MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

FACULTY OF ENGLISH

 
 
 
PROPOSAL
AN INVESTIGATION ON ESP READING COMPREHENSION
DIFFICULTIES ENCOURTED BY SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH
PEDAGOGY-MAJORED STUDENTS AT HANOI NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
 
NGUYEN THI HUONG
                                              HOANG THI XUAN MAI
                                              MAI THI KIM NGAN
 
April 19, 2019

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

 In the trend of globalization, nowadays, along with the development of technology,
information, and education, English for specialized is an effective tool, necessary to
access the common knowledge store of mankind. Obviously, if English only stops at the
level of normal communication without the amount of specialized academic vocabulary,
it will be extremely difficult to access the document. It will impede our work and even
make us go backward in time.

Specialized English has received the special attention of most university students for
along time because of its importance and practical significance. In spite of the efforts of
both teachers and students, most of students have not met the requirements of the subject
for the reading skills. Talk about this problem Dreyer and Nel (2003) deduced that
learners who are faced with difficulties in dealing with ESP texts “show a lack of both
reading strategy knowledge and necessary reading strategies to absorb expository texts”.
What’s about second year students at Hanoi national university of education? As for 2 nd

year English-majored students at Hanoi national university of education, it is not an

exception.  They are still struggling to find the most effective way to deal with ESP. It
also the reason why they are quite awkward and their scores in these subjects are not
high. 

 Actually, this is considered a common situation for all students studying foreign
languages, especially for students of English pedagogy. Reading fluently in a language is
difficult, but it is more difficult than anything for students to read specialized material.
Therefore, it is necessary to read English specialized materials effectively to understand
apply to served in the teaching later. Realizing that this is a very essential problem and
need to find some useful solutions to help students, we decided to choose the topic: the
difficulties in reading comprehension for ESP encountered by English pedagogy
-majored students at Hanoi National University of Education.

 From the above reasons, within the scope of this paper, we will study the question: 

“What are the difficulties in reading comprehension for ESP encountered by 2 year nd

English Pedagogy -majored students at Hanoi National University of Education?”.

In this paper, we will conduct a research proposal to propose a study to explore

systematically the difficulties when they read the ESP (English for specific purposes). By
using some technique: survey research, questionnaires, the survey will be conducted
randomly with sixty 2 year students from faculty of English, and then we will analyze
nd

the data collected to find out the real difficulties of students when reading the ESP. From
these data, we will propose some solutions systematically to help students improve their
reading skills and help teachers have more effective teaching methods. By that way, we
can find out remedies and propose options to help students apply on the circumstances
they encounter. 

CHAPTER 2:  LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1.  Reading

Reading is commonly known as one of two receptive language skills (the other is
speaking) that refer to the skills where learners are invited to receive and understand
language. According to Pang et al (2003), reading is about understanding written texts
that involve both perception and thought. It consists of two related processes: word
recognition and comprehension. Hence, it means that it is vital for students to master
reading skills in order that they can get accurate information and knowledge presented in
reading materials.

2.2. Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension plays a vital role in the process of teaching and studying a
foreign language. According to Shurooq A. Ali (2012), “reading comprehension is
important because without it reading is nothing more than tracking symbols on a page
with your eyes and sounding them out leaving the reader with no information.” Grabe
and Stoller (2002) stated that reading comprehension is the ability to understand the
information in a text and interpret it appropriately what is meant by the text. In simpler
terms, reading comprehension is a capability to read text, process and understand its
meaning. According to researchers, there are three aspects that affect the reading process:
document, context and background knowledge. Swan (1975) argued that a person having
good readability is able to grasp the maximum information in texts with a minimum of
knowledge. Razali (2013) had a similar opinion; he believed that some readers use their
background of knowledge and experience to compose meaning from the text in reading
process, then the readers will connect the ideas in the text to what they already know in
order to get the comprehension of the text. Even most learners can comprehend reading
materials after reading word-by-word, and in the process, they need to spend a lot of time
getting the comprehension of the text. What is mentioning is that an individual’s ability
in reading comprehension is influenced by their natures and skills, one of which is the
ability to make inferences (Grabe and Stoller, 2002). 

