INTRODUCTION
Reasons for Choosing the Topic
English Teaching Methodology is essential for aspiring English teachers, providing them with vital techniques for teaching the four core language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing Among these, listening is regarded as one of the most challenging skills to teach and learn, often presenting significant difficulties for students Many English students, including the author herself, have experienced struggles in mastering listening skills due to these challenges This article focuses on exploring the common problems encountered in learning listening skills and suggests strategies to overcome them for more effective language acquisition.
English Listening Skill at High School and Suggested Solutions” for several reasons
Listening skills are often considered the most challenging aspect of teaching and learning a language, especially English Both teachers and students frequently encounter various problems and difficulties in developing their listening abilities This article aims to identify the main obstacles faced in listening comprehension, analyze the underlying reasons behind these challenges, and provide insights to improve teaching strategies and student performance in English listening skills.
Listening skills are crucial for effective language learning and should be prioritized in education However, many high schools in Vietnam do not emphasize this skill sufficiently, leading to subpar teaching and learning experiences Addressing this gap is essential to enhance students' overall language proficiency This article explores the importance of listening skills and proposes solutions to improve their teaching quality in Vietnamese high schools.
Learning English listening skills is essential, yet many students struggle with this area due to its difficulty and sometimes boring listening lessons To address this challenge, innovative and engaging listening activities are needed to motivate students and improve their listening proficiency Developing interesting strategies can help make listening practice more enjoyable, encouraging greater student participation and mastery of the skill.
Aims of the Study
This study aims to identify the challenges and difficulties faced in teaching and learning English listening skills at Vietnamese high schools, recognizing that teaching listening is one of the most complex tasks for ESL teachers It seeks to gather comprehensive information about the qualities of effective listening instruction and student learning processes in this context Additionally, the research investigates the main causes behind these challenges to better understand their roots Finally, the study proposes practical solutions to address these issues, with the goal of improving the quality of listening instruction and increasing student motivation in listening lessons.
Scope of the Study
This study focuses on the main problems faced by both teachers and students in learning English listening skills at high school, based on a survey conducted among three grade levels Due to the scope of a B.A thesis, it cannot explore all aspects of the broader topic but emphasizes the actual teaching and learning situations The research identifies key difficulties in listening comprehension encountered in the classroom and proposes practical solutions aimed at improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning English listening skills at the high school level These findings provide valuable insights into addressing specific challenges and suggest ways to enhance the overall quality of English listening education.
Methods of the Study
Due to the scope and the characteristics of the study, the author follows the procedures:
Collecting and analyzing the materials
The process begins with collecting and analyzing relevant materials related to the issue, laying the groundwork for understanding the topic Building on the theoretical background, a survey is then conducted to gather practical insights The survey data is thoroughly analyzed and categorized to synthesize key findings Ultimately, these results lead to a comprehensive conclusion, accompanied by comments and proposed solutions to address the issue effectively.
Design of the Study
The thesis is structured into three main parts: Introduction, Development, and Conclusion The Introduction outlines the reasons for selecting the topic, research aims, scope, methodology, and study design The Development section comprises three chapters; Chapter 1 reviews theoretical foundations, including the definition and importance of listening skills, the principles of Teaching Listening in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), and various listening activities Chapter 2 presents an overview of the current state of English listening skill learning at Nguyen Xuan On High School based on survey data from three grades Chapter 3 proposes specific activities to enhance listening skills, addressing students' challenges and recommending engaging listening tasks to motivate learners The Conclusion summarizes key findings and suggests directions for future research The thesis concludes with a list of references and an appendix containing the survey questionnaire used in the study.
Theoretical Background
What is Listening Skill?
1.1.1 Definition of Listening Skill Listening skill can be defined in different ways According to MC Milan
Listening involves paying close attention to sounds or attempting to hear specific noises, as well as actively engaging with what someone is communicating and following their suggestions According to the Babylon Dictionary, listening is regarded as an effort to hear and carefully focus on the speaker Similarly, the New Era English-English Vietnamese Dictionary defines listening as making a conscious effort to hear someone or something, emphasizing the importance of attentive listening for effective communication.
Listening is the most frequently used language modality, involving a sender, a message, and a receiver who must process incoming information in real-time without backtracking or looking ahead Listeners need to interpret the sender's vocabulary, structure, and delivery pace, which can be especially challenging in second language contexts where language control is incomplete As a receptive skill like reading, listening aims for comprehension and understanding of spoken or written messages, and it is closely integrated with other language skills for effective communication.
Importance of Listening Skill
In daily life, listening plays a crucial role as adults dedicate nearly half of their communication time to this skill, whether it’s officers listening to their boss’s instructions, students absorbing their teachers’ lessons, or seniors staying informed through news on TV and radio.
Listening skills are essential in language use, as they encompass knowledge of phonology, vocabulary, semantics, culture, life experiences, and the ability to predict and respond, all of which influence comprehension and attitude Poor listening ability hampers effective communication, highlighting the close relationship between listening and speaking skills—especially in learning English as a foreign language, where developing listening skills is crucial for improving speaking and understanding native speakers Additionally, listening is a vital method for acquiring new vocabulary, language structures, and overall language proficiency.
