Using information transfer technique to adapt some reading tasks for the while and post reading stage in TIENG ANH 12

A - INTRODUCTION
I. REASON FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC
The Ministry of Education has carried out many programs of innovation in
teaching English with a view to developing students’ abilities. The question is that
how we can get students more involved and interested and help them use language
skills well like listening, speaking, reading or writing. In fact, during my teaching
at school, I realize that students have so many difficulties in learning these skills,
especially reading skills. Most of the students feel bored and do not want to read
English texts or do comprehension exercises any more. The reason is that the text
is always full of new words and structures. As a result, students feel very stressful
and are always under pressure whenever teachers ask them to read the passage or
answer questions.
To deal with this problem, I am sure that most of the English teachers will
have to think and find out an effective method that is suitable for real condition and
each student. In this writing, I would like to recommend my teaching experience;
that is “Using Information Transfer Technique to adapt some reading tasks for
the while and post reading stage in TIENG ANH 12”. I hope that my ideas and
my efforts will become a useful solution to teach the reading lessons.
II. AIMS OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the topic is to improve and enhance the effectiveness of
teaching reading and make students more interested in doing comprehension
exercises using “Information Transfer Technique” such as: charts, diagrams, tables,
maps, etc. Students now will not be stressful when they look at every passage.
They can understand and summarize contents of the reading lessons.
Students who are bad at English will be very difficult to deal with a passage
with so many new words. “Information Transfer Technique” will help them
understand the reading in a visual way. The reading will become simple and
attractive to them.
With students who are good at English, “Information Transfer Technique”
will help them generalize the text quickly and develop their critical thinking.
To teachers, using “Information Transfer Technique” will help them solve

difficulties in teaching reading effectively. They don’t need to supply the students
with so many new words and the students can master the reading lessons.
I chose some reading lessons in “Tieng Anh 12” text book to illustrate my
topic for several reasons. Firstly, students who are in Grade 12 will be very busy
with many subjects and have to prepare for the coming examination. Therefore,
most of the students do not pay attention to English lessons especially reading
lessons. Secondly, the reading lessons in this textbook will be longer and more
complicated than those they studied in English 10 and 11. Moreover, choosing
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these reading lessons will soon help them improve their critical thinking and
develop their reading skills.
III. DUTIES OF THE STUDY
- Study theoretical background of teaching reading using “Information Transfer
Technique”
- Study practical background of teaching the reading lessons using “Information
Transfer Technique”. Then compare the result before and after adapting.
- Drawing some useful experiences after studying.
IV. OBJECT OF THE STUDY
The students of the Grade 12 at Yen Thanh 3 Upper-secondary school, Yen Thanh
District, Nghe An Province.
V. METHODS OF THE STUDY
I have finished this topic with the help of my colleagues and my students at my
school. I have used these following methods:
- I have read books, reference books and other problems relating to my topic.
- I have analyzed the result and the difficulties that students encountered
- I have investigated and asked my colleagues’ evaluation and students’ comments.
- I have applied English pedagogical methods.

B. CONTENT
I. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
1. What is the transfer?
The Oxford Dictionary has explained the term “transfer”: “To transfer
(information / music, ect.) is to “ copy information, music, an idea, ect from one
method of recording or presenting it to another” or “ to be recorded or presented in
a different way.”
With the definition above we can understand the term “transfer” like this:
with the same information, we have many ways to present it and the procedure of
transmitting from one type to another is the transferring.
2. What is the Information Transfer technique?
There are several definitions relating to the Information Transfer technique:
According to Stolar (1995, p.5) “Information Transfer technique means
translating data from one form to another. We move the Reading or Listening text
to graphic stimuli or visual like charts, graphs, diagrams, figures, maps, ect and
vice verse”.
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With the similar view, David Palmer, (1991, p.79) state that “An Information
Transfer is an activity involving the reproduction of information either from a
diagrammatic or semi-diagrammatic form into a fully linguistic form or vice
verse”.
It can be inferred that the learners are helped in understanding the text by
means of a nonverbal device such as a diagram, graph, or table. When simple
knowledge is the objective, it can provide assistance in familiarizing students with
vocabulary.
3. Advantages of using Information Transfer Technique in teaching
Reading.
The Information Transfer Technique has many advantages over traditional

