ABSTRACT Listening is one of the important skills in learning a foreign language.. Results of the study showed that the length of the text, pronunciation, speech rates, lack of vocabular
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
English is widely recognized as the global lingua franca, facilitating communication across countries In Vietnam, its significance has grown, particularly as international businesses increasingly conduct meetings in English Universities are now offering courses in the language, and many individuals in the country use English to enhance their job prospects and improve their living standards.
The increasing desire to learn and master English among individuals is evident, particularly in Vietnam, where it has become an integral part of general education Consequently, English is considered a mandatory subject in the curriculum of nearly all colleges and universities across the country.
The evaluation of English teaching and learning in universities primarily focuses on grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension Consequently, the education system has not effectively invested in teaching essential skills like listening, speaking, and writing.
To successfully learn a foreign language, students must be confident in fluently using the four essential skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing These skills are interrelated and collectively necessary for effective language acquisition.
In Vietnam, listening and speaking skills are often overlooked in many course books and curricula Research by Coakley & Wolvin (1997) highlights that listening is crucial for students at all educational levels, being the most utilized language skill in classrooms (Ferris, 1998; Murphy, 1991; Vogely, 1998) Unfortunately, many English teachers focus primarily on test preparation, neglecting to prioritize these essential skills in their lesson planning This oversight is compounded by the fact that listening is not considered in university entrance exams, leading to a belief among educators that these skills will develop naturally during the language learning process.
Listening skills in Vietnam's education system often receive insufficient focus from both teachers and students, leading to a general lack of awareness regarding their significance Additionally, the large class sizes, typically exceeding 30 students, further complicate the effective teaching of listening skills.
The lack of assistive technology in the classroom hinders effective teaching of listening skills, leading to passive students who focus solely on passing English subjects rather than developing their listening comprehension This situation demotivates teachers from enhancing their qualifications and teaching methods Conversely, some students are eager to improve their listening skills, but the pressure of exams forces them to prioritize exam preparation over skill development.
EFL learners often face significant challenges in English listening comprehension, making it the most overlooked and misunderstood area of language instruction Listening is a complex cognitive process that requires perception, attention, cognition, and memory Consequently, understanding spoken language in a foreign tongue proves to be a daunting task for many language learners, who frequently encounter difficulties while trying to comprehend foreign speech.
Throughout four years at IUH, the writer observed that listening skills remain the most challenging aspect for students, including those majoring in English, despite numerous courses and study periods dedicated to this area.
To enhance the listening skills of third-year students, it is essential to identify the challenges they face in understanding spoken texts and to implement effective strategies for improvement Teachers should provide opportunities for students to explore various methods that can help them overcome these difficulties, fostering a more comfortable and confident environment for practicing English listening skills.
For all these reasons, this research is conducted with the title “A study on difficulties and strategies in listening skills of the third-year English-majored students at Industrial
University of Ho Chi Minh City” in the hope of improving listening skills for third years
Research objectives
The primary study focused on assessing the current state of English listening skills among third-year English majors at the FFL of IUH The aim was to identify the common difficulties faced by students and to provide insights and explanations for the challenges they encounter in developing this essential skill.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 3
After that, some possible recommendations and effective techniques would be proposed and hopefully help third-year students improve their listening skills and learning activities.
Research questions
1 What are the common difficulties of learning English listening skills for the third-year students in FFL at IUH?
2 What are some strategies to enhance their English listening skill?
Scope of the study
Due to the constraints on page numbers for the minor thesis, the author focuses solely on the general knowledge of listening skills for analysis The research specifically surveys third-year students to identify the listening challenges they encounter.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 4
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definitions of key term
Listening is defined as the ability to recognize and understand spoken language, encompassing aspects such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and meaning (Thomlison, 1984; Hamouda, 2013) Howatt and Dakin (1974) emphasize that effective listening requires the simultaneous identification and comprehension of these elements, including the speaker's accent Additionally, Bowen, Madsen, and Hilferty (1985) highlight that listening involves processing oral speech by segmenting sounds, classifying them into lexical and syntactic units, and ultimately grasping the intended message (as cited in Pourhosein Gilakjani & Sabouri, 2016).
Gilakjani and Sabouri (2016) emphasize that listening is an active process involving the reception of the speaker's message, the negotiation of meaning, and the creation of understanding through participation and empathy They highlight that true listening requires one to view the problem from the speaker's perspective, which involves empathy—experiencing the situation alongside the speaker—rather than mere sympathy This process demands an imaginative engagement with the speaker's frame of reference, making it a challenging yet essential skill.