In real life, listening can be categorized into two main types: casual listening and focused listening (Nguyen Thi Van Lam and Ngo Dinh Phuong, 2007) Casual listening occurs when we hear something without a specific purpose, often by chance, such as listening to music while doing chores or chatting informally, which makes it difficult to remember details In contrast, focused listening involves intentionally paying close attention to information with a clear purpose, like students listening to an English text to complete assignments or customers following instructions to operate a device While both types are essential, focused listening helps us extract relevant information effectively, especially in task-oriented or educational contexts.
In language learning, students often utilize casual listening as an effective method for additional practice This approach, which involves listening to songs or short stories without the need for responses, helps improve comprehension and listening skills in an engaging and relaxed manner Casual listening is a valuable supplementary technique that enhances language acquisition beyond traditional classroom activities.
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is one of the most popular approaches in language education, originating from shifts in the British language teaching tradition in the late 1960s Its primary goals are to develop learners' communicative competence and create effective procedures for teaching the four language skills CLT is grounded in a rich, eclectic theoretical base that views language as a system for expressing meaning, emphasizing interaction and communication as its primary functions, with language structure reflecting its practical, communicative uses Today, CLT is widely adopted in language schools worldwide due to its focus on developing learners’ functional skills and meeting their communicative needs, making it an effective and learner-centered approach.
In language teaching and learning, teachers play a crucial role due to students' ages, character, psychology, and limited English proficiency In Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), teachers assume multiple roles, with the significance of each role depending on the specific CLT approach adopted According to Breen and Candlin (cited in Nguyen Thi Van Lam and Ngo Dinh Phuong), these varying roles are essential in facilitating effective language acquisition and fostering interactive learning environments.
In 2006, it was established that teachers hold two primary roles: first, to facilitate effective communication among all classroom participants and between these participants and various activities and texts; second, to serve as an independent participant within the teaching-learning group Moreover, teachers can also act as researchers and learners, contributing valuable knowledge, skills, and firsthand experiences that enhance understanding of the learning process and organizational capacities.
In the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach, teachers assume multifaceted roles such as analyzing learner needs, counseling, and managing group processes to facilitate effective communication As counselors, teachers exemplify strong communication skills by maximizing the alignment between speaker intent and listener interpretation through paraphrasing, confirmation, and feedback Additionally, CLT emphasizes the importance of less teacher-centered classroom management, requiring teachers to organize the classroom environment to promote authentic communicative activities that enhance language acquisition.
In English language teaching, teachers play multiple vital roles They act as knowledge conveyers, providing students with essential language skills and information Teachers are helpful helpers, assisting students in analyzing and understanding English content while supporting their learning process Additionally, they serve as companions, staying by students’ side to offer encouragement and guidance Teachers also function as organizers by designing engaging activities and as controllers, maintaining discipline to create an effective learning environment.
Students are central to language teaching and learning, with Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) emphasizing communication processes over mere mastery of language forms According to Breen and Candlin (cited in Nguyen Thi Van Lam and Ngo Dinh Phuong, 2006), learners act as negotiators, interacting with themselves, the learning process, and the learning objectives This role also involves being a joint negotiator within group activities and classroom procedures The key implication for learners is that they should contribute as much as they gain, fostering independent and active learning.
Learners today act as negotiators, interactors, communicators, and responsible managers of their own learning, marking a shift from traditional teaching methods Modern education emphasizes self-directed learning and the effective use of knowledge for communication, aligning with the core aims of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Educators utilizing CLT focus on developing students' autonomy and practical communication skills to prepare them for real-world interactions.
Teaching English Listening in CLT
Effective language skill instruction requires teachers to follow key principles to enhance teaching effectiveness and ensure a systematic approach Forseth emphasizes that adhering to these instructional principles is essential for helping students acquire language skills more efficiently and confidently Implementing methodical teaching strategies based on these principles can significantly improve language learning outcomes.
2007) suggests seven principles for teaching listening skill:
To improve listening skills, teachers should utilize authentic texts from sources like VOA and BBC radio broadcasts, presenting them as naturally and realistically as possible Authentic materials are essential because they include background noise, interruptions, and a variety of voices and accents, reflecting real-life conversations These features help students become accustomed to the natural flow of daily conversations among native speakers, enhancing their comprehension and listening fluency.
Incorporating diverse types of texts such as conversations, dialogues, jokes, lectures, and news broadcasts enhances language learning by exposing students to a wide range of speech patterns and vocabulary This variety helps students adapt to different listening contexts, improves overall comprehension skills, and prevents boredom from repetitive content Utilizing diverse listening materials makes language practice more engaging and effective, supporting learners to become more confident and versatile in their listening abilities.
Teachers should prioritize meaning-based tasks to enhance student understanding For example, instruct students to identify the correct definition of a word they hear, such as choosing "cat" for the pet that likes eating mice or "bat" for the animal that can fly Using these tasks promotes comprehension and active engagement, aligning with effective language learning strategies and SEO principles.
