INTRODUCTION
Rationale of the study
Since the 2006-2007 academic year, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training introduced a new foreign language textbook for senior high school students The updated curriculum emphasizes teaching English with a communicative approach, focusing on developing speaking and listening skills This shift aims to improve students’ practical communication abilities in English, aligning with modern language education standards Teachers are encouraged to prioritize interactive speaking and listening activities to enhance student engagement and language proficiency.
10, 2007, 3-4) and to place greater emphasis on the communicative ability attained by the learners As a result, effective listening becomes one of the determinants of the students’ success or failure
The study reveals that tenth-grade students at TKHS struggle with developing effective English listening skills, often feeling bored and distracted during lessons Many students frequently miss classes or become inattentive and doze off, indicating low engagement Students express frustration, questioning how to improve their listening abilities and seeking guidance to enhance their comprehension skills This ongoing problem highlights the need for targeted strategies to boost motivation and address listening difficulties among high school learners.
Many students find it easier to improve their speaking, reading, and writing skills, but struggle to enhance their listening abilities, raising questions such as "How can I learn listening skills more effectively?" and "What strategies help me listen to native speakers better?" Additionally, learners often find it challenging to grasp key information through listening and experience difficulties in developing their listening skills overall.
Many students lack sufficient general knowledge of listening skills, often approaching listening tasks without activating background information or considering the topic They tend to listen passively, focusing solely on extracting information without paying attention to contextual clues or question prompts, which hampers effective prediction during the listening process Students frequently struggle to keep up with native speakers' speed, trying to understand every word rather than grasping the overall meaning, leading to missed information Additionally, during post-listening, learners often complete answers without analyzing why they misunderstood or why their responses were incorrect, unaware that words and phrases can carry different meanings in various contexts Consequently, students' listening skills tend to stagnate, preventing them from efficiently extracting relevant information and fully developing their listening comprehension abilities.
The lack of motivation for listening practice among students remains a critical issue, as listening skills are often overlooked in final grade 12 exams, which discourages learners Many students question why listening texts are treated like reading exercises and why listening is not assessed in the graduation exam, despite its importance Vietnamese high school students, in particular, find listening comprehension challenging, which further impacts their motivation to improve this skill Recognizing these problems highlights the need for effective solutions to enhance listening skills and positively motivate students to develop their English proficiency.
Students’ poor listening skills often lead to the misconception that innovations in syllabuses and teaching materials do not result in essential methodological changes in listening instruction To align with the objectives of the new syllabus, teachers are expected to adopt a communicative language teaching approach, which emphasizes real-life communication skills While syllabus and material innovations typically aim to change teaching practices, many teachers at Tan Ke High School remain accustomed to traditional grammar-translation methods that focus primarily on vocabulary and grammar, neglecting the development of listening comprehension skills Therefore, it is important to investigate the current classroom practices of teaching English listening to understand how these innovations are implemented in practice.
Vietnamese English teachers often focus on teaching grammar through traditional methods, neglecting the development of listening skills and modern instructional approaches (Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt Ánh, 2009) They believe that mastering grammar and vocabulary is essential for effective communication, which leads to an overemphasis on grammatical instruction and limited attention to other language skills This approach results in poor communicative competence among learners, as successful communication requires not only grammar and vocabulary but also listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills (Nguyễn Huy Cẩn, 2008) According to Mishra (2011), listening is one of the most vital skills in the communication process, highlighting the need for a balanced focus on all language domains to improve language proficiency.
Many teachers acknowledge the importance of listening in language learning but often neglect to prioritize improving students' listening skills, believing that other aspects of English are more essential This tendency results in listening being largely ignored in the classroom However, listening is a critical skill that enables learners to comprehend spoken language and participate effectively in spoken communication, making it a vital component of successful language acquisition (Rost, 2001: 7).
