VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************

NGUYỄN THỊ THI

A STUDY ON TEST-TAKING TECHNIQUES FOR TOEIC READING

COMPREHENSION TEST BY STUDENTS AT VIETNAM
MARITIME UNIVERSITY

(NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG CÁC THỦ PHÁP TRONG LÀM BÀI ĐỌC
TOEIC ĐỐI VỚI SINH VIÊN TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC HÀNG HẢI VIỆT NAM)

M.A. MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 60140111

HANOI - 2014
 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************

NGUYỄN THỊ THI

A STUDY ON TEST-TAKING TECHNIQUES FOR TOEIC READING

COMPREHENSION TEST BY STUDENTS AT VIETNAM
MARITIME UNIVERSITY

(NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG CÁC THỦ PHÁP TRONG LÀM BÀI ĐỌC
TOEIC ĐỐI VỚI SINH VIÊN TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC HÀNG HẢI VIỆT NAM)

M.A. MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 60140111
Supervisor: Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh, Ph.D

HANOI - 2014
 DECLARATION

I truly certify that this thesis is the result of my personal study in fulfillment
of the requirement for the Degree Master of Arts and this thesis has not been
published or submitted for a degree to any other university or institution wholly or
partially.

Hanoi, June 2014

Nguyễn Thị Thi

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research has, in many senses, been accomplished with the help and
encouragement of many people. Therefore, I would like to express my deepest and
humblest gratitude also warmest appreciation to the following people.
First and foremost, I would like to send my deepest gratitude to my ever
supportive supervisor, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh, Ph.D. for her valuable
guidance, constructive advice, and unconditional support during the time I tried to
complete this thesis.
I would also express my huge thanks to all of my lecturers at Faculty of Post-
Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies as their
invaluable lectures and guidance laid the foundation for the fulfillment of this
thesis.
I would also like to show my gratefulness to my colleagues who spent a great
deal of time discussing some of the issues related to my research, offering their
insights and perspectives as well as my students at Vietnam Maritime University in
data collection process using survey questionnaire and semi-structured interview.
Last but definitely not least, I would like to dedicate this thesis to my family
for their unconditional support and words of encouragement.

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 ABSTRACT
This study was conducted at Vietnam Maritime University with a view to exploring
test-taking strategies relative to learners’ performance in TOEIC Reading
Comprehension as well as identifying differences in reading strategies among high
proficiency and low proficiency students at Vietnam Maritime University.
The subjects involved in the study are over 100 students of Vietnam Maritime
University (VMU) chosen randomly from 4 TOEIC classes. Two classes are at
Elementary Level (TOEIC Level 1), the other classes are at Intermediate Level
(TOEIC Level 2). The data was collected from survey questionnaires, interviews
and administration of two TOEIC tests for students. The results indicated that
students at VMU put more emphasis on using reading strategies when they attended
the TOEIC course. In addition, this study also revealed some differences in reading
strategy use among students of different proficiency levels. However, when looking
at the data, the researcher found some shared strategies between the two groups.
From the findings, the study suggested several pedagogical implications for
teachers, students and test-designers at VMU, acknowledged limitations of the
study and offered suggestions for further research.

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 ABBREVIATIONS

CFL Center of Foreign Languages

IELTS International English Language Testing System
TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language
TOEIC Test of English for International Communication
VMU Vietnam Maritime University

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure1: A Heuristic for Thinking about Reading Comprehension 8
Figure 2: Priority in Reading Passages 21
Figure 3: Reasons for Reading Single Passages First 22
Figure 4: Reading Approach 24
Figure 5: Comparison about the Priority of Reading Passage 27
Figure 6: Reasons for Reading Single Passages First 28
Figure 7: A Comparison about Reading Approach 29
Table 1: Types of Topic Texts often exploited 23
Table 2: Strategies to Deal with Reading Text 25
Table 3: Reading strategies in taking TOEIC Reading Comprehension 26
Table 4: Types of Topic Texts often exploited by Low Proficiency and 29
High Proficiency Students
Table 5: Comparison about reading strategies 30

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration ................................................................................................................... i
Acknowledgements .....................................................................................................ii
Abstract ..................................................................................................................... iii
Lists of figures and tables .......................................................................................... iv
Table of contents ........................................................................................................ v
PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the study ............................................................................................ 1
2. Research aims and research question ...................................................................... 2
3. Scope of the study ................................................................................................... 2
4. Significance of the study ......................................................................................... 2
5. Method of the study ................................................................................................ 3
6. Organization of the study ........................................................................................ 3
PART II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Reading ................................................................................................................ 5
1.1.1. Definition of reading ......................................................................................... 5
1.1.2. Purposes of reading ........................................................................................... 6
1.1.3. Reading process ................................................................................................ 6
1.2. Reading comprehension ....................................................................................... 7
1.3. Reading TOEIC Test ............................................................................................ 8
1.3.1. Test .................................................................................................................... 8
1.3.2. TOEIC Test ...................................................................................................... 9
1.4. TOEIC reading comprehension strategies ........................................................ 10
1.5. Study of cognitive process ................................................................................. 13
1.6. Summary ........................................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
2.1. Settings ............................................................................................................... 16
2.2. Participants ......................................................................................................... 16

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2.3. Research method ............................................................................................... 17
2.3.1. Data collection instruments ............................................................................. 17
2.3.2. Data collection procedures .............................................................................. 18
2.3.3. Data analysis ................................................................................................... 19
CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1. Research question 1 ........................................................................................... 21
3.1.1. Types of Reading Passages and Topic texts often exploited ......................... 21
3.1.2. Reading Approach .......................................................................................... 24
3.1.3. Strategies to Deal with Reading Text ............................................................ 25
3.1.4. Reading strategies in taking TOEIC reading comprehension ......................... 26
3.2. Research question 2 ........................................................................................... 27
3.2.1. A comparison about the Priority of Reading Passage .................................... 27
3.2.2. Types of Topic Texts often exploited by Low Proficiency and High
Proficiency Students.................................................................................................. 28
3.2.3. A comparison about Reading Approach ........................................................ 29
3.2.4. A Comparison about reading strategies .......................................................... 30
PART III: CONCLUSION
1. Summaries of the major findings .......................................................................... 31
2. Pedagogical Implications ...................................................................................... 32
3. Limitations ............................................................................................................ 34
4. Recommendations for further study ...................................................................... 34
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 36
APPENDIX 1 ........................................................................................................................ I
APPENDIX 2 ....................................................................................................................VII
APPENDIX 3 .................................................................................................................. VIII
APPENDIX 4 .................................................................................................................. XVI
APPENDIX 5 .................................................................................................................XVII

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 PART I: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale for the study

In the age of economic growth and global integration, English obviously plays a
very important role. However, the criteria for evaluating one’s English competence
are more and more difficult. In today’s context, the A, B, C certificates used for
people wishing to find a job are out-of- date, and the so-called IELTS, TOEFL or
TOEIC have been the best choices. TOEIC, together with other requirements for job
seekers, is preferred by most companies in order to assess their employees’
qualifications. Therefore, a lot of people are trying hard to achieve the success in a
TOEIC Test.

In addition, being a lecturer of English at VMU, through my teaching experience, I

have found out that my students are always afraid of reading as compared to other
skills. Students find reading difficult and stressful, and unfortunately, they have to
sit for a TOEIC- based test which includes Reading and Listening comprehension
for the final examination. Therefore, many of the students get an awful results
because of low scores in English subject in which reading is always a target of
blaming.

Previously, although much literature has been devoted to TOEIC related topics;
little was revealed about the cognitive processes underlying the performance of
Vietnamese candidates in the TOEIC Reading Test, except for the exploratory study
by Phạm Đức Long (2013) on “teaching and learning of TOEIC reading
comprehension skill”.

For all of the reasons stated, this paper is among the first attempts putting the
emphasis onto “test-taking techniques for TOEIC Reading Comprehension to
students at Vietnam Maritime University” so as being help to solve out their
problems.

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2. Research aims and research questions

The original aim of this study is to gain an insight into how test-takers employ
different reading strategies in TOEIC Reading comprehension. As the first attempt
to explore the ongoing thinking processes during performing reading tasks, once
finished the paper could serve as a useful source for TOEIC candidates who are
planning to sit for the test as well as TOEIC trainers who want to have a closer look
at how their trainees would actually perform in the real test for better TOEIC
preparation instruction. To achieve this aim, the following research questions will
be addressed:

1) Which test-taking techniques became more effective for TOEIC Reading

Comprehension test to the students at Vietnam Maritime University?
2) What are differences in reading strategies among high proficiency and low
proficiency students at Vietnam Maritime University?

