UNDERSTANDING READING IN ENGLISH: AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’

PROJECT WORK

AISHAH AMIRAH BINTI ZAINAL ABIDIN

A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the

requirements for the award of the degree of

Bachelor of Science and Education (TESL)

Faculty of Education

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

APRIL 2008

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To my beloved father and mother, brothers and sisters, sahabat and sahibah,

thank you for always being there for me in rain or shine

in happiness or sorrow

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Life paths always made of holes and rough bushes rather than red carpet. The ways that

we walk will teach us a thing or two. We may stumble, we may fall along the way. But,

that is the reality that we have to face. Everything around us are made to teach us, to hurt

us, to care for us and to make us exactly the way we are.

First and foremost, I thank Allah the Almighty for His will that get me through the times

when I stumble and fall. He alone gives me the strength to face the obstacles in this

world that I live in.

To Dr Wan Fara, from the deepest of my heart, I want to thank you for your patience,

guidance, encouragements, concerns and critics that have helped me finished this study.

Thank you for having faith in me when I have doubts in things that I do.

Next, to Puan Rohani Mat Juri my dearest mother, for your ever-presence that provides

me a pillar to hang on to. Also to my four encouraging siblings and En Zainal Abidin,

my lovable father for his steady critics and reminders. The love that you all showered

me made me feel blessed and stronger.

To my special friend, Nor Azizah, thank you for your patience, time and attention to me

and let me be myself. To all my classmates, thank you for the joy that you all bring, the

time that we had together will forever be remembered. Last but not least, to everyone

who participate and contribute directly or indirectly in completing this study. Thank you.

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ABSTRACT

This study attempts to investigate the students’ understanding of reading in

English by analyzing the students’ project work. The objectives are to know the skills in

note making the students used to assist in their understanding of reading text and how

the note making help them in writing a summary. This study also looks at how the

students’ proficiency in English help them in understanding their reading material. Data

were taken from the project work made by the students. The project work requires the

students to read a piece of reading material, make notes on the reading material and

write a summary of the reading material based on the note making that they have made.

The students who did the project works were from the TESL and Civil in Education

course in Faculty of Education in UTM. The findings show that most of the students

employ some type of skills in note making. These skills are; using linear and non-linear

form of note making, clear organization of idea, using simple words in the note making

and also sufficient content. In addition, the students’ proficiency in English also plays a

role in understanding English. This study aims to help the students in their reading of

English as a Second language by providing the skills that are useful in note making that

can assist in understanding reading in English. It is also hoped that teachers of English

as a Second language will benefit from the study where they can use the skills provided

in their language learning classroom.

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ABSTRAK

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menyelidik kefahaman pelajar dalam membaca dalam

Bahasa Inggeris di mana analisis dilakukan pada projek kumpulan yang dilakukan

pelajar. Objektif kajian adalah untuk mengetahui kaedah-kaedah yang digunakan oleh

pelajar dalam membuat nota yang akan digunakan untuk pemahaman dalam pembacaan

dan juga bagaimana nota yang dibuat dapat membantu pelajar membuat rumusan.

Objektif kajian juga adalah untuk melihat bagaimana tahap kemahiran pelajar dalam

Bahasa Inggeris dapat membantu pelajar dalam pemahaman dalam pembacaan bahan

bacaaan berbahasa Inggeris. Data dikumpulkan daripada projek kumpulan yang dibuat

oleh pelajar. Projek kumpulan ini memerlukan pelajar untuk membaca artikel berbahasa

Inggeris, membuat nota berdasarkan artikel tersebut dan seterusnya membuat rumusan

artikel tersebut berdasarkan nota yang telah dibuat. Pelajar yang melakukan projek

kumpulan itu merupakan pelajar dari kursus TESL dan Pendidikan Awam di Fakulti

Pendidikan di UTM. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa kaedah-kaedah dalam

membuat nota dapat membantu pelajar dalam pehamaman membaca dalam Bahasa

Inggeris. Kaedah-kaedah yang telah digunakan pelajar adalah: menggunakan jenis nota

berbentuk linear dan non-linear, pengurusan idea yang jelas, menggunakan ayat-ayat

mudah dalam nota dan memasukkan isi kandungan yang secukupnya di dalam nota.

