VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES ĐỖ KIM THUỲ A STUDY ON THE REALITY OF TEACHING LISTENING SKILLS TO SECOND YEAR[.]
Students' favorite activities in listening classes
Rationale of the study
Listening is a crucial component of everyday communication and the learning process, as we typically spend more time listening than speaking, reading, or writing (Morley, 1991) Despite its significance, listening is often undervalued in many language classrooms, where speaking tends to receive more attention However, effective communication relies on both speaking and understanding, highlighting the importance of listening comprehension Consequently, teachers should allocate sufficient classroom time to teaching and practicing listening skills to enhance overall language proficiency.
Many universities in Vietnam, including Hanoi University of Industry (HaUI), have historically overlooked the importance of teaching English listening skills Consequently, the quality and effectiveness of listening skill instruction remain below expected standards Improving focus on listening development is essential to enhance overall language proficiency among students.
Teaching listening at HaUI presents challenges such as large class sizes, diverse learning styles, and varying student needs Many colleagues also express concerns about these difficulties, highlighting the need for effective strategies To enhance student learning outcomes, it is essential to explore proven methods for improving listening instruction Implementing targeted approaches can help teachers overcome these obstacles and achieve better results in students' language development.
Inspired by these challenges, I conducted a research study titled “A Study on the Reality of Teaching Listening Skills to Second-Year Non-English Major Students at Hanoi University of Industry: Relevant Problems and Suggested Solutions.” The goal of this research is to identify key issues in teaching English listening skills and propose effective solutions to enhance the learning experience This study aims to contribute to the improvement of English listening instruction at HaUI, ultimately supporting students' language proficiency development.
Aims of the study
The study aims to investigate:
The current situation of teaching English listening skills to the second-year non-English major students at HaUI;
Teachers’ and students’ difficulties in teaching and learning listening skills;
Suggested solutions for improving teaching listening skills for second-year non-English major students at HaUI.
Research questions
To achieve the aims of the study, we tend to seek answers for these questions:
1 What is the reality of teaching listening skills for the second-year non-English major students at HaUI?
2 What difficulties do EFL teachers and students encounter in teaching and learning listening skills?
3 What are the solutions for improving the quality of teaching listening to the second-year non-English major students at HaUI?
Scope of the study
This study focuses exclusively on the effectiveness of teaching listening skills to second-year non-English major students at HaUI It does not explore other language skills such as reading, writing, or speaking, which are beyond the scope of this research.
This study focuses on a specific case at HaUI, so its findings may not be directly applicable to other school contexts However, it can serve as valuable reference material for educators facing similar challenges in teaching listening skills.
Methods of the study
This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative classroom observations to explore teaching listening skills at HaUI Questionnaires were administered to teachers and students to identify the challenges they face in teaching and learning listening skills, along with potential solutions Classroom observations served to validate and deepen understanding of the actual classroom practices, while document reviews provided a solid theoretical foundation for the research This comprehensive approach ensured a thorough examination of the difficulties and opportunities in improving listening education at HaUI.
Significance of the study
Listening is often regarded as the most challenging skill for both English majors and non-majors, highlighting the importance of focusing on listening comprehension to improve overall English proficiency To achieve this goal, English teachers must understand the significance of innovative teaching methods and strategies that capture students' interest and foster their listening skills Enhancing listening abilities is a crucial factor in helping students become more confident and proficient in English, making effective instructional approaches essential for success.
This study aims to enhance the English teaching capabilities of teachers at HaUI, ultimately improving students’ listening skills The findings are expected to contribute to the development of more effective teaching strategies in English language education Additionally, the research offers valuable insights and may inspire future studies in this field.
