VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS & LITERATURE A CASE STUDY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING INTENSIVE LISTENING IN KET C[.]
Background to the study
The rise of global integration has created a need for a universal language that facilitates effective communication across cultures and continents English, with its linguistic simplicity and advantages in communication, education, and employment, has emerged as the ideal solution for international dialogue, leading to significant learning opportunities and enhanced career prospects.
English has become the most popular foreign language in Vietnam's formal education system, leading to a surge in English centers aimed at enhancing language skills across various age groups and socio-economic backgrounds This demand for English proficiency necessitates reliable assessment tools, with Cambridge English Qualifications being highly regarded as internationally recognized credentials The Cambridge exams are the most widely accepted English proficiency tests in Vietnam, serving as entry requirements for English gifted classes in secondary and high schools, as well as public universities This case study will focus specifically on Cambridge’s Key English Exam.
Proficient English competence encompasses vocabulary, grammar, and the four essential skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking Research by Rost (2001) and Anderson and Lynch (1988) highlights listening as the most crucial skill, as it significantly aids in the development of other skills by improving pronunciation and communication in the target language.
Furthermore, listening helps us grasp the world around us and is necessary for the effective exchange of information Indeed, no communication is accomplished without effective listening
Listening is often regarded as the most challenging skill to master in English, leading to its neglect in favor of grammar and vocabulary, as noted by Hayrapetyan (2016) In Vietnam, this issue spans various age groups and educational levels, with public school curriculums prioritizing reading and writing over listening skills, as highlighted by EF EPI (2021) and Le (2018) The Ministry of Education and Training (2018) has acknowledged the lack of focus on English communication skills and has called for enhanced efforts to address this persistent issue.
The Key English Test (KET) format has been updated since 2020, introducing new challenges for candidates with a wider range of contexts, task types, and academic language Despite these changes, the teaching methods, course books, and curriculum at the Vietnamese-English-American International language school have not adapted accordingly.
Research indicates that students frequently struggle with listening tasks, such as matching, multiple-choice, and gap-filling, in the KET listening section compared to other areas This observation raises critical questions that this case study aims to address, seeking to uncover the underlying issues and provide effective solutions to improve student performance.
Efforts to tackle challenges in listening comprehension across various learning contexts have been made, as highlighted in the study "What makes listening difficult? Factors affecting second language listening comprehension" by Bloomfield et al (2010) from the University of Maryland, along with several theses conducted in Vietnam.
“An investigation into learners’ linguistic problems in TOEIC listening comprehension at the Center for Foreign studies, Nong Lam University- Ho Chi Minh City” (Nguyen,
2011) “Problems in learning listening comprehension among non - English majors at Cao Thang technique college” (Le, 2012), “The effects of teaching intonation on English majored students’ listening comprehension at the university of social sciences
Research highlights the need for further investigation into the challenges of teaching and learning listening skills, particularly in KET level classrooms This study aims to address the prevalent issues related to listening skills, a topic that remains underexplored in the broader context of listening skills education.
Aims of the study
This study aims to explore the challenges faced by learners in the listening section of the Key English Test (KET) and offers effective strategies for enhancing listening comprehension skills in KET classrooms.
Research questions
To achieve the aforementioned aims, the study attempts to seek answers to the two research questions:
1/What are the difficulties that learners encounter in the KET listening section?
2/ How do teachers help students overcome these listening comprehension problems?
Significance of the study
The Cambridge Certificate, particularly the Key English Test (KET), is essential for assessing learners' competence globally, leading many international schools in Vietnam to require it for enrollment Consequently, more students are choosing to prepare for this certification However, teenagers often struggle with the KET listening section due to its complex tasks, such as gap-filling and multiple-choice questions, resulting in lower scores compared to their performance in speaking, reading, and writing Despite the KET being an elementary-level exam, there is a lack of research focused on helping students enhance their listening skills for this test, with more studies directed towards general listening instruction.
This study addresses the challenges faced by higher-level learners in the KET listening section, aiming to identify and propose solutions to these issues By answering two key research questions, the study highlights factors that influence learners' listening performance, enabling teachers to recognize and address students' difficulties Consequently, educators can adapt their teaching strategies to better support students, ultimately leading to improved listening scores and enhanced listening skills.
Scope of the study
The study aimed to explore the challenges encountered by learners in the KET listening section, conducted at a language center with the participation of 6 teachers and 67 students.