Listening is a crucial component of effective communication, as highlighted by Rost (2009) Developing strong listening skills is essential for learners, as it enhances their listening comprehension and subsequently improves their speaking abilities Furthermore, cultivating good listening habits fosters better communication, making it vital for successful interactions.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 5
Scholars view listening as a complex and active process, rather than a simple, one-way reception of sounds It involves actively receiving, decoding, and understanding the conveyed message.
Results of previous studies
In terms of language processing, it is now generally accepted that learners need access to both top-down as well as bottom-up processing strategies
Bottom-up processing strategies emphasize understanding the fundamental elements of spoken and written communication, such as phonemes, graphemes, individual words, and grammatical components, which are essential for comprehending messages effectively.
Top-down processing strategies emphasize the macro-features of text, such as the writer's or speaker's purpose, the topic, and the overall structure (Nunan 1991:4) In contrast, bottom-up listening involves the listener identifying familiar lexical items and segmenting speech into constituents, enabling recognition of phrases like "a book of mine" as four distinct words This approach also utilizes phonological cues to extract information from utterances and employs grammatical cues to organize inputs into meaningful constituents, distinguishing between major components like "the book" and "which I lent you" rather than misinterpreting them as smaller segments.
Top-down listening strategies engage listeners in categorizing interactions within specific events, such as storytelling or joking These strategies involve inferring cause and effect relationships, anticipating outcomes, and deducing the topic of discourse Additionally, listeners identify the sequence of events and fill in missing details, enhancing their overall comprehension (Richards 1990).
Listening plays an important role in second language instruction for several reasons (Rost, 1994)
Effective communication relies heavily on good hearing; without it, listening tasks can become challenging Many students struggle with listening comprehension, often leading them to misunderstand or misinterpret information.
Learners' awareness of their listening challenges and the strategies they employ can significantly influence their comprehension, leading to either positive or negative outcomes.
To enhance students' listening skills, it is essential to identify the specific listening problems that hinder their progress We concur that recognizing these issues is crucial for improvement Underwood (1989) identifies seven factors that contribute to challenges in effective listening comprehension.
2.2.2.1 A lack of control over the speed of the speaker
Many English language learners struggle with listening comprehension due to the inability to control the speed of the speaker Underwood (1989) highlights that fast speech can significantly hinder understanding, particularly for L2 learners When speakers talk too quickly, it becomes challenging for students to grasp the words being spoken This issue is particularly evident in uncontrolled sources, such as radio broadcasts, where listeners cannot request a slower pace.
2.2.2.2 The inability to have things repeated
Listeners often focus so intently on understanding one segment of speech that they miss subsequent parts Additionally, they may not have the opportunity to ask the speaker to repeat what was said For those listening to a foreign language, encountering an unfamiliar word can create a mental barrier, prompting them to pause and consider its meaning, which leads to missing the following portions of the conversation.
2.2.2.3 The limited vocabulary of the listeners
One major challenge in listening comprehension is the familiarity with vocabulary Research by Azmi Bingol, Celik, Yidliz, and Tugrul Mart (2014) indicates that when students encounter texts with known words, they find it easier to understand Familiarity with vocabulary not only enhances students' interest and motivation but also positively influences their listening comprehension skills.
Listeners may become distracted by unfamiliar words when hearing speech from an uncontrollable source To fully comprehend the message, it is essential for listeners to understand the vocabulary used If a speaker employs words that are unknown to the audience, it can hinder their ability to grasp the content effectively.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 7
Encountering unknown words may cause listeners to stop and think about the meaning of the word and miss the next part of the speech
Effective communication relies on clear signals to prevent listener confusion When giving directions, it's essential to use sequencing words such as "first," "second," and "third" to organize information If listeners are unfamiliar with these cues, they may struggle to follow along Additionally, markers like "secondly" or "then," along with body language, gestures, and changes in intonation, play a crucial role in conveying meaning Therefore, students must learn to recognize these signals to connect various utterances as intended by the speaker.
Listeners often struggle to grasp the full meaning of spoken content when they lack the necessary background knowledge While they may understand the surface meaning, comprehension of the overall message is hindered without contextual familiarity Additionally, nonverbal cues like facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice can be misinterpreted, especially by individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
2.2.2.6 The ability to concentrate and the concentration level of the listener
Inability to concentrate significantly impacts listening comprehension, as even brief lapses in attention can hinder understanding Distractions can stem from various sources, including environmental noises, the listener's skills, and improper use of listening strategies For instance, when students listen to audio from low-quality equipment, it can make the experience challenging and unengaging.