3. Scope of study

This study aimed to document the test-taking techniques of 100 students who are
taking TOEIC preparation course at Vietnam Maritime University in Haiphong. 50
students are at Elementary level, 50 students are at Intermediate level.

Investigating the “test-taking techniques for TOEIC Reading Comprehension test to

students at Vietnam Maritime University”, this study is expected to make certain
contributions to the related populations including students taking TOEIC test,
teachers teaching TOEIC, and researchers of the same subjects.

4. Significance of study

First of all, through the problems pointed out and the suggestions made, the students
may improve their performance in reading TOEIC test.

Similar to the students, the study would help TOEIC teachers to realize their
problems in guiding their students in sitting for a test in order to achieve the best

2
results. Moreover, by noticing the students’ difficulties in reading, teachers can
have their in-time consideration and correction in teaching reading effectively.

In addition to the benefits given to the two above subjects, the study may serve as
the foundation based on which further related research would be carried out.
Particularly, future research could be made better after the limitations of the study
are considered.

5. Method of the study

In the current study, the researcher decided to employ immediate retrospective

verbal report approach to explore the test-taking strategies of 100 students as well as
the cognitive processes underlying their performance in reading TOEIC
comprehension. Retrospection is a data-collecting method in which participants are
asked to report their mental processes after solving a matter.

Firstly, apart from the surveyed 100 students, 15 students were chosen to participate
in the semi-interviews as soon as they finished taking TOEIC Test. With the aim of
making the responses more confident in the interview, all the questions are simple
and understandable for students to answer.

Secondly, questionnaires are delivered to the students after they take the TOEIC
test. They were offered to tick or circle the answer that best reflects their
viewpoints.

6. Organization of the study

The rest of the study includes two parts as follow:

Part 2 consists of:

Chapter 1, Literature Review, presents related theoretical background of the study

in which concepts of reading and test-taking strategies for TOEIC Reading
Comprehension test would be discussed.

3
Chapter 2, Methodology, covers four major parts, namely, participants, instruments,
data collection, data collection procedures, and data analysis.

Chapter 3, Results and Discussions, presents, analyzes and discusses the findings in
order to answer the research questions of the study.

Part 3, Conclusion, provides summaries of the main findings, suggestions for better
results, limitations of the study, and lastly, recommendations for further related
researches.

PART II: DEVELOPMENT

Chapter 1: Literature Review

4
In this chapter, relevant knowledge collected from various sources will be presented
so that it can suitably serve as a foundation for the research. The paper is divided
into two parts including theories on reading difficulties and TOEIC reading.

1.1. Reading

1.1.1. Definitions of reading

According to Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, reading can be defined as

the process of perceiving a written text in order to understand its contents which can
be done silently, and the understanding that result is called reading comprehension.
However, the term reading can also be understood as saying a written text aloud
which can be done with or without understanding the text. Another definition of
reading which can be found in Collins English Learners’ Dictionary is an act of
looking at and understanding point. This definition puts the emphasis on the
involvement of the act of the eye during the process of reading and was supported
by Harmer (1989) as eyes receive the message and the brain has to work out the
significance of the message (p.153).

So far, many scholars have been working out the definition of reading. According to
Smith (1985), reading is to understand the author’s thought. Rumelhart (1997)
proposed a different view on reading which is, in his opinion, actually an interaction
between reader and text. This view was shared by a number of researchers
(Silberstein, 1994; Goodman, 1971; Alderson, 2003; Griffiths et. al., 2011; Falke,
1982). Goodman (1971) in his book titled Reading: A Psycholinguistic Guessing
Game put forward the definition that reading is a psycholinguistics process by
which the reader, a language user, reconstructs as well as he can, a message which
has been encoded by a writer as a graphic display, a cyclical process of sampling,
predicting, testing and confirming (p.135). As Falke (1982) defined, in English the
“graphic display” can be either printed or written.

Among the many definitions of reading that have arisen in recent decades, a
comprehensive view should account for the active process of using one’s won prior

5
language knowledge and experience and the cues found in the text to understand
what the writer has encoded (Saengpakdeejit, 2009), since reading is not simply a
cognitive skill, nor does it have a straightforward outcome as the same text can be
understood in different ways by different readers. For the recent study, however,
reading also refers to the active thinking process that TOEIC test-takers take so as
to understand and complete different reading tasks of the test.

1.1.2. Purposes of reading

The purposes of reading refer to readers’ aims and objectives. Therefore, different
readers may have different purposes in their mind with the reading text in their
hand. According to Ruiqi (2007), basically there are two main reading purposes
including reading for getting information and reading for pure fun or enjoyment.

Grabe and Stoller (2002), however, divided reading purposes into seven subtypes
which are more specific: reading for search for simple information, reading to skim
quickly, reading to learn from the text, reading to integrate information, reading to
write, reading to critique the text and reading for general comprehension.

1.1.3. Reading process

Reading process is claimed by Gascoigne (2005) to be a selective process which is

characterized as an active process of comprehending. So far, there have been three
widely accepted reading models developed to depict the act of reading or the way
and procedure that readers use to construct meaning from the reading texts. The
three reading models are bottom-up, top-down and interactive (Barnett, 1989).

In bottom-up model, reading is compelled by the text, proceeds from part to whole,
constructs meaning from letters, words, phrases, sentences. Readers process the text
in linear direction (Nunan, 1991). Therefore, in this model, readers are believed to
play a rather passive role. The basis of bottom-up reading model lies in the
linguistic knowledge of the reader (Samuel & Kamil, 1988).

6
In top-down model, the understanding of the text is constructed from whole to part.
The readers predict what come next, test their prediction and adjust or confirm. In
this model, readers actively use their background knowledge. Goodman (1967)
described reading using top-down model like a “psycholinguistic guessing game” in
which the “reader reconstructs, as best as he can, a message which has been
encoded by a writer as a graphic display” (p.135).

Interactive model is a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches. This

model was discussed as the process of combining textual information with the
information the reader brings to a text (Widdownson, 1979); therefore, the meaning
of the text is, in fact, “synthesized based on information provided simultaneously
from several knowledge sources” (Stanovich, 1980, p.35)

1.2. Reading comprehension

Sedita (2001) claimed that reading comprehension is the ability to determine

meaning from text. It is a complicated, interactive process where readers construct
meaning based on information they get from the text combine with their own
knowledge. Gough and Tunmer (1986) supported that reading comprehension is
actually a process of decoding. According to the RAND Reading Study Group,
reading comprehension is the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing
meaning through interaction and involvement with written language which entails 3
elements: the reader who doing the comprehending (bring his own capacities,
abilities, knowledge and experiences), the text to be comprehended and the activity
(the purposes, the processes, the consequences). The dynamic interaction between
these elements of reading comprehension can be depicted in the following figure.

7
Figure1: A Heuristic for Thinking about Reading Comprehension (RAND
Reading Study Group, 2002)

1.3. Reading TOEIC Test

1.3.1. Test

Towards the meaning of a test, many different authors have different definitions.
According to definition cited in Longman dictionary, a test is: “any procedure for
measuring ability, knowledge or performance”. Alphonse (2008), on the other hand
says that testing is one of the best ways to enable the teacher to monitor students’
performance and progress. However, the researcher finds that the definition made
by Rubayee (2008) is the most effective in which “tests are important in
determining the students’ learning achievements in the classroom; at the same time
they also help teachers to monitor his/her teaching methods in the classroom” (cited
in To and Nguyen, 2008).

There are many ways to classify tests including basing on their uses and purposes,
the ways to mark them, or on the types of test tasks, etc. According to test purposes
as the grouping principle, we can classify tests into four common types as below:

Types of test Purposes

Proficiency To see how good students are at language, or use of the language. The

8
 tests contents of a proficiency tests are not chosen according to what has
been taught, but according to what is needed for a particular purpose.

Achievement To see how well students have learnt the language taught in class.
tests Achievement tests are often at the end of term or end of the year and
test the main points of what has been taught in that time.

Placement To identify a student’s level of language and find the best class for
tests them. These are essential in large institutions that frequently receive
new students.

Diagnostic To identify problems that students have with language. They help
tests teachers diagnose the language problems students have and to plan
what to teach in future.

1.3.2. TOEIC Test

In 2005, the Ministry of Education and Education testing Institute- based in US
regarded the use of TOEIC to asset students’ English language proficiency. Thus,
universities in Vietnam can apply the TOEIC program to teach and evaluate
students’ learning outcomes instead of the old program and tests for A, B, C
certificates.

