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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
QUY NHON UNIVERSITY
MẠNH THỊ THUỲ DIỄM
EFL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PRACTICE OF
TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION IN
RELATION TO COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH: A
CASE STUDY IN PHU YEN PROVINCE
MASTER THESIS IN THEORY AND METODOLOGY OF
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
Binh Dinh, 2022
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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
QUY NHON UNIVERSITY
MẠNH THỊ THUỲ DIỄM
EFL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PRACTICE OF
TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION IN
RELATION TO COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH: A
CASE STUDY IN PHU YEN PROVINCE
Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching
Code : 8140111
Supervisor: HA THANH HAI, Ph.D.
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BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN
MẠNH THỊ THUỲ DIỄM
THỰC TẾ DẠY ĐỌC HIỂU CỦA GIÁO VIÊN
TIẾNG ANH PHỔ THÔNG TRONG MỐI TƯƠNG
QUAN ĐƯỜNG HƯỚNG GIAO TIẾP: MỘT
TRƯỜNG HỢP NGHIÊN CỨU Ở TỈNH PHÚ YÊN
Chuyên ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp dạy học bộ môn tiếng Anh
Mã số : 8140111
Người hướng dẫn: TS. HÀ THANH HẢI
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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I hereby certify that the Master thesis entitled “EFL high school
teachers’ practice of teaching Reading Comprehension in Phu Yen province
in relation to Communicative approaches” is entirely the result of my own
research, except where otherwise referenced or acknowledged. This thesis has
not been submitted for any degree or diploma at any other institutions.
Binh Dinh, 2022
Mạnh Thị Thuỳ Diễm
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my
supervisor, Ph. Ha Thanh Hai for his patience, encouragement, valuable
guidance and beneficial criticism throughout my research. Without his great
support, this thesis would not have been accomplished in time.
I am extremely grateful to all my lecturers who provided us with
essential knowledge for this thesis.
Special thanks goes to my classmates who gave me their help during
the time I conducted the study.
I would like to thank my school-board, my colleagues who spent their
golden time encouraging me to do this thesis.
Last but not least, I would like to express my special thanks to my
family, especially my parents who gave me unconditioned love and support,
which is very significant for me to fulfill this work.
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ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate EFL high school teachers’ practice of
teaching Reading Comprehension in Phu Yen province in relation to
Communicative approach in order to help teachers have a better insight in
teaching reading comprehension skill. The qualitative and quantitative
methods are applied to seek descriptive information of EFL high school
teachers’ practice of teaching reading comprehension and produce numerical
data. Eighteen classroom observations of classes taught by nine teachers aim
at identifying EFL high school teachers’ practice of teaching reading
comprehension. The results reveal that the traditional methods are used in
teaching reading comprehension by most of the teachers. In terms of the
Communicative approach, a small number of the teachers use this method.
Therefore, the traditional methods are used more frequently by most of the
teachers in the classroom than the Communicative approach. Regarding the
use of the strategies and disparities between the practice of teaching reading
comprehension and the Communicative approach-based theory of teaching
reading comprehension, the findings show that most of the teachers at Phu
Yen seem to be strongly influenced by the grammar- translation methods
which only concentrate on the ability of using grammar rules precisely.