Design of the study
This study is divided into three main parts:
Part A: Introduction presents the rationale, the aim, the research questions, the scope, the methods, the significance and the design of the study
Part B: Development consists of three chapters:
Chapter one presents the literature review;
Chapter two shows the methodology of the study;
Chapter three includes data analysis and discussion
Part C: Conclusion offers a summary of the study and some suggestions for further study
Besides, the questionnaires for the teachers and students and the classroom observation checklist are included in the appendices
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition of listening
Listening receives great concern of many researchers; hence, there appear many different points of view on the definition of it
Listening is a complex, active process involving discriminating sounds, understanding vocabulary and grammar, clarifying intonation and stress, and interpreting utterances within their socio-cultural context (Vandergrift, 1999) Developing effective listening skills can be challenging, as they require mastering multiple interconnected abilities.
According to Howatt and Dakin (1974), listening is the ability to identify and understand what speakers are saying, which involves comprehending their accent, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary to make sense of their spoken message.
According to Buck (2001), listening is an active process of conveying meaning, involving both linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge to interpret incoming sounds Comprehension is influenced by various factors, including the speaker’s characteristics, the context or situation, and the listener’s own knowledge These variables can significantly impact how effectively a message is understood.
Listening is a vital language skill that encompasses a wide range of sub-skills, beyond mere hearing It involves decoding sounds and accurately interpreting the meaning behind spoken words, making it essential for effective communication and language mastery.
Significance of listening
In four language skills, listening is used with the most frequently rate Wolvin and Coakley (1988: 45) showed that, both in and out of the classroom,
Listening accounts for the majority of daily communication time, surpassing other verbal communication forms A study by Barker, Edwards, Gaines, Gladney, and Holley (1980) found that college students spend 52.5% of their verbal communication time listening, compared to 17.3% reading, 16.3% speaking, and 13.9% writing This idea is reinforced by Gilbert (1988), who reported that students from kindergarten through high school are expected to listen between 65-90% of the time.
According to Coakley and Wolvin (1997), listening is essential for students at all levels of education, serving as a primary medium for learning and academic success Their research highlights that effective listening skills are more crucial than reading skills in contributing to overall academic achievement Moreover, strong listening abilities boost students’ confidence in communication, especially when interacting with foreigners, emphasizing the importance of developing listening competence for educational and social development.
Effective listening skills are crucial for students' language development, making it essential for teachers to incorporate systematic listening strategies in their lessons Teachers should regularly provide listening practice to enhance students' comprehension and engagement Developing strong listening abilities is a key goal of foreign language education, ultimately fostering better communication skills and language mastery.
Process of listening
There are two main views of listening processes: bottom-up process and top- down listening process (Celce-Murcia, 2001; Hedge, 2000)
Hedge (2000: 230) explains that understanding spoken language involves our knowledge of the language and the ability to process acoustic signals We interpret sounds by gradually constructing messages from individual sounds to words, grammatical units, and lexical meanings During this process, we also utilize contextual clues, such as stress patterns on meaningful units, to aid comprehension These cues play a vital role in helping us decipher the intended message efficiently.
6 between stressed and unstressed syllables; we even use our knowledge of lexical and syntactic to make clear the meaning of the words
Bottom-up processing has limitations because effective text comprehension requires prior knowledge of the topic, and linguistic skills alone are not sufficient to connect the material with the listener’s understanding Relying solely on bottom-up listening can lead to challenges for learners, emphasizing the need to consider additional processes such as top-down processing to improve understanding.
Prior background knowledge significantly enhances listening comprehension by enabling listeners to clarify and understand the speaker’s message more effectively This prior knowledge relates to top-down processing, which helps predict upcoming information and mitigates potential challenges in bottom-up processing According to Celce-Murcia (2001), leveraging such background knowledge allows listeners to avoid weak points in understanding, leading to more efficient and meaningful communication.
Effective communication depends on the listener’s ability to process incoming information When unfamiliar information is presented, it can cause confusion and hinder understanding of the message To comprehend effectively, the listener relies heavily on their linguistic knowledge and contextual understanding However, without appropriate context provided by the speaker, even background knowledge may not suffice Therefore, relying solely on top-down processing can lead to comprehension failure, highlighting the importance of clear and contextual communication.
