
notions while others advocating the broader view ague that it is not straightforward
to distinguish between content and tasks.
As a supporter of the narrow approach, Nunan (1988: 5) points out a clear
distinction between syllabus design and methodology: “Syllabus design is seen as
being concerned essentially with the selection and grading of content, while
methodology is concerned with the selection of learning tasks and activities”.
Sharing the same opinions on syllabus with Nunan, Allen (1984: 49) also
states that “Syllabus …is concerned with a specification of what units will be taught
(as distinct from how they will be taught, which is a matter for methodology”.
Hutchinson and Water (1987: 80) give the similar notion on syllabus when they
claim that “a syllabus is a document which says what will (or at least what should)
be learnt”.
In contrast with these authors, Yalden (1987: 14) looks at syllabus from a
broader view and emphasizes that:
The syllabus replaces the concept of “method”, and the syllabus is now seen as an
instrument by which the teacher, with the help of the syllabus designer, can achieve

the language learning become manageable.
 If learning is compared as a journey, the syllabus can be seen as a statement of
projected routes so that teachers and learners not only have an idea of where they
are going but also how they might get there.
 A syllabus is an implicit statement of views on the nature of language and learning.
It will show the most important aspect of language learning and tell the teacher and
students what is to be learnt and why it is to be learnt.
 A syllabus provides a visible basis for testing, an inevitable part in the process of
language learning and teaching.

Beside its advantages above, a syllabus also exposes some dangers:

6


 A syllabus can never be more than a statement of a teaching ideal. It can tell the
teacher what will be taught, but can predict very little about what will be learnt by
the learners.
 A syllabus can not show intangible factors which are vital for learning like
emotions, personalities, subjective views and motivation.
 A syllabus can not take individual differences into consideration.

It can be seen that the syllabus has a complicated role in language teaching
and learning. Thus, the awareness of its role will help teachers and students to be
able to use it in an appropriate way.
1.1.3. Types of syllabus
Over the past few years, a great deal of attention has been paid to the types of
syllabuses. In fact, there exist many approaches to syllabus types by different
authors. According to Dublin and Olshtain (1986: 37), “there are four major
syllabus types: the structural-grammatical syllabus, the semantico-notional syllabus,

2000 words; Upper Intermediate level: an additional 2000 words; Advanced level:
an additional 2000 + words” (Hindmarsh, 1980; Nation 1990 cited by Richards,
2001: 154). As a matter of fact, vocabulary is often presented in any language
content. Thus, a lexical syllabus can only be regarded as “one strand of a more
comprehensive syllabus” (Richards, 2001: 154).
1.1.3.3. Functional syllabus
The functional syllabus mainly focuses on learning to recognize and express
the communicative functions of language like requesting, agreeing, apologizing, etc
(Nunan, 1988: 35). Unlike the grammatical one, this type of syllabus produces a
communicative competence without losing the grammatical factors. Nevertheless, it
is often restricted to short utterances or exchanges in combination with the problem
of complex grading content input.
1.1.3.4. Situational syllabus
This syllabus is designed by collecting “real imaginary situations in which the
language occurs is uses” (Wilkins, 1976: 36). Some vivid illustrations for situations
are seeing the doctor, buying clothes at the fashion shop, meeting a client, and etc.
The key purpose of this syllabus is to teach the language used in the real situations,

8


which is very relevant to learners‟ needs and interests even if there are still some
unpredictable situations.
1.1.3.5. Topical or content-based syllabus
A topic-based syllabus is developed on the basis of themes, topics or other
units of contents. Robinson (1991: 37) states that “it motivates the students as a
basis for the „real syllabus‟ of language forms, functions or whatever the course
designers wish to focus on”. For ESP, it is more significant because it can “delay
the content of the students‟ work or specialist study. One objective of the ESP
course may in fact be to teach this specialist content”. (Robinson, 1991: 36)

A text-based syllabus is like an integrated syllabus which is a combination of
elements of different syllabus types. Feez (1998: v, cited by Richards, 2001: 164)
points out some merits of a text-based syllabus as shown below:
 It teaches explicitly about the structures and grammatical features of spoken and
written texts.
 It links spoken and written texts to the social and cultural contexts of their use.
 It allows for the design of units of work that focus on developing skills in relation
to whole texts.
 It provides students with guided practice as they develop language skills for
meaningful communication through texts.

