Improving the Reading Skill of the Fourth Year Middle School Pupils In
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Ministery of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ahmed Draia University–Adrar Faculty of Letters and Languages Department of Letters and English Language Improving The Reading Skill of the Fourth Year Middle School Pupils in Tsabit Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the ‘Master’ Degree in Linguistics and Didactics Prepared by: Supervised by: Mr. Othmane Keddouci Khadidja Bekhouti Safia Atouane Board of Examiners Mr. Lehcen Benyagoub ; Chairman Mr. Othmane Keddouci; Supervisor Mr. Lehcen Boubekeur; Examiner Academic Year: 2016/ 2017 II Dedication We dedicate this work: To our beloved parents To our sisters and brothers To all our friends without exception To all who help us to accomplish this work III Acknowledgements First of all, Thanks to Allah the almighty, the most merciful We would like to express our sincere thanks to our parents, sisters and brothers for their priceless encouragement and financial support We wish also to express a special thank to our supervisor Mr. Keddouci for his significant guidance and pieces of advice We would like to thank the headmaster of Rahmane Boufeldja Middle School and all the teachers who help us to carry on our case study. Last but not least, we would like to thank all our friends, classmates and teachers in the department of English IV Abstract The purpose of the present research is to investigate the techniques that the EFL teachers use to improve the fourth year middle school pupils reading skill in English. In order to achieve this aim, a questionnaire has been submitted to the middle schools teachers of English in Tsabit since teachers have direct contact with their learners and they are aware about their actual level. In addition, classroom observation is used; this gives us the chance to observe pupils in the classroom to know the source of the difficulties in order to provide valid solutions to them. The results showed that EFL teachers should conduct practicable techniques and strategies to improve their pupils‟ reading level. Moreover, when designing and planning lessons, they should take into consideration pupils‟ social environment. Key words: Reading Skill, Techniques and Strategies to Improve Reading Skill, EFL Teachers, Fourth Year Middle School Pupils. V List of Acronyms: AM: Année Moyenne CBA: Competency- Based Approach EFL: English as a Foreign Language ESL: English as a Second Language L1: First Language L2: Second Language VI List of Figures Figure 02.01. The Four Components of the CBA……………………………………..… 25 Figure 03.01. The Syllabus of English…………………………………………………… 33 Figure 03.02. Pupils‟ Attitudes toward English……………………………………...…. 33 Figure 03.03. Learners‟ Needs………………………………………………………...… 34 Figure 03.04. The CBA Approach………………………………………………………. 34 Figure 03.05. The Application of the CBA………………………………………....….…35 Figure 03.06. The English Reading Level……………………………………….....….... 36 Figure 03.07. Reading Time……………………………………………………….……...36 Figure 03.08. Reading Strategies………………………………………………………... 37 Figure 03.09. Strategies to Teach Reading………………………………………...……...38 Figure 03.10. Reading Assessment Tool…………………………………………………..39 Figure 03.11. Techniques of Testing Reading Comprehension…………………….…….40 Figure 03.12. Assigning Reading as a Home Work……………………………………....41 Figure 03.13. Teachers‟ Encouragement to Read in English………………………….….41 Figure 03.14. Suggested Techniques for Teaching the Reading Skill……………………42 Figure 03.15. Teachers‟ Expectation about Learners‟ Level……………………….....….43 Figure 03.16. Teachers‟ Proposal to Improve the Teaching and Learning of English in Algeria…………………………………………………………………………………….. 44 VII List of Tables Table 01.01. The Difference between Extensive and Intensive Reading…………….…09 Table 02.01. Reading Comprehension Strategies…………………………………….....12 Table 03.01. Classroom Observation……………………………………………………32 Table 03.02. The English Syllabus……………………………………………………….33 Table 03.03. Pupils‟ Attitudes toward English…………………………………………..33 Table 03.04. Learners‟ Needs…………………………………………………………....34 Table 03.05. The CBA Approach…………………………………………………...…….34 Table 03.06. The Application of the CBA………………………………………………...35 Table 03.07. The English Reading Level………………………………………………….36 Table 03.08. Reading Time………………………………………………………………..36 Table 03.09. Reading Strategies…………………………………………………….......…37 Table 03.10. Strategies to Teach Reading………………………………………….……....38 Table 03.11. Reading Assessment Tool………………………………………………........39 Table 03.12. Techniques of Testing Reading Comprehension………………………….....39 Table 03.13. Assigning Reading as a Home Work………………………………………...41 Table 03.14. Teachers‟ Encouragement to Read in English……………………………….41 Table 03. 15. Suggested Techniques for Teaching the Reading Skill………………………42 Table 03.16. Teachers‟ Expectation about Learners‟ Level…………………………….