FROM AN EXTENSIVE READER TO A CRITICAL READER: DO STUDENTS THINK - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

“FROM AN EXTENSIVE READER TO A CRITICAL READER: DO STUDENTS THINK THEIR CRITICAL READING SKILLS ARE ENHANCED?”

Nguyễn Thị Diệu Hà Phạm Hoàng Long Biên University of Languages and International Studies, VNU

MAIN POINTS

• 1. Rationale
• 2. Research aims
• 3. Key terms
• 4. Methods
• 5. Findings
• 6. Suggestions
• 7. Conclusion

RATIONALE

• Critical thinking/reading

provide students with the ‘right tool’ (Milan, 1995)  enhance their process of studying  serve them well in their future life Students critical reading skills should be reinforced

RATIONALE

• Extensive Reading
• different from the traditional approach of

reading at university

• more motivating to students
• cater for the needs of different students

RATIONALE

• Bookworm Project
• exposes students with different reading genres

(adapted novels, short stories, book chapters, novels)

• helps them improve their critical reading skills

(summarizing, reflecting, etc.) through various acvitivies guided by teachers Not sure whether this REALLY enhance students’ critical reading skills as stated ???

RESEARCH AIMS

(1) investigating students’ perception of critical reading and Bookworm project; (2) identifying the relation between their perception and application of critical reading shown through their reading reflections; (3) pointing out the existing problems confronting students in studying and applying critical reading and suggesting solutions

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• What is student’ perception toward

critical reading and its effectiveness?

• How are they applying critical reading
• ver their Bookworm project?
• What are problems confronting students

in studying and applying critical reading?

KEY TERMS

• Critical thinking

Maiorana, Victoria (1992), Commayras (1990) and Stahl and Stahl (1991): critical thinking involves reasoning process. The purposes of critical thinking are to achieve understanding, evaluating points and solving problems (Maiorana, Victoria, 1992)

KEY TERMS

• Critical reading

good comprehension skills + a critical sense, a

means of judging the worth of what you read.  keeping an open mind

• not accepting unquestioningly what you

read

• not rejecting ideas simply because they are

different from your beliefs (Milan, 1995).

KEY TERMS

• Critical reading skills

Preview: learn about a text before really reading it. Contextualize: understand the historical context

• f the writer

Questioning: the purposes to read, types and subject of text, the

author’s purposes of and attitude towards the topic (Reed, 2004; Sunda & Brisas, 2002), the effectiveness of evidence, the conclusion drawn (Kirszner and Mandell, 1992)

KEY TERMS

Outlining and summarizing

• utlining depends on a close analysis of

each paragraph, summarizing also requires creative synthesis

Analyzing and evaluating

analyze and evaluate the reading (content,

• rganization, writing style) and comparing it with

their beliefs and values

KEY TERMS

Reflecting on challenges to your beliefs and values

Decide whether to believe in what you read

BOOKWORM PROJECT

Traditional Reading approach Process: Read  Answer comprehension Questions

CRITICAL READING SKILLS??

Reading materials: Mainly factual, not updated, not catering for students’ different needs Normally not involve group work

BOOKWORM PROJECT

One assessment tool of Social English

• For first-year English-major students
• Along with traditional reading materials

(from textbooks)

• Reading materials for the project are

relevant to students’ weekly themes

Examples

• Stuart Little, White, E. B. (2008)
• Outsiders: American Short Stories for Students
• f English as a Second Language. Mullen, J. S.

(1984)

• Land of my Childhood: stories from South Asia.

(C. West, Ed.) Romesh Gunesekera, M. Athar Tahir, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Anu Kumar, Anne Ranasinghe, Ruskin Bond, Anita Desai, VijitaFernando, Amara Bavani Dev,. (2008).

• A Very Short Introduction: Emotion.

Evans, D. (2003). (Chapter 5)

• The Secret Garden. Burnet, F.H. (2007).
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Chbosky, S. (1999).

BOOKWORM PROJECT

Procedure

• Students read what is assigned at home

and are recommended to take notes of the chapters’ main ideas.

• In the classroom, teachers organize some

pre-reading and post-reading activities and quizzes to aid and check students’

• understanding. Students must complete

the quizzes individually.

BOOKWORM PROJECT

Assessment

• Short summary of literary works (OBLIGATORY)
• What they like or dislike
• Favourite character + Explanation
• Change / Adaptation of plot or details + Explanation
• Change of the ending + Explanation
• Comparison between written work and film version (if

any)

• Students’ own ideas
• Length
• - Oral Presentations: 10-15 mins
• - Written Reflection: About 400 words

METHODS OF THE STUDY

Participants 116 first-year students and 4 teachers of the Faculty Research tools

• Questionnaires for Ss and Ts
• Interview for selected participants

MAJOR FINDINGS

• Importance of critical reading

Ss: CR is important. Not important: too challenging for first-year students, too new Ts: CR is extremely important (more experience)

MAJOR FINDINGS

Frequency of CR techniques in the in-class activities

• C2. Provoke students’ background knowledge about the topic
• C5. Ask searching and thoughtful questions which require students

to argue for their own answer

• C6. Ask students to paraphrase and summarize the author’s ideas.
• C7. Help students to determine the author’s purpose and attitude.
• C11. Get students to talk about their own thoughts of the subject

matter in the reading text.

• C12. Encourage questions from students about the subject matter in

the reading text.

• C13. Collaborating with other readers to work with the ideas in the

reading.

MAJOR FINDINGS

Frequency of CR techniques in the homework activities

• H2. Writing comments: provide students with a reading text

and ask them to write comments on the problems raised in the reading text.

• H3. Establishing arguments: at the end of the reading

lessons, raise an open question which is related to the issues n the reading class, ask students to read related articles and then write a small essay to establish their own arguments based on these articles.

MAJOR FINDINGS

Effectiveness of Bookworm project

Figure 10: EFFECTIVENESS OF READING REFLECTION

19 28.6 52.4 40.9 22.7 36.4 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Literal level Evaluative level Applied level

Life Lesson Academic issues Figue 11: STUDENTS' READING APPROACH

22.2 20.6 57.2 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Surface Medium Deep Reading Approach

Bookworm project

• Students think they are better readers

when the involves life lessons rather academic issues.

• Many have not reached the evaluative and

applied level of reading Most students are still reading at surface level

MAJOR FINDINGS

Difficulties for Ss and Ts Ss:

• Still lack guidance from teachers
• Low English proficiency

Ts:

• Not enough time
• T’s low English proficiency
• Some materials are not suitable for CR skill

development

SUGGESTIONS

• More detailed introduction and practice for

critical reading skills

• Activities and assessment for individual

students

CONCLUSIONS

• Students become better and more critical

reader through the activities of Bookworm project

• However, many students have difficulties

reading critically.

• Developing critical reading skills should be

a long-term target