Previous local studies have focused on listening skills; however, there is a lack of research examining actual teaching practices in relation to listening materials and pedagogical procedures within new communicatively oriented textbooks Conducting such a study is valuable to assess whether these innovative approaches lead to the desired changes in teaching practices and achieve specified instructional objectives Classroom research of this nature can effectively determine if the planned language teaching programs are being implemented as intended.
Purpose of the study
This study investigates the actual teaching practices of listening comprehension among Grade 10 teachers following the introduction of the new textbook It examines whether Grade 10 English teachers effectively apply the prescribed teaching materials and procedures for teaching listening skills The research aims to evaluate the alignment between recommended methodologies and classroom implementation, providing insights into how listening is taught in actual classroom settings.
(1) Understanding the current practice of teaching listening comprehension to the tenth graders at Tan Ke High School;
(2) Finding out difficulties the students are facing;
(3) Suggesting some possible ways of teaching and learning listening skill
This study aims to raise awareness among administrators and teachers about the importance and effectiveness of teaching listening skills By highlighting these benefits, it encourages educators to adjust and enhance listening instruction within the current English curriculum, in alignment with the guidelines set by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training.
In 2015, the focus was on reforming English teaching to enhance effective communication skills The thesis also introduces practical listening teaching and learning strategies tailored for Tan Ke High School teachers and students, aiming to improve overall language proficiency.
Research questions
To achieve the overall objectives stated above, the thesis is going to answer the following questions:
1 What is the current practice of teaching English listening skill to the tenth graders at Tan Ke High School?
2 What problems prevent the students from listening to English successfully?
3 What can be some possible ways to overcome the problems?
Significance of the study
This research aims to address the current listening challenges faced by many high schools in Vietnam, particularly aiding non-native English learners in improving their listening comprehension Successful listening involves understanding natural English spoken by native speakers, which is essential for interpreting meaning accurately Listening comprehension is a crucial language skill and a prerequisite for spoken proficiency, directly impacting students' communicative abilities As Harmer (2007) emphasizes, “successful spoken communication depends not just on our ability to speak, but also on the effectiveness of the way we listen,” highlighting the importance of effective listening skills Therefore, exploring how to teach and learn listening comprehension among high school students is highly urgent, with the aim of providing valuable insights and solutions that can serve as a reference for teachers, especially at Tan Ke High School, to enhance students' listening skills for better communication.
Limitation of the study
This article explores the common challenges that hinder high school students' success in learning English listening skills within the classroom setting It emphasizes that factors such as limited resources and time constraints impact teaching practices and student comprehension The study focuses on analyzing the specific problems faced by teachers and tenth-grade students at Tan Ke High School, offering practical solutions for improving listening comprehension While the findings are specific to this context, they can be applied to similar educational environments, although they may not be universally effective for all learners The article advocates for further research to enhance listening skills across diverse educational settings, promoting broader understanding and more effective teaching strategies.
Overview of the thesis
This research is structured into five chapters, beginning with an overview of the study's background, purpose, research questions, significance, and limitations The second chapter reviews relevant literature to provide a theoretical foundation for the research The methodology chapter details the research design, participants, data collection instruments, and procedures used in the study Data analysis is presented in the fourth chapter, which examines findings from questionnaires and classroom observations Finally, the fifth chapter offers practical suggestions and effective English listening strategies to enhance teaching and learning of listening comprehension skills.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Understanding spoken English
Listening skills in language teaching encompass the ability to identify, understand, and interpret spoken language, including accents, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as grasping the speaker’s meaning (Howatt & Dakin, 1974; Yagang, 1994) Effective listening involves recognizing words, comprehending sentences within their specific context, and retaining spoken information to derive meaning (Lewis, 1999) It relies on sound signals, visual cues, background knowledge, and situational context to make sense of spoken language (Lynch & Mendelsohn, 2002) Unlike mere hearing, listening is an active, conscious process that involves processing with the head, eyes, heart, and guts, requiring practice for effective communication (Wilkie, 2001).