Firstly, the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) is a

standardized, multiple-choice proficiency test which is built to measure
communicative English for “non-native speakers” (Wilson, 2000, p.1). In order to
score well on the new TOEIC test, you must have two goals: improve your
proficiency in English and improve your test- taking skills. The test has two
sections: Listening Comprehension (100 multiple choice questions) and Reading
Comprehension (100 multiple choice questions). Total time allowed for the test
(including administrative tasks) is approximately 2.5 hours. The Listening
Comprehension section takes 45 minutes; the Reading section takes 75 minutes.

9
The content of the TOEIC is not specialized; the vocabulary and content are
familiar to those individuals who use English in daily activities.

In TOEIC reading section, there are 100 multiple-choice questions which take 75
minutes. Reading score scale ranges from 5 to 495 (Examinee handbook – Listening
& Reading, 2012, p.2). TOEIC reading test is divided into three parts including
incomplete sentences, text completion, and the last one is reading comprehension.

Part 5- Incomplete Sentences has 40 sentences in which test-takers are asked to

select the best answer to complete the sentence, then mark the letter (A), (B), (C), or
(D) on their answer sheet. Regarding part 5, 40 questions are presented to test
learners’ grammar and vocabulary extensively.

Part 6- Text Completion consists of 12 questions in which there will be 4 texts and
3 questions for each text. In this part, test-takers are asked to select the best answer
to complete the text (type of questions and the way to do are as same as part 5).

Part 7- Reading Comprehension includes 48 questions in which there will be 28

questions in single passages. Test takers will only read advertisement, form, letter,
e-mail, fax, memo, table, index, chart, instruction, or notice separately. There are at
least 2 questions and 20 questions in double passages. The test-takers, in this part,
must choose the best answer among four for each question.

1.4. TOEIC reading comprehension strategies

As in all reading comprehension exercises, a variety of skills are required to deduce

the right answer. These include skimming, scanning, paraphrasing, and
understanding vocabulary in context. Readers must be able to identify synonyms
and implied information. A clue is that the order of the questions follows the order
to the information in the reading passage.
Lougheed (2007b) suggests that reading skills such as “skimming, scanning, using
the context and reading fast” (p.228, see more in the 5th Appendix) should be
practiced sharply to enhance reading comprehension. He goes on to add that a
competitive tip is to “read the questions before read the passage” (Introductory

10
Course, p.151). It might be inferred that when readers have a particular question in
their mind, they can read fast and purposefully. Furthermore, TOEIC examinees “do
not read the answer before they read the passage” (Lougheed, 2007a, p.151). It may
be understood that when test-takers master each reading question, they should find
the answer in the passage instead of looking for answer options (A), (B), (C), (D)
after each question. It can be seen that Lougheed (2007c) reveals that TOEIC
examinees should find not only direct answer but also “synonyms, paraphrases, and
implied answers” (p.170). It is not enough without mentioning four main question
types: “main idea questions, detail questions, inference questions and vocabulary
questions” (Lougheed, 2007a, p.151) which readers are highly recommended to
prepare for the new TOEIC test.
According to www.masterthetoeic.com, one of the most important skills readers
will need to develop for the TOEIC is Skimming - this will help readers with many
Questions in Part 6: Text Completion and Part 7: Reading Comprehension,
especially with Inference Questions. Skimming means to quickly look through a
Text, focusing only on certain words. These words give you an understanding of
the general information or ideas in the Text. The key to Skimming is to NOT READ
every word.
Instead, focus on the following kinds of Key Words:
 Subject or Object of each sentence
 Action Verbs (i.e., verb that describe a clear action, such as “delete”)
 Helping Verbs (i.e., verbs such as “need to”, “can”, or “will”)
 Strong Adjectives
 Skimming will help readers: more quickly understand the General Ideas
of Texts, without having to read every word.
 Skimming will also help readers: know the Location of different kinds of
information.

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Another TOEIC skill you need to develop is the ability to quickly Scan Questions,
Answer Choices and Paragraphs for Words and Ideas. The key to Scanning is to
NOT READ. Instead, Look.
When readers scan, they look for specific words - Key Words -from an Answer
Choice or Question. These Key Words give the most important information or the
information that makes that answer choice unique (different from the other Answer
Choices).
After they have chosen Key Words from an Answer Choice, go to the Text. Take
their pencil and run it across the sentences of the Text, moving from one word to the
next in each sentence. Their eyes should follow just behind the pencil as it moves
over the words.
As they move the pencil, be looking for the Key Words, or synonyms of the Key
Words, from the Answer Choices. When you find a Key Word from an Answer
Choice, look for Key Words from the Question–are they nearby? If “Yes”, then
that is probably the correct answer.
Another strategy is time management (time limit strategy). Good time management
is essential when taking tests such as TOEFL, TEFL, etc. It is especially true of the
TOEIC test. The time limit strategy is the easiest way to improve TOEIC score. The
strategy involves planning how much time test-takers should spend on each
question and limiting yourself accordingly.
For example, if test-takers had a 10 minute test with a total of 10 questions and each
question was worth 1 point, they should spend about 1 minute on each question. If
they spent 9 minutes doing the first question, they would have less than 1 minute for
the other 9 questions!
By not wasting time on the hard questions, test-takers should have time at the end of
the test to come back and do the rest. It is possible that you may even find hints for
hard questions further on in the test. This strategy is best applied to the TOEIC
Reading section.

12
Forster et al. (1997, p.129) continue to reveal that reading the questions with
carefulness is the first step followed by predicting possible correct answers. The
second step comes to information-identifying skills. In “Strategies 1: Building
TOEIC/TOEFL test-taking skills”, it is pointed out that the questions asked may not
impose as the orderly information in the text. In addition to that, from my teaching
experience, I agree with such researchers in term of wrong answers in TOEIC
reading comprehension which may be resulted in by choosing “too general, too
vague or too specific” answers (p.129).
As Forster et al. (1997, p.9) recommend, answers B and C are the two most popular
answer to questions in TOEIC, so it is worthy to advise students to mark B or C
when they have no idea for the answer to a specific question. Moreover, these
researchers suggest that when students encounter a new word which they have not
seen before, it is better to depend on surrounding words in the sentences for
guessing the new word in the context.
1.5. Study of cognitive processes

To study the content of cognitive process which cannot be observed, a number of

research techniques can be employed. The following table summarizes the
procedure of the five common methods with the use of verbal protocol.

Method Description

The subject solves a problem and is questioned afterwards

Retrospection
about the thought processes during the solving of a problem.

The subject is instructed to report not after completing the

Introspection problem-solving task but at intermediate points chosen by the
subject

The subject is questioned during the problem-solving process

Questions and
or may be prompted at given intervals to tell what he is
prompting
thinking or doing.

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 Dialogue This method can be applied for problem-solving tasks which
observation involve dialogue.

The subject is asked to talk aloud while solving a problem and

this request is repeated if necessary during the problem-solving
Think aloud
process thus encouraging the subject to tell what he or she is
thinking.

(Someren, Barnard & Sanberg, 1994)

In the current study, the researcher decided to employ immediate retrospective

verbal report approach to explore the test-taking strategies of 100 students as well as
the cognitive processes underlying their performance in reading TOEIC.
Retrospection is a data-collecting method in which participants are asked to report
their mental processes after solving a problem. Among all of the five methods used
for studying cognitive processes, retrospection is claimed to produce the list
disturbance to the participants’ cognitive process since the subjects are not
interrupted during the problem-solving process (Someren, Barnard & Sandberg,
1994). The use of retrospective verbal protocol, however, has its own disadvantage
since it may affect the cognitive process itself as a consequence of being aware that
“one is going to be asked questions afterwards” (Someren, Barnard & Sandberg,
1994, p.25) and produce “incomplete verbalization” (Xiangdong & Chunyan, 2012,
p.405).

Nevertheless, this method has been utilized in a number of second language studies
to investigate students’ test-taking strategies (Wu, 1998; Weir, Hawkey, Green, &
Devi, 2006; Xiangdong & Chunyan, 2012). To lessen the negative points of the
method, in the current study, the researcher choose to conduct retrospective
interview immediately after the reading process along with the use of action
protocol which, in this case, would be the reading answer sheets, the immediate
products of the reading task, to help the subjects better recall their cognitive
processes while reading.

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1.6 Summary

To sum up, this chapter provides different current theories of both reading and
sources of reading difficulty in order to give a clear overview on the matter of the
study. The following chapter will deal with the methodology with which the study
was conducted.

