VietTESOL International Convention 2026

This small-scale classroom study explored how authentic materials could be adapted into higher-order reading tasks for gifted EFL high school students in Vietnam. Gifted learners often need more challenging activities than standard textbooks provide, yet teachers in Vietnam have few research-based examples to draw on when working with them. The researcher therefore developed a framework based on revised Bloom’s Taxonomy to turn real-world texts such as news articles and academic excerpts into tasks that required analysis, evaluation, and creative thinking rather than simple recall. Twenty-seven gifted students took part in an eight-week intervention. Their reading performance was measured before and after using pre- and post-tests that included both lower- and higher-order items. Student questionnaires, interviews, and the teacher’s reflections supplied additional insights into engagement, difficulties, and overall usefulness of the approach. Results showed clear progress, especially on higher-order tasks. Accuracy on these items rose from 54.8% to 72.4%, with a large effect size. Students found the materials more interesting and relevant than usual textbook passages, and most expressed a desire to work with authentic texts more often. The study suggests that thoughtful adaptation of genuine materials, combined with well-designed higher-order tasks and gradual support, can meaningfully strengthen gifted students’ critical reading skills within normal classroom conditions. Practical examples and recommendations are offered for teachers who wish to try similar approaches.