Despite the advantages above, a text-based syllabus also reveals some
disadvantages. It mainly concentrates on certain skills rather than a more general
language competency. In addition, it appears to be impractical in some situations.
1.1.3.10. Integrated syllabus
An integrated syllabus is sometimes under the name of “mixed/ layered
syllabus” by Brown (1995) or “multi-dimensional syllabus” by Wilkins (1981a: 88,
cited by Read, 1984). The integrated syllabus is initiated from the idea of combining
different language types which are listed above. There exist many different syllabus
strands in English courses, for instance, grammar linked to skills and texts, tasks
linked to topics and functions or skills linked to topics and texts, etc (Richards,
2001: 164).
To sum up, there are many types of syllabus. Each one has its own strengths
and weaknesses. It is very difficult to decide which one is better than the other. In
arriving at a decision on what type of syllabus is suitable for students, the course

10


planners need to decide between macro-level and micro-level planning units in the


process of language use, not of language learning. This is considered as its
limitation.
1.1.4.3. The learning-centered approach
The core of this approach is to maximize the potential of the learning situation.
It is based on the recognition of the complexity of the learning process as claimed
by Hutchinson and Water (1987: 72) that “we would reject the term a learnercentered approach in favor of a learning-centered approach to indicate that the
concern is to maximize learning”. It can be said that this approach overcomes all the
limitations mentioned in the two former approaches above because it fully takes the
learner into consideration. The learner factor is always paid full attention at every
stage of the learning process. This means that the learner plays a vital part in
determining the content of the course.
In this study, the learning-centered approach is chosen as the basis for
designing the supplementary reading syllabus for the first-year English majors at
HPU.
1.1.5. Steps in syllabus design
Designing a language syllabus is widely known as a complex process. Each
researcher has different view on this issue. Hughes (1983: 7) considers the choice of
aims and objectives as the first important steps in syllabus design whereas Crookes
and Long (1993: 12) recommend that tasks should be the first step. Other
researchers share the same opinion that needs analysis should be the initial step
(Yalden, 1987; Nunan, 1988; & Brown, 1995). Nunan (1988) gives a detailed
model of syllabus design including the following steps:
Needs
analysis

Selecting &
grading
content


C: present situation analysis; D: learners‟ lacks; E: learning needs; F: linguistic and
discourse analysis; what is wanted from the course; need analysis
As the foundation of any language course, needs analysis is undoubtedly of great
importance in designing any syllabus as Richards (2001: 5) stresses that
Needs analysis serves three main purposes it provides a means of obtaining wider
input into the content, design and implementation of a language program; it can be
used in developing goals, objectives and content; and it can provide data for
reviewing and evaluating an existing program

1.1.5.1.2. Methods of needs analysis
The main data collection methods for needs analysis are questionnaires,
discussions, interviews, observation and assessment (Dudley-Evans & St John,
1988: 132). Jordan (cited by Howard & Brown, 1997: 73) mentions a variety of
methods for needs analysis which are shown in the table on the next page.

13


1

Pre-course placement/ diagnostic tests

6

Structured interviews

2

Entry tests on arrival


In this study, the questionnaire is chosen as the main method to analyze the
needs of both teachers and students at HPU.
1.1.5.1.3. Types of needs
Needs are differently classified by different authors. Brindley (1984: 31, cited
by Nunan, 1988: 44) divides needs into objective needs and subjective needs. He
explains that objective needs are those which teachers can diagnose based on
analyzing personal data related to learners in corporation with information about
learners‟ language proficiency and patterns of language use; meanwhile, subjective
needs including wants, desires, expectations, etc can not be easily diagnosed, even
identified by learners themselves. Moreover, Hutchinson and Water (1987)
subdivide needs into two main types which are target needs and learning needs.
In terms of target needs, Hutchinson and Water (1987: 54) define that “target need
is what the learner needs to do in the target situation”. They also split target needs
into necessities, lacks and wants.
 Necessities: this type of need is determined by the demands of the target
situation and the learner
 Lacks: the gap between the target proficiency and the existing proficiency of
the learner
 Wants: what the learners perceive to be important for their language
development.
As far as learning needs is concerned, Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 54)
explain that learning needs are “what the learner needs to do in order to learn”.
Hutchinson compares the ESP course as a journey in which “lacks” is identified as