The structure of the study
The thesis consists of five chapters: Chapter 1 outlines the study's background, research questions, purpose, significance, and scope Chapter 2 delves into theoretical details, key terms, and previous findings related to listening comprehension and the KET listening section, highlighting potential challenges for learners Chapter 3 details the research sites, participants, and the methodologies used for data collection and analysis Chapter 4 focuses on analyzing and discussing the findings from questionnaires and interviews Finally, Chapter 5 offers recommendations for teachers and learners, suggests areas for further research, and concludes the study.
Listening comprehension and listening section of KET
Listening comprehension is an interactive process where listeners actively construct meaning by utilizing sound discrimination, prior knowledge, grammatical structures, and various linguistic and non-linguistic cues According to Rost (2002), this process involves interpreting the meaning of spoken language Steinberg (2007) further defines listening comprehension as the ability to recognize and assign meaning to sounds through the senses and aural organs.
Listening comprehension, as defined by Rost (2002), is a multi-step, collaborative process that involves dynamic meaning formation through sound discrimination, language knowledge, and various linguistic cues It is an inferential process that combines language and world knowledge to create a mental representation of the auditory input This comprehension is achieved through both bottom-up and top-down processes Additionally, listening encompasses receiving information from the speaker, constructing and negotiating meaning, and responding creatively and empathetically.
Cambridge Assessment is renowned for its dependable English competence assessment system, offering a variety of tests suitable for learners of all ages and proficiency levels These assessments evaluate all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, along with a comprehensive range of vocabulary and grammar The A2 Key English Test (KET) is specifically designed for adolescents, measuring their abilities in these four skills, as well as vocabulary and grammar, with topics that are closely aligned with everyday life.
The KET listening section consists of five parts, lasting a total of 25 minutes, which includes 5 minutes for transferring answers to the answer sheet During this section, learners listen to each part twice before recording their answers.
In Part 1 of the KET exam, learners focus on listening for specific information They listen to five short audio recordings and select the corresponding picture from three options for each recording, after hearing the audio twice.
In Part 2, candidates will focus on listening for specific details, filling in five gaps in a monologue with single words After listening to the audio twice, they must extract and note key information, including names, addresses, times, places, and phone numbers A single recording will be used for all questions.
Part 3 tests the learners’ understanding of detailed information From questions 11 to
In the listening section, candidates will engage with an informal conversation presented in a recording, followed by five multiple-choice questions, each offering three answer options The questions will focus on the speakers' opinions and attitudes, with answers reflecting insights from both participants in the dialogue.
Part 4 assesses an understanding of the gist of monologues or dialogues comprising neutral or less formal language and the correct identification of speakers’ attitudes, opinions, and agreement There are five short monologues or dialogues with five 3- option questions, each of which has a scene setter In this part, candidates need to understand the main idea, gist, or topic to choose the best answers to the questions
In part 5, the researcher’s comprehension of detailed information will be evaluated through an extended conversation captured in a single recording Candidates will listen to a dialogue between two acquaintances and subsequently complete a matching exercise that involves correlating items from two columns.
Elements relevant to listening comprehension and listening section of KET
There are two primary types of listening: casual and concentrated (Nguyen & Ngo, 2006) Casual listening involves engaging with audio content without a specific purpose, leading to low information retention Examples of casual listening include enjoying music or catching up on the news.
Focused listening is driven by specific goals, such as understanding facts in real-life situations where information like addresses, directions, and job details is communicated Classrooms serve as environments where students actively participate in this form of listening.
According to Harmer (2007), listening can be categorized into two primary types: intensive and extensive listening Intensive listening involves students focusing on their listening skills and analyzing how English is spoken in educational settings In contrast, extensive listening occurs when individuals engage with informal audio sources, such as CDs, MP3 players, DVDs, conversations, or movies, primarily for relaxation and enjoyment, often without full attention.
According to Cambridge’s TKT book by Spratt et al (2011), listening serves various purposes, including understanding the gist, obtaining specific information, grasping details, appreciating speakers' attitudes, or simply enjoying conversations Listening for specific information targets particular data, while listening for gist focuses on the overall meaning In contrast, listening for details aims for a comprehensive understanding of every aspect Extensive listening, however, emphasizes engaging content that captivates the listener's interest.