2.2.2.7 Established language habits or learning behaviors
To establish effective learning habits, learners must embrace the frustrations that come with the process, which prepares them to pursue a partial understanding of the material Many students develop a tendency to seek complete comprehension of every word, while teachers aim to facilitate this by carefully pronouncing words, adjusting language complexity, and speaking at a slower pace.
In conclusion, listeners may feel anxious when they encounter unfamiliar words or phrases It is essential for students to develop the ability to tolerate ambiguity and incomplete understanding in their learning process (Underwood, 1989 as cited in Gilakjani & Ahmadi, 2011, p 982).
RESEARCH SITE
Research site
The research will take place in English major classes at IUH during the second term of the 2020-2021 academic year As a former student of IUH, the researcher is well-acquainted with the university, which is renowned for its high-quality education in Ho Chi Minh City This familiarity will facilitate the study, as the researcher has spent four years at the institution and is knowledgeable about the subjects offered each semester The focus will be on third-year students of the DHAV14 cohort in their final semester.
Participants
This study investigates the challenges and strategies faced by English-majored freshmen at IUH in developing their listening skills A survey was conducted with 100 students from the DHAV14 cohort, all of whom had completed at least two courses on listening skills Their foundational knowledge in this area allows for a more accurate identification of the difficulties encountered in listening comprehension, resulting in more reliable data for the research.
Research methodology and research methods
The study utilized a questionnaire as its sole method, targeting English-majored juniors at IUH, with all content presented in English This questionnaire aimed to gather information on the challenges and strategies related to learning the listening skill among these students Initially, the researcher introduced the study's topic and requested the students' assistance The questionnaire comprised five sections with a total of 13 multiple-choice questions, facilitating the collection of accurate data efficiently.
The questionnaire consists of four sections Part I gathers personal information with two questions: the first inquires about the students' gender, while the second asks about the duration of their English learning experience Part II explores students' attitudes, challenges, and the underlying reasons for these difficulties.
The article discusses a survey supervised by Lê Minh Hiền, B.A., focusing on English listening skills It highlights three key questions that explore learners' feelings about listening to English, the challenges they face related to eight identified problems, and the primary factors contributing to these difficulties.
Part III is about practicing listening English of students containing 2 questions Question 6 asks about how often they practice English listening skill while question 7 discuss how many types of input they used to practice listening skills Part IV discusses strategies in the students' listening to English including 3 questions Question 8, 9, and 10, in turn, ask about what they do before, during, and after listening to English
The answers are designed according to the Likert scale of:
(very easy, easy, normal, difficult, very difficult)
(strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree)
(always, usually, sometimes, seldom, and never)
The purposes of the research were explained to all the participants.
Procedures
The researcher created an online survey using Google Forms and obtained permission from the DHAV14 group administrators to post the questionnaire She introduced herself and her research topic, requesting assistance from group members The questionnaire was then randomly distributed to students, with clear instructions provided and an invitation for them to ask questions if needed During the survey, the researcher observed the students and addressed their inquiries After collecting the completed questionnaires, she expressed her gratitude to the participants Following data collection, the researcher began analyzing the statistics, which will be detailed in the next section.
Data analysis
With the collected data in the questionnaire, the researcher started to check the participants' answers It was really great that all 100 delivered questionnaires were completed and used for
The data analysis, supervised by Lê Minh Hiền, B.A., focused on addressing three key research questions The researcher converted the statistical findings into percentages and utilized Excel software to create visual charts for presentation.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 17
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results
Question 1: What is your gender?
The pie chart illustrates the proportion of gender in the 100 English-majors third-year students in DHAV14 group who were chosen randomly to take part in the online survey
The survey revealed a significant gender disparity, with males representing less than one-fifth of participants, while females comprised over four-fifths Notably, a higher percentage of females selected English as their major compared to their male counterparts.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 18
Question 2: How long have you been learning English?
Figure 4.1.2 Time to learn English
The chart illustrates that 74% of third-year English majors have been studying English for over seven years.
Only a small percentage of students, approximately 5% and 7%, learned this language around 5 and 6 years ago, respectively However, when considering students who have been learning for 7 years or more, the total exceeds 90% This indicates that many students have extensive experience in learning foreign languages, suggesting that early exposure significantly contributes to the reliability and value of the survey results.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 19
Question 3: How do you feel about English listening skill?