15
 CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY

After reviewing a theoretical basis for the study in the previous part, in this chapter,
the researcher will discuss the methodology used to implement the research. The
chapter will cover four major parts, namely, participants, data collection
instruments, data collection procedures, and data analysis procedures.

2.1. Settings

This study was conducted at the Center of Foreign Languages, VMU. At VMU,
students have to take sit for a TOEIC-test which includes Reading and Listening
comprehension for the final examination. Therefore, in each English class, normally
ranging from 25 to 30 students per class, there is a mixture of different students-
that means students came from different departments and levels of English. Often,
students coming from Maritime Economics Department are better in English than
the other Departments, and Navigation students are normally worse. To make the
situation better, CFL held the placement test to classify students into different
levels. Low proficiency students took part in TOEIC Level 1 that TOEIC score
ranged from 200 to 300, high proficiency ones did in TOEIC Level 2 that TOEIC
score ranged from 350 t0 450. At the end of 50 classes, they are asked to sit for a
full TOEIC- based test.

They must get scores of 450 as one of the conditions to graduate. To meet the
requirements for a TOEIC 450 course, students should be at intermediate level of
English in order to catch up with advanced curriculum. However, the English
abilities of students are different, using strategies is the most effective way to get
the score. The subject is mainly taught in formal settings according to the
nationwide course distribution.

2.2. Participants

The number of participants in the study was 100 who had been chosen from 4
TOEIC preparation classes at the CFL. Most of them were second year students in
the academic year 2013-2014 at VMU. They came from different departments at

16
different levels. Most of them were ranging their age from 19 to 20. Of the 100
students, 50 were at elementary level whose current TOEIC band scores ranged
from 200 to 300, attend TOEIC Level 1, the other 50 were at intermediate level
whose TOEIC band scores ranged from 350 to 450, attend TOEIC Level 2. The
band score 450 was then considered as the level border line.

2.3. The research method

2.3.1. Data collection instruments

2.3.1.1. Immediate retrospective account of strategy use.

Immediate retrospective interviews will be conducted and audio recorded with the
use of semi-structured guiding questions so that it encourage the participants
express their thoughts while performing reading tasks. The questions will be
changeable in advance but still flexible enough to encourage the participants to talk
of their thinking processes and they will be mostly “what” questions rather than
“why” to enable the participants recall more information relevant to their test-taking
processes (Xiangdong & Chunyan, 2012) and to collect a direct report rather than
just interpretation (Someren, Barnard & Sandberg, 1994).

2.3.1.2. Questionnaire

A questionnaire for students who had finished TOEIC courses (see Appendix 1)
with items relating to the subjects’ strategies , current level of English as well as
their English learning experience will be used to provide the researcher with a
comprehensive knowledge of the subjects’ experience in learning English and their
understanding of different reading strategies. In order to help the participants to
understand the questionnaire completely, Vietnamese was used.

2.3.1.3. Reading test

The reading tests include one full TOEIC Reading Test administered by the center
which the researcher learn about the subjects’ current English reading proficiency
marked in accordance with the TOEIC marking scale and two other partial tests.

17
These two tests are carefully chosen from TOEIC Preparation materials so that they
include three parts: Incomplete Sentences, Text Completion, Reading
comprehension.

Also, the test paper with the marks that the subjects make during the reading
process would serve as useful data for further analysis. Every notes or marks on the
paper will be kept to help the researcher trace back the subjects’ cognitive process
as they perform the reading tasks.

2.3.2. Data collection procedure

The procedures of data collection went through three main phases in chronological
order: delivering questionnaires, holding semi-structured interviews and carrying
out the observations.

2.3.2.1. Delivering questionnaires

120 questionnaires for students were randomly distributed to four classes having
students from different levels in foreign language center at VMU. The reason to
deliver such number of questionnaires was to eliminate the invalid ones and get
back 100 most comprehensible ones, and to avoid losing the questionnaires made by
the students.

On the day of giving questionnaires, the researcher asked for the help of the
teachers teaching those periods to deliver the papers to the students after
introducing the purposes and explaining some necessary information in case of
having any problems. The reason to let the teachers send out the questionnaires was
that under the “authority” of the teachers, students would complete the papers
seriously.

2.3.2.2. Holding the semi-structured interviews

One-by-one interviews for the students were done in their dormitory rooms. The
first part of the interviews was to introduce and establish the close rapport between
the interviewer and the interviewees. Then, the researcher started the interviews and

18
asked the permission to the use of tape-recording along with the confirmation of
confidentiality of the interviews. Under a friendly and open atmosphere, the
respondents were encouraged to express their views and share their opinions
towards the questions raised by the researcher. During the interviews, in addition to
asking for the respondents’ point of views, the researcher also let them chances to
clarify and explain what strategies they used. A part from the use of tape-recording,
the researcher took notes on some important information through the interviews for
the sake of later transcription.

The data collection procedure will include three phases. Firstly, the participants who
are asked to join the research will be informed of the purpose as well as instructed
on the procedure of the study. At this phase, they will also take some reading tasks
and perform pilot immediate retrospection afterwards. At the second phase, they
will do the reading and their immediate retrospection protocol will be collected.
Finally, the transcription phase of data will be conducted.

2.3.3. Data analysis

As the data collected from immediate retrospection is transcribed, it will be

categorized and analyzed to reveal the answers to the focused research questions
concerning.

1) Which test-taking techniques became more effective for TOEIC Reading

Comprehension test to the students at Vietnam Maritime University?
2) What are differences between the reading strategies employed by high
proficiency and low proficiency students at Vietnam Maritime University?

For the first category, the descriptive statistics of frequency method was employed
to illustrate the most strategically-planned strategies and the most popularly-
exploited practical experience among the students.

For the second category, the researcher also exploited the descriptive statistics
between the reading strategies by high proficiency and low proficiency students.

19
2.3.4. Summary

The second chapter gave a clear view on the methodology of the research including
participants, data collection instruments, data collection procedure and data analysis
procedure. Based on the aims of the study, using triangulation of questionnaires,
observations and semi-structured interviews was considered as the best choice to
collect the thorough and in-depth information from the respondents and can make
the data gained afterward reliable and comprehensive. All of those findings are as
follow in the next chapter.

20
 CHAPTER III: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The data, after being collected from the questionnaires, the observations, and the
semi-structured interviews, would be analyzed and interpreted to answer the two
research questions.

3.1. Research Question 1

Which test-taking techniques became more effective for TOEIC Reading

Comprehension test to the students at Vietnam Maritime University?

The results collected from 100 students towards the first research question are
conveyed into figures and tables as follows:

3.1.1. Types of Reading Passages and Topic texts often exploited

a. Priority in Reading Passages

Figure 2: Priority in Reading Passages

13%

Single passages
Double passages

87%

The above figure is showing whether single passages or double passages should be
completed first. And as can be seen it shows that Single Passages are much more
paid attention. In 100%, 87% chose to work on single passages first. The most
convincing reason for students’ strategies of doing single passages before double
passages displayed in the 3rd figure. It was sad to say that the percentage got by the

21
Double Passages is only 13% because students do not give much more focus if there
are lots of passages to read. Thirteen of 100 students who chose double passage to
exploit first have the same opinion that “Double passages take more time to do than
single passages. However, we can answer effectively when we have strong interest
and careful attention”. The other part of students liked to do single passages which
are both shorter and easier. One student added to the interview “In order to get high
score and greater fulfillment of test, test-takers must follow the order of completion
and time allowed as they had experienced”.

Reasons for Reading Single Passages First

Figure 3: Reasons for Reading Single Passages First

15%
SP are short and easy
8%

SP have fewer questions

13%
64%
Sts can use reading strategies better

SP are familiar

As seen from the figure 3, it further indicates that in a percentage of 100% students
top reason in reading single passages is that Single Passages are short and easy so
that is why it got a big part of this section with a percentage of 64%, second reason
is Single Passages are familiar so that is why it got a percentage of 15%, third
reason is Single Passages have fewer questions so in this part it got a percentage of
13%. And the very last reason is that Students can use reading strategies better so
that is why it only got a percentage of 8%.