Tahap kemahiran pelajar dalam Bahasa Inggeris juga membantu dalam pemahaman

pelajar dalam pembacaan berbahasa Inggeris. Kajian ini diharapkan dapat membantu

pelajar dalam memberikan kaedah-kaedah yang berguna untuk digunakan dalam

membuat nota yang dapat membantu pemahaman dalam bacaan berbahasa Inggeris.

Kajian juga berguna untuk guru-guru Bahasa Inggeris dimana kaedah-kaedah yang

dicadangkan dapat diaplikasikan di dalam kelas mereka.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

Declaration of Status of Thesis

Supervisor’s Declaration

Title Page i

Researcher’s Declaration ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Abstract v

Abstrak vi

Table of Contents vii

List of Tables xi

List of Figures xii

List of Appendices xiv

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Background of the study 2

1.3 Statement of the Problem 3

1.4 Objectives of the Study 5

1.5 Research Questions 5

1.6 Significance of the Study 6

1.7 Scope of the Study 6

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1.8 Definition of Terminologies

1.8.1 Project Work 7

1.8.2 English as a Second Language 8

1.8.3 Reading Strategies/Reading Skills 8

1.8.4 MUET (Malaysian University English Test) 8

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction 10

2.2 The act of reading: Definition, Process

and Strategies

2.2.1 Definition of Reading 11

2.2.2 Reading Process and 14

Reading Acquisition

2.2.3 Reading Strategies and Skills 15

2.3 Understanding Reading through note making 17

2.3.1 Skills and Criteria in Note Making 19

2.4 Summary Writing 22

2.5 Research in Reading in Second Language 23

2.5.1 Kintsch’s Construction-Integration Model 25

3 METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction 27

3.2 Research Instrument 28

3.3 Students’ Project Work 29

3.4 Data Analysis 30

3.5 Conclusion 32

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4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Introduction 33

4.2 Students’ Project Work and Particulars 34

4.3 Skills used in note making that facilitate reading 35

4.3.1 Type of note making used by students 36

4.3.2 Skills used in sentence usage in note making 39

4.4.3 Organization of ideas in note making 43

4.3.4 Contents of note making 46

4.4 Skills used in note making that facilitate summary 47

writing

4.5 Role of students’ English language proficiency 50

in understanding reading in English

4.6 Students English language background 53

4.7 Discussion

4.7.1 Skills used in note making that facilitate 55

reading

4.7.2 Skills used in note making that facilitate 56

summary writing

4.7.3 Discussion on the role of students’ English 56

Language proficiency in understanding

reading in English

4.7.4 Discussion on the students’ English language 57

background

4.7 Conclusion 58

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5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Introduction 59

5.2 Summary of Findings 60

5.3 Conclusion 61

5.4 Limitations of the Study 62

5.5 Implication of the study for English language 63

teaching

5.6 Suggestions for future research 63

REFERENCES 65

APPENDICES 68

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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO. TITLE PAGE

4.1 An overview of the three Project work and titles 35

of articles

4.2 Students’ Particulars: MUET results and course 53

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LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE

2.1 Importance of a definition of reading 12

2.2 Language cues and reading strategies 16

3.1 Procedures of the analysis of students 30

4.1 Different types of note making used by students 37

4.2 Sample 1: Linear note making 38

4.3 Sample 2: Non linear note making 39

4.4 Skills used in sentence usage in note making 40

4.5 Sample 3: Note making using key words 41

4.6 Sample 4: Note making using sentences copied 42

from the text

4.7 Sample 5: Note making by combining short and 43

long sentences

4.8 Types of organization of ideas in note making 44

4.9 Sample 6: Organized note making 45

4.10 Sample 7: Unorganized note making 46

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4.11 Sample 8: Contents of note making 47

4.12 The length of students’ summary 49

4.13 Sample 9: Note making made by high proficiency 51

student

4.14 Sample 10: Note making made by low proficiency 52

student

4.15 Students’ English language background 54

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LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX TITLE PAGE