Figure 4.1.3.The feeling about English listening skill
The pie chart is about the percentage of students' opinions when they learned second language listening
Almost half of the participants found English listening skills to be "difficult," while only a small fraction, about 5% and 6%, considered it "very easy" and "easy," respectively Additionally, less than a quarter of the students rated their listening skills as "normal," leaving 16% with varying opinions on the matter.
A significant two-thirds of students reported that English listening skills were challenging, raising the question of why nearly all students found listening difficult To explore the underlying causes, we can refer to Figure 7 for further insights.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 20
Question 4: Which kinds of problems do you have with English listening skill?
Speed of speaker Can not listen to text in 3 times
Unfamiliar vocabulary Not recognize signals
Problems with English listening skill
Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Figure 4.1.4.a The problems with English listening skill
There are 8 problems with English skills surveyed and the data is summarized and divided into 2 charts as follows
In graph 1, more than half of the respondents agree that the speed of the speaker significantly influences their understanding, while only a small percentage strongly disagree.
The "disagree" responses represent the smallest percentage, ranging from 6% to 17%, with a minimal difference of 2% to 5% between the two extremes In contrast, the "strongly agree" responses show significant variability, with the highest rate of 20% for "speed of speaker" and the lowest at 7% for "cannot listen to text in 3 times."
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 21
Noises Poor recorded materials Accent and pronunciation
Problems with English listening skill
Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Figure 4.1.4.b The problems with English listening skill
The second chart reveals that accent and pronunciation are the most significant challenges faced by participants, with nearly half expressing agreement on these issues In contrast, only a small percentage, ranging from 3% to 8%, "strongly disagree" or "disagree" regarding problems like lack of background knowledge The concern over poor recorded materials is slightly more pronounced, with percentages at 14% and 15% Additionally, a substantial number of respondents, accounting for two-fifths, reported a "neutral" stance on these matters Overall, the four identified issues received "strongly agreed" responses from students, with agreement rates between 11% and 19%.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 22
Question 5: Which of the following reasons make you have difficulty in listening skills?
Three primary factors contributed to the listening difficulties experienced by third-year students: speaker factors, listener factors, and environmental and physical factors, as illustrated in the accompanying bar graphs Each graph provides insights into the proportion of reasons behind these listening challenges, highlighting the significance of speaker-related issues.
Speech rates Accent Pauses Intonation Redundancy
Reasons belong to speaker factors
Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Figure 4.1.5.a The reasons belong to speaker factors
First, let's look at the bar chart in figure above which discussed reasons relating to speaker factors
The chart indicates that nearly all respondents identified factors such as speech rates, accent, intonation, redundancy, and pauses as significant challenges in understanding English passages.
The term "Agree" received the highest number of votes in the speech rates section, representing a substantial majority compared to the other four terms Conversely, "strongly disagree" garnered significantly fewer votes.
“disagree” in the 5 categories were contributed by the number of a minority student or a very small number which taking up one in ten or one in twenty
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 23
A minority of participants, less than one in ten to less than a fifth, selected "strongly agree." In contrast, over half of the respondents expressed a "neutral" stance, which represented the largest portion among the remaining categories.
Figure 4.1.5.b The reasons belong to listener factors
The data chart highlights the factors influencing listeners, with survey results aligning closely with the previously presented chart Notably, third-year students commonly acknowledge that background knowledge, motivation, concentration, and anxiety significantly impact their English listening skills.
The majority of respondents indicated agreement, with 56% selecting "agree" regarding background knowledge, which was the highest figure among the categories This was closely followed by motivation at 55%, concentration at 50%, and anxiety also at 50%.
A minority of participants, just under one in ten, selected "strongly disagree" or "disagree." Nearly one-third expressed uncertainty regarding their agreement, citing motivation and anxiety as factors The percentage of those who "strongly agree" is minimal, ranging from 8% to 15%.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 24 c) Environment and physical factors:
Figure 4.1.5.c The reasons environment and physical factors
Discussion
The survey reveals key strategies for enhancing students' listening skills, including familiarization with accent rules, pronunciation, and the nuances of rapid natural speech It emphasizes the importance of exposure to various native accents, the introduction of new vocabulary and terminology, and the provision of background and linguistic knowledge Authentic listening materials, such as lectures and content from British and American TV channels and movies, are essential Additionally, encouraging students to adopt effective listening strategies and developing their comprehension skills, along with ensuring teachers have accurate pronunciation, are crucial for improvement.