22
In this case students’ comprehension ability can only fall under single passages and
that is why students give much more attention and focus in single passages than to
double passages.

b. Types of Topic Texts often exploited

TYPES OF TOPIC TEXTS PERCENTAGES

Report 15%
Letter 43%
Form 12%
Notice 28%
Manual 10%
Advertisement 41%
Memorandum 4%
News and Article 14%
Table 1: Types of Topic Texts often exploited
Based on the data from survey questionnaire collected in Table 1, it shows the
“Types of Topic Text often Exploited” it further indicates that Letter is the highest
percentage in this table with a percentage of 43%, Advertisement which is the
second to the highest percentage in this table and Type of the Topic texts with a
percentage of 41%. So that means there are lots of types of topic texts to use in
reading comprehension in TOEIC but the students much often exploited through the
use of type of topic texts which is the Letter and Advertisement. In regard to the
questionnaire’s result, the first interviewed student said: “Letter and Advertisement
look easier and clearer to do than the other types. Besides, some kinds of letter such
as thanks-giving letter, refusal or asking for information letter were carefully taught
in TOEIC class. As the result, we got familiar with letter. Whenever I did these
types of reading, I felt confident and accurately sure”. One of the Types of Topic
Texts which is Notice got a percentage of 28%, Report got a percentage of 15%,
12% as the percentage for Form, next is Manual with a percentage of 10%. As you

23
seen in this table Memorandum is the lowest percentage in this table with a
percentage of 4%, and the last but definitely not the least in Type of Topic Texts is
the News and Article with a percentage of 14%.

According to students, Memorandum and Manual are difficult for them to do

because given information in these types are extremely complex and
misunderstanding. That is the reason why these types got lowest percentage.

3.1.2. Reading Approach

Figure 4: Reading Approach

18% Top-down approach

39%
Bottom -up approach

Interactive approach

43%

The figure above is the “Reading Approach” it shows and indicates the different
approaches used in reading a particular text. The biggest part of this section got a
highest percentage of 43% and that is the Bottom-up Approach. This approach is
much used by the students is that because it was from part to whole meaning
students wants to read a certain text part by part before they go to whole story of the
text, next to that is Interactive Approach with a percentage of 39% and the second
to the highest percentage in this section. This approach means that students give sort
of focus using this approach maybe because there is some cases that the story that
they read is much needed to use both Top-down and Bottom-up approach. Lastly,
the lowest part of this section is the Top-down approach with a percentage of only
18% is that because some students cannot easily understand a certain text or story if

24
the teacher started to discuss the story from whole to part of a particular story or
text.

In this case teacher must be aware of the reading approach that they are going to use
in dealing with a certain texts or stories.

3.1.3. Strategies to Deal with Reading Text

Students’ strategies to deal with reading text N S O A
A Read questions before looking at the texts 10% 17% 43% 30%
B Read instruction to know reading passage types and 39% 45% 10% 6%
question numbers
C Adjust structures/patterns to know the organization 50% 28% 15% 7%
of reading texts.
D Watch out synonyms or paraphrases and implied 57% 26% 12% 5%
answers
E Classify question types to arrange in order of 4% 24% 49% 23%
priority
F Watch out too general, too vague or too specific 25% 54% 21% 0%
answers
G Choose B/C if I can’t find the answer. 23% 56% 11% 10%
Note: N= never (0%), S= sometimes (30%), O= Often (70%), A= always (100%)
Table 2: Strategies to Deal with Reading Text
The above table is shows the result on the survey that is already done and that is
students’ strategies to deal with reading text and there is a rating use N=Never
(0%), S= sometimes (30%), O= Often (70%), A= always (100%).

In section A, students always and often read questions before reading text. Being
interviewed, these students said that they could focus on what they needed to read
and save time to do the tasks. As you can see in section B, only six percent of
students always read instruction to know reading passage types and question
numbers first while 39 percent students never did. One student revealed that she had

25
known the instruction so it was waste of time doing that. The number of students
sometimes read the instruction to know reading passage types and question numbers
is 45%, they answered that it was not necessary to read because the instructions in
TOEIC tests are the same. In section C, half of students never adjust structures to
know the organization of reading texts, they said: “It’s no use adjusting structures to
know the organization of reading text”. Next, Section D are the same as C. Look at
section E, nearly three-forth often and always classify question types to arrange in
order of priority, only four percent of students never do this. One of the students
who belonged to category always answered: “Classify question types is extremely
necessary, it plays an important role in doing test. When you classify well, your
choice will be correct. And in our class, our teacher focused in this lesson”. In
contrast to section E, more than three-forth students never or sometimes watch out
too general, too vague or too specific answers. In fact, researcher observed in test
room, students had to control the time doing test and they had no time to evaluate
whether the answers were general, vague, specific or not. Finally, over a half of
students sometimes choose B or C if they can’t find the answer while one-forth
never do this. One student said: “In case of doing nothing, I choose B or C because
our teacher advised to do that”.

3.1.4. Reading strategies in taking TOEIC reading comprehension

Reading strategies Percentage

A Skimming the text for general information 34%
B Scanning the text for specific information 31%
C Guessing new words in the context 4%
D Predicting the content of the texts 11%
E Reading quickly to answer quickly 19%
F Summarizing the content of the texts. 4%

Table 3: Reading strategies in taking TOEIC reading comprehension

26
As can be seen in table 3, the most frequently used strategy is skimming the text for
general information, three interviewed students answered: “Our teachers advised us
to use all reading strategies and we think skimming and scanning are the most
important to all reading passages. In TOEIC class, we are taught all strategies but
some of them such as guessing new words in the context and summarizing the
content of the texts are too difficult for us to follow, that is the reason why these
strategies are rarely used”.

3.2. Research question 2

Are there any differences in reading strategies among high proficiency and low
proficiency students at Vietnam Maritime University?

3.2.1. A Comparison about the Priority of Reading Passage

94%

80%

Low proficiency
High Proficiency

20%

6%

Single Passages Double Passages

Figure 5: Comparison about the Priority of Reading Passage

This figure shows “A Comparison about the Priority of Reading Passage” and the
highest percentage is seen that top priority in reading passages is fall under the
Single Passages with a percentage of 94% as Low Proficiency and 80% as High
Proficiency. This number proves that students are afraid of texts that have more

27
passages. However, students who chose double passages are very good at English
and they didn’t mind any types of exercises.

Reasons for Reading Single Passages First

80%
68%
70%
60%
60%

50%

40%
Low proficiency
30%
High Proficiency
20% 16% 14% 16%
10% 10%
10% 6%

0%
SP are short and SP have fewer Sts can use SP are familiar
easy questions reading strategies
better

Figure 6: Reasons for Reading Single Passages First

It can be seen from the above figure, there’re only a few differences between two
groups. It further indicates the students top reasons is that SP are short and easy so it
gains a percentage of 60% as Low Proficiency and 68% as High Proficiency. The
lowest reason is Sts can use reading strategies better and this only gain a percentage
of 10% as Low Proficiency and 6% as High Proficiency.

3.2.2. Types of Topic Texts often exploited by Low Proficiency and High
Proficiency Students

Types of topic texts Low Proficiency High proficiency

Report 10% 20%
Letter 46% 40%
Form 4% 20%
Notice 36% 20%
Manual 12% 8%

28
 Advertisement 30% 42%
Memorandum 6% 2%
News and Article 18% 10%

Table 4: Types of Topic Texts often exploited by Low Proficiency and High
Proficiency Students
The above table clearly indicates the different types of topic text, Letter is the
highest percentage in this table with 46% as Low Proficiency but the High
Proficiency got a percentage of 40% and it is second to the highest in High
Proficiency, the highest percentage in this table as high proficiency was
advertisement 42% and 30% as low Proficiency. Memorandum got a percentage of
6% as Low Proficiency and 2% as High Proficiency and the lowest percentage of all
the percent in High Proficiency.

3.2.3. A Comparison about Reading Approach

50%
46%
44%
45% 42%
40%
35% 32%
30%
26%
25% Low proficiency

20% High Proficiency

15%
10%
10%
5%
0%
Top-down approach Bottom-up apprach Interactive approach

Figure 7: A Comparison about Reading Approach

This figure shows and clearly indicates “A Comparison about Reading Approach”
and as seen above, there is a big difference in Interactive Approach. 32% as Low
Proficiency and 46% as High Proficiency use interactive approach in and reading

29
comprehension. Nearly half of students at TOEIC Level 2 use interactive approach
because they said “It is complex skill and useful for doing reading comprehension.
Both groups share the common thing in Bottom-up Approach.