Students must listen carefully and pay close attention to the meanings of words to accurately distinguish between minimal pairs that may sound similar These listening activities enhance their ability to focus on the meaning of the spoken text, improving their overall comprehension and pronunciation skills.
The fourth key principle in effective listening instruction is that the teacher clearly states a specific purpose for the listening task Providing students with a clear purpose helps them focus on relevant information and prevents them from missing important details Additionally, informing students of the listening purpose beforehand enhances their motivation and engagement in the lesson, leading to better learning outcomes.
Effective listening instruction begins with teachers introducing the listening task in advance, helping students prepare for what they will hear This can be achieved by asking relevant questions related to the topic or encouraging students to share their own experiences connected to the theme Such preparatory activities enhance students' understanding and engagement, making the listening exercise more purposeful and impactful.
Avoid pre-teaching vocabulary unless it is essential, as this encourages students to infer word meanings from context and develop their reading skills It is important for students to learn to understand texts without knowing every word, reducing difficulty and stress during listening lessons Only key words necessary for grasping the main idea should be pre-taught to ensure comprehension without hindering language development.
Allow students to listen to the text multiple times to enhance comprehension and retention After each listening, provide students with time to review their answers, as understanding the text often improves with repeated exposure Repeating the text gives students more opportunities to fill in missing information and grasp the content fully, making the listening activity more effective.
Listening skills encompass several important sub-skills essential for effective comprehension Learners must distinguish between phonological sounds, such as minimal pairs like "bull" and "pull," where a single sound change results in different meanings, to avoid confusion Understanding grammatical structures, like recognizing "seen" as a verb and "fish" as a noun in questions, aids comprehension Effective listeners can infer the meaning of unknown or unnecessary words, focusing on key words to grasp the main idea Recognizing discourse markers and cohesive words helps maintain understanding of the flow of conversation, while inferring indirect information from context enhances comprehension Sub-skills like skimming enable learners to catch main ideas without understanding every word, which is particularly useful when listening to news or radio broadcasts Conversely, scanning helps locate specific information within the audio, useful for answering questions or multiple-choice tasks Summarizing and critical listening involve evaluating the content, making judgments about its accuracy or truthfulness, especially for advanced learners Additionally, recognizing different language styles, emotional tones, and varieties such as British or American English poses a significant challenge Predicting what a speaker will say next improves response speed and conversation cohesion, while total comprehension requires understanding every detail of the speaker's message, often necessary in high-stakes contexts like medical instructions.
There are four main types of listening activities mentioned in Nguyen Thi Van Lam and Ngo Dinh Phuong (2007)
Students are often passive during listening activities, with teachers able to gauge their understanding through body language and facial expressions To enhance engagement, teachers can incorporate interactive activities such as telling or playing a story, singing songs, or showing interesting films, which motivate students to listen actively It’s important for teachers to ensure students focus on understanding the content rather than just enjoying the activity, fostering meaningful comprehension alongside engagement These varied approaches make listening exercises more engaging and help maintain students’ attention effectively.
Students engage in a variety of listening activities, such as performing actions or drawing shapes based on the teacher’s instructions, and ticking off words they hear within a given list They also practice identifying true or false statements after listening to passages, enhancing comprehension skills Additional exercises include detecting mistakes in stories told by the teacher, completing missing information in gaps, and guessing definitions based on clues provided Techniques like skimming and scanning are employed to help students find main ideas or specific details within listening texts, making listening practice more effective and comprehensive.
Listening activities that require longer responses are generally more challenging than short-answer tasks Students often need to answer questions, take notes, and identify the main points of a listening text, which requires active comprehension Paraphrasing the listening material in their own words or translating it into another language further tests their understanding Additionally, students are asked to summarize the listening content and fill in long gaps by identifying and providing the missing information These tasks help improve comprehensive listening skills and push students to engage deeply with the material.
Combined skill activities involve multiple language skills simultaneously, enhancing overall communicative competence Key examples include problem-solving tasks, where students collaboratively discuss and resolve orally described issues, fostering critical thinking and verbal expression Interpretation exercises challenge learners to analyze an unseen extract from dialogue or monologue, requiring them to infer meaning based on contextual clues like voice and vocabulary These activities are particularly suitable for advanced students, as they promote the development of various language skills concurrently, leading to more comprehensive language mastery.
Summary
This chapter explores key aspects of listening skills, including definitions from various dictionaries, their importance, and the two main types: casual listening and focused listening It emphasizes the significance of effective listening in language learning The chapter also discusses the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach, highlighting its characteristics, as well as the roles of teachers and learners within this framework Additionally, it provides strategies for teaching English listening within CLT, covering seven principles, twelve sub-listening skills, and four primary types of listening responses—no overt responses, short responses, longer responses, and extended responses—aimed at enhancing learners' listening comprehension skills.
