Using Extensive Reading to Develop Reading Ability and Motivation for Non-major English Students at People’s Police Universities in Vietnam

Nguyen Ngoc An

(People’s Police University, Vietnam)

Abstract: Extensive reading was defined such as an approach to the teaching and learning language in which learners read large amount of books and lots of other materials that are appropriate to learners’ linguistic competence (Day & Bamford, 1998). The purposes of this paper were to investigate how the extensive reading can develop the reading ability, especially vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension in the text for non-majored English students in the People’s Police Universities (PPUs). The second purpose of this study delved into the extensive reading can enhance their reading motivation as well as the learners’ attitudes toward the extensive reading. The study addressed a main research question and two sub-research questions which relate to the extensive reading: How does the extensive reading develop non-major English students’ reading ability, especially reading comprehension and improving vocabulary at the People’s Police University in Vietnam? Two sub-research questions: To what extent could extensive reading help to enhance students’ reading motivation? How do students feel about the use of extensive reading in their foreign language learning? The participants of this study were 42 second-year non-majored English students at PPU in Vietnam. The research instruments used in this study to collect data were three main instruments namely Reading Tests (including Pre-Reading Test and Post-Reading Test), Questionnaire, and Interview. The result of data analysis revealed the significant difference. The findings suggested that lecturers should help students to improve their reading ability, particularly reading comprehension and vocabulary learning by engaging them in a systematic extensive reading program.

Key words: extensive reading, reading motivation, reading ability