3.2.4. A Comparison about reading strategies

Reading strategies Low Proficiency High Proficiency

A Skimming the text for general 28% 40%
information
B Scanning the text for specific 36% 26%
information
C Guessing new words in the context 4% 4%
D Predicting the content of the texts 12% 10%
E Reading quickly to answer quickly 18% 20%
F Summarizing the content of the texts. 2% 6%

Table 5: Comparison about reading strategies

While high proficiency group most frequently use skimming for general
information, low level group like to use scanning for specific information. Both
groups have the common things about guessing new words in the context that they
have the same data 4% and they rarely use strategy summarizing the content of the
texts.

PART III: CONCLUSION

30
The previous chapters have already introduced the general introduction, provided
the theoretical background, justified the methods, and analyzed and discussed the
findings of the study. This chapter, serving as the conclusion of the whole research,
will cover summaries of the major findings, pedagogical suggestions for bettering
students’ TOEIC reading results, limitations of the study and recommendations for
further studies.

With an aim to find the answers for the two research questions set at the beginning
of the study, the data from questionnaires, observations, and semi-structure
interviews were involved to draw the conclusion.

1. Major findings of the research

1.1. Which test-taking techniques became more effective for TOEIC Reading
Comprehension test to the students at Vietnam Maritime University?

The first research question showed that the majority of TOEIC strategies that
students often exploit. The findings from the questionnaire demonstrated that the
TOEIC learners had habit of finishing single passages before double passages as a
consequence of the fact that single passages were short, easy and could bring the
sense of speedy completion.

Secondly, nearly a half of students are interested in exploiting letter and

advertisement which were perceived to be the most familiar form of the text.

Concerning the reading approach, bottom-up approach is the most frequently used.
In term of strategies towards the TOEIC reading texts, over 70% students “always”
or often read questions before looking at the texts and classifying question types to
arrange in order of priority. The other strategy got strong agreements among
students were to classify question types to arrange in order of priority.

Finally, skimming the text for general information and scanning the text for
specific information are the best regarded strategies.

31
1.2. What are differences in reading strategies among high proficiency and low
proficiency students at Vietnam Maritime University?

There are small differences in reading strategies among high proficiency and low
proficiency.

In terms of priority of reading passage, top priority in reading passages is fall under
the Single Passages with a percentage of 94% as Low Proficiency and 80% as High
Proficiency. Students are afraid of texts that have more passages. However, students
who chose double passages are very good at English and they did not mind any
types of exercises. The high proficiency students tend to choose long, complex
passages while the low ones like to do simple and easy passages.

The second comparison is types of topic texts often exploited, both groups shared
the common opinion, the difference is only a little bit.

The next difference is reading approach, there is a big difference in Interactive

Approach. 32% as Low Proficiency and 46% as High Proficiency used interactive
approach in and reading comprehension types of topic text. Moreover, the good
ones also use inflexible approach like interactive one. However, both groups use
bottom-up approach the most frequently.

The last but definitely not the least, the use of skimming and scanning, while high
proficiency group most frequently used skimming for general information, low level
group liked to use scanning for specific information.

2. Pedagogical implications

The previous parts showed that VMU students use strategies in reading TOEIC
tests; hence, this part was done to propose some implications for bettering the
situation. These implications fall into three categories, namely, implications for
teachers, implications for students, implications for test-designers.

32
2.1. Implications for teachers

The study found that most of the students were afraid of TOEIC reading test and
they normally did not have good strategies when doing such kind of test. Therefore,
in the period of studying English, teachers should guide students about the format of
the tests as well as the tactics to do the test well. Apart from helping students get
familiar with the test, teachers should spend time letting students practice it as much
as possible.

In addition to format and strategies introduction, it is suggested to help students

overcome the linguistic matters happened while they reading.

Moreover, it is important to help students widen their vocabularies and structures

which are always their obsession. Together with new words and structures given
before or after each reading period, it is essential for teachers to provide more topic-
based words and expressions for students.

With the problems of fast speed during the reading, it is advised to let students
practice read as much as possible. Particularly, with the improvement of language
ability such as good grammar and rich vocabularies, the students can deal with the
problem of speed, which was also agreed by Buck (2001).

2.2. Implications for students

There is no doubt that the role of teachers in helping the students to overcome their
difficulties in achieving better TOEIC reading results is very important; however,
there will not have perfect results if the students themselves do nothing. Together
with teachers’ help, students should try their best to practice what teachers provide.

Firstly, it is worth noticing the role of reading comprehension in reading section

because it accounts 50% of the TOEIC reading section test. Therefore, students
can’t help using reading strategies to succeed in doing test.

33
Moreover, for the purpose of familiarizing the students with a rich of variety of
reading text such as manual, memorandum, notice which were not popular to
students.

In addition to that, it is vital for them to self study effectively by seeking for
reliable references. It is great that there is a variety of hard references available as
learners can look for these following TOEIC sources to improve their skills.

2.3. Implications for test-designers

Apart from the recommendations for the study, the TOEIC-based reading test itself
also needs adjustment. Since many of the students claimed for the difficult level of
the test, the teachers should make it easier for the students and raise the difficulty
level by level.

3. Limitations of the study

After completing the study, there still exist a number of limitations regardless of the
contribution of time and effort.

On the first place, the limited number of participants with only 100 students could
not best represent for the whole second students at VMU, hence the reliability and
validity of the general conclusion could be affected.

It is obvious that there are numerous factors that could influence the process of
TOEIC reading as well as the final reading result; therefore, it was hard to point out
all the elements contributed due to the time constraints.

4. Recommendations for further related study

Limitations are unavoidable when conducting the study. However, through

highlighting the shortcomings of the study, the recommendations for further related
studies could be offered.

Under the light of limitations exposed, some recommendations for further related
research could be made.

34
Being aware of the restriction on the number of participants, the future related
studies should involve a larger number of them to confirm the validity as well as
reliability. Moreover, if possible, further studies should focus on certain levels of
the students to find out their real difficulties and their needs for improving their
reading results. Apart from focusing on the 2nd students, these studies could widen
the scope of the research to the superior students of the third year, for example. In
addition, further research on strategies in TOEIC Listening could be a good idea.

35
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Test: Instrument construction and investigation results. Journal of Applied
Linguistics 25
Tarone, E. (1983). Some thoughts on the notion of “communication strategy”. In C.
Faerch and G. Kasper (eds), Strategies in interlanguage communication.
London: Longman.
Taylor, A. (2006) TOEIC Analyst – 2nd Edition. Compass Publishing

The RAND Reading Study Group. (2002). Developing an R&D Program to

improve reading comprehension. RAND Research Brief

38
Weinstein, C., and Mayer, R. (1986). The Teaching of learning strategies. In
Wittrock, M. C. (ed.). Handbook of research on teaching. Third edition. New
York: MacMillan.
Whitney, P. & Budd, D. (1996). Think aloud protocols and the study of
comprehension. Discourse Processes.
Widdowson, H. G. (1987). Teaching Language as Communication. OUP. 1983.
Learning Purpose and Language Use. OUP.
Wilson, M.K. (2000). An Exploratory Dimensionality Assessment of the TOEIC
Test. ETS Research Report, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
Xiangdong, G & Chunyan, S. (2012). A retrospective study on Test-takers’
cognitive and Metacognitive Processes in Taking a Compound Dictation
Test. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistic. Vol. 35. No. 4.

39
 APPENDIX 1: PHIẾU ĐIỀU TRA DÀNH CHO HỌC VIÊN
Tôi là Nguyễn Thị Thi, giáo viên Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ Hàng hải, Trường Đại học
Hàng hải Việt Nam. Tôi đang thực hiện một nghiên cứu về chiến lược đọc hiểu
TOEIC (Full-Test) dưới sự hướng dẫn của TS. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh. Mong
các em dành chút thời gian trả lời các câu hỏi trong phiếu điều tra này.
Hiện tại em đang học lớp nào: TOEIC Level 1 TOEIC Level 2
Cách sử dụng chiến lược trong việc làm bài thi đọc hiểu TOEIC và sự khác nhau
trong việc sử dụng chiến lược làm bài thi giữa các sinh viên trình độ Elementary
với các sinh viên trình độ Intermediate.

