Bio: Dr. Mintra Puripunyavanich is an Assistant Professor of English and Assistant to Deputy Director for
International Affairs at Chulalongkorn University Language Institute (CULI). She co-founded the Thailand Extensive Reading Association (TERA) and is Immediate Past Chair. Her research interests include extensive reading, materials
development, and English for Economics and Business.
Brief:
English reading skills are crucial for students globally as they facilitate academic progress and achievement (Anderson, 1999; Grabe & Yamashita, 2022). In the context of tertiary education in Thailand, English reading is typically integrated into general English courses or specialized courses such as English for Academic Purposes (EAP) or English for Specific Purposes (ESP). This featured talk aims to illuminate the teaching of English reading in general English courses offered to non-English major undergraduates at various universities in Thailand where multilingual and multicultural contexts are subsumed. Data were collected using an online questionnaire administered to 163
university teachers across Thailand, representing institutions governed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Findings revealed that the participants prioritized building reading comprehension, teaching reading strategies, and activating prior knowledge in teaching reading in general English courses. Practically, when teaching a reading passage, nearly 70% of the participants dedicated over 50% of lesson time to doing whilereading
activities, followed by post-reading activities, which were emphasized by 63.19% of the participants. Regarding instructional materials, commercial course books published by leading ELT publishers were predominantly used. The top challenges identified were students’ limited vocabulary, lack of motivation to read in English, and low proficiency. The audience will walk away with insights into pedagogical practices and implications for improving English reading instruction in diverse educational settings based on these findings.
References
Anderson, N. J. (1999). Exploring second language reading:
Issues and strategies. Heinle & Heinle.
Grabe, W., & Yamashita, J. (2022). Reading in a second language:
Moving from theory to practice (2nd ed.). Cambridge
University Press