Moreover, the biggest difference between the grammar-translation methods
and the Communicative approach is the strategies that are used by the
teachers at three stages, namely pre- reading, while- reading and postreading. It is hoped that the results of this study will provide useful
knowledge and contribute to the teaching and learning in reading
comprehension skill, especially for those who want to improve this skill.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................. ii
ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................. iv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................... vi
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................... vii
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 1
1.1. Rationale ................................................................................................. 1
1.2. Aim and objectives.................................................................................. 2
1.2.1. Aim of the study................................................................................ 2
1.2.2. Objectives.......................................................................................... 2
1.3. Research questions .................................................................................. 3
1.4. Scope of the study ................................................................................... 3
1.5. Significance of the study ......................................................................... 3
1.6. Organization of the study ........................................................................ 4
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................... 6
2.1. Theoretical background .......................................................................... 6
2.1.1. Definition of Reading ....................................................................... 6
2.1.2 Definition of Reading Comprehension .............................................. 7
2.1.3. The Communicative approach .......................................................... 8
2.1.4 Procedures of teaching a reading lesson .......................................... 20
2.1.5 The common teaching techniques used at three stages ................... 21
2.2. Previous studies related to the study ..................................................... 26
2.3. Summary ............................................................................................... 30
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CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES .............. 32
3.1. Research design..................................................................................... 32
3.2. Research methods ................................................................................. 32
3.3.1. Classroom observation .................................................................... 33
3.3.2. Interview ......................................................................................... 34
3.4. Participants ............................................................................................ 34
3.5. Research procedures ............................................................................. 36
3.6. Data analysis ......................................................................................... 36
CHAPTER 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ......................................... 38
4.1. Findings ................................................................................................. 38
4.1.1. Findings from classroom observations ........................................... 38
4.1.2. Findings from interview.................................................................. 44
4.1.3. Disparities between the practice of teaching reading and the
Communicative approach ......................................................................... 52
4.2 Discussion .............................................................................................. 54
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS.......................... 58
5.1. Conclusions ........................................................................................... 58
5.2. Implications ........................................................................................... 59
5.3. Limitations ............................................................................................ 59
5.4 Suggestions for further research ............................................................ 60
REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 61
APPENDIXES
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
CLT: Communicative Language Teaching
EFL: English Foreign Language
CA: Communicative approach
T: Teacher
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LIST OF TABLES
Number
Tables
Page
3.1
The information about the participants
35
3.2
Teachers’ experience
35
4.1
Techniques of the traditional method used at pre-
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reading stage
4.2
Techniques of the Communicative approach used at
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pre- reading stage
4.3
Techniques of the traditional method used at while-
41
reading stage
4.4
Techniques of the Communicative approach used at
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while- reading stage
4.5
Techniques of the traditional method used at post-
43
reading stage
4.6
Techniques of the Communicative approach used at
44
post- reading stage
4.7
Interview results from teachers
44
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
Reading is one of the most important skills in determining a learner’s
linguistic competence; it is a receptive language process that includes the
process of recognition, interpretation and perception. Students can get new
information and the knowledge of language used in the texts through reading.
Boer and Dallmann (1960: 2) say that reading is the process where the author
is attempting to explain into printed symbols. We read printed materials
because we want to understand what the author is trying to say. According to
Ungwattanakul (1994), miscomprehension in reading is caused by a lack of
knowledge of vocabulary and sentence structures. Reading comprehension
determines a student's success in learning many things, particularly in school,
so reading plays an important role in the learning process.
Reading comprehension skill is considered a key skill for the twelfth
grade students not only in school but also for the National Examinations. In
fact, the result for the students’ reading comprehension skill in Phu Yen
province is still not high. One of the biggest problems is that students do not
acquire enough vocabulary items to understand the texts they read. It means
that the ability of understanding also depends on students’ background.
Another problem is that the students feel bored in reading lessons because
they don’t have motivation. Students are expected to understand the reading
material well so that they can gain information correctly and improve their
knowledge. Therefore, according to Pardo (2004), teachers should assist
students in activating their prior knowledge so that they can quickly
comprehend the information in the text.
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In the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in teaching
reading comprehension using the traditional method and Communicative
approach. It seems now that the attitude toward the traditional method has not
changed completely. However, some English teachers have been considering
the use of Communicative approaches for different learning purposes.
It can be seen that Communicative approach have not been studied
deeply in terms of teachers’ practice of teaching reading comprehension in
relation to them.
These above reasons inspire me to carry out a study on the aspect of teaching
Reading Comprehension skill with the topic “EFL high school teachers’
practice of teaching reading comprehension in Phu Yen province in
relation to Communicative approach”. This study aims to explore whether
there are any disparities between the practice of teaching reading
comprehension and the Communicative approach-based theory of teaching
reading comprehension.
1.2. Aim and objectives
1.2.1. Aim of the study
The main target of this thesis is to investigate EFL high school teachers’
practice of teaching reading comprehension in Phu Yen province in relation to
the Communicative approach.
1.2.2. Objectives
To achieve the aim of the study, the research focuses on the following
objectives:
+ To find out EFL high school teachers’ practice of teaching reading
comprehension in Phu Yen province.
+ To compare the practice of teaching reading comprehension with the
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Communicative approach.
1.3. Research questions
To achieve the aims and objectives mentioned above, the thesis
addresses itself to answering the following question:
+ What is EFL high school teachers’ practice of teaching reading
comprehension?
+ Are there any disparities between teachers’ practice of teaching
reading comprehension and the Communicative approach-based theory of
teaching reading comprehension?
