Research Proposal: Difficulties Encountered by 2nd EFL Students at

HUFLIS in Practicing Reading Comprehension Skill

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS:
EFL: English as a foreign language
U.S: United States

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the Study

Reading comprehension is a critical component in the academic

success of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. At Hue
University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology
(HUFLIS), second-year students are expected to transition from
general English to more advanced reading tasks.

However, many continue to struggle with understanding texts,

particularly in identifying main ideas, interpreting vocabulary in
context, and making inferences. These challenges hinder both their
academic performance and language development. Despite the
integration of reading skills into the curriculum, the effectiveness of
instruction remains questionable, prompting a need for closer
investigation.

1.2. A Gap in the Current Research

Although numerous studies have addressed reading comprehension

difficulties in EFL contexts globally, few have examined the specific
experiences of Vietnamese students in their second year at tertiary
institutions. Most prior research either targets general EFL learners
or focuses on primary and secondary education.

Furthermore, limited qualitative research exists that explores

students’ own perspectives on their difficulties and coping
strategies, especially within the HUFLIS context.
1.3. The Significance of the Study

This study provides insights into real-life difficulties faced by second-

year EFL students at HUFLIS and investigates the root causes of
those difficulties. The findings can inform teaching strategies,
contribute to curriculum reform, and improve learning outcomes in
reading comprehension.

Additionally, the research emphasizes the importance of strategic

reading instruction and learner autonomy in Vietnamese higher
education settings.

1.4. The Objectives of the Study

- To identify the main difficulties encountered by second-year EFL

students in practicing reading comprehension.

- To explore the underlying cognitive, linguistic, and affective factors

contributing to those difficulties.

- To investigate strategies students use to overcome reading

comprehension challenges.

1.5. Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following questions:

1. What are the common difficulties faced by second-year EFL

students at Huflis in practicing reading comprehension skills?
2. What underlying factors contribute to these reading
comprehension difficulties?
3. What strategies do these students employ to overcome the
difficulties in reading comprehension?

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Definitions of Key Concepts

Reading comprehension is a foundational skill in second language

acquisition, and it plays a pivotal role in academic success and
effective communication. In the context of English as a Foreign
Language (EFL) learning, students often face various challenges in
developing proficient reading comprehension abilities. These
difficulties are frequently linked to limited language proficiency, lack
of effective reading strategies, and contextual factors such as
teaching methods and learning environments. This literature review
synthesizes existing research related to the common difficulties EFL
learners encounter, the contributing factors to these difficulties, and
the strategies learners adopt to overcome them. It also highlights
gaps relevant to the specific context of second-year students at
Huflis.

2.2. Previous Studies

2.2.1. Common Difficulties in Reading Comprehension for EFL

Learners

Numerous studies have identified vocabulary knowledge as one of

the most critical barriers to successful reading comprehension for
EFL learners. Grabe (2009) emphasizes that insufficient vocabulary
severely limits the ability to understand texts, especially when
encountering unfamiliar words within complex sentence structures.
This lack of vocabulary knowledge slows reading speed and disrupts
overall comprehension, as students must frequently stop to infer
meanings or skip unknown words. Similarly, Koda (2005) discusses
the challenges EFL readers face when dealing with syntactic
complexity and unfamiliar discourse markers, which further impede
understanding.
In addition to linguistic barriers, students also struggle with
inferential comprehension. Carrell, Devine, and Eskey (1988) note
that many EFL learners find it difficult to go beyond the literal
meaning of texts to interpret implied ideas, tone, or author intent.
This difficulty is often rooted in limited cultural background
knowledge and inadequate familiarity with different text types. As a
result, learners may fail to grasp the overall message or main ideas,
affecting their academic performance and motivation.

Furthermore, reading speed and fluency are commonly cited

problems. According to Nation (2009), many EFL learners read at a
slower pace compared to native speakers, which leads to increased
cognitive load and fatigue. This can result in frustration and
decreased willingness to engage in extensive reading practice,
which is crucial for language development.