Listening comprehension is a challenging task that requires significant mental effort from the listener To accurately understand the speaker's intended message, active engagement of both linguistic and nonlinguistic skills is essential Effective listening involves having a clear purpose, along with social, cultural, and background knowledge to interpret the message accurately.
Listening is considered the most important language skill among the four core skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—in English as a foreign language (EFL) learners According to Rost (1994), listening comprehension provides essential input for learners and is crucial in the language learning process Without understanding input at the appropriate level, EFL students cannot effectively initiate their language development.
& Olshtain (2000: 115) make it simpler by saying that listening comprehension is the basic skill in improving oral communicative ability
Listening is essential for improving spoken language skills, as students cannot enhance their speaking abilities without developing strong listening skills (Doff, 1988; Lewis & Hill, 1992) Effective communication also requires collaboration between listeners and speakers to maintain a coherent conversation (Buck, 2001) To succeed in interaction, students must accurately understand spoken language, which necessitates extensive practice in listening to English at normal speed.
Listening comprehension is crucial for acquiring a strong language knowledge base, with up to 80% of learners’ language understanding gained through listening, especially in grasping vocabulary and grammatical structures (Hunsaker, 1990, quoted by Jalongo, 1995) Effective listening involves decoding speakers’ intended messages beyond mere words, as context and unique phrases play a vital role (Underwood, 1990) Non-native students living outside English-speaking countries often face limited exposure to authentic spoken language, hindering their ability to develop listening skills efficiently Therefore, teachers should provide ample opportunities for students to listen to English in various contexts, helping them acquire useful vocabulary and grammatical patterns essential for language mastery (Doff, 1988).
Listening comprehension is a crucial skill in English learning that should not be overlooked To significantly enhance this ability, learners must understand both the linguistic aspects, such as vocabulary and grammar, and the extra-linguistic factors like cultural context and speaker intent Mastering the listening process is essential for improving overall English proficiency and communication skills.
Over the past 40 years, linguists have proposed various theories to explain the listening process According to Wilson (2008) and Flowerdew & Miller (2010), there are primarily three key listening processes: bottom-up, top-down, and interactive These processes are essential in understanding listening comprehension and are widely applied in language learning and teaching contexts.
The bottom-up process in listening comprehension involves interpreting spoken language starting from the smallest meaningful units, such as phonemes, and progressing to complete texts (Nunan, 1999; Buck, 2001; Wilson, 2008) This approach emphasizes analyzing sounds, words, intonation, and grammatical structures to decode information, build ideas, and understand relationships within speech (Flowerdew & Miller, 2010) While closely linked to the listener’s linguistic knowledge, bottom-up processing has limitations, as understanding a text also requires an interactive process that combines prior knowledge with the textual input Effective comprehension depends not solely on linguistic competence but also on how the listener’s brain integrates textual information with their existing knowledge base.
Top-down listening comprehension involves activating students' background knowledge related to the listening topics, speakers, situations, or contexts to integrate messages, rather than relying solely on individual sounds and words (Nunan, 1999; Buck, 2001) Words spoken in isolation tend to confuse listeners more in identifying meaning compared to those used within surrounding context (Flowerdew & Miller, 2010) However, if the incoming information is unfamiliar, listeners cannot rely on their prior knowledge and must depend primarily on their linguistic skills Additionally, even when background knowledge is activated, it may not align with the speaker’s intended meaning, which can lead to comprehension failure Therefore, relying solely on top-down processing may not always be effective for successful listening comprehension.
Recent research has focused on the interactive model, which combines both bottom-up and top-down processing in listening comprehension Establishing effective integration between these processes is essential because, without understanding individual details, students struggle to grasp the overall meaning of a listening text Conversely, lacking prior knowledge prevents learners from efficiently analyzing specific details As Harmer (2007b) emphasizes, decoding information relies on the mutual interaction of phonological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic cues, mirroring real-life listening experiences (Flowerdew & Miller, 2010).