teaching methods.
First of all, Information Transfer Technique is regarded as a visual kind of
information that falls into variety forms such as charts, graphs, maps, diagrams,
etc. Therefore, it is much easier for students to understand the details as well as the
whole content of the text.
Second, Students can often work together to complete a task, so encourage
an open and sharing atmosphere among students of a mixture of talents and
personalities. That is to say weak students will have a good opportunity to join in
the group work with the help of good students. Therefore, students will become an
active language user and an active participant in the given activities while the
teacher is a guide and consultant. In addition, The Information Transfer Technique
can lead to a learner-centred class where students can learn a foreign language by
using it to accomplish different communicative tasks, so successful students’
communicative ability.
Another advantage is that The Information Transfer Technique can help
students master the reading passage easier. With most main information of a
reading text being transferred into charts, graphs, tables, etc. This technique will be
a useful tool for teachers and students to deal with the partial and general content
of the text. Also through the activities using information transfer technique,
students can improve their ability of generalization and find the process of study a
fascinated challenge.
Generally, The Information Transfer Technique with its advantages will
bring a new wind into the teaching process. Information Transfer will help make
the activities refresher more competitive as well as encourage students’
involvement in the lessons. Students will be excited to join the various, challenging
and creative activities and therefore the atmosphere of the class will be more
attractive. Then this may lead to a successful reading lesson for teachers.

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3. Main types of Information Transfer.
According to a specific reading lesson, we can apply one of these following
techniques:
- Maps and plans
- Grids and tables
- Diagram and charts
- Diaries and calendars
- Miscellaneous lists, forms, coupons, etc.
In my teaching experience, I mainly use charts, diagrams
and tables to design reading activities.
II. PRACTICAL BACKGROUND
1. The real state of teaching and learning the reading lessons at The
Grade 12 at Yen Thanh 3 Upper- Secondary school
The first problem is that students have had trouble doing reading tasks at the
while reading stage. That is because most of the students at my school have so few
new words and structures, so at this stage, although I provided the students with
necessary vocabulary and explained the questions carefully, they still found the
reading tasks very difficult and whenever teachers asked them to do the tasks in
classes or at home, they usually copied their friends’ answers or used reference
books like “Hoc Tot Tieng Anh 12” to finish their tasks. Moreover, most of the
reading lessons are long and full of new words. This makes the reading tasks more
difficult and they should be adapted.
The second problem is that at the post stage, when I asked students to
generalize the main idea or the content of the passage, they could not answer and
even some other students didn’t understand what they have learnt. Therefore, some
activities using the Information Transfer Technique should be designed based on
the text to help the students generalize and master the text content easily.
Another one is that doing the repeated tasks every day like answering
questions, gap-fill or synonym/antonym makes students feel very bored and loose

their enthusiasm in learning reading lessons. Some interesting activities using the
Information Transfer Technique should be designed as new tasks to make the
reading lessons more attractive to change the atmosphere and to get the students
involved in the lessons.
2. Adapting some activities for the while and post reading stage by
completing the chart and reconstructing the text orally for each lesson in
“Tieng Anh 12” using The Information Transfer Technique (From Unit 1 to
Unit 16).
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In this paper, I will use The Information Transfer Technique to adapt some
activities for the while and post reading stage and give out the procedure to
demonstrate them.
The while – reading stage: I have used Information Transfer Technique to
adapt some reading tasks. The aim of adapting is to make the tasks at this stage
simpler and easier for the students to do.
The Post – reading stage: I have used Information Transfer Technique to
adapt some reading tasks for this stage. The aim of adapting is to help students
summarize or generalize the text content. The students will use the information
from the charts, diagrams or the tables to reconstruct the content of the passage
orally. This will help the students not only to master the lessons but also to
improve speaking skills.
Activity 1: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
- Lesson: UNIT 1: HOME LIFE (see chart 1)
- Stage: While you read – adapted task. (Task 2 – page 14).
- Aims: To help the students summarize the reading passage easier and to
make the task more interesting and visual to students when they are reading
information about Home life.
- Time: 8 minutes