CHAPTER 2: REAL SITUATION OF LEARNING LISTENING SKILL AT NGUYEN XUAN ON HIGH SCHOOL
2.1 Overall View about Real Situations of Teaching and Learning English Listening in Vietnamese High Schools
2.1.1 Some Comments on Listening Exercises and Activities in High School Textbooks
High school textbooks feature diverse listening exercises across three grade levels, with the most common types being True/False (T/F) statements, comprehension questions, multiple-choice questions, and gap-filling exercises T/F exercises are frequently used, typically consisting of 5 to 6 statements, and require students to determine whether each statement is true or false, though they do not need to correct false statements While easy to perform, these exercises may not fully assess students’ comprehension as students might guess answers without understanding the listening text Comprehension questions, also numbering around five to six per lesson, focus on specific details and demand careful listening, thereby improving student concentration and providing a more accurate measurement of understanding Multiple-choice exercises are common in listening lessons, especially in 11th and 12th-grade textbooks, and help students distinguish between different pieces of information, though they are less effective in assessing true comprehension due to the possibility of guessing Gap-filling exercises are widely utilized to enhance listening comprehension by requiring students to complete missing parts of sentences or passages, which helps them follow the content more closely; for lower-level students, it is advisable to keep missing information short to prevent difficulty.
The exercises presented in textbooks across three grade levels are the most commonly used, but expanding the variety of exercise types is essential to prevent student boredom and foster greater interest in learning Incorporating diverse activities can motivate students to engage more actively with the material and enhance their overall educational experience.
2.1.2 Difficulties in Teaching and Learning English Listening
Listening equipment such as tapes and cassette players play a crucial role in developing listening skills, making modern and high-quality devices essential for effective teaching Unfortunately, many Vietnamese high schools lack adequate listening equipment; some schools do not have basic devices like cassette players, forcing teachers to read texts aloud Relying on cassette players is ineffective for teaching listening, as poor audio quality and external noise can hinder students' ability to hear the text clearly Despite these challenges, most Vietnamese high schools continue to use cassette players as the primary listening equipment.
Many university and high school students find listening to native speakers particularly challenging, often feeling stressed or bored when they cannot understand the content A major difficulty is distinguishing linking sounds used naturally in native speech, which leads students to mistake them for separate words and struggle to follow fast, fluent conversations Listening to authentic native speech is considerably more difficult than understanding foreign or slower speech, causing students to miss key information Typically, students need to hear the same listening multiple times to grasp the main idea, which can lead to frustration and lowered motivation Additionally, many students struggle with focusing on keywords and main ideas, despite catching individual words or phrases, which hampers their overall comprehension A common problem is lack of concentration; students often think about other things or let their minds wander during listening tasks, making it hard to stay engaged and absorb information effectively.
2.1.3 Real Situation of Learning and Teaching English Listening at Nguyen Xuan On high school
Nguyen Xuan On High School, established in 1946 in Nghe An province, is a well-known educational institution equipped with modern facilities, including laboratories for biology, physics, computer learning rooms, and English audio-visual tools, creating a supportive environment for teaching and learning Despite the efforts of teachers and students to improve English proficiency, challenges remain, such as underutilized modern equipment and a lack of creative teaching methods that fail to engage students effectively Many students struggle with English, particularly listening skills, which they find the most difficult, resulting in neglect and minimal focus on developing this skill Some teachers do not emphasize listening practice thoroughly, often allowing students to listen without comprehension checks, while students frequently resort to reference books without truly understanding the lessons.
Main Reasons for the Difficulties in Learning Listening Skill
We cannot blame bad listening equipments for the low quality of teaching and learning listening because most of those difficulties are caused by teachers and students themselves
Many students tend to overlook the importance of listening skills, focusing primarily on grammar and vocabulary instead Without dedicated practice, their ability to understand spoken language cannot improve, as "practice makes perfect." Developing listening skills requires consistent effort to distinguish linking sounds and keep up with the fast speech of native speakers, which is impossible without regular listening practice.
Ineffective teaching methods significantly impact students' listening skills, as some teachers rush through lessons or skip challenging parts, limiting students' exposure and practice Incorporating interesting topics and diverse listening activities beyond textbook content can boost motivation and enhance listening comprehension, yet many teachers focus solely on textbook exercises Additionally, students often struggle because they hear the language but fail to grasp main ideas or summaries, due to poor listening habits like passively hearing without actively synthesizing information.
Repeatedly using the same activities in listening comprehension lessons, such as true/false statements and gap-filling exercises, can lead to student boredom As observed in three high school English textbooks, these repetitive activities may diminish students' interest in lessons and make them feel disengaged Incorporating diverse and engaging activities is essential to maintain student motivation and enhance listening skills effectively.
As it was mentioned above, the quality of listening equipments in most of Vietnamese high schools is not good and this has bad affect on the quality of teaching and learning listening
Noticeably, the importance of listening skill has not been appreciated in many schools so it does not receive enough attention so that the necessary equipments which are used for teaching and learning this skill are not improved
In addition, many schools are not rich enough to pay for modern listening equipments Clearly, it is the best for students to study listening in a language lab but not many schools in Vietnam have a language lab Even some universities have a few language labs for students of foreign languages to study listening skill
One significant challenge for students is the limited exposure to native speakers in real-life settings, as they mainly rely on recorded tapes for listening practice This lack of authentic interaction makes it more difficult for them to become accustomed to native speech, affecting their overall listening comprehension skills Enhancing opportunities to listen to native speakers can improve language acquisition and fluency.