1.4. Scope of the study
The study is conducted with the data collected from nine EFL high
teachers at three high schools in Phu Yen province. This study only focuses
on the practice of teaching reading comprehension, to examine whether it is
similar to Communicative approach or not. Besides, the data is collected from
observation and interview conducted by the researcher.
1.5. Significance of the study
The study is expected to make both theoretical and practical contribution
as follows:
Theoretically, up to now, many studies have adopted reading
comprehension skill as one of the four main skills in studying English to
develop students’ ability to read and get new information. Nevertheless,
Communicative approaches have not been studied deeply in terms of
teachers’ practice of teaching reading comprehension in relation to them.
Thus, this study provides a new insight into the relation between the practice
and the approach. In addition, it provides a valuable reference for the readers
who are interested in developing students’ reading comprehension skill.
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Practically, the findings from the present study may assist EFL high
school teachers in finding out appropriate methods for their students.
Moreover, the result of this research not only gives positive implications to
EFL teachers but also helps them have additional experience in teaching
reading comprehension.
1.6. Organization of the study
This study is divided into 5 chapters:
Chapter 1: Introduction - presents the background information of the
study; consisting the rationale of the study, the aim and objectives, research
questions, scope of the study, the significance and organization of the study.
Chapter 2: Literature review- presents the overview of teaching reading
comprehension and presents theoretical background related to reading
comprehension and communicative approaches that support the study. In
addition, previous studies related to reading comprehension are also
mentioned in this chapter.
Chapter 3: Research methods and Procedures- presents the qualitative
and quantitative methods employed in the study. Secondly, it describes the
participants of the study. Thirdly, it introduces the research instruments,
observation and interview, used to collect data for the study. Lastly, this
chapter will come to an end with the procedure to conduct the study and the
methods of data analysis.
Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion – analyzes, describes and illustrates
the teachers’ practice of teaching reading comprehension in relation to the
Communicative approach. The information collected from the observations
will be analyzed. Finally, the data of the semi-structured interviews will be
analyzed in order to give more explanations for the findings of the study.
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From these analyses, the results from the analysis will be discussed.
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Implications - summarizes the main points of
the study and suggests some implications for the learners and teachers in
reading comprehension as well as for further studies. Some limitations are
also presented in this chapter.
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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Theoretical background
2.1.1. Definition of Reading
Reading is a language process where people can get information
through the printed pages. Reading is an important skill that students must
master since it cannot be separated from the teaching and learning process.
Moreover, reading is a reciprocal relationship in terms of knowledge between
the author and reader through interactive process to gain meaning from the
text. Thus, reading necessitates the comprehension of printed symbols as well
as an understanding of the structure of language. There are some definitions
of reading given by some experts. Rayner (2001) says reading is defined as
“the level of understanding of a text/message”. This comprehension is based
on the interaction between the written words and the information outside of
the text. The ability to master reading texts is referred to as reading skills.
According to Rivers (1981:261), reading is considered as the traditional
way that enunciates the sounds on the script. Meanwhile, Brown (2004:189)
says that reading is the process of meaning negotiation. In the reading
process, the readers must bring their early thought to the next parts to
comprehend the meaning of the text they read. Furthermore, Nunan (1989:72)
explains that reading is a solitary activity in which the learner interacts with
the text. There are many interactions between the readers and the text such as
prior knowledge, the strategy they use in the reading process. Burhan (2012)
says that reading is considered as a physical and mental activity related to the
meaning of written texts. It is referred to as a physical activity because it is
carried out by the parts of the body, including our eyes.
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And based on the experts’ quotation above, reading is defined in this
study as an activity that allows us to find out new information in order to get
new knowledge and experience. It is a process of interactions between the
readers and the text in which the readers use their knowledge to construct,
develop, and build meaning. Moreover, reading is also an attempt to get
information from written materials and broaden our knowledge.
2.1.2 Definition of Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension skills are important for English language
learners who learn English as a foreign language. Reading comprehension has
two elements. The first element is vocabulary knowledge. The reader must be
able to comprehend the author’s vocabulary. Text comprehension is the
second element, in which the reader combines the vocabulary and different
comprehension strategies to develop an understanding of the text. Harris &
Hodges (1995, p.39) state that comprehension is “the construction of meaning
of a written or spoken communication through a reciprocal, holistic
interchange of ideas between the interpreter and the message in a particular
communicative context”. Because comprehension is the understanding and
interpretation of what is read, students need to comprehend about what they
have read.