2.3.  Reading Comprehension Strategies

Reading is an interactive process that is conducted between the reader and the text,
resulting in comprehension. In many pupils’ point, reading comprehension can be
challenging, particularly when the text is unfamiliar, technical or complex. Whether or
not learners can determine what the text’s meaning depends on their ability to use
strategies. A reading comprehension strategy is a cognitive or behavioural action that is
enacted under particular contextual conditions, with the goal of improving some aspect of
comprehension (Mc Namara, 2004). Nutal (1982) classified reading comprehension
strategies into four types: skimming, scanning, extensive and intensive readings. They are
useful skills to be applied in reading. 

2.4. ESP -English For Specific Purposes

ESP is "in contrast with 'General English’” (Johns et al, 1991: 298). According to
Hutchinson (1987), the notion of ESP can be seen simply as “an approach to language
teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner's reason
for learning". It means ESP can be seen as an approach, not as a product and is directed
by specific and apparent reasons for learning ESP. Such a view echoes that of Strevens
(1988) who stated that ESP is designed to meet specific needs of the learners and has
content (themes and topics) relating to particular disciplines or occupations. In simpler
terms, ESP refers to the teaching and learning of English for particular learners and
purposes. An ESP course, therefore, should differ from an EGP one in its selection of
skills and themes, topics, situations and functions. All courses should be contingent on an
analysis of the students’ needs and meet them. 

2.5. ESP Reading Comprehension

From the definitions of ESP, ESP reading can be defined as an activity that students do to
get information or knowledge in specific fields related to their profession or study. On the
other hand, learners of ESP courses are required to be good at a specific field of
knowledge and language in order to interpret ESP reading materials. They are not only
considered as a source of language and learning supports but also used for motivation and
stimulation and for reference. According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), good ESP
materials must include some below factors. Firstly, they must contain interesting texts,
enjoyable activities which make readers think and give them opportunities to use their
existing knowledge and reading skills to interpret. The second factor is providing clear
and coherent unit structure to guide learners through various activities to maximize the
chances of learning. Last but not least, a good ESP material must create a balance outlook
which both reflects the complexity of the task, in addition, introduce teachers to new
techniques and provide models of correct and appropriate language use. However, it is
worth noting that good ESP reading requires language and skills, which has been shown
by many researchers (Hoeffel, 1977; Alderson, 1984). Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998:
134) pointed out some of the key skills, such as: selectiong what is relevant to the current
purpose, identifying organizations within a sentence and between sentences, identifying
main ideas, supporting ideas and examples, …

REVIEW SOME PREVIOUS STUDIES

There is a previous study that has similarity to this research which is conducted by
Shurooq A. Ali (2012). The research is about Difficulties faced by engineering students
in reading and comprehending English texts. Her thesis was using one sample T.test. The
participants were selected from College of Engineering/ University of AI-Mustansiriya to
take a standardized test. Two passages were used in the test, the first one is concerned
with their specialization in their study fields, engineering while the second has a
connection with general topics. In result, the researcher made a conclusion that
engineering students have great difficulties in reading comprehension because most of
them had not succeeded in the test. However, in this way, the researcher could not find
out exactly what the difficulties are. In the study, she illustrated the reasons behind such
results (mentioned above). What is mentioning is that the difficulties presented in the
research are just her conjecture, which is not totally trustworthy.  In orfer to have a
correct assessment on this topic, the survey method may more effective. The reason why
is the research can gather and analyse credible data from students’ reflection in their
reading comprehension process.