14


the starting point, “necessity” as the destination and “how we are going to get from
the starting point to destination” is “learning needs”. In this sense, learning needs
can be understood as the route. There are many constraints emerging on the route in

which the goals are achieved. This is still a controversial issue because selecting
interesting and relevant content for learners is not a straightforward task. Nunan
(1988: 23) mentions one of the problems in syllabus design which is the difference
in the learners‟ interests in a given group. What is considered as interesting to one
learner may be uninteresting to another. Nonetheless, this problem can be overcome
by means of needs analysis and goal setting. Because of the difficulty in selecting
suitable content for the learners, most of course and material writers often base on
their intuition in making decision on the syllabus content.
1.1.5.3.2. Grading the content
The content grading for a language program is an extremely complex and
difficult task because it includes many teaching and learning related factors. Gibbon
(in Read, 1983: 141) groups these factors into two main types which are learner
needs and pedagogical factors.
Learner needs:
 What is needed by the learner most immediately?
 What is the most useful if the learner “suddenly has to stop his studies
before the full course is finished” (Hill 1961)?
 Whose absence would be more likely to lead to communication breakdown?
 Which can be used most widely, i.e. flexible language, moving to more
specific and subtle language later?
 What is the learner likely to need most frequently?
Pedagogical factors: the content must ensure the following factors
 Can be taught most effectively and efficiently given the classroom situation.
 Can be used in teaching other language
 Is needed for classroom purposes
 Is simpler in form of meaning, assuming that a progression from simple to
more complicated is good pedagogy.

16


Listen/ read and repeat/ copy
Listen/ read, carry out drill
Listen/ read, respond
meaningfully
Listen/ read, rehearse
Listen/ read, role-play
Listen/ read, solve problem/
come to conclusion

Figure 2: Model of grading tasks and activities (Nunan, 1988)
In brief, there are many factors affecting tasks and activities grading. Hence, it
is very difficult to determine whether a given task or activity is easier or more
difficult.
1.2. Supplementary reading syllabus
1.2.1. The rationale for using supplementary reading syllabus in FLT
Supplementary syllabus is defined as books used in addition to the coursebook
(Spratt, et.al. 2005: 115). In other words, supplementary syllabus is any source
which can complement the teacher‟s work. This emphasizes the importance of
supplementary syllabus in language teaching and learning (Robinson, 1991; Nunan,

17


1991). As a matter of fact, teachers can not make their work by themselves.
Normally, they base on some methodological approaches to create an effective
learning environment for their students or they may follow the coursebook designed
by publishers to meet their teaching needs. Nevertheless, these coursebooks do not
always thoroughly fulfill their syllabi. Allwright (1991) assert that textbooks are
often implicitly and thus might control the methods, process and procedures of
classroom practice and especially „deskill‟ teachers. Furthermore, textbooks are

order that students can become competent and independent readers.
To sum up, using authentic texts as supplements to the textbook is extremely
significant because this can prepare learners for real life reading. Authentic texts
can foster the development of their reading skills and help them gain confidence in
their reading ability. With authentic texts, students certainly become autonomous
readers who can take responsibility of their own reading. This is regarded as a good
preparation for their future career.
1.3. Reading
1.3.1. The role of reading in second language acquisition
It is undeniable that reading is extremely important in both GE and ESP as
stated by Carrel (1988: 1) “for many students, reading by far is the most important
of four skills in a second language, particularly in English as a second or foreign
language”. Reading is considered as a powerful tool for students to get familiar with
specialized terms and concepts necessary for their future jobs through various
reading materials written in English. Besides, reading can motivate learners‟ study
more than other skills because it is much easier and can be done at any time,
anywhere with a lot of available materials. The main purpose of any reading
program is “to enable students to enjoy (or at least feel comfortable with) reading in
the foreign language, and to read without help of unfamiliar authentic texts, at
appropriate speed, silently and with adequate understanding” (Nuttal, 1996: 31).
Wilkins (1976: 138) also claims that reading can help students have an exposure to
the lexical items in natural linguistic context and as a consequence, students will
have the same meaningfulness that they have for native speakers. Furthermore,
Nagy cited by Krashen (1989: 450) affirms that reading can build up a deep

19