Listening comprehension is an interactive and interpretive process that integrates both prior social and cultural knowledge with linguistic understanding It does not rely solely on top-down or bottom-up processing but combines these approaches to facilitate more effective understanding This holistic approach highlights the importance of leveraging diverse knowledge sources to enhance listening skills and comprehension accuracy.
Understanding the relationship between linguistic and extra-linguistic knowledge in the listening process is crucial for effective comprehension According to Brownell (2010), a key model of listening comprehension emphasizes the interplay of these knowledge types to facilitate understanding This model highlights how linguistic knowledge, such as grammar and vocabulary, interacts with extra-linguistic factors like contextual cues and world knowledge, to enhance the listener's ability to process and interpret spoken language Recognizing this connection is essential for developing more comprehensive listening strategies and improving overall language proficiency.
2.1.4 A skills-based model of listening-centered communication
The model of listening-centered communication emphasizes mainly on
Effective communication involves sending and receiving information, where listeners decode messages based on their cognitive structures, schemata, interests, needs, and individual influences A higher understanding of both verbal and nonverbal cues enhances listeners' ability to accurately interpret messages and achieve their listening goals.
Figure 2.1: The HURIER listening model (Brownell, 2010: 145)
The HURIER listening model identifies six key components of effective listening: hearing, understanding, remembering, interpreting, evaluating, and responding (Brownell, 2010) These stages are influenced by factors such as cultural background, past experiences, interests, attitudes, and beliefs During the hearing phase, listeners focus on specific sounds in the environment, similar to reading comprehension, to facilitate understanding In the interpreting stage, listeners use verbal and nonverbal cues—such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and posture—along with contextual knowledge to assess the accuracy and validity of the information Finally, in the responding phase, listeners adjust their understanding by observing the speaker’s facial expressions and voice tone, enabling meaningful feedback and engagement.
Generally speaking, the listening process mainly bases on the context to grasp, store, and respond information
Understanding the complex listening process allows teachers to simplify their teaching strategies by translating unobservable skills into observable features, making it easier to teach listening effectively Although teachers cannot directly observe hearing or attention, they can guide students to focus on the speaker, choose a distraction-free environment, and actively participate in activities to enhance engagement Implementing these approaches helps students develop better listening skills and improves their overall comprehension.
Teachers’ role in developing listening tasks
Effective teaching involves facilitating students' learning by providing guidance and support, fostering confidence in listening skills rather than solely testing proficiency (Underwood, 1990; Field, 2005) Teachers should organize diverse listening activities that incorporate different learning strategies, promote cooperative learning to reduce anxiety, and cultivate cultural awareness alongside listening skills development (Ren, 2011) Students become more proficient in English listening when they naturally apply familiar strategies from their native language, expand their cultural knowledge, and accept that partial understanding often suffices (Underwood, 1990) To enhance listening skills, teachers can help students by encouraging strategies such as previewing questions, analyzing multiple-choice options, and providing background information to improve comprehension and prediction during listening practice.
An effective language teacher plays multiple roles in developing listening skills, including being a controller, facilitator, resource, organizer, and feedback organizer, among others According to Underwood (1990), key considerations for listening instruction involve deciding whether listening is integrated into a general lesson or taught separately, selecting an appropriate location for the listening class, ensuring proper equipment is available and manageable, allocating sufficient time for listening activities, and planning the timing and methods for assessments Different linguists categorize teachers' roles variably: Brown (1994) describes teachers as controllers, directors, managers, facilitators, and resources; Harmer (2007b) emphasizes roles such as organizers, machine operators, feedback organizers, and prompters; while Wilson (2008) likens teachers to a tailor, stand-up comedian, sleuth, engineer, spy, doctor, firefighter, and tour guide, highlighting the diverse and dynamic nature of effective language teaching.
According to scholars, teachers play multiple roles in the listening class, often shifting their roles as needed to enhance learning They serve not only as sources of information but also as facilitators and guides, helping students decode and organize spoken messages effectively This dynamic approach enables more effective listening instruction and supports learners' comprehension skills.