….43 Table 03.17. Teachers‟ Proposal to Improve the Teaching and Learning of English in Algeria ………………………………………………………………………………………………...43 VIII Table of Contents Dedications……………………………………………………….…….………………...I Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………............II Abstract…………………………….……………………………….…………….....…...III List of Acronyms …………………………………………………………………….......IV List of Figures ……………………………………….…….....…………………….........V List of Tables …………………………………………………….….…………………...VI Table of Contents................................................................................................................VII General Introduction.........................................................................................................1 Theoretical Part Table of Contents of Chapter One 1.1. Introduction ………………………………..…….………………….…......................3 1.2. Reading ..........................................……..……..………..….......................................3 1.3. Purposes Behind Reading ...........……………………..……………….......................4 1.3.1. Reading for Pleasure......................................................................................5 1.3.2. Reading for Information (Instrumental)........................................................5 1.4. Forms of Reading.........................................................................................................5 1.4.1. Extensive Reading.........................................................................................5 1.4.2. Intensive Reading..........................................................................................6 1.4.1. Intensive Vs Extensive Reading.................................................................7 IX 1.4.3. Skimming...................................................................................................9 1.4.4. Scanning...................................................................................................10 1.5. Reading Comprehension.........................................................................................10 1.5.1. Reading Comprehension Strategies.....................................................................11 1.5.2. Reading Process..................................................................................................12 1.6. Models of the Reading Process in L1 and L2........................................................12 1.6.1. Bottom-Up Process: The Traditional Theory…………………………12 1.6.2. Top-Down Process: The Cognitive Theory………………………….13 1.6.3. Interactive Reading …………………………………………………..13 1.6.4. Reading Product ……………………………………………………...14 1.7. Reading Assessment ………………………………………………………..14 1.8. Chapter Summary...………………………………………….………….......16 Table of Contents of Chapter Two 2.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………17 2.2 Algeria‟s Educational System…………………………………………………….17 2.3 The Objectives of Teaching English in the Fourth Year Middle School………..18 2.4 Approach, Method and Technique…………………………………………..….....19 2.4.1. Approach……………………………………………………………19 2.4.2. Method………………………………………………………………19 2.4.3. Technique…………………………………………………………..20 2.5. Teaching Reading under the Well Known Methods……………………………20 X 2.5.1. Teaching Reading under Grammar Translation Method………………20 2.5.2. Teaching Reading under the Direct Method………………………..…..21 2.5.3. Teaching Reading under the Audio-Lingual Method……………..……21 2.5.4. Teaching Reading under the Communicative Approach………………22 2.6. Definition of the Competency Based Approach…………………………………23 2.6.1 Definition of Competence……………………………………………….24 2.6.2. Definition of Competency………………………………………….…..24 2.6.3. Components of the Competency Based Approach……………………24 2.6.4. Characteristics of the Competency Based Approach…………………..25 2.6.5. Teacher‟s Role in the Competency- Based Approach…………………..27 2.6.6. Student‟s Role in the Competency-Based Approach ……………..……..27 2.7. Teaching Reading under the Competency Based Approach ……………………27 2.8. Chapter Summary………………………………………………………………..29 Table of Content of Chapter Three 3.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………….……30 3.2. Research Methodology …………………………………………………………...30 3.3. Data Collection Instruments…………………………………………………....….31 3.3.1. Questionnaire………………………………………………………...…..31 3.3.2. Classroom Observation………………………………………………..…31 3.4. Data Analyses………………………………………………………………......….32 3.4.1. The Teachers‟ Questionnaire ……………………………………………………32 XI 3.4.2. Analyses of Classroom Observation……………………………………….……44 3.5. Results and Discussions………………………………………………………..….47 3.6. Recommendations and Suggestions………………………………………………49 3.7. Chapter Summary…………………………………………………………..……..51 General Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….53 References Appendices General Introduction General Introduction