HANOI UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES DEPARTMENT

Critical Reading
Pair Reading Project – Term 3

Student name: 1.
2.
Student ID#: 1.
2.
Lecturer:
Class:
2022 - 2023

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 Pair Reading Project Guideline

Reading is an input skill, and its mastery is clearly illustrated by an output product; thus, reading project
is needed for the on-going assessment process of the course. The project also encourages your extensive
reading related to your major. It enhances your teacher’s interaction with you in the same way as
between a reader and a writer, through a real cycle of reading and writing. You read then write, your
teacher reads your work, then writes feedback for you to read.

A. Pair Reading Project consists of the following tasks.

1) Task 1 - Extensive Reading:

- Your pair select and read an article in English.

- Topic MUST be academic or formal.
- Your article can be a research article, journal article or news article. Journal/ research
articles related to your major are highly recommended.
- IT MUST be from one of the reliable sources in the list given below. Remember to
include the source link.
- It is at least 800 words in length, of A4 paper size with Times News Roman - font 12.
- For online lesson, your project must include a soft copy of the article: copy the content
and paste it in this file – or take a photo and insert the picture into this file. For offline
lesson, a printed hardcopy must be submitted.
- Reading texts can be refused if they fail to meet the requirements above.

- First, you are required to create a mind map or an outline (that summarizes the article).
Do not write a complete summary paragraph.
- Second, you are asked to answer 5 sets of critical reading questions about the article,
type the answers and explain your answers.
- These five sets of questions are related to the critical analysis and discussion questions in
the textbook and lessons 1 to 7.
- All work must be typed using the forms provided below (and printed in offline class).

- Submit Task 1 in Lesson 8 for marking. Teacher will give feedback to you later.
- For online class, you will send the project to the Teacher online. For offline class, you
will submit the hardcopy version.

2) Task 2 - Critical Review: 1 pair written paper & 1 brief presentation

 Written critical review (of 300 – 400 words)

o Your pair use the same English article (in the previous Task 1- Extensive Reading).
o You are required to write a critical review of this article. The critical review should be at
least 300 – 400 words in length.
o Submit Task 2 in Lesson 9 for marking. Teacher will give feedback to you later.
o For online class, you will send the project to the Teacher online. For offline class, you
will submit the hardcopy version.
o A critical review includes a summary (introducing topic & stating main ideas of the
article) and a critique (a synthesis of answers to critical reading questions)

 Presentation about your critical review (maximum 2 minutes)

o Your slides/A0 size poster display your critical review (article summary & critique).
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 o One student presents the critical review’s content in Lesson 11 (one speaker only).
o Oral critical review must be the same as the last version of the written review. Otherwise,
the score for both members will be halved.
o Absent student receives half of the mark for Task 2 - critical review.

 Note:
Do NOT use the same reading text as your classmates, or copy any other students’ work. You
will receive score zero, or have to find a new reading text.
Late submission: Your score will be deducted if you do not complete your tasks on time.

B. Resources of reading texts for Pair Reading Project:

 Research articles & journal articles from:

 Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.com.vn/
 Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJs):
https://doaj.org/
 SAGE open access journals
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/sgo
 Taylor & Francis Journal
http://www.tandfonline.com/page/openaccess
 Free source:
http://www.freefullpdf.com
 HANU library
lib.hanu.vn
 Vietnam Journals Online
http://.vjol.info/index/about/
 National Library of Vietnam
http://dl.nlv.gov.vn/
 ScienceDirect
https://www.sciencedirect.com/
 Wiley Online Library
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
 Education Resource Information Centre (ERIC):
https://eric.ed.gov/
 Research Gate
http://www.researchgate.net/

(“Open access” means “free to download or copy”. Some articles in the links above
may not be free)

 News articles from: e.g. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Reuters,
BBC, The Guardian, Financial Times, Washington Post, or other reputable/ reliable English
newspaper.

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  The following RESOURCES are NOT ACCEPTED for the Pair Reading Project:
(1) posts on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram;
(3) personal opinion, reader’s opinion in Opinion Column on newspaper;
(2) blogs;
(3) YAHOO.COM news reports;
(4) Wikipedia and other similar websites;
(5) Viet Nam News, or other Vietnamese newspapers
(6) textbooks for English language learning
(7) IELTS texts
 You MUST select formal or academic topics.

C. Please type your project in the following pages:

TASK 1 (30%) – EXTENSIVE READING (submitted in Lesson 8)

Title:

Reference
source/ web link:

A. For online class, insert the article here:

(For offline class, print the hardcopy of the article)

B. Mind-map or outline:
Create a mind-map or an outline that summarizes the article. (Length: No more than ONE A4 paper)
Teacher may provide the class with samples of mind map or outline.

C. Answer the following Critical Reading Questions about the article and explain your answers:

FIVE SETS OF CRITICAL QUESTIONS

1. Question Set 1:
- Where was this text published? (in a peer- reviewed academic journal or a non-academic source?)
- When was this text published? Is the text up-to-date or outdated?

 YOUR ANSWERS with explanation:

2. Question Set 2:
- Who is the author of the reading text? What are his/her credentials, profession and educational
background?

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 - Is the text biased or objective? (Does it present one-sided arguments or a balanced view?)

 YOUR ANSWERS with explanation:

3. Question Set 3:
- Who was the text written for? (general audience or academic audience?)
- Why did the author write the text? (to contribute knowledge about the topic, to convince/ entertain/
warn the audience, to give advice, advertise a product/service, or report information?)

 YOUR ANSWERS with explanation:

4. Question Set 4:
Does the author present or imply his/her opinion about the topic in the text? What is his or her opinion?
Does the text present a convincing argument or reliable information about its topic? (Briefly explain why
it is convincing/ reliable, or why not).

 YOUR ANSWERS with explanation:

5. Question Set 5:
Has the author done empirical research about the topic? (YES or NO?)
a) If “YES”, answer the following questions:
What are the major research results/ findings? What is the author’s conclusion? Are charts and graphs
used in text?
b) If “NO”, answer the following questions:
Do the author use such types of evidence as anecdotes, visual items, statistics, quotations to support
his/her points? Is the evidence convincing and effectively used?
If there is no evidence, how are the author’s points supported?

 YOUR ANSWERS with explanation:

TASK 2 (60%) – CRITICAL REVIEW (submitted in Lesson 9)

(The whole project is submitted in Lesson 11)

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