Survey on Learning English Listening Skill at Nguyen Xuan On high
Improving listening skills is a significant challenge for many students, often leading to boredom or neglect of the skill, especially in Vietnamese high schools Both teachers and students face numerous difficulties in mastering listening, making it essential to assess students' current abilities and identify key challenges This survey aims to evaluate students’ listening skills, uncover common obstacles, and explore factors that can motivate students, such as engaging activities, interesting topics, or effective teaching methods Ultimately, the goal is to provide practical suggestions to enhance student motivation and improve listening comprehension based on survey findings.
The survey utilized a 16-question questionnaire, including both open and closed questions, to assess students’ listening abilities and interests It was administered to 135 top-performing students from three classes across grades 10, 11, and 12, all of whom began learning English in grade 6 The students in grade 12B are particularly advanced, studying more challenging textbooks, indicating their high motivation and engagement with English The first questions aim to determine the students’ years of English learning and their interest levels, while questions 3 and 4 explore their opinions on listening skills and factors affecting their listening comprehension Questions 5 through 9 gather data on their listening practice habits, methods, and abilities, as well as the impact of listening equipment Subsequent questions inquire about their preferences for listening exercises and topics in textbooks, and their attitudes towards additional listening activities provided by teachers The final question assesses students’ perspectives on factors that motivate them in English lessons This comprehensive survey aims to provide insights into students' listening proficiency, habits, preferences, and motivational factors, supporting SEO-relevant keywords such as "students' listening skills," "English learning motivation," and "listening practice habits."
The following pie chart presents the percentages of students who are interested in learning English
According to the chart, only 70% of students from the English classes show interest in learning English, while 30% dislike the subject, which affects their engagement This lack of interest is a key factor contributing to their limited attention to English lessons Additionally, students' perceptions of listening skills vary, as illustrated by the bar chart showing four different levels of difficulty, highlighting how students perceive the challenge of developing listening proficiency.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 very difficult difficult rather difficult not difficult at all
Figure 2.2 Students’ opinions about degrees of difficulty of listening skill
The chart indicates that a significant majority of students find listening skills very difficult (34.81%) or difficult (48.15%), making it the most challenging skill they face and a skill they dislike Many students struggle to grasp information from listening texts in textbooks, even when allowed to listen multiple times during lessons Conversely, a small proportion of students consider listening somewhat difficult (11.11%), and only 5.93% believe it is not difficult at all, representing the top-performing students who excel in listening These high-achieving students successfully answer comprehension questions, exercises, and additional questions provided by their teachers, showcasing their strong listening skills.
Many students find listening skills challenging, while some experience little to no difficulty A bar chart illustrates three main factors contributing to these difficulties among students, highlighting key reasons behind the varied levels of listening proficiency Understanding these factors can help improve listening comprehension and enhance language learning outcomes.
0 10 20 30 40 50 linking sounds fast speaking speed background noise all
Figure 2.3 Factors affecting students’ listening
A significant 45.2% of students are affected by multiple factors, contributing to their struggles with listening comprehension Interestingly, background noise and linking sounds are the least impactful factors, affecting only 12.6% and 14.8% of students respectively, possibly because unfamiliarity with native speakers makes linking sounds confusing and creates the illusion of new words Background noise generally distracts students and complicates listening, while fast speaking speed impacts 27.4% of learners, a challenge even for native speakers Given these obstacles, many students find listening difficult; the subsequent data will reveal whether they actively try to improve their listening skills.
According to Figure 2.4, students dedicate varying amounts of time to practicing listening skills, despite its recognized difficulty Surprisingly, only 22.2% of students spend more than one hour on listening practice, while 27.4% dedicate exactly one hour This indicates that a significant portion of students may limit their listening practice, highlighting potential challenges in improving this crucial language skill.
Over 50% of students, specifically 50.4%, show little interest in enhancing their listening skills This lack of motivation significantly contributes to their ongoing difficulties with listening comprehension and hinders their progress in mastering this essential language skill.
Developing a strong listening habit is crucial for improving listening comprehension For example, students' pre-listening strategies, such as guessing the content of the lesson, significantly enhance listening success The accompanying figure illustrates key insights into students' pre-listening habits, highlighting the importance of these practices in achieving better listening outcomes.
Q Question Answers Number of students Percentage (%) a 1 hour 37 27.4
5 b more than 1 hour 30 22.2 c less than 1 hour 68 50.4
Question Answers Number of students % a.always 13 9.6
Figure 2.5 Students’ frequency of the guessing habit
Surprisingly, 49.6% of students do not have the habit of guessing the content of lessons, with 7.6% never engaging in this practice at all Meanwhile, 32.6% of students sometimes guess the lesson content, but only 9.6% always do so Guessing the content of a lesson is a valuable learning habit, as it enhances learners' focus and concentration on the material, making it beneficial for developing language skills Students are encouraged to adopt this habit to improve their overall learning effectiveness.