A Table of Analysis of Students’ 68

Project Work A (SHYNESS)

B Table of Analysis of Students’ 70

Project Work A (JAPANESE CULTURE)

C Table of Analysis of Students’ 72

Project Work A (SRELATIONSHIP)

D Example of Students’ Project Work (A2) 74

E Example of Students’ Project Work (A6) 80

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Reading and understanding a reading material or text in English as a second or

target language has always been difficult for second language learners. Different skills

and strategies in reading in the first language or native language text may be applied

differently in the reading of the second language. The ability to understand a reading text

or material in a second language is needed to be a proficient reader in the second

language. Ways in which the learners can understand a second language text also help

them in better understanding of the text. This way could be referring to the dictionary or

underlining the main idea of the text. Therefore, this study attempts to present the

background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research

questions, significance of the study and also the scope of the study.

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1.2 Background of the Study

Reading in English has always been part and parcel of today’s learners. Being in a

country which second language is English and vast resources of knowledge are in English,

learners cannot escape from reading a material in English. This material could range from

the most casual magazines to the scientific study of laboratory experiment. The purpose

of reading could also vary from learners to learners. A learner could be reading an

entertainment magazine for the purpose of pleasure (Adams, 1974) for his pastime and

another learner could be reading a journal report in order to locate specific information

that he needs in the journal (Adams, 1974). These purposes help the learners in

understanding the reading material better where they usually know the main idea of the

reading materials. Therefore, they have a certain set of expectation of the reading

material that they are reading. Some of the other purposes of reading propose by Adams

(1974) are reading for practical application where a person read in order to gain

information which he can apply to or use in a particular situation, reading for general

ideas and also reading to critically evaluate. For the last purpose, a reader read to evaluate

the reading materials and give comment and his opinions on the ideas raised in the text.

Having to read a reading material or text in a second language in order to do a

given task or assignments require the students to be able to understand and make

summary of their reading. Being able to understand the text is the first step in doing the

given task. The students should be able to understand the text to get the main ideas

conveyed in the text. The ability to understand a second language reading text depends on

the skills that the students have and also the English background of the students.

As for summarizing the material read, not all of the materials read have to be

summarized in form of a piece of writing. The summary could be in the form of short

notes or mind map to show the overall meaning of the text. Although in most cases

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making a formal summary of the text is not necessary, summarizing a text is still

important in English classes where students usually have to summaries the materials or

txt they have read into a piece of writing.

This is applied especially in tasks which need them to read or summarize a piece

of text in English or in this case, in English. As reading is an active process, students

need to be able to understand the text before being able to produce their own summary of

the text. This is where the students are having difficulty in understanding the text.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

According to Goldman et al (2006), text comprehension is a complicated process.

Many aspects of reading need to be considered such as the word perception, syntactical

analysis, semantic analysis, and inference making for a text comprehension process to

happen. This shows that reading and understanding is a difficult process where learners

have to engage in a process before they can understand a piece of reading material. The

research made by Goldman et al is for the text of first language, but it can also be applied

for the reading of second language. The problem is much bigger for reading in second

language because not all of the learners have the sufficient vocabulary to understand a

piece of second language reading materials. For a proficient reader in English, the

process has already become automatic where he did not realize the process that is

occurring when he reads. As for the low proficient reader, he has to go through this

process of understanding a text where he needs some guidance in understanding reading

in second language such as a certain skills in reading and translation of the reading text.

From the statement above, we could say the most of the learner have problem in

comprehending a reading materials regardless of the language. In this study, the focus is

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the reading in second language which is English. The problems that usually occur are

when the students were given a text that they are not able to understand or did not get

what the writer of the text is trying to convey. As the researcher is a student herself, many

of the other students have complained of difficulty in understanding a reading materials

especially if it is in English. A lot of lecturers also made comments on students who are

uninterested in reading materials in English because they think it is difficult to

comprehend. Understanding a piece of reading material is usually the first step in doing

any task which requires reading. Students have to understand the text to be able to answer

the given question or to make remark of the reading material.