In the research problem, Ha Thi Thanh (2011) conducted a study on second-year

students’ difficulties in reading ESP materials at automobile technology department in
Vietnam_Korea technical college. The survey method was appropriated for the
achievement of the aims and objectives of the study.  The research presented the findings
of the survey based on the results of the questionnaire and some discussions. The
participants of this study were 100 sophomores of Korea Technical College. One-hundred
participants number is a perfect selection to get great data for analyzing. Despite that, all
of them came from communes of Nghe An province. Therefore, the result of the research
is not universal because of the fact that students in a university may come from a lot of
locations that much refer to their pre-university studying.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

1. Research context 

The study was conducted in Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE) offers two
training programs for English majored students, English Pedagogy and English
Language. Both programs essentially correspond to one another. Pedagogy students
major, however, place particular emphasis on teaching English. They have required ESP
courses such as Research Methodology, Theoretical Communication, Theoretical
Teaching English, English Teaching Method, Practical Classroom English…, which aim
at contributing to learners' achievement at teaching English and methodology in teaching
and learning English. 

2. Research participants 

The participants in this study involved 60 second-year students majoring in English

Pedagogy of the Faculty of English at HNUE. These students are at the age of 19 to 22
and they have learned English for at least 10 years. They come from different regions in
Vietnam. Some of them are from urban areas; some are from rural or remote areas. The
learner's level was the same which is straightforward to conduct and survey the research.
The reason for the choice of sophomore for this research is that students in our university
start the ESP( English for Specific Purposes) course in the second year. Additionally,
seniors were not selected because they had had more time studying and practicing in
reading ESP than sophomores, they are also familiar with using specialized materials
which would be quite easy to read. Sophomores were regarded to be the ideal subjects
because though they had established some knowledge specifically and reading skills in
general, they have just completed the first year and will be surprised by many specialized
courses. 
Data collection instrument

In this study, a questionnaire was applied for collecting data as the instrument. The
questionnaire was designed for gathering information about the difficulties the English
Pedagogy majored students faced in ESP reading comprehension while taking the course
at Hanoi National University of Education. The purpose of the questionnaires was to
collect qualitative data that would investigate learners' difficulties in the reading
comprehension of specialized documents. Some questions are open-ended and the
respondents have the freedom to give their own opinions. 

There were two main sections in the questionnaire: Section one contained 5 questions to
get the students' background which consists of gender, address, the year numbers of
learning English, the average mark for the subject "Reading- Writing" at the first year of
university and time spent on learning ESP at home. The second section aimed to gain the
student's difficulties in ESP reading comprehension followed a 4-point Likert scale
format (never, sometimes, often and always) and included 31 statements which divided
into four clusters: 

Cluster 1: Difficulties in the ESP vocabulary

Cluster 2: Difficulties in Grammar

Cluster 3: Difficulties related to Lack of Background Knowledge

Cluster 4: Others difficulties (motivation, timing, material) 

3. Data collection procedure 

The samples are first assigned a formal invitation via email which presents the purpose as
well as schedule a suitable time for the direct meeting in the university. After recruiting
the students, they will have 10-15 minutes for completing the questionnaire.  Prior to
delivering the sixty paper questionnaires to the respondents, the researcher provides an
apparent explanation of the questionnaire's purpose, the requirement for the respondents
and answer any inquiries from the respondents. 

Data analysis 

After the data collection procedures were completed, the data obtained through the
questionnaire was organized and analyzed. According to the questionnaire section of this
research, descriptive statistics in the form of tables and figures were applied to indicate
the amount of reading comprehension English for Specific Purpose encountered by the
learners. These statistics were analyzed through qualitative techniques.
Questionnaire

Section 1

*What province are you from?        …………………………………

* How long have you been learning English?   .................

* What is your average mark of Reading-Writing Subject in the first year? 

□ Under 5                                                         □5-6.5

□ 6.5-8                                                              □ >8

*How much time do you spend on learning ESP at home? 

□ 15m □1h

□30m □ More

Section 2: Here are some of difficulties you may encounter when reading ESP. 

For each of the items below, please put a tick on the appropriate number that reflects your
opinions on a four-point scale.

Never (1)   Sometimes (2)           Often (3)                 Always(4)

Question 1: Difficulties in the ESP vocabulary

1 2 3 4

1. I find it difficult to understand the meaning of ESP terminology in the □ □ □ □

texts 

2. There are some words that I’ve never seen or heard.  □ □ □ □

3. My vocabulary is too limited to understand the texts □ □ □ □

4. I find it difficult to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases. □ □ □ □

5. The usage/ meaning of familiar words in ESP is really different from □ □ □ □

what I have learnt.