Effective listening strategies significantly impact students' comprehension of listening texts According to a pie chart, students primarily use three methods: listening to every word of the entire text, focusing only on key words, or grasping the overall meaning of sentences These different approaches influence how well students understand the material, highlighting the importance of choosing appropriate listening techniques for improved language learning.
36% every word of the whole text the key words meanings of sentences
According to the chart, only 20% of students pay attention to every word of the entire text, which is an inefficient listening strategy This approach often leads to missing important information, as focusing on every word hampers understanding of the main message As a result, many students in the three classes struggle to grasp the key points of the listening lesson because they lack effective note-taking skills and fail to concentrate on main ideas, instead attempting to transcribe every word they hear.
Focusing on key words is an effective listening strategy, as these words often contain the main message of the text, helping learners understand the core ideas and avoid confusion Listening for specific information and summarizing main ideas enhances comprehension, with 35.6% of students successfully adopting this approach However, students must be cautious to avoid distractions that could cause them to miss important and necessary details conveyed by the teacher.
Truthfully, being distracted from the listening text is a very popular problem for students The figure below indicates whether students are often distracted from the listening lesson or not:
Question Answers Number of students % a.always 5 3.7
According to the data, 65.9% of students are often distracted by outside factors only sometimes during lessons, while 12% never experience this problem, indicating that external distractions do not significantly impact their listening comprehension Conversely, 21.5% of students are often affected and 3.7% are always influenced by external factors, which can hinder their understanding Common reasons for distraction include students thinking about unrelated matters, engaging in conversations, or feeling frustrated and losing interest due to difficulty understanding the material, especially when their efforts to listen do not yield comprehension This highlights the importance of focusing and concentration in effective listening skills development.
As a consequence, they give up trying to continue listening
The key question is, "How many times do students need to listen to a piece of English text to understand it?" The answer to this will provide valuable insights into the actual effectiveness of listening classes at this school, shedding light on students' comprehension levels and the pedagogical approaches used in language learning.
Question Answers Number of students % a.once 7 5.2
9 b.twice 36 26.7 c.three times 45 33.3 d.more than three times 47 34.8
Figure 2.8 Students’ times of listening per lesson
Summary
This chapter examines the current state of students' listening skills at a Vietnamese high school through a comprehensive survey It begins with an analysis of listening exercises in high school English textbooks, highlighting their strengths and limitations The chapter identifies key challenges students face in developing listening skills and explores the underlying causes of these difficulties Overall, the findings provide valuable insights into improving listening comprehension education for high school students in Vietnam.
This article presents a survey conducted at Nguyen Xuan On High School to assess students' English listening skills The survey features sixteen questions designed to explore the current state of listening comprehension among students It specifically investigates the learning experiences and challenges faced by students in three different English classes, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of their listening skill development.
Suggested Activities to Improve Learning
Introduction
Schools in Vietnam face significant challenges in teaching listening skills, impacting both teachers and students Many students struggle to understand listening texts, leading to boredom and neglect of this skill Improving the quality of listening instruction requires effective solutions and activities that enhance students' listening abilities Increasing students’ motivation is essential to attract their attention and foster engagement in learning listening skills This article will discuss practical strategies to address these issues and improve listening education in Vietnamese schools.
Suggested Solutions
To enhance the quality of teaching and learning listening skills, improving listening equipment is essential; however, many schools in Vietnam lack adequate resources, with some not even possessing basic cassette players Given the increasing importance of foreign language learning, adequate attention must be paid to equipment quality to ensure students can hear listening materials clearly Teachers should ensure that the listening tapes are of good quality to prevent hindering students’ listening development Additionally, a conducive listening environment—free from external and internal noise—is crucial, and teachers should strive to create a quiet space that supports effective listening practice.
To improve students' listening skills, more frequent testing and assessments focused on listening should be implemented, as current high school and university exams often lack listening components, leading students to pay less attention to this skill Teachers must adopt effective teaching methods and techniques, creating an engaging learning environment through new activities and interesting listening topics that motivate students Providing additional listening practice beyond textbook exercises is crucial, as many current activities do not accurately assess understanding and often lead students to guess answers; incorporating varied exercises like True/False statements can enhance focus Despite the challenges of time constraints, teachers should introduce extra listening lessons and tasks tailored to different student ability levels, fostering good listening habits and ensuring all students develop stronger listening skills.
Students must take initiative in their own learning, as teachers' efforts are ineffective without their active participation Prioritizing English study is crucial for future success, making dedicated practice essential Specifically, students should focus on improving their listening skills through regular practice, as progress in English listening requires consistent effort To enhance listening ability, students are advised to incorporate practical strategies such as daily listening exercises and immersive language exposure into their study routines.