Listening comprehension involves the integration of both top-down and bottom-up processing, which work together to enhance understanding This collaboration allows learners to overcome the limitations of each process when used independently While native speakers naturally employ these cognitive processes when listening, it is essential to teach second language learners how to effectively use both for improved comprehension Developing this dual processing skill is a crucial condition for successful listening in a second language.
Stages of a listening lesson
In general, a listening lesson consists of three stages: pre-listening, while- listening and post-listening stages (Underwood, 1989; Brown, 2006)
Providing background information before listening practice helps students understand speech more effectively by setting the context, increasing their interest, and activating prior knowledge This approach enhances listening comprehension by ensuring students are better prepared, making the learning process more engaging and efficient.
Brown (2006: 64) emphasizes that a effective pre-listening task should include two key components: introducing students to new vocabulary or sentence structures relevant to the listening passage and activating their prior knowledge about the topic To enhance this stage, teachers can implement various tips that facilitate student engagement and comprehension, ultimately improving listening skills.
Teachers use visual aids to introduce the topic of the listening
Teachers give a clear and definite purpose for listening each time then guide the students how to treat well with these types of task
Teachers help students review new words (Less than 10 words)
Teachers instruct students to discuss about the topic in pair or in group
Students look at a list of items
Students read through the questions
With careful preparation and guidance from teachers in pre-listening stage, students will deal with listening work more effectively
Students engage in activities while listening, which helps them grasp the main ideas of a passage (Underwood, 1989: 46) Completing specific tasks allows students to understand the core message, providing them with sufficient information to interpret spoken texts effectively This process enhances listening skills, particularly the ability to clarify and comprehend messages from spoken language.
Effective lesson planning for while-listening activities is crucial, requiring teachers to carefully select engaging and appropriate tasks to optimize student output According to Underwood (1989), activities should be appealing to students to foster motivation, brief enough to maintain concentration, and sufficiently challenging to prevent boredom and frustration Additionally, tasks should be graded, progressively increasing in complexity and providing less support to build students’ independence and confidence Properly chosen activities that meet these criteria can significantly enhance students’ listening skills and overall learning experience.
In the follow-up listening stage, students consolidate their understanding by applying their knowledge gained from pre-listening and while-listening activities, allowing teachers to assess their comprehension effectively This phase enables teachers to identify and explain mistakes, helping students understand why they missed important information and how to improve their listening skills Additional activities after listening provide opportunities for students to explore the topic further, practice language skills, and enhance their overall listening strategies Ultimately, this stage is crucial for both evaluating students’ listening abilities and advancing their skills to a higher level through focused practice and strategic learning.
According to Underwood (1989), when selecting post-listening activities, teachers should consider factors such as appropriate timing and the specific skills to focus on, including speaking and reading, to effectively maintain students' attention and enhance language learning.
9 or writing; students should work individually, in pair or in group; or whether post- listening activity should be homework or not
Effective listening lessons typically consist of three key stages: pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening Each stage plays a vital role in creating an optimal learning environment and enhancing students' comprehension Incorporating well-planned pre-listening activities prepares students for the lesson, while during-listening tasks help them focus and process information effectively Post-listening exercises reinforce understanding and promote retention To ensure successful listening lessons, teachers should design engaging activities for all three stages, fostering a supportive atmosphere that encourages student participation and confidence.
Potential problems in listening
Many students find listening to be the most challenging language skill and often feel anxious during listening activities Various learners face different difficulties that hinder their comprehension, but overcoming these challenges leads to improved language learning outcomes Identifying the common sources of listening problems is essential for developing effective strategies to enhance listening skills and achieve better proficiency in a foreign language.
According to Yagang (1993) and Hasan (1993), the reasons that make listening difficult come mainly from four sources: the message, the speaker, the listener and the physical setting
Listeners are significantly influenced by their favorite topics, which enhance their engagement and interest in listening activities When the topic and message resonate with their interests, listeners are more motivated to stay attentive and actively participate Conversely, dull or uninteresting topics hinder concentration, making the listening task feel exhausting as listeners struggle to follow the passage word by word Engaging content is essential for maintaining listener focus and reducing fatigue during listening sessions.