Intensive listening primarily focuses on enhancing students' conceptual understanding of grammar rules and vocabulary in a language By utilizing texts and study aids, this approach aims to facilitate natural language acquisition.
In this research, the author focuses on intensive listening with follow-up activities in a KET classroom
Linguists have identified three primary models of the listening process: "bottom-up," "top-down," and the interactive process The bottom-up and top-down models focus on different aspects of listening (Buck, 2001; Celce-Murcia & Olshtain, 2000; Richards & Renandya, 2002; Wilson, 2008), while other researchers have integrated these approaches into an interactive model (Nunan, 2002; Nation & Newton, 2009; Flowerdew & Miller, 2010; Brown, 2015).
The bottom-up processing model, as worded by Nunan (1999), is considered to
Listening is a linear process of decoding sounds, starting from the smallest units known as phonemes and progressing to complete texts This perspective emphasizes that phonemic units combine to create words, which then form phrases, leading to utterances that culminate in meaningful texts.
Top-down processing, as described by Anderson and Lynch (1988), Buck (2001), Harmer (2001), and Vandergrift and Goh (2012), involves using prior knowledge and context to interpret messages Listeners employing this approach leverage their understanding of the listening event's context or the topic to aid comprehension Richards (2008) further explains that top-down processing moves from meaning to language, allowing learners to anticipate spoken content Additionally, strategies such as guessing, explaining, and visualization play a crucial role in this predictive process, as noted by Abdalhamid.
Nunan (2002) emphasized that achieving fluency in listening requires learners to engage in both bottom-up and top-down processing, each offering unique advantages and disadvantages for comprehension tasks Similarly, Buck (2001), Celce-Murcia and Olshtain (2000), and Nation and Newton (2009) argued that listening comprehension is an interactive process, necessitating the simultaneous use of both processing models along with linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge to effectively understand spoken text.
A listening comprehension lesson can be divided into three stages: pre-listening, while- listening, and post-listening (Underwood, 1989; Lindsay & Knight, 2006; Wilson;
Pre-listening activities are crucial for activating students' prior knowledge, reviewing keywords, and enhancing motivation, as highlighted by Richards (2005) Brown (2006) stresses the importance of implementing pre-listening tasks through both bottom-up and top-down processing models, where a solid understanding of grammar and vocabulary is essential for comprehension, while background knowledge aids in interpreting listening texts Underwood (1989) recommends various pre-listening activities, such as providing background information, discussing topics, and engaging with relevant visuals, to effectively prepare students Wilson (2008) further emphasizes that these activities not only prepare students for the listening task but also increase their chances of success by establishing a clear purpose for listening.
The while-listening phase is the time for students to listen and complete tasks such as listening for gist, listening for main ideas, making inferences, and summarizing
Underwood (1989) and Celce-Murcia and Olshtain (2000) introduced various while-listening activities that enhance comprehension and engagement These activities include tasks such as making or checking items in pictures, arranging pictures in order, drawing, performing actions, creating models, and organizing items into patterns Additionally, they involve following routes, completing grids, charts, diagrams, and tables, as well as labeling, using lists, and answering multiple-choice questions Other activities encompass true/false statements, text completion (gap-filling), identifying mistakes, predicting outcomes, seeking specific information, determining the main topic, note-taking, and responding to questions.
For optimal learning experiences and outcomes, it is essential to consider not only well-designed activities but also various influencing factors such as the difficulty level, length of the material, pedagogical focus, and the risk of boredom.
The post-listening stage aims to assist students in overcoming challenges such as unfamiliar vocabulary and reflecting on their performances Key activities highlighted by Celce-Murcia and Olshtain (2000) include completing forms or charts, extending vocabulary lists, sequencing information, matching content with reading texts, and summarizing Additionally, students can engage in problem-solving and decision-making activities using insights from the listening text, participate in jigsaw listening, identify relationships between speakers, and analyze the speaker's mood or attitude Role-playing, dictation, sharing opinions, relating personal experiences, and debating topics further enhance learning This stage provides teachers with valuable opportunities to help students reinforce their knowledge and apply what they have learned in real-life contexts.
Research indicates a positive correlation between learners' listening strategies and their comprehension performance, highlighting the significance of effective listening approaches in enhancing understanding.
Cognitive strategies are essential for learners to acquire knowledge and comprehend linguistic systems, as highlighted by Oxford (1990) These strategies enable learners to deduce word meanings from context and connect new information to existing schemas Additionally, O’Malley and Chamot (1990) emphasized the importance of interpretation and understanding in the learning process.