Effective listening strategies for students involve accepting that they cannot understand everything in a listening text, so they should focus on key information rather than trying to catch every detail Maintaining patience and composure when encountering difficulty is crucial; students should not become bored or discouraged if comprehension takes time Instead, they must persevere and keep trying, even after multiple attempts It is also important to avoid translating the listening material into their native language; instead, students should aim to understand the content in their target language Additionally, focusing on capturing the overall idea of the conversation before concentrating on specifics helps improve comprehension and enables them to extract key information more efficiently.
Some Suggested Kinds of Listening Exercises to Motivate Students into
A lot of listening games for teaching and learning this skill have been applied so far and the followings are some suggested games for teachers and students to consider:
3.3.1 Chain Game-Retelling a Short Story
This group activity involves students working in small teams of 5-6 members to enhance listening and speaking skills through a storytelling game The first student listens to one or two sentences of a funny story and then whispers it to the next member, who sequentially retells the previous sentences along with the new ones they hear The final member is responsible for recalling and retelling the entire story accurately, making this an effective exercise for improving listening comprehension and memory Suitable for use in a language lab, this activity can also be adapted for reporting news, fostering teamwork, and engaging students creatively Although challenging for 10th-grade students, it is ideal for 11th and 12th graders, lasting around fifteen minutes To maintain a focused environment, teachers should monitor volume levels and encourage students to continue listening actively even after their turn, minimizing noise and maximizing learning outcomes.
Example: Listen to this funny story:
A greedy girl “Jack was a young sailor He lived in England, but he was often away with his ship
After returning from a long voyage one summer, Jack discovered new neighbors near his mother’s house, including a charming daughter named Gloria He quickly fell in love with her and confided, “My next voyage will begin in a few days Gloria, I love you and plan to marry you when I come back.” Jack promised to think of her constantly, promising to stay in touch through letters and sending her presents from every port he visits, strengthening their budding romance.
Jack’s first port was Freetown in Africa and he sent Gloria a parrot from there
It spoke five languages When Jack’s ship reached Australia, there was a letter from Gloria It said: “thank you for the parrot, Jack It tasted much better than a chicken”
And now, retell the story according to what you have heard from your friend
Students listen to a short text or conversation describing a place, object, picture, or person, and then they draw a picture based on the characteristics they've heard The student whose drawing most accurately represents the description wins, making this an engaging individual activity suitable for students across three grades While fun, this activity may distract students from proper listening, as they might focus on drawing based on imagination rather than comprehension Teachers should monitor students’ drawings and focus on their concentration to ensure they understand the listening material effectively, enhancing both listening skills and visual representation.
* Notice: - The description in the listening text must be clear enough for students to understand and draw more easily
- To draw more exactly, while listening, students can remember or write down what is being described
Example: Listen to the following passage and draw the person which is described:
In the center of the courtyard, our imposing headmaster was engaged in conversation with a tall man wearing a bowler hat, a rare sight at that time The man's appearance, resembling an actor in costume, was striking, especially since I never saw him wear a bowler hat again He carried a walking stick over his shoulder like a soldier with a rifle, and his deep black hair, which seemed dyed, complemented his long, thin nose.
The teacher divides students into small groups of five or six members and provides clear game instructions Students receive a list of crossword questions in advance and must answer them while listening to the audio, with the answers being the words in the crossword The teacher can pause the tape between listening sessions to allow students to check their answers After several rounds, the group that identifies the key word correctly wins the game This activity is more suitable for advanced students with stronger English skills, as it can be quite challenging for those less proficient.
This comprehension exercise combines traditional learning with engaging crossword puzzles to boost student motivation When properly timed and well-organized by the teacher, these activities can enhance understanding and make learning more enjoyable However, if not scheduled appropriately, they may consume too much class time, potentially disrupting the lesson plan Proper time management is essential to maximize the benefits of this engaging educational method.
* Notice: - The key word should be short and the questions should be rather easy for students to answer
Example: Listen to the following text and answer these questions to fill in the cross-word below:
Teenagers who share the same music often adopt similar fashion styles, with hip hop emerging as a prominent trend Hip hop is a genre of urban music characterized by a heavy beat, and its fashion includes large, loose-fitting streetwear such as baggy jeans, sweatshirts, hiking boots, and baseball caps Teens often enhance their look with additional clothing like flannel shirts, sports logo jackets, and athletic shoes Originally popularized by African American youth in Detroit and Chicago who wore baggy clothes to dance clubs, hip hop fashion has now become a global phenomenon, influencing teen styles from Britain to Japan.
In Japan, hip hop fashion is transforming teenage style, replacing traditional outfits like blouses and skirts adorned with cartoon characters Similarly, in the United States, teenagers are investing heavily in hip hop-inspired clothing, reflecting its growing influence For example, 17-year-old David Bowen from Evanston, Illinois, owns five pairs of hiking boots, each costing around $100, highlighting how teens spend significant money to emulate hip hop fashion trends.