The length of a message significantly impacts listeners' motivation to listen, as overly long messages can cause fatigue and frustration When a message is too lengthy, listeners initially focus but tend to lose concentration or give up when struggling to understand or when the message becomes too demanding Consequently, longer messages often lead to diminished listener engagement and decreased comprehension Keeping messages concise is essential for maintaining attention and enhancing overall understanding.
Listeners often face challenges understanding speakers with unfamiliar accents in listening texts These difficulties are especially prominent for learners accustomed to their teacher’s accent or standard British or American English Exposure to diverse accents is essential for improving comprehension skills in real-world communication.
According to Ur (1984), in everyday conversation and lecturing, people tend to use more words than necessary, including repetitions, re-phrasing, and self-corrections This natural speech feature can both help and hinder understanding, depending on the learner’s level For beginners, redundancy may make it harder to focus on key information and grasp the message, while for advanced students, it provides extra time to familiarize themselves with the speaker's voice and interpret the meaning more effectively.
Underwood (1989) supported the idea of Yagang (1993) and Hasan (1993) when he pointed out that there are some causes of hindrance to efficient listening comprehension
Listeners often struggle to control the speed of speech, which can hinder their ability to follow real conversations Listening to teachers at a slow pace in class encourages students to focus on individual words rather than the overall message, making it difficult to grasp key information As a result, students tend to listen word by word, fearing they might miss important details during listening exercises Improving listening skills involves practicing at various speeds to enhance comprehension of natural speech.
Listeners cannot always have words repeated in a classroom setting, as teachers control the playback of recordings When recordings are under students’ control, they can replay them multiple times to understand the message However, in a classroom, teachers decide whether to replay a recording based on the importance of repetition for effective learning.
Third, listeners have a limited vocabulary It is unavoidable that listeners sometimes encounter new words when listening In some cases, listeners can infer
Many people struggle to understand the meaning of words within the context of a passage They often spend excessive time trying to decipher definitions, which can lead to missing important subsequent information Effective comprehension requires focusing on the overall context rather than getting stuck on individual words This approach helps improve understanding and ensures that key details are not overlooked.
In addition to the primary reasons affecting students’ listening skills, factors like failure to recognize key signals, challenges in interpretation, concentration difficulties, and specific learning habits also play a critical role Addressing these issues is essential for improving listening comprehension and enhancing overall language acquisition.
High-quality audio recordings significantly enhance listening effectiveness by making it easier for learners to absorb information Conversely, low-quality sources require more effort to understand, leading to increased fatigue and reduced comprehension Therefore, using clear and high-standard audio materials is essential for effective language learning.
High-quality listening aids significantly enhance the learning experience by making audio clearer and easier to follow Using poor-quality loudspeakers can hinder comprehension, as distorted sound reduces understanding Additionally, relying solely on audio recordings without visual cues may lead to misunderstandings since listeners miss important body language and facial expressions that convey meaning Therefore, investing in good audio equipment and incorporating visual elements can greatly improve listening comprehension for learners.
The environment where listening lessons take place significantly impacts listeners' concentration While a quiet setting facilitates focused listening, noisy surroundings pose a major challenge by distracting learners and pulling their attention away from the speech Managing environmental noise is essential for effective listening comprehension.
Summary
This chapter provides an overview of the relevant literature on listening and teaching listening, offering readers comprehensive insights into both topics It also helps the researcher identify appropriate methodologies for conducting the study The detailed methodology and study context will be presented in the next chapter.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The context
Hanoi University of Industry, established on December 2nd, 2005 through the upgrade of Hanoi College of Industry, is under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Located in Minh Khai commune, Bac Tu Liem district, Hanoi, HaUI ensures a quality learning environment with a maximum of 55 students per non-English major class Each classroom is well-equipped with modern teaching aids, including projectors, microphones, chalkboards, projection screens, and high-quality loudspeakers, supporting effective teaching and learning.