- Preparation: Ao paper size to draw the chart; handouts printed the chart; red
pens; textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions carefully.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups or pairs according to student’s abilities
and give students about 3 minutes to do.
+ Step 3: Go around and help students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose 2 groups or some pairs who finish first to come to the
board to complete the information on the chart.
+ Step 5: Check the result and give the correct answers
+ Step 6: Give feedback.
Answer:
1. long hours
2. the household
3. 8 a.m – 5 p.m
4. very late at night
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5. clean the house – cook meals
6. dishes
7. take out the garbage
8. win a place at university
9. close-knit family

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Activity 1: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
A very (9)……….

very supportive

The children feel
secure

Mothe
r

work
(1)….

A
night
shift
once a
week

Runnin
g
(2)……

Father

Preparing
meals

From..
to…..
(3)….

Come
home
until
(4)….

Help
mother
(5)...
the
house

Cook
special
dishes

Daughte
r
Do the house
hold chores

Wash (6)
….

(7)………

Look after
the boys

Attempt to

(8)………

Chart 1
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Activity 2: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
- Lesson: UNIT 2: CULTURAL DIVERSITY (see chart 2)
- Stage: While you read – adapted task. (Task 2 – page 22).
- Aims: To help the students summarize the reading passage easier and to
make the task more interesting and visual to students when they are reading
information about cultural diversity.
- Time: 7 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size to draw the chart; handouts printed the chart; red
pens; textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions carefully.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups or pairs according to student’s abilities
and give students about 3 minutes to do.
+ Step 3: Go around and help students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose 2 groups or some pairs who finish first to come to the
board to complete the information on the chart.
+ Step 5: Check the result and give the correct answers
+ Step 6: Give feedback.
Answer:
1. four
2. confiding
3. physical attractiveness
4. trust built on love
5. the Americans

6. sacrifice more in a marrige than a man
7. he loves her not because he has to.
8. romantic

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Activity 2: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
not romanic

(8)……………

The
Young Asians

The Young
Americans

(1)…….key values

(2)………..

(3)…………

Partnership of
equal

Indian
students’
attitudes

More concern

(5)………….

Chart 2

A women has
to (6)………

(4)…………...

Believe the
husband to do
the right thing

Because (7)
………

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Activity 3: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
- Lesson: UNIT 3: WAYS OF SOCIALISING (see chart 3)
- Stage: While you read – adapted task. (Task 3 – page 32).
- Aims: To help the students summarize the reading passage easier and to
make the task more interesting and visual to students when they are reading
information about ways of socialising.
- Time: 9 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size to draw the chart; handouts printed the chart; red

pens; textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions carefully.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups or pairs according to student’s abilities
and give students about 4 minutes to do.
+ Step 3: Go around and help students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose 3 groups or some pairs who finish first to come to the
board to complete the information on the chart.
+ Step 5: Check the result and give the correct answers
+ Step 6: Give feedback.
Answer:
1. verbal communication
2. non-verbal communication
3. big, obvious non-verbal
4. catch his eyes
5. nod slightly
6. a small friendly way
7. considered rude

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Activity 3: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
Jump up
and down,
wave

(2)……...

(1)……...

(7)
……….

(3)……..
signals

Attract some
one’s attention

Shouldn’t point
at the person

Attract
waiter’s
attention

Attract
teacher’s
attention

(6) ............
wait

(4)……..

(5)……...

raise your
hands

Chart 3
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Activity 4: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
- Lesson: UNIT 4: SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM (see chart 4)
- Stage: While you read – adapted task. (Task 2 – page 46).
- Aims: To help the students summarize the reading passage easier and to
make the task more interesting and visual to students when they are reading
information about school education system in England.
- Time: 8 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size to draw the chart; handouts printed the chart; red
pens; textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions carefully.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups or pairs according to student’s abilities
and give students about 3 minutes to do.
+ Step 3: Go around and help students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose 3 groups or some pairs who finish first to come to the
board to complete the information on the chart.
+ Step 5: Check the result and give the correct answers
+ Step 6: Give feedback.
Answer:
1. Autumn term
2. Spring term
3. Summer term
4. five
5. English
6. Maths

7. Core subjects
8. State school
9. Fee- paying
10. Students finish secondary education

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Activity 4: Read the passage again and complete the chart.