Effective teaching of listening
Listening comprehension is a complex skill that requires active engagement, contrary to the misconception that listening is a passive and automatic process (Jalongo, 1995) Listening in a second language differs significantly from first-language listening because learners often have limited linguistic knowledge and lack cultural understanding of the message (Buck, 2001) Additionally, classroom listening practice is not equivalent to real-life listening situations, making targeted instruction essential for improving listening skills in English (Ur, 1996).
Teaching listening comprehension is a challenging task for educators, as emphasized by Djwandono (2006: 32) The primary goal is to enable learners to function effectively in real-life listening situations (Underwood, 1990: 21; Ur, 1996: 107) Traditional listening lessons that involve teachers reading aloud or playing tape recordings, followed by comprehension questions and correct answers without clear explanations, often fail to improve students' listening skills Djwandono (2006: 32) suggests that such approaches tend to focus on testing students’ comprehension rather than teaching them how to listen effectively Effective listening instruction should go beyond mere question-answer sessions to address learners' knowledge gaps and develop their listening strategies Additionally, in real-world contexts, listeners rarely respond by answering comprehension questions, highlighting the importance of preparing students to listen actively (Harmer, 2007a) Ultimately, teachers’ responsibility is to “help students prepare to listen,” fostering skills that are applicable outside the classroom.
Effective listening instruction requires teachers to provide comprehensive preparation, visual support, appropriate tasks, positive feedback, and mistake analysis to assist learners during listening classes (Underwood, 1990) Beginner listening teachers should follow principles such as avoiding cognitive overload by not introducing too much new language, focusing on meaningful and relevant content, maintaining student interest through varied activities, and creating a friendly, safe, and cooperative classroom environment (Nation & Newton, 2009) Additionally, successful teaching integrates listening strategies with other language skills like speaking, reading, and writing, fostering a holistic language learning experience (Rost, 2001).
In general, the keys to success in teaching listening comprehension effectively depend on sufficient preparation of the teachers, provision of visual supports, and proper activities.
Stages in teaching listening comprehension
Effective teaching of listening skills involves three essential stages: pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening activities, as emphasized by numerous linguists such as Underwood (1990), Yagang (1994), Lindsay & Knight (2006), Wilson (2008), and Wang (2011) These stages are crucial for developing comprehensive listening comprehension and ensuring students actively engage with the listening material throughout the learning process Incorporating targeted strategies at each stage enhances overall listening skills, making the approach both effective and aligned with best practices in language education.
The pre-listening phase is crucial for helping learners prepare for upcoming listening tasks by engaging in activities that enhance their readiness (Lindsay & Knight, 2006: 49) This stage creates a successful opportunity for learners to improve their listening skills and build confidence before the actual task (Wilson, 2008: 60) Effective pre-listening activities set the foundation for more effective comprehension and learning outcomes.
Pre-listening activities are essential for providing students with vital background knowledge, helping them to contextualize the listening material (Gaiyan, 2008: 3) These activities also facilitate the connection between prior knowledge and new information, enhancing comprehension (Wang, 2011: 360) Additionally, initial suggestions enable students to imagine the appropriate framework for the topic and make predictions about the content, giving them motivation and reasons to listen (Doff, 1988: 203; Harmer, 2007a: 135; Wilson, 2008: 75) Therefore, providing a general introduction to the listening topic is crucial for effective listening comprehension.
Effective vocabulary and structure instruction are essential for boosting students' listening confidence and comprehension, as they help students gather necessary information and understand the topic (Wilson, 2008) Providing students with key words or phrases before listening makes comprehension easier, but teaching too many words in advance can be inefficient and does not significantly improve listening skills (White, 1998; Gower et al., 2005) Experts recommend limiting pre-teaching to around five words, focusing on their recognition, correct pronunciation, and contextual use to enhance understanding (Wilson, 2008) Incorporating vocabulary in recognizable contexts further facilitates comprehension and allows students to better predict the content of listening texts.