Summary of the chapter
This chapter addresses several key issues identified in the study, beginning with an examination of learners' personal information It then explores students' attitudes, challenges, and the underlying reasons for difficulties in listening to English Following this, the chapter highlights the practice of English listening among students Finally, it presents strategies aimed at enhancing listening skills for English-majored seniors.
This chapter highlights the challenges faced by third-year learners in listening to the English language, along with effective strategies to overcome these difficulties It also examines students' attitudes toward the existing listening curriculum and offers solutions to enhance their listening skills.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 32
CONCLUSION
Conclusion
From the data collected by questionnaire and results of the research, the writer comes to the following conclusions:
English major freshmen at FFL in IUH receive substantial training in listening skills and strategies through three dedicated courses However, they still face numerous challenges in comprehending spoken English as a second language.
Students' listening abilities are significantly hindered by factors such as the speed of the speaker, unfamiliar vocabulary, and a lack of background knowledge, as well as issues related to accent and pronunciation While challenges like the inability to listen to a text three times, failure to recognize signals, background noise, and poor-quality recordings have some impact, they are less significant compared to the primary obstacles.
The challenges in English listening comprehension stem primarily from the listener's own factors, including background knowledge, concentration, motivation, and anxiety While the speaker's characteristics, such as speech rate, and environmental factors, like volume, also play a role, they are not as significant Additionally, elements like accent, pauses, intonation, redundancy, and noise have minimal impact on the listening process.
One of the primary challenges related to speaker factors is the rate of speech, which can be attributed to two main reasons: insufficient linguistic knowledge regarding the bottom-up processing of language and limited exposure to everyday conversations and informal speech Consequently, students often find it particularly difficult to manage the speed of delivery in their speech.
As for the listener factors, background knowledge is proved to be top issues to the students
Although the environmental and physical factors are considered as the least affect to listening, noises and volume are reported to have impacts on students
In this chapter, summaries from the research and recommendations for both teachers and students are presented to improve the practice of teaching and learning listening skills
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 33
The first recommendation is to enhance student's awareness of the process of listening
Knowledge about the listening process can help students apply them to the stages of the listening
To enhance students' inference, guessing, and predicting skills, teachers should focus on providing context and background knowledge rather than introducing new vocabulary This approach allows students to better understand the material they are about to engage with.
To improve students' speech rate comprehension, teachers should encourage them to abandon the habit of translating everything they hear, as this can hinder their learning ability Instead, students should focus on developing effective listening skills by concentrating on main ideas and keywords, enabling them to grasp the essential content of speakers' messages.
Using informal and natural dialogue in teaching can enhance students' real-life listening skills To improve word recognition, educators should expose students to audio passages featuring reduced forms, assimilation, elision, and linking words, encouraging them to identify sound differences between spoken and written language This practice helps students become accustomed to clusters of words and the natural pace of conversation.
Teachers should provide students with listening materials featuring diverse accents beyond standard British and American English This exposure helps students become accustomed to unfamiliar accents, reducing any surprise or discomfort when they encounter them It's essential for educators to select appropriate listening materials that match the students' proficiency levels, avoiding overly complex content for beginners.
Learners should try to enhance their background knowledge about skills and strategies, because it is very useful in inference, guessing, predicting the context of the passage
In addition, students should try to listening by the cluster of words instead of trying listening to every word
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 34
Skipping unfamiliar words is a smarter choice than neglect the next whole part of the passage
Practice is essential to language learning According to the survey result, almost all students just
To enhance English listening skills, students should regularly practice by evaluating their own abilities In addition to attending classes and engaging with materials from teachers, they should immerse themselves in British or American TV channels or enjoy content that genuinely interests them in English This approach fosters habit-building around their hobbies, making regular practice easier Over time, these efforts will lead to significant improvements in their listening skills.
The researcher offers recommendations aimed at assisting English-majored seniors and teachers in enhancing listening skills While these suggestions may not be exhaustive, they are intended to contribute positively to the learning process.
