Scott, Philip
(2020)
Would a “rational approach” improve academic outcomes in English language university classes in Vietnam?
Language and Language Teaching, 9 (1).
pp. 36-49.
ISSN 2277-307X
Abstract
This study examines the impact of the rational approach (Gethin & Gunnemark, 1996) on
academic outcomes, as an alternative to mass-marketed ELT textbooks with
communicative language teaching (CLT) speaking tasks. A group of eight second year
university students was taught how to select authentic texts, read at their own pace, and
collect new vocabulary independently. Students applied this method for ten weeks, two
classes a week. The number of vocabulary items collected, number of questions asked,
and results of a pre- and post- TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)
reading comprehension test were recorded. Correlations between behaviours and TOEIC
scores were calculated, and students' capacity to adopt the method in the cultural and
educational setting of Vietnam was examined. While the pre- and post- tests yielded
negligible results, this approach appeared to motivate the students in a way that seems
unusual in this setting.
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