Providing students with clear instructions is essential to help them understand the next steps, which not only improves task performance but also boosts motivation and interest in learning (Underwood, 1990; Ur, 1996).
Pre-listening activities are crucial for preparing students and should be carefully selected to enhance listening comprehension According to Wilson (2008), six effective methods include brainstorming, using visuals, realia, texts and words, situational contexts, and eliciting opinions, ideas, and facts to activate students' schemata and encourage predictions about the upcoming listening task The choice of these activities should consider factors such as the available materials, students’ ability levels, and the content of the listening passage, as emphasized by Underwood (1990) Implementing targeted pre-listening activities can significantly improve students' understanding and engagement during the listening lesson.
Effective pre-listening activities and authentic texts are essential for developing practical listening skills, as they prepare students to understand real-life conversations beyond classroom exercises Using natural language in listening materials helps learners gain valuable experience applicable to everyday situations, enhancing their overall communication proficiency (Underwood, 1990).
Enhancing language skills involves practicing reading, writing, speaking, or a combination of all three, providing a comprehensive approach to language mastery Integrating listening with these skills offers learners a well-rounded experience, fostering better comprehension and communication abilities This method encourages simultaneous development of multiple language competencies, making learning more effective and engaging.
Providing learners with background information about the content, context, and speakers before listening enhances comprehension Careful preparation of listening materials helps students understand spoken English more effectively during the while-listening stage, leading to improved listening skills.
The while-listening stage involves all activities students perform during listening, such as filling in charts, answering questions, and making notes (Underwood, 1990; Lindsay & Knight, 2006) These tasks are designed to enhance listening comprehension, focusing on helping learners interpret and extract meaningful messages from spoken language The primary goal is to improve students' ability to understand and analyze spoken texts effectively.
Effective listening instruction involves allowing students to listen multiple times, providing opportunities for comprehension and study (Harmer, 2007a: 135) During initial extensive listening, students should focus on understanding the general context, such as speaker identity and conversation purpose, to grasp the overall meaning (Wilson, 2008: 82; Wang, 2011: 361) Subsequent intensive listening helps learners analyze detailed ideas and clarify unclear or missed information, with note-taking serving as an essential tool to aid memory (Wang, 2011: 361) It is recommended that students perform different tasks at each listening session, only re-listening to difficult parts, and teachers should pause at key points to enhance engagement without causing boredom or frustration (Wilson, 2008: 60) Additionally, teachers should encourage students to respond actively to the content of listening texts, aiming to understand the intended meaning beyond just linguistic features Utilizing listening passages effectively—covering pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and meaning—is crucial for developing comprehensive language skills (Harmer, 2007a: 136).
Effective listening instruction should be appropriately structured so that all learners can participate comfortably, avoiding overly difficult exercises that may lead to demotivation Listening and writing simultaneously can be challenging, especially for students with limited experience, making it important to use simple tasks initially Conversely, overly simplistic exercises fail to provide meaningful listening practice, while excessively difficult tasks can discourage learners; thus, balancing challenge and attainability is key A skilled teacher carefully selects suitable while-listening activities—such as checking pictures, detecting differences, filling in blanks, and following routes—to match students’ listening abilities and maintain motivation.
Teachers should focus on engaging students in building comprehension skills, ensuring they grasp key information from the text Assessing understanding through post-listening activities is essential to confirm students' comprehension and reinforce learning.
The post-listening phase involves activities conducted after a listening task to assess and enhance learners' comprehension (Underwood, 1990) It provides an opportunity to evaluate students’ understanding, identify reasons for misunderstandings, and offer valuable feedback, facilitating review of learned material (Lindsay & Knight, 2006) During this stage, students are expected to recognize functional language such as apologizing, inviting, and refusing, as well as infer the meanings of new words (Wang, 2011) Additionally, expanding the topic or applying the language in different contexts is a key component of the post-listening phase (Underwood, 1990).