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 35
Thomlison, T Dean "Relational Listening: Theoretical and Practical Considerations." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the 5th International Listening Association 1984 30pp [ED
Hamouda, A (2013) An Investigation of Listening Comprehension Problems Encountered by Saudi Students in the EL Listening Classroom International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 2(2), 113-15
Underwood, M (1989) Teaching Listening New York: Longman
Anderson, N (2003) Metacognitive Reading Strategies Increase L2 Performance The Language Teacher, 27, 20-22
Anderson, A & Lynch, T (1988) Listening Oxford University Press
Azmi, B M., Celik, B., Yidliz, N., & Tugrul, M C (2014) Listening Comprehension
Difficulties Encountered by Students in Second language Learning Class Journal of Educational and Instructional Studies in the World, 4(4), 1-6
Boyle, J P (1984) Factors Affecting Listening Comprehension ELT Journal 38(1), 34-38 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/elt/38.1.3 4
Blau, E (1990) "The Effect of Syntax, Speed and Pauses on Listening Comprehension." TESOL Quarterly, 24, 746-53
Bloomfield, A et al (2010) What Makes Listening Difficult? Factors Affecting Second
Language Listening Comprehension Retrieved January 10, 2013, fromhttp://www.google.es/url?sa=t
&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=3&vedEgQFjAC&url=http://wwwdliflc.edu/f ile.ash x?path%3Darchive/documents/CA SL_study_FINAL_Lit_Rev.pdf&ei
=kFfMUu_vJ8PE0QXVm4HoDg &usgQjCNGUJKlMDBEcB8 vygOP4Hd2mh1uIQg
Buck, G (2001) Assessing Listening Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO978 0511732959
Brown, G., & Yule, G (1983) Teaching The Spoken Language Cambridge: Cambridge
Chang, Y.L., Chang, T.S., & Kuo, C.H (1995) Listening difficulties and learner strategies of nonnative speakers The ninth Conference on English Teaching and Learning in the Republic of China (pp.145- 158) Taipei: Crane
Ferris, D & Tagg, T (1996a) Academic listening/speaking tasks for ESL students: Problems, suggestions, and implications TESOL Quarterly, 30, 297-320
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 36
Flavell, H Roger, (1985) Developing English with Young Learners London: MacMillan
Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L (1996) Student perceptions, problems and strategies in second language lecture comprehension RELC Journal, 23, 60-80
Gilakjani,A.P and Ahmadi, M.R (2011) A Study of Factors Affecting EFL Learners' English Listening Comprehension and the Strategies for Improvement Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol 2, No 5, pp 977-988
Gilbert, M B (1989) Perceptions of Listening Behaviors of School Principals School
Goh, C (1999) Teaching Listening In The Language Classroom Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre
Goh, C (2000) A Cognitive Perspective on Language Learners’ Listening Comprehension
Problems System, 28, 55-75 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0346- 251X(99)00060-3
Goh, C (2002) A Cognitive Perspective on Language Learners’ Listening Comprehension
Problems System, 28, 55-75 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0346- 251X(99)00060-3
Goh, C (2006) Metacognitive Instruction in Listening for Young Learners ELT Journal, 60, 222-232 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.109/elt/ccl002
Language Learning, 35(3), 443-69 Graham, S (2006) Listening Comprehension: The Learners’ Perspective System 34, 165-182 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.system
Graham, S., Santos, D., & Vanderplank, R (2008) Listening Comprehension and Strategy Use:
A Longitudinal Exploration System 36, 52-68 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.system 2007.11.001
Hasan, A (2000) Learners’ Perceptions of Listening Comprehension
Long, D R (1990) What you don’t know can’t help you: An exploratory study of background knowledge and second language listening comprehension Studies in Second Language
R Griffiths, “Speech Rate and Listening Comprehension: Further Evidence of the Relationship,” TESOL Quarterly, Vol 26, No 2, 1992, pp 385-390
Rost, M (2002) Teaching and Researching Listening London: Longman
Rost, M (2009) Teacher Development Interactive: Listening White Plains NY: Pearson
Seferoglu, G., & Uzakgoren, S (2004) Equipping Learners with Listening Strategies in English Language Classes Hacettepe University Faculty of Educational Journal, 27, 223-231
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 37
Shang, H (2008) Listening Strategy Use and Linguistic Patterns in Listening Comprehension by EFL Learners The Intl Journal Of Listening, 22(1), 29-45 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.10/10904010701802147
Ur, P (1984) Teaching Listening Comprehension.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Vandergrift, L (1997) The Comprehension Strategies of Second Language (French) Listeners: A Descriptive Study Foreign Language Annuals 30(3) 387-409 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.1997.tb02362.x
Vandergrift, L (1999) Facilitating Second Language Listening Comprehension: Acquiring
Successful Strategies ELT Journal 53(3) 168-176 Retrieved fromhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1093/elt/5 3.3.168
Vandergrift, L (2004) Listening to Learn or Learning to Listen? In Cambridge University Press (Ed.), Annual Review of Applied
Linguistics (2004) (pp 3-25) USA: Cambridge University Press Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S026719 0504000017
Vandergrift, L., Goh, C., Mareschal, C., & Tafaghodtari, M (2006) The Metacognitive
Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ): Development and Validation Language Learning
56, 431-462 Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2006.00373.x
Vogely, A (1995) Perceived strategy use during performance on three authentic listening tasks The Modern Language Journal 79 (1), 41–56
Walker, N (2014) Listening: the Most Difficult Skill to Teach Encuentro 23 167-175
Wolvin, A., Coakley, C (1991) A Survey of the Status of Listening
Zhao, Y 1997: The effects of listeners’ control of speech rate on second language comprehension Applied Linguistics 18 49–68
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 38
This survey is part of my research titled “A Study on Difficulties and Strategies in Listening Skills of Third-Year English-Majored Students at Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City.” Please complete the questionnaire by selecting answers from the checklist or providing your thoughts in the designated spaces Rest assured, all personal information and responses will remain confidential and will not be used for any other purposes Thank you for your assistance!