2.2.2. Underlying Factors Contributing to Reading Difficulties

Beyond surface-level difficulties, cognitive and affective factors

significantly influence EFL students’ reading comprehension skills.
Zhang (2001) highlights the role of metacognitive awareness—
learners’ knowledge and control over their reading strategies—in
successful comprehension. Students who lack metacognitive skills
often do not plan, monitor, or evaluate their understanding
effectively, leading to poor reading outcomes.

Motivation and anxiety also play important roles. Chen (2011)

demonstrates that students with low motivation or high reading
anxiety tend to avoid reading tasks or approach them with negative
attitudes, which hampers their ability to practice and improve. This
affective barrier can be exacerbated by external pressures such as
heavy workloads or unsupportive classroom environments.
Contextual and pedagogical factors further contribute to students’
difficulties. According to Alyousef (2005), the teaching approach and
materials used in EFL classrooms significantly affect students’
engagement and skill acquisition. At institutions like Huflis, where
the curriculum might be heavily exam-focused, students often
prioritize memorizing vocabulary or grammar rules over developing
deeper comprehension skills. This misalignment between teaching
practices and learner needs can limit students’ progress in reading.

2.2.3. Strategies Employed by EFL Learners to Overcome Difficulties

Research indicates that effective reading strategies can

substantially mitigate comprehension difficulties. Grabe and Stoller
(2011) categorize these strategies into bottom-up (focusing on
decoding and vocabulary) and top-down (using background
knowledge and predicting content). Skilled readers flexibly combine
these approaches to enhance understanding.

Many learners use techniques such as previewing texts, making

predictions, and summarizing paragraphs to aid comprehension
(Nuttall, 2005). These active strategies help students engage with
the material and construct meaning rather than passively decoding
words. However, Zhang (2001) points out that EFL students often
lack awareness of such strategies or receive insufficient training on
how to apply them effectively.

Additionally, peer collaboration and teacher support are found to be

beneficial. Nguyen (2020) reports that group discussions and guided
reading activities help students share insights and clarify
misunderstandings, improving overall comprehension. Technology-
assisted tools, such as online dictionaries and reading apps, also
offer additional support by providing immediate explanations and
interactive exercises.

2.2.4. Previous Studies on Reading Difficulties in EFL Contexts

Several empirical studies have investigated reading comprehension

problems among EFL learners in various settings. Alyousef (2005)
identifies vocabulary deficits and limited inferencing skills as
primary obstacles for Saudi EFL students. Similarly, Nguyen (2020)
examines Vietnamese university students and finds that lack of
reading strategies and motivation are major issues affecting reading
performance.

In the Vietnamese context, most studies focus on general English

proficiency or specific skill areas but rarely examine second-year
students’ reading difficulties in depth. Additionally, much of the
research emphasizes quantitative data without exploring learners’
perspectives on coping mechanisms.

2.3. Research Gaps

Despite the wealth of research on reading comprehension difficulties

among EFL learners, there remains a notable gap in localized,
contextualized studies focused on second-year students at Huflis.
This particular group is at a transitional stage where foundational
skills learned in earlier years are expected to mature into more
advanced academic reading abilities. Moreover, existing literature
often isolates the difficulties from their underlying causes and the
strategies students employ, whereas an integrated investigation
could yield richer insights.

There is also a lack of qualitative data capturing students’ personal

experiences and coping methods in the Huflis environment.
Addressing these gaps would provide practical implications for
educators and curriculum planners, helping them tailor instructional
approaches that meet students’ specific needs and improve reading
outcomes effectively.

This review thus sets the stage for the current study, which aims to
comprehensively explore the reading comprehension challenges
faced by second-year EFL students at Huflis, investigate the
contributing factors, and identify the strategies they use to
overcome these challenges.

3. Methodology

This section outlines the methodology that will be used to

conduct the research on the reading comprehension difficulties
faced by second-year EFL students at Huflis University. The research
adopts a mixed-methods design to ensure both quantitative
measurement and qualitative depth in exploring the nature, causes,
and responses to reading challenges among this specific student
population.