2.1.2 The English course and its objectives at HaUI
HaUI’s English courses are structured into two main stages: the first focuses on General English during the first two academic years, while the second emphasizes English for Specific Purposes in the third year The primary goal of the initial stage is to build students’ vocabulary, phonology, and grammar knowledge, while enhancing their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills During this stage, the curriculum utilizes the "New Headway" series by Liz, John Soars & Sylvia Wheeldon, with elementary level for first-year students and pre-intermediate level for second-year students, both published by Oxford University Press in 2000 In the fifth semester, the course program incorporates "International Express" pre-intermediate, also published by Oxford University Press in 2000.
Participants
HaUI employs 147 EFT teachers, with only 30 dedicated to instructing second-year non-English students For this study, the researcher selected 20 female teachers from this group, all of whom graduated from Hanoi University of Language and International Studies.
Vietnam National University boasts a diverse team of English educators, including eleven holding M.A degrees in English, four pursuing postgraduate studies in the CFL, and five with Bachelor's degrees in English The faculty's age range is primarily between 30-40 years old, with over a decade of teaching experience, while a younger group aged 24-30 has been at the university for 2-3 years These teachers participated in a recent questionnaire study to provide insights into their professional backgrounds and experiences.
Second-year non-English major students at HaUI have built on their foundational English skills learned in their first year using the New Headway Elementary textbook, mastering basic grammar, vocabulary, and the ability to engage in simple conversations In their second year, they transition to the New Headway Pre-Intermediate textbook to enhance their language proficiency by expanding vocabulary and grammar knowledge The focus is on improving all four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—to achieve a higher level of English proficiency.
A total of 100 second-year non-English students from HaUI's Faculty of Accounting were randomly selected for the study, including both males and females aged 19 to 21 These students served as the primary participants for the questionnaire, providing valuable insights into their language learning experiences and perceptions This sample was carefully chosen to ensure a representative group for analyzing factors influencing non-English students at HaUI.
Data collection instruments
In this study, the data collection instruments are questionnaires and classroom observations
The study utilized two survey questionnaires administered to teachers and students, incorporating open-ended questions to encourage participants to share their own insights Prior to completing the questionnaires, clear explanations of the research purposes and data collection requirements were provided to both groups This approach ensured that respondents understood the objectives and could provide meaningful, informed responses, enhancing the quality and relevance of the data collected.
The first questionnaire is for the teachers It consists of 13 questions written in English and was divided into three parts:
The first part includes 11 first questions aims to get teachers’ perspectives of teaching listening
The second part is question 12 which finds out their existing problems in teaching listening skills
The final section, question 13, investigates how students address these challenges An additional questionnaire, consisting of 7 questions, was designed specifically for students to ensure clear understanding and accurate responses, with all questions written in Vietnamese This questionnaire was organized into three distinct parts to facilitate comprehensive data collection.
The first part consists of 5 first questions aims at eliciting the students’ attitudes towards listening skills and their evaluations of listening sections in the textbook they are using
The second part is question 6 targeting at clarifying students’ difficulties in learning this skill
The last part is question 7 which showed students’ expectation for some changes to improve their learning
Class observations provide valuable insights into the actual dynamics of listening lessons, capturing what teachers and students genuinely do in the classroom These observations offer objective and accurate data, moving beyond self-reported behaviors to present a clear picture of classroom interactions By analyzing these real-time behaviors, researchers can make more informed evaluations and develop effective strategies to enhance listening instruction Overall, classroom observation is a crucial method for improving listening lessons and achieving better educational outcomes.
In this study, class observations were implemented in 10 classes The information was recorded by note-taking in the observation sheet designed by the author in advance.
Data collection procedure
The data are collected by the following steps:
First of all, the researcher designed the questionnaires and class observation checklist with the help of the supervisor for perfection
Participants received the questionnaires along with clear explanations in Vietnamese about the study's purpose, methods, and requirements to ensure they understood their roles and willingly participated They were encouraged to review the questionnaires carefully and ask the researcher for clarification if needed To reduce time pressure and promote thoughtful responses, participants were given two days to complete the questionnaires at home All copies were returned within this timeframe, after which the data collection was successfully concluded.