Part I: Personal information (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
2 How long have you been learning English?
Part II: Attitude, difficulties and reasons in listening English of senior students
3 How do you feel about English listening skill? (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 39
4 Which kind of problems do you have with English listening skill? (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
2 Can not listen to texts in 3 times
5 Which of the following reasons make you have difficulty in listening skills? (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 40
Background knowledge Motivation Concentration Anxiety
Part III: The practice of listening English of junior students
6 How often do you practice English listening skill? (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
7 How many types of input do you use to practice listening skills? (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 41 materials from your teacher
English language study cassettes on CD’s at home
4 Listening to the radio channels in
5 Communicatin g with friends in English clubs
English movies or listening to
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 42
Part IV: Strategies in listening to English
8 What do you do before the listening to English? (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
Always Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1 Think about what already know vocabulary with the new information
2 Predict what will happen next based on the clues given and what you know
3 Look at the questions or instructions for the activity
9 What do you do during the listening to English? (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
Always Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1 Keep your mind active and alert at the time to listen for answers to questions you have
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 43
2 Concentrate on what person is saying
3 Pay close attention to the stressed words
4 Take notes what you hear (important words, stressed words, etc)
10 What do you do after the listening to English? (Please check a tick √ on your best answer)
Always Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1 Use notes to reconstructs what you have listened
2 Read and listen to other sources for more information about topic
3 Learn vocabulary, structures from the text
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 44
Research title: A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES AND STRATEGIES IN LISTENING SKILLS OF THE THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS AT INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY
Student’s name: TRẦN THỊ NGỌC TUYỀN Student Code: 17018161
Supervisor’s name: LÊ MINH HIỀN, B.A
Week Date Content Supervisor’s comments & Signature
- Meet the instructor to update information about graduation report
- Discussing and choosing the suitable topic among options
- Finding the acceptable title of the topic chosen
- Receiving the assignment from the supervisor which is “complete chapter 1: INTRODUCTION of the thesis”
- Submitting Chapter 1,2,3 to the supervisor
1,2,3 from the supervisor at Zalo
- Submitting Chapter 1,2,3 (rewrite version) to the supervisor at zalo
INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 45
- Discussing how to write chapter 4
- Submitting the full text -Receiving comments for the thesis
- Submitting the full text of the thesis
The supervisor’s approval of the students’ submission (Yes/ No): Yes
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 46
Student’s name: TRẦN THỊ NGỌC TUYỀN Student ID No.: 17018161
Supervisor’s name: LÊ MINH HIỀN, B.A
Format (3) Coherence and Organization (4) Grammar mistakes (3)
Introduction Research topic and objectives of research (5) Research questions (5)
Definitions of key terms/concepts (5) Review of previous studies (5) Referencing (5)
Relevance between research findings and objectives (5)
Evaluating and discussing the findings
INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 47
Performance (3) Time management (10 minutes) (2) Questions response (2)
Group Decision &Planning Roles & Distribution Establish Goals Meeting Minutes
Contribution to the team project
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 48
Student’s name: TRẦN THỊ NGỌC TUYỀN Student ID No.: 17018161
Format (3) Coherence and Organization (4) Grammar mistakes(3)
Introduction Rationale and objectives of research (5)
Definitions of key terms/concepts (5) Review of previous studies (10) Referencing (5)
Relevance between research findings and objectives (5)
Evaluating and discussing the findings (10)
INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 49
Content (6) Performance (6) Time management (10 minutes) (4) Questions responses (4)
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 50
Rubrics for Written Graduation Thesis (70%)
Item/ Weight Unsatisfactory Developing Satisfactory Exemplary
There are consistent mistakes in the required format
There are several mistakes in the required format
There are minor mistakes in the required format
There are hardly any mistakes in the required format
The development of paper is vague; no apparent logical order of presentation
The paper is presented with connected concept and ideas, clear transitions
The paper is presented in logical sequence and well organized
The paper is clearly stated, well-developed and well organized
There are consistent spelling and grammar mistakes in the paper
There are several spelling and grammar mistakes in the paper
There are minor spelling and grammar mistakes in the paper