3.1 Research Design/Approach

The study employs a mixed-methods approach combining both

quantitative and qualitative methods. This design is appropriate
because it allows for triangulation—enhancing the validity of the
findings by cross-verifying information from different sources. The
quantitative data will help identify the prevalence and types of
reading difficulties among students, while the qualitative data will
provide detailed insight into students’ perceptions, attitudes, and
strategies.

The research is both descriptive and exploratory in nature. It is

descriptive in that it seeks to document the types and frequency of
reading problems, and exploratory because it investigates
contributing factors and coping mechanisms which are not widely
researched within this specific context.

3.2 Research Setting and Participants

The research will be conducted at Huflis University, a tertiary

institution in Vietnam where English is taught as a foreign language
across various departments.

Participants will be 100 second-year students majoring in English,

selected through stratified random sampling to ensure
representation from different classes and genders. These students
are ideal subjects for this research because they have already been
exposed to a year of academic English and are beginning to engage
with more complex reading materials. In addition, 5 English
instructors will be invited to participate in semi-structured interviews
to provide a complementary perspective on students’ reading
performance and difficulties.

All participants will be informed of the purpose of the study and will
voluntarily consent to participate, in line with ethical research
practices.

3.3 Instruments / Materials

Three primary instruments will be used in this study:

 1. Questionnaire: A structured questionnaire will be distributed to
100 students. It will contain Likert-scale items and multiple-
choice questions designed to collect data on students’ self-
reported reading difficulties, perceived causes, reading habits,
and strategies used to overcome challenges.
2. Reading Comprehension Test: A standardized reading
comprehension test will be administered to objectively assess
students’ actual reading proficiency. The test will include
multiple reading passages followed by questions targeting
different skills such as main idea identification, inferencing,
vocabulary in context, and detail recognition.
3. Semi-Structured Interviews: In-depth interviews will be
conducted with 15 selected students and 5 instructors. The
interviews will explore participants’ experiences, challenges,
emotional responses, and perceptions about the adequacy of
classroom instruction and materials. Interviews will be audio-
recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.

All instruments will be piloted with a small group of students (n=10)

before full implementation to check clarity, reliability, and
appropriateness.

3.4 Data Collection Procedures

The data collection will occur in three phases over six weeks:

 Phase 1: Distribution of Questionnaires and Reading Test

Students will complete the questionnaire and reading

comprehension test in class. The questionnaire will take about
20 minutes, and the test approximately 45 minutes.

 Phase 2: Conducting Student Interviews

 Based on the results of the test and questionnaire, 15 students
representing low, average, and high reading performance will
be selected for interviews. Interviews will last 20–30 minutes
each and conducted in Vietnamese to ensure participant
comfort and expression.

 Phase 3: Instructor Interviews

Interviews with instructors will take place in English, lasting

around 30 minutes each. They will focus on perceptions of
student difficulties, curriculum effectiveness, and teaching
strategies.

3.5 Data Analysis

- Quantitative Data Analysis:

Questionnaire responses and test scores will be analyzed using

descriptive statistics (mean, frequency, standard deviation) and
inferential statistics (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA) via SPSS software. This
will help identify patterns in student difficulties and any significant
differences based on gender, performance levels, or learning habits.

For example:

Which difficulties are most common?

Are certain issues more pronounced among low-performing

students?

Is there a significant relationship between reading habits and

comprehension scores?

- Qualitative Data Analysis:

Interview transcripts will be analyzed using thematic analysis
following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step model:

1. Familiarization with data

2. Generating initial codes
3. Searching for themes
4. Reviewing themes
5. Defining and naming themes
6. Producing the report

Codes will be manually labeled, then grouped into broader themes

such as “vocabulary burden,” “lack of reading strategy,” “anxiety,”
“teacher support,” or “translation dependence.” This analysis will
enable a deeper understanding of how students interpret their
struggles and the broader institutional context.