The ability to analyze the text, comprehend its meaning, and integrate it
with what the learner already knows is known as reading comprehension.
Khoiriyah (2010) defines that reading comprehension is the process of
understanding meaning by the readers who get the information from the text.
Moreover, reading comprehension is also a thinking process that learners
seem aware of an idea, understand it through their background. The process of
understanding and getting information in reading comprehension is
simultaneous.
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Reading comprehension, on the other hand, is defined by Snow et al.
(2002) as the process of extracting and constructing meaning through
interaction and involvement with written language, which is divided into three
elements. The first element is the reader that brings to the act of reading,
including cognitive capabilities, motivation, knowledge and experiences. The
second element is the text including the printer text or electronic text. Finally,
the activity involves the purposes or tasks, process, and consequences
associated with the act of reading, all of which occur within some specific
context.
From the definitions above, it can be concluded that reading
comprehension is the process of extracting and constructing meaning from
written language through interacting with it. The main goal of reading is to
comprehend what we read. It is a complex process that involves the success or
failure in the use of a variety of skills. We should be able to recollect
information after we read it. Therefore, reading comprehension skills need to
be taught and reinforced in all stages in order to develop necessary skills for
students.
2.1.3. The Communicative approach
2.1.3.1. Definition of Communicative Language Teaching
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is considered as an approach
instead of a method, which aims to develop communicative competence and
language skills in the interdependence of language and communication
(Richards & Rodgers, 2001). This approach emphasizes how students learn a
language, the roles of teachers and students in the classroom, and classroom
activities which facilitate in learning (Richards, 2005). In other words, CLT is
a learner-centered approach whose main goal is to develop students'
communicative competence through various tasks and activities. It helps
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students communicate original messages in real life situations in meaningful
contexts. Similarly, Lightbown and Spada (2013) define CLT as an approach
that focuses on the communication of meanings in interaction rather than the
isolated practice of grammatical forms. They believe that successful language
learning requires not only knowledge of a language's structures and forms, but
also its functions and purposes in various communicative contexts.
Furthermore, the communicative approach helps us broaden our perspective
on language and language learning (Littlewood, 1981). We no longer consider
linguistic forms and structures to be the end goal of language learning, and we
have to consider language in terms of its communicative functions that help
students master it in real situations. In the context of language learning,
communicative language allows learners to freely share experiences from
various aspects of their lives with their peers, making learning more exciting
and engaging (Savignon, 1987).
From the above discussion, it can be stated that Communicative
Language Teaching or the Communicative Approach allows students to
communicate with others in real-life situations. Students are given the
opportunity to freely practice what they have learned, which helps them
develop communicative skills. Moreover, the interactions among students and
between students and teachers can create a good environment that encourages
them to learn. The teacher can design programs for each lesson based on the
circumstances of the students and the nature of their learning environment,
which help them acquire the skills in language use.
2.1.3.2. The aim of Communicative Language Teaching
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) began in the 1960s in Britain
as a replacement for the earlier structural method known as Situational
Language Teaching.
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The aim of CLT is to develop what Hymes (1972, cited in Richards and
Rodgers 2001) refers to as communicative competence. This term is used to
contrast Chomsky's theory of grammatical competence. For Chomsky,
linguistic theory is primarily concerned with mastery of grammatical
structures, knowledge of sentence construction, and the ability to produce
grammatically correct sentences in a language.
In contrast, Hymes’s theory of communicative competence concentrate
on what a speaker has to know in order to be communicatively competent in a
speech of community. On the other hand, communicative competence can be
defined as the ability to use language correctly and appropriately in authentic
and meaningful situations to achieve communication goals. Communicative
competence is assessed by determining the interaction goals.
CLT also creates procedures for teaching the four skills that are related
to language and communication. Because communicative principles can be
applied to the teaching of any skill, at any level, and due to the wide variety of
classroom activities, it is not possible to describe typical classroom
procedures used in a lesson based on CLT principles. Teaching points are
presented in the form of a dialogue, grammatical items are isolated for
controlled practice, and then more free activities are provided. Students are
encouraged to use and practice functions and forms through pair and group
work. It can be said that CLT procedures are evolutionary rather than
revolutionary.
2.1.3.3. Communicative competence
Before discussing what communicative competence entails, it is critical
to distinguish between Chomsky's terms competence and performance (1965).
Chomsky defines competence as the speaker-knowledge hearer's of the
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