There are hardly any spelling and grammar mistakes in the paper
Rationale and objectives of research (5)
The rationale of the research topic area is unclearly described Little evidence shows the significance and objectives of the research topic
The rationale of the research topic is presented and the significance and objectives of the paper is justified
The rationale of the research topic is adequately defined The significance and objectives of the paper is well justified
The rationale of the research topic is introduced in a coherent and interesting manner The significance and objectives of the paper is well justified
Research questions are not successfully defined
Research questions are coherently and clearly defined
Research questions are scientifically meaningful and
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 51 challenging
15 Definitions of key terms/concepts
Definition of key concepts is insufficient
The key concepts related to the research topic are defined
The key concepts related to the research topic are also clearly defined
The previous studies are inadequately relevant with the research topic and inappropriatel y summarized
The previous studies are relevant with the research topic and summarized
The previous studies are quite relevant with the research topic and appropriately summarized
The previous studies are adequately relevant with the research topic and appropriately summarized
References are of poor quality
The format and layout are inconsistent and not in line with APA style
The referencing is in a proper manner but the layout of the bibliography is consistent with APA style There are, however, a number of inconsistencies
The referencing is in a proper manner and the layout of the bibliography is largely in line with APA style
The referencing is in a proper and extensive manner The format and layout of the bibliography are correct and in line with APA style
The author displays such a low level of research methodology and methods that it can be regarded as unacceptable
The author correctly presents the research methods and shows good organization and application of research methodology
The author justifies his/her choice of analysis methods and demonstrates effective application of relevant research methodology
The author justifies his/ her choice of research methods systematically and demonstrates a deep understanding in the application of relevant research
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 52 methodology
The author describes the data collecting and analyzing stages but the description does not form a coherent and logical whole
The analysis methods are mainly chosen to answer the research questions, but the author has an insufficient command of the methods
The author correctly presents the data collecting and analyzing stages and also outlines the analysis The analysis demonstrates a good command and reliable use of the method
The author effectively outlines the stages of data collection and analysis, utilizing the data proficiently in their analysis Sensible methods are chosen to succinctly summarize the information derived from the data.
The author effectively presents the stages of data collection and analysis, utilizing the data skillfully in the analysis By selecting appropriate methods, the author successfully summarizes the information derived from the data.
Relevance between research findings and objectives
The author demonstrates a poor level of understanding in the analysis of the research findings The research findings are inadequate in meeting objectives of study
The author demonstrates a satisfactory understanding in the analysis of the research findings
The research findings may be adequate but not as described
The author demonstrates adequate levels of understanding in the analysis of the research findings
The research findings are adequate relevant to the objectives of the study
The author demonstrates advanced levels of understanding in the analysis of the research findings The research findings are relevant to the objectives of the study
Evaluating and discussing the findings
The thesis does not succeed in making contribution to
The research findings make a minor contribution to the knowledge
The research findings make a good contribution to the knowledge
The research findings make a significant contribution to
Supervisor: Lê Minh Hiền, B.A Page 53
The knowledge base of the discipline and field of study is essential for understanding its core principles and applications This foundational knowledge supports the development and advancement of the field, ensuring that practitioners are well-equipped to address relevant challenges and contribute to ongoing research and innovation.
No logical conclusions are reached
Answers to research questions studied and discussion about them is almost entirely missing or it is unconnected from the perspective of the research
The final summary in no way communicates the purpose and findings of the study The author demonstrates inadequate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of his/her own research
The conclusions are partially logical
The connection between the conclusions and the research questions remains somewhat ambiguous The concluding summary only partially conveys the study's purpose and findings However, the author shows a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their research.
The conclusions are presented logically and answers to research questions are explained in a good manner
The final summary communicates the purpose and findings of the study The author demonstrates adequate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of his/her own research