ARMY POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES APPLIED LINGUISTICS

ARMY POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES APPLIED LINGUISTICS IN ENGLISH PROGRAM DISTANCE LEARNING EDUCATION RESEARCH FINAL REPORT “THE INCIDENCE OF READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES IN THE RESULTS OF THE KET TEST TAKEN BY STUDENTS ATTENDING THE SEVENTH YEAR OF BASIC EDUCATION AT CARDINAL SPELLMAN GIRLS´ SCHOOL DURING THE THIRD TRIMESTER 2010 -2011 SCHOOL YEAR” ADVISORS: Ma. Teresa Llumiquinga Msc. Miguel Ponce Nancy Villalba Lorena Peñafiel

PART I IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM

Effect 1. 1 Effect 2. 1 Effect 3. 1 The students can´t read with fluency and don´t understand what they read Lack of understanding and fluency affects reading basic skills Decision to go out from school or not to continue with the examination process Effect 1 Effect 2 Effect 3 Students present a low level in reading scales. The students present difficulties in reasoning and reading comprehension. Students feel low motivation when they are informed about their results. Low students’ performance in the KET Test in the reading skills Cause 1 Cause 2 Cause 3 Absence of a reading sequential program Lack of a correct methodology which helps students with reading skills Irrelevant topics which do not motivate students Cause 1. 1 Cause 2. 1 Cause 3. 1 Lack of a general process which lead to a high reading competence Inadequate methodologies Students need to relate what they read with their knowledge.

General objectives �To establish a complete program of integrated reading strategies using adequate material as well as the correct approaches and methodologies that increase subsequent reading scores. �To work within the four general skills and thereby improve them so as to have a better percentage of students who pass the KET test. �To determine if the use of Reading Comprehension Strategies increases the reading skill development of girls in Cardinal Spellman Girls´ School during the third term, 2010 – 2011 school year.

Specific objectives To improve students ability to communicate at a basic level. To produce a program of integrating reading strategies which can help students to read and understand short paragraphs and readings by using adequate material and approaches to increase the students’ reading skills.

PART II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

CHAPTER ONE Cardinal Spellman Girls’ School The institution was created on October 19 th, 1959 with the goal of forming English and American girls who lived in Quito under the Catholic and Salessian philosophy. Educative Model: Don Bosco’s philosophy Curricular Model: Prospectives Pedagogical Model: constructivist paradigm based on Ausbel, Vigotsky and Piaget theories.

CHAPTER TWO Reading Comprehension Strategies Reading comprehension strategies are the repetitive procedures which develop students’ capacity to solve the difficulties or problems of the text. are applied in three stages: ◦ Before reading: predicting, KWL chart, They organizers ◦ During reading: in context, shared, listening ◦ After reading: summarizing, questions, role play

CHAPTER THREE The KET Test It is an international standardized test which evaluates the level of the four skills of English according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It evaluates the level A 2. These examinations have: validity, reliability, impact, and practicality. It is the score key for the different levels: Points Level 1 – 56 Fail 56 – 69 Level A 1 70 – 79 Pass (Level A 2) 80 – 100 Pass with merit

Level A 2 – Reading At this level the students can read very short, simple texts. They can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, menus, timetables, signs, notices, instructions, brochures, guides, personal correspondence and informative articles from newsletters and magazines. They can understand short simple personal letters.

CHAPTER FOUR Reading Comprehension Strategies and the KET Test From the beginning of the year there was an interest to improve the Reading and Writing Skills so students worked with readings from the Language book (English in Mind 1), with the Reading book (New Selections 6), with a Reader (Black cat) and the Past Papers of the KET itself provided by Cambridge. Textbooks were reinforced with activities in the notebook and using reading strategies.

The process started by taking a Pre-Test without any kind of preparation in reading strategies. Students received motivation to create the adequate environment in order to promote the creative and active participation of the students. While the students read, they were asked to focus not just in the meaning of every single word but on the understanding of the general meaning of the story. Later on the process, students made and answered questions about a specific theme. Personal projects were developed according to the main theme of the different Chapters. They read the stories and then they should apply that information on their own life and

�Then the Reader Book was used to challenge students’ linguistic competence. �Finally, students took KET mock tests which have similar reading exercises as the ones in the KET test (post test). VOCABULARY �Before each unit students learned the new vocabulary. �Students also worked with the KET vocabulary provided on line by Cambridge University. �Cross curricular activities such as dramatizing, or arts were also good ways to practice language in an authentic context.

CHAPTER FIVE Other aspects that could affect the KET results Lack of time or motivation in the reading process. Learning disabilities in reading comprehension. Lack of efficient teacher training Inadequate language acquisition.

HYPOTHESES SYSTEM Working hypothesis The use of reading comprehension strategies improves the results of students who pass the KET in Cardinal Spellman Girl´s School, during the third term, 2010 -2011 school year. Null hypothesis The use of reading comprehension strategies does not improve the results of students who pass the KET in Cardinal Spellman Girl´s School, during the third term, 2010 -2011 school year.

PART III METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN

�This research was applied, descriptive and of field. The technique for collecting data was the test. This study was quasi experimental. �The instrument for data collection was the test results given by the English teachers. �Quantitative and qualitative data were tabulated and compared. Measures of descriptive statistics were used such as percentages, rates, mean, t test, and standard deviation

PART IV ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

General Results 2004 - 2010 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% A 1 Level A 2 (Pass) 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Results 2011

Statistic process The mean of the results of the pre test is 39 and 38 of the post test. This formula was applied to determine the standard error between the difference of the two means: 1. 25 is the standard error T reason formula: 0. 80 Freedom degrees: 216 According to the T table, the T reason at a level of 0, 05 is 1. 660. The calculated T is 0, 80 which means that the difference between both of them is not meaningful so the null hypothesis is accepted.

CONCLUSIONS

Once the causes of this research project were analyzed, the null hypothesis was accepted. The significance level is 1, 660 and t calculated is 0, 80. It means that the difference between the pre and post test is not meaningful. So the use of reading comprehension strategies does not improve the results of students who pass the KET in Cardinal Spellman Girl´s School, 2010 -2011 school year. It was noticeable that at applying the pre – test, the group was notified. Students just did the test as a sample without validity for their grades. At applying the post – test, the group was conscious that the grades would be used for their monthly report, so this tension affected to the general score. During the application of the post – test the students were having their trimestral exams so they did not focus all their attention in the test.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The reading strategies applied in this project need to be improved and applied with the adequate teachers’ training. It is recommendable not to create as much tension or nerves in the students. They should consider the test as a normal process. A reading program since the earlier stages which includes the permanent taking of mock tests contributes to be familiarized with the KET test system evaluation. As the taking of the post test matched with the taking of the trimestral exams would be better to schedule it for another date.

PROPOSAL

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” Confucius THANK YOU!