Finally, the researcher contacted some teachers asking them for permission to attend their classes At last, the researcher had the agreement of 10 teachers so that 10 class observations were implemented.
Data analysis method
Based on survey questionnaires and class observations, data were collected, synthesized, and organized into key themes aligned with the study's objectives The analyzed data were then presented through tables and charts, facilitating clear comparison of teachers’ and students’ perspectives on the research topics This presentation method enhances understanding and highlights different viewpoints within the study.
Summary
This chapter provides a detailed overview of the research setting, including participant selection, instruments used, and the data collection and analysis procedures The study's major findings will be presented and discussed in Chapter three, offering insights into the research outcomes.
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Findings from questionnaire for the teachers
3.1.1 The importance of teaching listening skills
Chart 1: The importance of teaching listening skills
This figure shows teachers’ attitudes towards the importance of teaching English listening skills at school
All teachers recognize the importance of teaching listening skills, with 85% considering it important and 15% viewing it as very important, highlighting a unanimous acknowledgment of listening skills as an essential component of effective language education.
3.1.2 Teachers’ methodology and strategies of teaching listening
Effective listening strategies are essential for students to develop strong listening comprehension skills Understanding how teachers incorporate these strategies into their instruction is vital for enhancing learning outcomes A recent study highlights the extent to which teachers guide students in applying listening strategies during listening tasks Data from the table reveals the variety and frequency of listening strategies used in classroom settings, emphasizing the importance of targeted instruction to improve student performance in listening activities.
Very important Important Unimportant Very unimportant
Providing students with background knowledge of what is being spoken 85
Reading through the requirement of the tasks to get general ideas 100
Guessing unknown words based on context 30
Guessing the answer basing on linguistic clues and context 25
Predicting what they are going to listen 65
Taking note the main ideas 25
Table 1: Listening strategies employed by teachers
The questionnaire results revealed that most teachers emphasized the importance of pre-listening strategies Specifically, all teachers instructed their students to review the task requirements beforehand, helping them grasp the general ideas and set focused listening objectives.
Besides, two other strategies equally employed by 85% of the teachers are providing the students with background knowledge of what is being spoken and focusing on key information
Along with that, over half of the teachers (65%) assumed that the students should be encouraged to predict what they were going to listen for
Only 30% of teachers require their students to guess unknown words based on context, indicating limited classroom use of this strategy Additionally, the percentage of teachers encouraging students to infer answers using linguistic clues and context, as well as take notes on main ideas, has decreased to 25% This decline may be due to the perceived difficulty of these strategies for students to understand and implement effectively.
3.1.2.2 Teaching aids used in listening lessons
The following chart illustrates the frequency of using teaching aids in listening lessons
Chart 2: Teaching aids used in listening lessons
It can be clearly seen that, the most popularly used teaching aids were
VCD/CD/projectors These kinds of teaching aids were always used by 65% of the teachers and often used by the rest of them
Besides, computers also received great concern of the teachers Three quarters of them always used computers in teaching listening and the rest sometimes applied them in classes
The next common teaching aids were visual aids 15% of the teachers revealed that they always used them The same number of teachers (counted for
40%) often or sometimes brought visual aids into classes Meanwhile, only 5% of them seldom employed this kind of items
Music was widely utilized as a teaching aid, with 15% of teachers regularly playing music in their classrooms Approximately 50% of educators occasionally selected music as an effective tool to enhance listening skills However, only a small percentage, around 5%, reported seldom using music in their teaching practices.
In addition, 15% of the teachers reported that they often created games in classes More than half of them sometimes organized games in teaching listening
While other teachers counting for 15% seldom let their students play games in class
Visual aids Music Games VCDs/CDs
Only a small percentage of them, accounting for 5%, never used this kind of teaching aid
Handouts are notable teaching aids, with approximately 25% of teachers regularly preparing them for lessons However, about 50% of educators admitted that they rarely design handouts specifically for listening classes, indicating inconsistent use of this instructional tool in language teaching.