Learners’ characteristic and learning style
Language learners vary significantly in age, motivation, personality, language proficiency, learning styles, strategies, and prior experience According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), learners are categorized into a six-level scale, ranging from basic levels A1 (beginner) to A2.
This research focuses on participants who took the A2 Key test, which is designed for the A2 elementary level in general and higher education, rather than a specific age group However, the study primarily examines teenagers aged 11 to 15, as most students at the researcher’s language center fall within this demographic The participants can be categorized into three main age groups: young learners, teenagers, and adults.
Research on young adolescents highlights their unique characteristics in physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development (Scales, 2010; Caskey, 2014) This study emphasizes these areas, aligning with the views presented in "The TKT Course Modules 1, 2, and 3" (2011), which suggest that maturity encompasses learners' physical, mental, and emotional traits It notes that students can maintain focus for extended periods while still needing movement, and they are capable of abstract thinking Additionally, they exhibit the ability to control and plan their behavior, pay attention to both meaning and form, and are often concerned about others' perceptions, leading to heightened self-awareness.
Teenagers experience rapid and uneven physical maturation, which significantly influences their emotional, psychological, and social development, often leading to phases of restlessness and fatigue (Kellough & Kellough, 2008) They exhibit a strong curiosity and diverse interests, eagerly seeking knowledge on topics they find engaging and useful (Brighton, 2007; Kellough & Kellough, 2008; Scales, 2010) This age group favors active learning and peer interactions during educational activities, showing a preference for practical learning experiences over traditional academic subjects (Kellough & Kellough, 2008).
Early adolescents exhibit concrete and black-and-white thinking, evolving from basic logical operations to the ability to formulate and test hypotheses, evaluate evidence, and engage with complex concepts (Manning, 2002) A significant aspect of their social-emotional development is the strong desire to belong to a group, where peer approval takes precedence over adult validation (Scales, 2010) In their quest for social acceptance and personal identity, young adolescents are inclined to explore new activities, yet they often struggle to balance the desire to fit in with the need to express their individuality (Brighton, 2007).
Regardless of learners’ learning styles, Spratt et al (2011) classified learners as visual learners learning best through visual materials, auditory learners gaining knowledge from hearing, kinaesthetic learners using movement of the body to study, group learners studying with others, individual learners working alone, and reflective learners needing time to make a decision, and impulsive learners answering immediately All the aforementioned observations and findings pointed to the crucial role of learning style in a learner’s process of internalizing information, which makes it apparent that learning styles should be taken into consideration when deciding on a teaching method.
Factors causing the difficulty in the KET's listening section
Learners often face various challenges during the KET listening test, including unknown vocabulary, unfamiliar topics, fast speech rates, and different accents (Buck, 2001) Additionally, factors such as listener characteristics, speaker attributes, stimulus elements, and contextual variables have been identified as influential (Teng, 2002).
Other elements determining task complexity synthesized by Brindley and Slatyer
The nature of the input and assessment task, along with individual listener factors and item characteristics, play a crucial role in understanding task performance Item characteristics encompass task input, procedure, and output, while the interactions between task input and output are identified as task characteristics (Vandergrift, 2007; Bloomfield et al., 2010).
To sum up, four major elements impacting learners’ listening comprehension are the listener factor, input factor (passage feature and audio feature), output factor (assessment task), and external factor
The learner factor encompasses various elements such as anxiety, memory, motivation, and proficiency in the second language, including vocabulary size Additionally, it involves background knowledge related to the topic, text structure, schema, culture, and both phonological and grammatical information.
Listeners experience heightened anxiety when they believe their performance reflects their abilities or intelligence, which negatively affects second language comprehension Stress levels can hinder understanding and impair the ability to resolve ambiguities in their native language in real-time Additionally, a study by Kim (2000) involving 253 Korean students learning English as a foreign language found a moderate link between listening anxiety and comprehension, revealing a strong negative correlation between listening anxiety and students' listening achievement.
The capacity of learners' memory plays a crucial role in the listening process, significantly influencing listening comprehension This research explores compelling theoretical perspectives on the importance of working memory in enhancing listening skills.
Brunfaut and Revesz (2014) proposed that variations in phonological short-term memory and working memory capacity can be used to predict individuals' abilities in processing a second language They found a positive correlation between phonological short-term memory, working memory capacity, and various aspects of speech.
