1. Introduction
Reading comprehension is one of the most important language skills that students of foreign language need to have. This is because the goal of most foreign language students is to get access to the knowledge they need through the medium of the foreign language they are learning. In addition, reading is a very important , even the most important source of linguistic input through which the students acquire the foreign language. Unfortunately there are many factors, both linguistic and non-linguistic, that makes reading comprehension a difficult skill for the students to acquire. This study is to investigate those difficulties as perceived by the students.
This Chapter introduces the rationale, the aim, the research question, the research method, and the scope of the study. The Chapter concludes with a presentation of the organization of the study.
2. Rationale
The ongoing process of regional and global intergration in Vietnam has resulted in an increasing demand for English language teaching across the country. Now, learning English is not only an interest but also a practical thing for many people. Learning English means learning four related skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. In teaching and learning English as a foreign language in Vietnam, reading has always received a great deal of attention. This is understandable, English is learnt and taught in non-English environment, so reading is not only one of the four language skills that students of English need to acquire but also a means of further study. According to Carrell (1981) “For many students, reading is by far the most important of the four skills in a second language, particularly in English as a second or foreign language”(p.1). What is more, when poor reading results are reported, one tends to blame the students for having poor ability or for making insufficient effort. Nevertheless, the students are not always at fault. There are other important factors in the process of teaching and learning reading that are worth considering. It could be unsuitable teaching materials. It could be the inappropriate attitude of the teachers and learners towards the subject. It could be the teachers’ inappropriate teaching methods and classroom techniques.