(1)……..

(2)……

(3)……

Children start
school at .....(4)

(5)……

3 terms

(8)……..

Paid by
the state

(6)……

science

(7)…….

2 school
systems

Take
GCSE
when..(10)
…

Public
school

(9)……..

Chart 4
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Activity 5: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
- Lesson: UNIT 5: HIGHER EDUCATION (see chart 5)
- Stage: While you read – adapted task. (Task 3 – page 54).
- Aims: To help the students summarize the reading passage easier and to
make the task more interesting and visual to students when they are reading
information about higher education – life of the students in college.
- Time: 8 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size to draw the chart; handouts printed the chart; red
pens; textbooks.

- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions carefully.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups or pairs according to student’s abilities
and give students about 3 minutes to do.
+ Step 3: Go around and help students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose 3 groups or some pairs who finish first to come to the
board to complete the information on the chart.
+ Step 5: Check the result and give the correct answers
+ Step 6: Give feedback.
Answer:
1. Brenden
2. Sarah
3. Ellen
4. Noticed her existence
5. A small school
6. Probably the best and most challenging year of his life.

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Activity 5: Read the passage again and complete the chart.

Sarah

Ellen

Brenden
n

The social calender of the college provides him

plenty of opportunities to meet other engineers

(1)
……..
The people at the party was busy playing games.
No one (4)………………………………………

(2)
……..

went out with their new friends, walking around
campus, going to the party.

graduated from (5)……………………………..

(3)
……..

The first year at the college was (6)……………

didn’t have a good relationship with the roomate

Chart 5
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Activity 6: Use the words and phrases in the box to reconstruct the text orally.
- Lesson: UNIT 6: FUTURE JOB (see chart 6)
- Stage: After you read (P.65) – adapted task for the After you read (P.65)
- Aims: To help the students to talk about some piece of advice of interview

more easily by looking at the chart and reconstruct using their own
language.
- Time: about 10 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size drawing the chart; handouts printed the chart;
textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups, pairs or students can work
individually according to their abilities and give them 5 minutes to prepare.
If the students are not good at speaking and too shy to talk in front of the
class, the teacher can model first.
+ Step 3: Go around and help the students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose one representative from each group, pair or a student who
can work individually to come to the board using the chart to talk steps of an
interview.
+ Step 5: Give comments and feedback.

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Activity 6: Use the words and phrases in the box to reconstruct the text orally.
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
Send a letter of application and resumes
Bring school certificates and letters of recommendation
Take note qualifications and expericence
Prepare the questions in advance
Where to interview and how to get there
Dress neatly and formally

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Pay attention to the interviewer
Try your best to anwser
Be clear, polite and honest
Show enthusiasm, best sides, keeness, and sense of
responsibility.
Say good bye to the interviewer

AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Not to be too disappointed if do not get the job
Listen to the interview’s comments

Chart 6

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Activity 7: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
- Lesson: UNIT 8: LIFE IN THE FUTURE (see chart 7)
- Stage: While you read – adapted task. (Task 2 – page 86).
- Aims: To help the students summarize the reading passage easier and to
make the task more interesting and visual to students when they are reading
information about life in the future.
- Time: 10 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size to draw the chart; handouts printed the chart; red
pens; textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions carefully.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups or pairs according to student’s abilities
and give students about 4 minutes to do.
+ Step 3: Go around and help students whenever they need

+ Step 4: Choose 2 groups or some pairs who finish first to come to the
board to complete the information on the chart.
+ Step 5: Check the result and give the correct answers
+ Step 6: Give feedback.
Answer:
1. millions of jobs will be lost
2. terrorism
3. breathing fresh air
4. eating healthier food
5. looked after by a more modern medical system
6. developments in micro technology – computer
7. telecommunication

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Activity 7: Read the passage again and complete the chart.