Post-listening activities are inherently motivating, playing a crucial role in enhancing language learning engagement According to Underwood (1990), the pre-listening stage helps set listening expectations, while the while-listening stage fulfills them, yet maintaining student interest during post-listening remains challenging To sustain motivation, it is recommended to incorporate engaging and curiosity-driven tasks beyond traditional comprehension questions and word-finding exercises, making the learning experience more effective and enjoyable.
Strategies of listening comprehension
One effective way to minimize listeners' difficulties is for teachers to provide students with essential listening comprehension strategies These strategies are active tools that students use to enhance their listening skills, making the learning process more straightforward and enjoyable (Amri, 2003) Additionally, implementing these strategies helps reduce the overall listening burden, making it easier for learners to understand and engage with spoken language (Alberding, 2003: 273).
Two of the most popular listening strategies for extracting necessary information are bottom-up and top-down approaches Bottom-up strategies focus on analyzing phonology, vocabulary, and grammar to understand the details within the spoken content In contrast, top-down strategies rely on prior knowledge, socio-cultural understanding, and context assessment to interpret speakers’ intentions and grasp the overall message Combining these strategies enhances listening comprehension and effective communication.
Firstly, bottom-up strategies are, according to Amri (2003), based on the text hints, i.e the combination of sounds, words, and grammar to make sense
Listeners can often understand nearly unrecognizable utterances by relying on contextual cues such as word order, sound, and intonation patterns They also use grammatical structures to logically fill in missing information, enhancing comprehension Additionally, key words that are repeated frequently serve as signals of redundancy, making learners more aware of essential information during listening This reliance on cues and redundancy helps improve understanding in challenging listening situations (Brown, 1994; Wilson, 2008).
Effective listening skills involve recognizing the significance of words based on stress, rather than understanding every single word spoken (Wilson, 2008: 23) Stressed words, which carry essential information, are typically pronounced with longer duration, louder volume, and higher pitch, making them easier for competent listeners to identify Skilled listeners know to focus on these key words and avoid getting confused by less important or ambiguous language, allowing them to understand the main message without needing to grasp every detail.
Top-down listening strategies focus on listeners' existing knowledge, including their background information, understanding of discourse, and experiential context, enabling them to interpret or predict upcoming information in the listening text (Amri, 2003).
According to Nunan (1999: 219), listening strategies can be classified based on the listener's purpose Learners typically focus on understanding the main idea, making inferences, identifying specific information, distinguishing phonemic differences, and analyzing tone and pitch to interpret the speaker's attitude These strategies enhance listening comprehension by tailoring approaches to different listening objectives.
In face-to-face conversations, learners can enhance their listening skills by asking speakers or teachers to slow down or clarify unclear points, making message comprehension more effective Active listening practice is essential, providing learners with opportunities to encounter diverse accents, topics, and real-life communication scenarios Engaging in such interactive strategies not only improves understanding but also boosts overall language proficiency.
Effective listening strategies are essential for learners to overcome common challenges and improve comprehension When used successfully, these strategies enable learners to grasp information more fully and keep up with spoken language despite their limitations Implementing targeted listening techniques can significantly enhance understanding and language acquisition, making communication more effective.
Previous researches concerning to listening and listening teaching
Listening comprehension is a complex process, so in English teaching context as a foreign language in Vietnam, there have been some researches done about it so far
Nguyễn Thành Tuấn's 2006 thesis identifies common challenges faced by second-year students at Hong Bang University in developing their listening skills The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating diverse activities alongside standard listening materials, such as Richards' "Developing – Tactics for Listening," to enhance students' listening comprehension Implementing these supplementary strategies can significantly improve students' ability to understand spoken English more effectively.
To effectively develop listening skills, administrators should invest in dedicated lab rooms equipped with headphones, high-quality cassettes, and CDs Teachers play a vital role by explaining new cultural features, linguistic linking forms, key stress and intonation patterns, and various accents to enhance comprehension However, many common listening difficulties encountered during teaching are often overlooked, highlighting the need for strategies that help teachers select and implement appropriate listening activities to improve learner outcomes.