1. Em thường đọc những dạng bài đọc nào dưới đây?

A. Báo cáo E. Hướng dẫn sử dụng sản phẩm
B. Thư từ F. Quảng cáo
C. Mẫu đơn G. Bản ghi nhớ, giao dịch
D. Thông báo, nhắc nhở H. Bài báo

2. Em đã sử dụng cách thức đọc nào sau đây?

A Top-down approach (đọc từ trên xuống dưới, sử dụng kinh nghiệm để
đoán nội dung, đoán cấu trúc bài đọc trước khi đọc câu hỏi)
B Bottom-up approach (đọc câu hỏi sau đó mới quay lại đọc bài đọc)
C Interactive approach (kết hợp cả 2 phương pháp trên)
3. Khi làm bài, em thường đọc phần nào trước
A Những đoạn văn đơn
B Những đoạn văn đôi
Nếu em chọn “những đoạn văn đơn”, trả lời tiếp câu hỏi 5
Nếu em chọn “những đoạn văn đôi”, trả lời tiếp câu hỏi 6

I
4. Tại sao em lại chọn làm những đoạn văn đơn trước?
A Ngắn, đơn giản
B Số câu hỏi ít nên trả lời nhanh
C Có thể dùng kĩ năng đọc tốt hơn
D Quen thuộc với em
5. Tại sao em lại chọn làm những đoạn văn đôi trước?
A Câu hỏi dễ hơn
B Nhiều câu hỏi nên được nhiều điểm
C Có thể dùng kĩ năng đọc tốt hơn
D Quen thuộc với em
6. Khi làm bài đọc hiểu, em:
Học viên vào 1 trong 4 cột bên cạnh tương ứng N S O A
A Đọc câu hỏi trước khi đọc bài đọc
B Phân loại câu hỏi từ dễ đến khó để đọc
C Đánh giá cấu trúc, bố cục bài đọc trước khi đọc
D Khoanh vùng từ đồng nghĩa với từ chính trong câu
để sàng lọc đáp án
E Sử dụng phương pháp loại trừ
F Cảnh giác với câu trả lời “quá chung chung”, “quá
cụ thể” đối với câu hỏi nội dung chung của đoạn
đọc hiểu
G Sẽ chọn đáp án B hoặc C nếu không biết chọn đáp
án nào
Ghi chú: N= chưa bao giờ (0%), S= đôi khi (30%), O= thường (70%), A= liên
tục (100%)

II
7. Các em thường sử dụng kĩ năng đọc nào dưới đây?
A Đọc lướt để lấy thông tin chung, hiểu chủ đề
B Đọc quét để lấy thông tin chi tiết
C Đoán từ mới trong văn cảnh
D Đoán nội dung của bài đọc
E Đọc nhanh để trả lời nhanh
F Tóm tắt nội dung bài đọc

III
 APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE FOR STUDENTS
I am Nguyễn Thị Thi, a teacher of English at Vietnam Maritime University. In
support of Dr. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh, I am conducting a research on TOEIC
Reading Comprehension Strategies. I would like to ask for your help in
participating in the interview.
You are in class: TOEIC Level 1 TOEIC Level 2
Regarding strategies in taking TOEIC reading comprehension and
differences between the reading strategies employed by high proficiency and
low proficiency students.
1. Which types of reading text below do you often read to practice TOEIC
reading comprehension?
A. Report E. Manual
B. Letter F. Advertisement
C. Form G. Memorandum
D. Notice H. News and Article

2. Which reading approach do you use in TOEIC reading comprehension?

A Top-down approach
B Bottom-up approach
C Interactive approach
3. Which do you read first?
A Single passages
B Double passages
If you read single passages first, answer question 5
If you read double passages first, answer question 6

IV
4. What are your reasons of reading single passages first?
A Single passages are short and simple.
B There are fewer questions in single passages.
C I can use reading skills better.
D Single passages are familiar with me.
5. What are your reasons of reading double passages?
A Double passages’ questions are easier
B Double passages have more questions, it means more points.
C I can use reading skills better.
D Double passages are familiar with me.
6. When I practice reading comprehension, I:
Students mark in one of four columns N S O A
A Read questions before looking at the texts
B Read instruction to know reading passage types and
question numbers
C Adjust structures/patterns to know the organization
of reading texts.
D Watch out synonyms or paraphrases and implied
answers
E Classify question types to arrange in order of
priority
F Watch out too general, too vague or too specific
answers
G Choose B/C if I can’t find the answer.
Note: N= never (0%), S= sometimes (30%), O= Often (70%), A= always
(100%)

V
7. What reading strategies do you use in taking test?
A Skimming the text for general information
B Scanning the text for specific information
C Guessing new words in the context
D Predicting the content of the texts
E Reading quickly to answer quickly
F Summarizing the content of the texts.

VI
 APPENDIX 2: SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

A. Brief Introduction

I am Nguyễn Thị Thi, a teacher of English at Vietnam Maritime University. In support

of Dr. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh, I am conducting a research on TOEIC Reading
Comprehension Strategies. I would like to ask for your help in participating in the
interview.
B. A few specific questions used in the interview
1. Which reading approach do you follow? (Top-down approach, Bottom-up
approach, Interactive approach) And give your reason?
2. What are your strategies while taking TOEIC reading comprehension?
3. Single passages or double passages should be read first? Why?
4. Why do you prior letter and advertisement text?
5. Why don’t you like memorandum and manual text?
6. What are your steps to do a reading text? Why?
7. For reading skills, which do you use frequently? (Skimming, scanning ,
guessing new words in the context, predicting the content or summarizing the
content)
8. Do you choose the answer B or C when you don’t know what is correct?
Note: The interview questions would be flexible when addressed?

VII
 APPENDIX 3: SAMPLE OF TOEIC READING COMPREHENSION

LESSON 11 SINGLE PASSAGE

FOCUS ADVERTISEMENT
Skimming and scanning are good strategies for reading


advertisements. You will quickly look for the answers to these
questions:
What is being advertised?
Who is it for?
Reading fast is a very important skill to develop. Reading every
word in an advertisement is not necessary. When you skim
advertisements for the general idea and scan them for specific
information, you will learn to read faster.

Advertisement 1
Sale! Sale! Sale!
McGruder’s Department Store announces its biggest sale of the
year. You’ll find fantastic savings throughout the store.

25% off all men’s and women’s business suits

25%off all men’s and women’s shoes

50% off all women’s summer clothes

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to get stylish designer

items at bargain prices. With prices like these, you can’t afford
not to shop.
Now through Saturday at all McGruder’s locations:
Park Avenue Mall Springfield Center Downtown
Manchester Depot
Open Monday – Saturday, 8:30 A.M – 9 P.M.
SKIMMING Look quickly at the advertisement to answer these questions.
1. What is on sale? Closed Sunday
2. Who is the sale for?
(A) Business supplies (A) Men
(B) Clothes (B) Women
(C) Both men and women

VIII
 SCANNING Mark the words that appear in the ad, and circle them in the ad
3. (A) bathing suit (B) business suit
4. (A) summer (B) winter
5. (A) department (B) apartment
6. Find and circle these days in the ad. Some may appear more than once.
Monday Saturday Sunday
CONTEXT Find these words and phrases, and guess their meanings in this advertisement.
7. What does “25% off” mean?
(A) It costs $25
(B) It costs one quarter less than the usual price.
8. What does “Now through Saturday” mean?
(A) Beginning today and ending on Saturday
(B) Beginning on Saturday
READING COMPREHENSION Mark the best answer.
9. What is not on sale? 10. What is the first day of the sale?
(A) Men’s shoes (A) Today
(B) Women’s business suits (B) On Saturday
(C) Men’s summer clothes (C) On Sunday
(D) Women’s shoes (D) Next week
11. How much do women’s summer clothes 12. The word “Mall” in the line 12 is closest
cost? in meaning to
(A) $50 each (A) Shopping area
(B) $50 less than the usual price (B) Parking lot
(C) Half the usual price (C) Food stall
(D) One quarter of the usual price (D) Pedestrian track
TYPES OF ADVERTISEMENTS
 Products
 Job openings
 Events
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
GENERAL QUESTIONS

1 Questions about the advertisement

What is the advertisement about?
What position is advertised?
Who is the advertisement intended for?

DETAILED QUESTIONS

2 When will the offer be effective?

Where will the conference be held?
Who are invited to the event?
What are the requirements for the job?

IX
 TACTIC PRACTICE
For your convenience,

The State Street Bank

Grand is opening a new full-service branch at the City Airport. Now it
will be easier than ever to take care of all your banking needs as
Opening!
you leave or return from your trips.
ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES
Join us at our new location for our

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

FOOD! Next MUSIC

Saturday, September 15, from 1:00 – 4:00 P.M.