Research by Kormos and Safar (2008) highlights the significance of working memory capacity in second language (L2) listening Andringa et al (2012) further elaborated on a multiple-component model that includes L2 knowledge, processing skills, intelligence, and working memory as key factors influencing listening competence It is clear that a learner's memory capacity directly affects their ability to comprehend spoken language; higher memory capacity leads to better understanding, while lower capacity results in challenges in language comprehension.
Motivation plays a crucial role in the learning process, and it can be categorized into two types: intrinsic and extrinsic Both forms significantly influence students' focus and memory, ultimately enhancing their overall performance.
Intrinsic motivation arises from genuine interest and self-drive, while extrinsic motivation is fueled by external goals and influences For instance, a boy may play baseball out of pure enjoyment, demonstrating intrinsic motivation, whereas another may participate to fulfill his parents' expectations or to earn a trophy, showcasing extrinsic motivation.
Listening to topics that students find uninteresting or irrelevant can significantly reduce their motivation and focus, ultimately impacting their listening comprehension According to Bingol et al (2014), a lack of interest is a key factor affecting this comprehension Engaging with a foreign language text demands considerable effort from students, even if the subject matter is captivating Consequently, maintaining concentration during listening tests becomes particularly challenging for learners who lack genuine interest in the topic.
Proficiency and experience with the second language
A crucial factor to consider is the vocabulary size of learners According to Nation (2001), sufficient vocabulary is essential for understanding texts in a foreign language The vocabulary range can be evaluated by determining the number of words a listener needs to comprehend a representative sample of texts.
Vocabulary size serves as an indirect indicator of factors influencing listening comprehension, including global knowledge Since words shape our perception of the world, a listener's vocabulary may also be linked to their experiences in a second language (L2).
Students must not only expand their vocabulary but also understand phonological and grammatical information to enhance their listening skills In Goh’s study (2000), 40 language learners described their methods for comprehending spoken second languages and the challenges they faced The findings indicated that when learners struggle with pronunciation in the second language, they often revert to their native pronunciations Additionally, language learners apply their first language's segmentation standards to decipher continuous speech in the second language This highlights that a deeper understanding of phonology and grammar significantly improves learners' listening comprehension and overall success.
The listener's background knowledge significantly influences their comprehension of a topic, as familiar subjects are easier for language learners to grasp (Tyler, 2001; Chang & Read, 2006) Cultural understanding is essential for interpreting context, as language is deeply intertwined with culture; without this knowledge, students may struggle with the language (Bingo et al., 2014) Consequently, listeners develop a conceptual framework in their long-term memory based on prior knowledge, including topic, genre, and cultural schemas (Vandergrift, 2007) A strong foundation in background knowledge enables listeners to compensate for misunderstandings and unclear speech, ultimately enhancing their performance in listening tasks (Goh, 2000; Tyler, 2001).
In many cases, the teachers could be the ones who interact mostly with students, thereby affecting their learners through teaching styles and teaching methods Xie (2013)
Teachers play a crucial role in influencing learners' listening performance by adapting their communication styles to suit their students Research indicates that when teaching low-level children, educators tend to use simpler phrases and articulate their speech clearly, which enhances student learning Additionally, during listening practice sessions, teachers often require students to decode each spoken word to grasp the content, which can create pressure and impact students' anxiety and listening preferences.
As a result, the listeners develop the habit of understanding every word that is said (Underwood, 1989)
Previous studies relevant to factors and solutions to tackle issues in learners' listening
Numerous theses and articles have been conducted on listening comprehension globally and in Vietnam Prominent researchers such as Brown (2000), Wilson (2008), and Bloomfield et al (2010) have explored and synthesized various factors that contribute to the challenges learners face in listening comprehension.
Research indicates that Vietnamese students face significant challenges in listening comprehension, prompting increased scholarly attention Nguyen (2011) identified key linguistic factors affecting comprehension, including phonology, lexis, and students' backgrounds, through questionnaires and interviews Le (2012) further explored this issue by examining college students' difficulties and the impact of pre-listening activities like quizzes and gap-filling Her findings highlighted problems related to top-down processes, such as cultural context and prediction, with students frequently experiencing hesitation and false starts A nine-week course demonstrated that the implementation of these pre-listening activities led to notable improvements in students' listening skills.