Another problem is that students may have problem in summarizing the text in

their own words after reading the text. This is due to the lack of skills, strategies and

command of the target language. Since the skills in the first language can not always be

transferred to the second language, it is therefore problematic to the students to master

the skills in second language reading. Here, it will be skills in reading in English.

The project work that the students have to do in this study require the students to

read a second language text, make notes and summarise the text read. Thus, this task

requires the students to be able to understand the reading text before they can come up

with the notes and subsequently the summary. From the statement mentioned in the

previous paragraphs, it is assumed that the students will face or will probably encounter

problems in understanding the reading materials in some way or another regardless of his

proficiency.

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1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are: i) to identify the skills in note making that can

assist students in understanding reading in English and in writing summaries based on

their chosen articles. The study also attempts to find out the extent in which the students

English language proficiency plays a role in understanding reading in English. The

English language proficiency of the students is based on the students’ MUET (Malaysian

University English Test) results. The study also attempts to determine the strategies that

the students commonly used in note-making. The analysis conducted hoped to give an

understanding for the teachers to help their students in their reading in the second

language.

1.5 Research Questions

The study aims to answer the following questions:

1. In what way do the skills in note making

a) assist in understanding reading in English?

b) assist in writing the summary?

2. To what extent does the students’ level of proficiency play a role in understanding

reading in English?

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1.6 Significance of the Study

Students in higher education institution are required to equip themselves in skills

in reading which is very crucial to excel in their study. With the vast collection of books

on science and technology written in the English (or target language), it is therefore

important for the students to master the skills and strategies in reading. Hence, the

significance of the study is to students whose second language is English and having

problem with understanding the reading materials written in English. It is also beneficial

for learner who wants to know some of the skills in note making that can assist them in

understanding reading in English. Furthermore, the study could also be of interest to

teacher of second language learners who are interested in a new perspective on reading.

1.7 Scope of the Study

Although vast research has been done to find out the process of reading and the

activities that happen in the brain when ones read, this study did not cover the process

that happened when one reads but will look at the outcome of the reading process that can

enhance understanding of reading. This was looked at the skills employed by the students

in the note making and the summary writing. The ways the notes are presented can show

the student understanding of the reading material.

The study analyzed the project work made by the student and did not analyze the

students as a respondent but looking at the project work as object of analysis.

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The students’ results are used to see the connection between the understandings of

writing with the proficiency of the students.

The scope of the study is the first year students from different courses in the

faculty of education who have to produce a project work in the UHB 1412 (English for

Academic Communication) course. Three project works will be used in the analysis.

The project work produced by the students is a reading project where the students

are asked to compile readings related to a topic, make notes from the article and then

summarize it. The students would make notes using the note making skills such as

underlining the main points of the article that they have chosen. After that, they would

write a summary of the article based the mind map they had made. To increase their

understanding of the texts, the students are also asked to provide a glossary of words used

in the article which consists of words which are unfamiliar to them and give the meaning

of each word.

1.8 Definitions of Terminologies

1.8.1 Project Work

The definition of project work from the researcher’s point of view is a task that

needs to be fulfilled based on a certain criteria or specifications.

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1.8.2 English as a Second Language

English as a second language is when English is regarded as the second language

to the students where their first language will be their mother tongue such as Malay,

Chinese or Tamil language.

1.8.3 Reading Strategies/Reading Skills

Reading strategies can be defined the process that the students take when they are

a given a piece of reading text. Furthermore, reading skills can be considered as how the

students perceive their reading texts. Students with good reading skills will read the text

according to a certain way that can easily help him or her understand the text better.

1.8.4 MUET (Malaysian University English Test)

MUET is a test compulsory to be taken by Malaysia student as a requirement to

admission to universities in Malaysia though the results that the students get are not being

evaluated as a criteria of admission. It tests the students’ English proficiency in the four

main skills which is reading, writing, listening and speaking with every skill tested in

different papers. Students have to take these four papers to complete the test. Failure to

take one of the papers will result in invalid result. The rating is called Band starting from

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band one to band six with band six as mark for the highest achievement and band one as

the poorest achievement.