1 How many pairs of hiking does David Bowen have?
2 Hip hop is a type of urban music with a heavy…
3 What type of caps does the hip hop style include?
4 What kind of shoes do teens wear in the hip hop style?
5 African American…in Detroit and Chicago first made hip hop popular
6 What is hip hop replacing in Japan?
7 Who spend a lot of money on hip hop in US?
And these are the answers:
This activity is similar to a lucky number game but uses topics instead of numbers, such as family, friendship, or hobbies, for students to listen to Students work in groups of six, selecting a favorite topic, and then answer questions related to that topic after listening Other groups also listen and attempt to answer the questions if the original group cannot, offering a collaborative learning experience Each correct answer earns the group ten points, and spontaneous topics like songs allow students to simply enjoy without additional tasks The group with the highest score is declared the winner, encouraging engagement and teamwork.
This activity is for group work and can be applied in any high school classes
It requires much time so the teacher should choose short and easy topics for students to listen
3.3.5 Guessing the Content of the Lesson
Pre-listening activities involve providing students with key words related to the listening text, encouraging them to predict and create a new text—such as a conversation, story, or news report—based on their guesses This preparatory step helps students familiarize themselves with the topic and enhances comprehension After making predictions, students listen to the original text to check their understanding, making the activity particularly effective for intermediate learners To challenge advanced students, educators can use more difficult listening texts, promoting higher-level listening skills and critical thinking Incorporating pre-listening tasks with key words improves engagement and supports language learning by activating prior knowledge.
For example: Look at these words and write a short passage according to your understanding:
And here is the original listening passage:
Aladdin was captivated by the Princess’s beauty when she lifted her veil, seeing her for the first time and falling in love instantly Despite the Sultan’s order for everyone to stay home, Aladdin secretly peeped behind the bath door to glimpse her face, which was normally veiled Deeply affected by his love, he resolved to marry the Princess and asked his mother to seek the Sultan’s permission on his behalf She took enchanted fruits from the magical garden, sparkling like jewels, to present to the Sultan, trusting in the power of the magic lamp to aid her in his quest.
Aladdin, an order, close his shutters, Princess, hide, peep, lift her veil, fall in love, ask her in marriage, magic fruits
3.3.6 Rearranging the Order of the Conversation
Teachers can enhance listening skills by providing students with scrambled conversation handouts, encouraging them to listen and reconstruct the dialogue in the correct order This activity is adaptable for learners of all levels, with difficulty adjusted to match students’ language proficiency To ensure comprehension, teachers should review students’ answers, preventing guesses and promoting accurate understanding Incorporating such listening exercises improves language skills and fosters active listening and critical thinking among students.
Example: Look at this conversation which is in the wrong order:
Tom: - Oh where are you from in Brazil?
Paulo: - My parents are here from Brazil They are on vacation
Tom: - Pleased to meet you, Mr and Mrs Tavares
Mrs Tavares: - Nice to meet you, Tom
Paulo: - Mum and dad, this is Tom Hayes Tom, these are my parents
Mr Tavares: - We are from Rio
And now listen to the conversation in the right order:
Paulo: - Mum and dad, this is Tom Hayes Tom, these are my parents
Tom: - Pleased to meet you, Mr and Mrs Tavares
Mrs Tavares: - Nice to meet you, Tom
Paulo: - My parents are here from Brazil They are on vacation
Tom: - Oh where are you from in Brazil?
Mr Tavares: - We are from Rio
This exercise involves students listening to texts or conversations about a provided list of topics, then identifying which topics they have heard and highlighting key words to demonstrate comprehension It is a solo activity designed to improve skimming skills To ensure effectiveness and manage time efficiently, teachers should select short, easy-to-understand listening texts This practice enhances students’ listening and comprehension abilities, making it a valuable component of language learning.
Example: Listen to some conversations and decide whether which one belongs one of the given topics below:
Jobs Shopping Greetings Hobbies Music
1 People in US often shop from catalogs There are special catalogs for almost every need- including clothing, furniture, health and beauty products, and things for the kitchen People also order about 40% of their music from music catalogs
2 Sarah: Hi, Tom How is everything?
Tom: Not bad How are you?
3 Jason: Where do you work, Andrea?
Andrea: I work for Thomas Cook Travel Jason: Oh, really? What do you do there?
Andrea: I am a guide I take people on tours to countries in South America like Peru
3.3.8 Making T/F Statements Students are allowed to listen to a text for some times and take notes After listening, each of them has to make some T/F statements relating to the text and use them to ask their partners The partners have to base on the information they get from the listening text to answer the questions of their friends After that, they are allowed to listen to the text again to check if the questions and the answers are right or wrong This activity is for pair work The good points of this activity are that it checks students’ understanding exactly and helps them get more specific information They have to listen carefully to make and answer the questions correctly But it is difficult for students at average level Hence, it may be more often used for good students
If it is used for average level students, the listening text must be easy enough for them to understand
For example: Listen to the following paragraph:
Summary
This chapter offers effective solutions to address common challenges in developing listening skills, emphasizing activities that motivate students and boost their engagement Recommended techniques include retelling funny stories, rearranging conversation sequences, selecting appropriate topics, and creating true/false statements, all adaptable for various student levels These activities can be tailored to different teaching objectives and classroom conditions, making listening practice more interactive and enjoyable Implementing such strategies helps improve listening comprehension and fosters a positive learning environment for language learners.