There will be food, music, and a variety of entertainment activities for the whole family.
Representatives of local TV station WXYZ will be there to report on the event. So come on by and
bring the whole family. Customer service specialists will be on hand to explain all the services our
bank has to offer.
Find out about:
 The special benefits of opening a State Street checking or savings account
 How to qualify for our special low-interest loans.
 State Street’s custom-designed financial planning services.
Prizes! Prizes! Prizes!
There will be prizes for the first 50 customers to open a checking or savings account at the new
branch. In addition, all Grand Opening guests will be automatically entered in our Grand Prize
Drawing. You could win a Caribbean Cruise for two!
See you there!
SKIMMING Look quickly at the advertisement to answer this question.
1. What kind of information does this advertisement give?
(A) A list of things for sale
(B) An explanation of an event
SCANNING Look quickly at the advertisement to answer these questions.
2. What is the name of the bank?
(A) State Street Bank
(B) City Bank
3. What is the name of the airport?
(A) City Airport
(B) Bank Street Airport
4. What hours do you see in the advertisement?

X
 (A) 1:00-4:00 A.M.
(B) 1:00-4:00 P.M.
CONTEXT Find these words and phrases and guess their meanings in this advertisement.
5.Branch 6. Grand opening
(A) Part of a tree (A) A special celebration for a new business
(B) A business location (B) The hours that a bank does business

READING COMPREHENSION Mark the best answer

7. What is being advertised?
(A) A bank
(B) A restaurant
(C) A concert
(D) A travel agency
8. Where will the grand opening take
place?
(A) On State Street
(B) At the airport
(C) At a TV station
(D) In a park
9. The word “Representatives” in paragraph 2,
line 2, is closest in meaning to
(A) Legislators
(B) Staff
(C) Siblings
(D) Specialists
10. When will the grand opening take place?
(A) In the morning
(B) In the afternoon
(C) In the evening
(D) At night

XI
READING COMPREHENSION
Mark the best answer
1. What kind of position is advertised?
(A) Director of Human Resources
(B) Lawyer
(C) Administrative assistant
(D) Computer programmer
2. What is one skill required for this job?
(A) The ability to talk pleasantly on the telephone
(B) The ability to write legal documents
(C) The ability to develop computer programs
(D) The ability to find new clients
3. What is a benefit of this job?
(A) They will pay for your vacation expenses.
(B) You can make all the phone calls you want.
(C) You only have to work from 10-4.
(D) They will pay for your health insurance.
4. The word “Duties” in line 8 is closest in meaning to
(A) Taxes
(B) Benefits
(C) Classes
(D) Responsibilities

EXTRA PRACTICE

OFFICE SUPPLY SALE

This week only
 Computer paper (white only) 25% off
 Envelopes (all colors, including pink, purple, and gold) 50% off
 Notebooks – buy five, get one free
 Pens (blue, black, and red ink) 12 for $1
Sale ends Saturday
Store closed Sunday

1. What kind of computer paper is on sale?

(A) White
(B) All colors
(C) Pink, purple and gold
(D) Red, blue and black

XII
 2. How can you get a free notebook?
(A) Pay one dollar
(B) spend $25 on computer paper
(C) buy colored envelopes
(D) Buy five notebooks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. When is the sale?
(A) All weekend
(B) On Sunday only
(C) All week
4. On Saturday only What is this ad for?
(A) an airline
(B) a travel agency
(C) a vacation place
(D) a sports club
5. What is one thing you cannot do at
Sea Island Resort?
(A) swim
(B) play tennis
(C) eat
(D) play golf
6. The word “private” in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A) not public
(B) large
(C) sandy
(D) personal
7. How can you make reservations for Sea Island Resort?
(A) Call a travel agent
(B) Write a letter to the resort owner
(C) Call the airport
(D)

Sea Island Resort

Spend your next vacation with us.
Enjoy our:
 private beach
 two swimming pools
 four tennis courts
 five restaurants
 beautiful weather all year
It's easy to get here.
We're just eight kilometers from the airport.
Call your travel
XIII agent to make
reservations.
 LESSON 23 DOUBLE PASSAGE
 Quickly read through the passages and the questions. Select the easy
questions to answer first. Questions that require careful reading of the
whole passages should be answered later
 Quickly read through the questions and the answer choices to grasp
FOCUS the key information.
Useful Tips  Identify the passage that contains the key information
 Focus on that passage and choose the correct answer. Pay attention to
paraphrasing.
 Answer the remaining questions from step 1

Identifying the passage that contains the keywords/ the information needed

Exercise 1: Questions 1-5 refer to the following letter and form.

ENVIRONMENT DEFENSE
317 Adelaide St. W., Suite 705 – Toronto, Oritario, Canada – MSV 1Pg
Tel: 617.323.9521 Fax: 617.323. 9301
www.environmentaldefense.ca
April 6, 2006
Henrietta Rose
49 Brennan Drive
Shelburne, ON
L9P 7R4
Dear Mrs. Rose,
Thank you for being an Environment Defender and supporting Environmental Defense with
monthly donations from your credit card.
Our records show that the credit card number you have given us is expiring in May 2006. To
assist us in processing your valued contributions, we are enclosing a new monthly donation
form. Please complete and return it in the enclosed envelope.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at (617)
323-9521, ext. 250.
Again, thank you for your continued generous support.
Sincerely,
Lori Rapentio
enci.
XIV
 ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE MONTHLY CREDIT CARD DONOR FORM
Types of credit card: ______VISA___√___ MasterCard ________ American Express
Name appearing on card: Henrietta Rose-Williams
Credit card number: _____5446 7809 3343 1002
Expiry date: (MM/ YY): 07/09
Monthly contribution amount:
________$10 ______ $25 ____ $50 _______ $100 __√___ other amount: __$15___
Cardholder signature: _________________________

1. Why did the group send this letter?

(A) To request she become a member
(B) To ask for more money
(C) To defend the environment
(D) To continue receiving her support
2. Why does Mrs. Rose support this group?
(A) She cares about nature.
(B) She likes to grow flowers.
(C) She has a credit card.
(D) She has questions and concerns.
3. How much is Mrs. Rose giving each month?
(A) $10
(B) $15
(C) $25
(D) Other
4. How is Mrs. Rose making her donation?
(A) By check
(B) VISA
(C) MasterCard
(D) American Express
5. Why might this form be rejected?
(A) They don’t accept her credit card.
(B) She has been a member for too long.
(C) Her credit card has expired.
(D) She forgot to sign it.

XV
 APPENDIX 4: THÔNG BÁO TUYỂN SINH LỚP TOEIC

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC HÀNG HẢI VIỆT NAM

TRUNG TÂM NGOẠI NGỮ HÀNG HẢI
Add: P.102 Nhà A5 – Trường Đại học Hàng Hải Việt Nam.
Tel: 0316.280.167 Facebook: Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ Đại học Hàng Hải

LUYỆN THI TOEIC 350+, 450+

CAM KẾT ĐẦU RA
Khóa luyện thi TOEIC đảm bảo đầu ra 350+, 450+ (học viên chỉ nộp học phí 1 lần duy nhất) là
khóa học Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ cam kết học viên sẽ đạt theo đúng nhu cầu. Trường hợp học
viên chưa đủ điểm sẽ được tiếp tục học miễn phí cho đến khi đạt điểm chuẩn.
- Học viên được trang bị đầy đủ kiến thức cơ bản về từ vựng, ngữ pháp, các kĩ năng
làm bài thi TOEIC đạt kết quả như mong muốn.
- Các bài tập luyện sát đề thi TOEIC quốc tế.
- Giáo viên đặc biệt chú trọng luyện các kĩ năng nghe, đọc tiếng Anh cần thiết để
học viên đạt kết quả cao trong kỳ thi TOEIC quốc tế.
- Tài liệu luyện thi TOEIC cập nhật được phát miễn phí.
- Liên tục làm các bài test trước kì thi chính thức để rèn luyện kĩ năng làm bài và tự
tin bước vào phòng thi.

*Mức học phí phụ thuộc vào trình độ đầu vào của sinh viên:
Khóa học Trình độ đầu vào Thời gian Điểm đầu ra Học phí
TOEIC Level 1 Elementary 100h 350+ 2.900.000đ
TOEIC Level 2 Pre-Intermediate 100h 450+ 2.900.000đ

Lịch học: 5 buổi/tuần.

Giờ học: Sáng: 8h00 - 10h00 Chiều:14h30 - 16h30 Tối:17h30 - 19h30 (sinh
viên chỉ được chọn học trong 1 ca cố định).

Để biết thêm thông tin, liên hệ trực tiếp:

Văn phòng Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ - P.102 Nhà A5 & P.101A Nhà C1 - ĐHHH - 484
Lạch Tray, Ngô Quyền, Hải Phòng.
Điện thoại: 0316.280.167

TOEIC S

XVI
APPENDIX 5: READING STRATEGIES

XVII