3.6 Ethical Considerations

The study will strictly adhere to ethical research principles:

 Informed consent will be obtained from all participants.

 Confidentiality and anonymity will be assured by assigning
code numbers to each participant and avoiding the collection
of personally identifiable data.
 Right to withdraw: Participants will be informed of their right to
withdraw at any time without penalty.
 Audio recordings and data will be stored securely and used
only for research purposes.

Approval for the study will be sought from the Huflis Research Ethics
Committee prior to implementation.

3.7 Analyzing Outcomes

The outcomes of the study will be analyzed in relation to three main
domains:

1. Skill Deficiency: Which specific sub-skills are most problematic

—e.g., vocabulary, inference, identifying main ideas—and how
widespread these deficiencies are.
2. Causal Factors: Whether difficulties are primarily cognitive
(e.g., processing speed), affective (e.g., anxiety), or
instructional (e.g., poor strategy training).
3. Adaptive Responses: What patterns emerge in how students
cope, and which strategies correlate with higher
comprehension performance.

This analysis will provide a comprehensive picture of both the

“what” and the “why” of students’ reading comprehension struggles
and offer a basis for designing pedagogical interventions.

V. Timeline

Proposal
Task Product Notes
Dates

Literature May 10 - Draft literature Collect and

Review May 20 review summarize studies

Questionnaire May 21 - Finalized Pilot test with small

Design May 25 questionnaire group

May 26 - Collected Distribute and collect

Data Collection
June 10 questionnaires forms

Interviews & June 11 - Interview Conduct semi-

Observations June 20 transcripts, notes structured interviews
 Proposal
Task Product Notes
Dates

and observations

Analyzed
June 21 - Use software and
Data Analysis quantitative and
June 30 manual coding
qualitative data

Writing
July 1 - Draft research
Research Integrate findings
July 10 report
Report

Final Revision July 11 - Proofreading and

Final report
& Submission July 15 formatting

VI. Expected outcomes/impact

This research is expected to yield several valuable outcomes.

Firstly, it will provide a clear picture of the most common reading
comprehension difficulties faced by second-year EFL students at
HUFLIS, helping educators identify areas that require focused
attention. Secondly, the study will highlight the underlying factors,
including linguistic, cognitive, and affective influences, contributing
to these difficulties within this specific context.
Furthermore, by identifying the strategies students employ to
overcome reading challenges, the research will inform the
development of teaching methods and learning resources that
promote effective reading comprehension practices. The findings
may encourage the integration of strategy training in the curriculum
and motivate teachers to create a more supportive learning
environment.
 Ultimately, this study will contribute to the improvement of
EFL reading instruction at HUFLIS and possibly at other similar
institutions, fostering better academic achievement and language
proficiency among Vietnamese EFL learners.

References:

Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing reading. Cambridge University

Press.

Anderson, N. J. (2008). Metacognition and the second language

learner. In J. C. Richards & W. A. Renandya (Eds.), Methodology in
language teaching (pp. 371–383). Cambridge University Press.

Chamot, A. U., & O’Malley, J. M. (1994). The CALLA handbook:

Implementing the cognitive academic language learning approach.
Addison-Wesley.

Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2002). Teaching and researching reading.

Pearson Education.

Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., & You, W. (2004). Instructional contexts in

reading: Theoretical models and practice. In R. B. Ruddell & N. J.
Unrau (Eds.), Theoretical models and processes of reading (pp. 586–
603). International Reading Association.

McNamara, D. S. (2007). Reading comprehension strategies:

Theories, interventions, and technologies. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language.
Cambridge University Press.

Nguyen, T. H. (2010). Factors affecting reading comprehension of

EFL students in Vietnam. Journal of Language and Education.

Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (Eds.). (2002). Methodology in

language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge
University Press.

Tran, L. T. (2015). Reading habits and attitudes of Vietnamese

university students. Asian EFL Journal.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher

psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

APPENDIX

Appendix A: Student Questionnaire Sample

Appendix B: Reading Comprehension Test Sample

Appendix C: Interview Questions for Students and Teachers