6. Others (Please indicate here) ………………………………….

……………….................

Question 2: Difficulties in Grammar

7. The sentences are too long.  □ □ □ □

8. Complex grammatical structures interfered with my reading □ □ □ □

comprehension. 

9. I find it difficult to determine the pronouns/objects in sentences. □ □ □ □

10. Others (Please indicate here) ………………………………….

……………….................

Question 3: Difficulties related to Lack of Background Knowledge

1 2 3 4

11. I find it difficult to understand reading texts when the topic is □ □ □ □

unfamiliar.  
 12. I do not have enough professional knowledge about the topics.  □ □ □ □

13. My limited background knowledge of the topics makes me □ □ □ □

misunderstand the content of the reading texts. 

14. Others (Please indicate here) ………………………………….

……………….................

Question 4: Others difficulties (motivation, timing, material)

1 2 3 4

MOTIVATION

15. I stop reading when I do not understand the texts.  □ □ □ □

16. I find it difficult to find out the excitement on ESP lessons.  □ □ □ □

17. I cannot understand the teachers’ instructions on ESP lessons. □ □ □ □

18. Teachers do not give me interesting attitude to encourage my □ □ □ □

reading.

19. Reading ESP is difficult and boring. □ □ □ □

20. I do not find the ESP useful to me.  □ □ □ □

21. I do not want to reread and find the exact meaning of texts when it □ □ □ □
becomes difficult. 

22. Others (Please indicate here)

…………………………………...........................................

TIMING 

23. I do not spend much time on reading ESP.  □ □ □ □

24. My reading speed is slow. □ □ □ □

25. I focus too much on unknown word, look up it in the dictionary when □ □ □ □
reading ESP texts.

26. Others (Please indicate here) □ □ □ □

…………………………………...........................................

MATERIALS

27. I find it hard to find reliable resources of ESP documents. □ □ □ □

28. The illustrations of a text are strange to understand. □ □ □ □

29. I prefer watching a video of an ESP topic to reading a text. □ □ □ □

30. I find it hard to find reliable resources of ESP documents. □ □ □ □

31. Others (Please indicate here)

…………………………………...........................................
CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION

This research was conducted to be extremely necessary and urgent. Be honest with
yourself, it is clear that we are the students who are extremely confused when we read
English specialized materials. This is completely proven when we look back to our score.
Even in this subject, we are trying to struggle with it. This is absolutely a true story in my
class. Each group must prepare a topic for class presentation. When I came to my group, I
really didn't understand the documents. That's why I asked my friend because her group
had a good presentation before. However, her answer is:” I wrote it on my hand and read
it, I didn't even know what I said?” All of this could be proved that we have not had an
effective method yet to access these specialized materials. In that consequence, the score
in specialized subjects such as Communication theory, Grammar study, Methodology, … 
is not very high. The second reason, it greatly affects the professional knowledge of us.
Obviously in the second year, we had to make lesson plans, practice teaching in class. If
you are still confused in reading the document, still do not understand the true purpose of
the document, it will be difficult to implement and apply later.

If this research can be conducted successfully, it will show students what the problem
they actually have. We all know a problem becomes deadlocked, difficult when we can
not see the exact cause of it. Whether they don't have enough vocabulary, don't
understand complex structures, or lack of knowledge basements. Once you have
pinpointed exactly what you have, finding a solution will be much simpler. For a subject
teacher, it will help them figure out some ways to have effective in teaching to help
students overcome their limitations.

If this study is done, it can face some difficulties. Firstly, inviting participants is a
problem because research time is relatively long. The second is in the process of data
analysis, because there will be a few students who are not ready to give the correct data.
This will make the research have false information, making it difficult to draw accurate
conclusions. To overcome this situation, the team will have to choose the population
carefully who are interested in the problem and commit not to provide false and untrue
information, thus we can ensure the accuracy of the research.
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