Cassette tapes were less commonly used teaching aids, with only about 15% of teachers incorporating them into their lessons A significant portion, approximately 20%, rarely played cassette tapes for their students to listen to, while nearly half of the teachers never used them in the classroom This indicates that cassette tapes were an infrequently employed resource in teaching practices.
Radios were the least commonly used teaching aids, with 65% of teachers seldom utilizing them in their classrooms Furthermore, approximately one-third of educators reported never using radios as an effective tool to enhance listening instruction.
Providing new vocabulary and structures 50 40 10
Setting purposes of the tasks 25 40 25 10
Providing students with techniques to do the tasks 40 40 10 10
Table 2: Frequency of organizing pre-listening activities (Note: 1- Always 2- Often 3- Sometimes 4- Seldom 5- Never)
The data indicates that most teachers consistently organize activities during the pre-listening stage, with the exception of warm-up games The table shows that, apart from warm-up games, other pre-listening activities are frequently used by a majority of teachers These findings suggest that teachers prioritize various preparatory activities to enhance students' listening skills before the main lesson.
Introducing the topic is the most common activity among teachers, with 65% always doing so before listening exercises Additionally, over one-third of teachers frequently introduce the topic during their classes, highlighting the importance of establishing context to enhance student understanding.
Most teachers strongly support regularly incorporating new vocabulary, sentence structures, and background knowledge into their lessons to enhance student learning Approximately 90% of educators consistently create engaging activities focused on these elements, while the remaining 10% occasionally incorporate such activities into their classroom instruction.
Besides, other activities that were highly used were guiding questions, setting purposes of the tasks and providing students with techniques to do the tasks
No teacher reporting never used them and only 10% said they seldom implemented these activities in listening lessons The rest of the teachers presented these activities quite regularly
Warm-up games are the least commonly used teaching strategy, with only 35% of teachers reporting they have ever used them Approximately 25% of educators sometimes or often incorporate warm-up activities into their lessons, while just 15% consistently include these games in their classroom routines.
The table below shows the way teachers played listening tapes to their students in listening lessons
Play the tape again and again until students finish their tasks 10 15 20 55
Play twice or three times for students to do the tasks first, then transcribe sentence by sentence to check their understanding
Play the tape and complete doing exercises only 15 20 10 55
Play the tape with no pauses once 10 20 15 55
Play the tape with necessary pauses once 10 55 35
Ask students to take notes before or after doing tasks 10 25 40 25
Table 3: Frequency of organizing while-listening activities
(Note: 1- Always 2- Usually 3- Sometimes 4- Rarely 5- Never)
Most teachers prefer to use tape recordings by playing them two or three times, allowing students to complete tasks and transcribe sentences to enhance comprehension Approximately 50% of educators always use this method, while the remaining half usually follow this approach Additionally, about 10% of teachers occasionally utilize this technique, highlighting its popularity as an effective listening and understanding strategy in language learning.
Approximately 10% of teachers consistently played tapes with necessary pauses, while just over half of them typically used this method Additionally, about one-third of teachers frequently paused tapes as needed to enhance understanding, highlighting varied approaches to tape playback in the classroom.
Teachers frequently emphasize the importance of note-taking, with 10% consistently requiring students to take notes before or after tasks About 25% of teachers regularly implement this technique, while another 25% do so rarely, indicating varied adoption Additionally, 40% of educators occasionally apply this effective strategy to enhance student engagement and comprehension.
Findings from questionnaire for the students
3.2.1 Students’ attitudes towards listening learning
3.2.1.1 Evaluation of the listening skill
Chart 8: Students’ evaluation of the listening skill
Chart 8 presents the evaluation of the students towards listening skill The chart revealed that more than half of the students (64%) considered listening was the most difficult skill in comparison with three other skills About one third of them found it as difficult as others The most surprising thing was that, no students said it was the easiest one to study Therefore, to the majority of second-year non- English major students at HaUI, listening skill was the most challenging one to master
3.2.1.2 The importance of listening skills
Chart 9: The importance of learning listening skills
As difficult as others The easiest
Very important Important Unimportant Very unimportant
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