(6)……………….

(7)……………….

Factors of
dramatic changes

Pessimists

Economic
depression

large
coporatation
wiped out

(1)………

Optimists

Security of the
earth

Cleaner
environment

(3)……..

(4)………

(5)………

Laboursaving
devices
invention

threatened
by (2)…….

Chart 7

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Activity 8: Use the words and phrases in the box to reconstruct the text orally.
- Lesson: UNIT 10: ENDANGERED SPECIES (see chart 8)
- Stage: After you read (P.109) – adapted task for the After you read (P.109)
- Aims: To help the students to talk about endangered species more easily by
looking at the chart and reconstruct using their own language.
- Time: about 10 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size drawing the chart; handouts printed the chart;
textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups, pairs or students can work
individually according to their abilities and give them 5 minutes to prepare.
If the students are not good at speaking and too shy to talk in front of the
class, the teacher can model first.
+ Step 3: Go around and help the students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose one representative from each group, pair or a student who
can work individually to come to the board using the chart to talk steps of an
interview.
+ Step 5: Give comments and feedback.

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Activity 8: Use the words and phrases in the box to reconstruct the text orally.
Commercia
l
exploitatio
n

Habitat
destruction

In danger
of
extinction

Pollution

Primary causes
Over 1500 species of
plants and animals

Conservation efforts
Species extinction
The Red
List

Enact laws

Build
wildlife
habitat
reserves

A loss of
biodiversity

Chart 8

Raise
people’s
awareness

Protect
wildlife

To survive
and develop

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Activity 9: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
- Lesson: UNIT 11: BOOKS (see chart 9)
- Stage: While you read – adapted task. (Task 3 – page 120).
- Aims: To help the students summarize the reading passage easier and to
make the task more interesting and visual to students when they are reading
information about ways of reading books.
- Time: 10 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size to draw the chart; handouts printed the chart; red
pens; textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions carefully.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups or pairs according to student’s abilities
and give students about 4 minutes to do.
+ Step 3: Go around and help students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose 2 groups or some pairs who finish first to come to the
board to complete the information on the chart.

+ Step 5: Check the result and give the correct answers
+ Step 6: Give feedback.
Answer:
1. three
2. tasting
3. chew and digest
4. a good story
5. difficult
6. colour
7. action
8. a book forever and read it many times

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Activity 9: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
When you
found (4)
……
(2)………..

(3)…………

swallowing

(1)…….ways of
reading books

Advantages of TV

(6)
……

pictur
e

Chart 9

Advantages of books

(7)
….....

Before reading
books carefully
Check not
too (5)
………

cheap

Read the
first few
pages

Can keep
(8)…...
….

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Activity 10: Read the passage again and complete the chart.
- Lesson: UNIT 12: WATER SPORTS (see chart 10)
- Stage: While you read – adapted task. (Task 3 – page 130).
- Aims: To help the students summarize the reading passage easier and to
make the task more interesting and visual to students when they are reading
information about water sports – water polo.
- Time: 8 minutes
- Preparation: Ao paper size to draw the chart; handouts printed the chart; red
pens; textbooks.
- Procedure:
+ Step 1: Teacher gives instructions carefully.
+ Step 2: Divide the class into groups or pairs according to student’s abilities
and give students about 4 minutes to do.
+ Step 3: Go around and help students whenever they need
+ Step 4: Choose 2 groups or some pairs who finish first to come to the
board to complete the information on the chart.
+ Step 5: Check the result and give the correct answers
+ Step 6: Give feedback.
Answer:
1. A poor in the water
2. With one hand
3. The centre of the pool
4. Goalie/ goalkeeper
5. Is ejected

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Activity 10: Read the passage again and complete the chart.

Swimmer’
s head

(2)
…….....

Played in
(1)……..

The ball
advanced
by
passing

The game
begin with
the ball in
(3)
………..

Commit
five
personal
fouls

(4)………

Hold the

ball with
bold hands

(5)………

Chart 10

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