In terms of research related to students’ issues in listening in international exams including TOEIC and IELTS, Vo's (2013) findings revealed some factors related to
The study examined 32 learners, focusing on internal and external factors affecting their listening tasks in TOEIC, including the learning environment and equipment Similarly, Tran (2018) investigated learners' attitudes towards listening tasks in IELTS, revealing that most learners had negative feelings and thoughts about the research issues, yet expressed satisfaction with certain practice strategies in IELTS.
A comprehensive understanding of teaching practices is essential due to their significant impact on learners Nguyen's (2012) study on grade 10 teaching methods involved 8 teachers and 120 students, revealing a substantial disconnect between teachers' practices and the new textbook's authorial intent The research highlighted issues such as insufficient in-service training and the need for improved teaching resources for listening skills Similarly, Chau's (2012) findings indicated a hesitance among high school teachers to adopt a communicative approach in teaching listening for the grade 11 textbook Teachers reported neglecting pre-listening activities, while students lacked confidence in engaging with communicative tasks, primarily due to their previous experiences with the Grammar Translation Method.
Besides, apart from investigating issues learners faced in improving listening comprehension, the focus of other researchers was to figure out various solutions to support listeners
In pre-listening activities, it is essential for teachers to activate students' schemata to help them predict incoming information (Wilson, 2008) Additionally, Le (2012) highlighted the effectiveness of three top-down strategies—gap filling, board writing, and quizzes—in enhancing learners' listening performance.
(2011) also measured the effect of teaching schema-building activities through the
33 experiment, and the results presented a positive impact on learners because they tended to engage in the pre-listening stage
Cole (2018) highlighted the effectiveness of bottom-up strategies in teaching listening skills, particularly in pronunciation Vo (2019) conducted a quasi-experiment with 48 students, demonstrating significant improvements in listening tasks such as gap-filling and short answers through intonation instruction Similarly, Duong (2012) found that using prosody positively impacted learners' listening comprehension, while also advocating for teaching reduced forms in pronunciation to address students' lack of awareness, which hindered their listening skills Tran (2019) reported enhanced confidence and improvement among young learners when incorporating English cartoons into the classroom, utilizing experiments, observations, and interviews to gather comprehensive data on the effects.
Wilson (2008) suggests that using "chunking" during the while-listening stage can help reduce students' information overload when dealing with longer passages Additionally, allowing students to check answers in pairs or groups boosts their confidence Supporting this, Duong (2007) conducted experiments that demonstrated the positive impact of interactive activities, such as pair and group work, on enhancing listening comprehension among major students Similarly, Brown (2001) emphasized the multifaceted role of teachers in the classroom, identifying them as controllers, directors, managers, facilitators, and resources Furthermore, Nguyen (2012) highlighted various challenges faced by teachers in their instructional practices.
According to Wilson (2008), the post-listening stage is crucial for open class feedback and discussions He emphasizes the importance of addressing unknown vocabulary and any challenges students faced during the listening activity.
Wilson (2008) highlighted several advantages of using transcripts in teaching pronunciation and vocabulary Incorporating transcripts in the classroom offers benefits such as enhancing paraphrasing skills, understanding discourse markers, and exploring graphophonic relationships between words This includes words that are similar in spelling and meaning but differ significantly in pronunciation, such as "sign" and "signal," "nation" and "nationality," and "know" and "knowledge."
Numerous theses have explored listening comprehension, focusing on identifying problems and solutions Significant conclusions have been drawn regarding issues related to international exams like TOEIC and IELTS, revealing that participants, particularly teenagers, often lack adequate attention and assessment Additionally, the KET exam's characteristics are frequently underestimated, perceived as basic due to its association with lower proficiency levels Following the KET format change in 2020, students have expressed a lack of confidence in their abilities to tackle the test Consequently, the researcher aimed to investigate these challenges and propose solutions to enhance students' listening comprehension for the KET exam.
Conceptual Framework
The article explores various teaching methodologies, including Grammar Translation Methods and Communicative Language Teaching, alongside the listening processes, stages, and strategies employed by teachers in KET classes It highlights several factors affecting listening comprehension, such as learner characteristics, teacher approaches, input and output formats of the Key English Test, and external elements The study aims to identify the challenges learners face in listening comprehension and offers relevant solutions and recommendations to address these difficulties.
35 Figure 1 Conceptual Framework of the Study