Hoàng Thị Bích Thảo’s research identifies key challenges faced by intermediate English learners, including issues related to spoken language characteristics, lack of background knowledge, poor classroom conditions, and limited access to suitable listening materials She emphasizes the need for learners to adopt more effective listening strategies and for teachers to modify their teaching methods to improve listening skills Additionally, her study recommends revising the current syllabus, Streamline English Destinations, to better support listening skill development However, she notices that existing pedagogical approaches do not adequately address difficulties within the pre-, while-, and post-listening stages, highlighting a gap in current teaching practices.
Lê Văn Hùng (2007) emphasizes that listening is an active process and distinguishes between teaching and testing listening comprehension He discusses popular teaching methods such as direct, audio-lingual, and communicative approaches within the Vietnamese context To enhance English listening education, he highlights the importance of understanding listening content, employing effective listening techniques, and considering factors like teacher qualities, school facilities, and suitable teaching methods.
Nguyễn Thị Thúy Loan's 2008 study highlights the significant impact of pre-listening strategies on enhancing listening skills among non-English major students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry She emphasizes that the pre-listening stage is crucial, as it largely influences the success or failure of the entire listening process Loan recommends that teachers should select engaging topics, provide lexical knowledge, and guide students in purposeful listening practices to achieve better listening outcomes.
Trần Thị Dung (2010) highlights that pre-listening activities in EFL classes at the Faculty of Economics enhance students' awareness, equip them with essential listening tools and strategies, and create necessary contextual cues to set expectations for upcoming information She emphasizes the importance of these activities in preparing students for effective listening However, her study also reveals that considerable time is spent addressing challenges related to pronunciation, stress, intonation, and listening materials Incorporating well-designed pre-listening activities can improve listening comprehension while optimizing classroom time.
Nguyễn Nam Phương's 2010 study focuses on first-year English major students at Bình Dương Teachers’ Training College, exploring an integrated approach to teaching listening and note-taking skills The research emphasizes the importance of note-taking strategies in EFL classes and proposes incorporating note-taking into both listening lessons and college lectures However, the study does not address how to take notes effectively, including key components such as language use, speed, organization, and accuracy, which are essential for successful note-taking.
Recent research by Bùi Thị Kim Loan (2011) highlights that schema-building activities are highly effective and beneficial for first-year students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology Her listening thesis demonstrates that incorporating schema-building techniques can significantly enhance students' listening comprehension skills Implementing these activities in language education can lead to improved academic performance for newcomers This study underscores the importance of targeted listening strategies in supporting first-year students' adaptation and success in university-level language learning.
Previous research has mainly focused on listening problems and methods for intermediate university students with stronger background knowledge, often overlooking the needs of high school learners Additionally, there is a significant difference between listening materials created by native writers and those designed by Vietnamese authors for high school students Furthermore, the actual teaching practices, including current listening syllabi and pedagogical procedures at both high school and university levels, have been largely neglected in existing studies.
Summary
This chapter has reviewed and discussed the literature relevant to the research
An overview of spoken English highlights the importance of listening as the ability to understand words and utterances within a specific context Effective listening involves decoding information through both bottom-up processes—focusing on individual sounds and words—and top-down processes, which rely on prior knowledge and contextual understanding Mastering these skills is essential for improving overall communication in English.
This article outlines the three essential stages of teaching listening comprehension: pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening The goal of these stages is to provide learners with diverse, comprehensible input and purposeful listening activities that enhance their listening skills Effective listening tasks should be thoughtfully planned, considering variables that may impact student learning, with timely feedback provided to support improvement Table 2.1 offers a comprehensive overview of listening activities and expected learning outcomes for each stage, serving as a valuable theoretical guide for effective listening instruction and skill development.
STAGES LISTENING TEACHING ACTIVITIES EXPECTED OUTPUT TO STUDENTS
- Introducing the listening text briefly
- Asking students to discuss on the topic of listening lessons
- Making students guess what they are going to hear
- Pre-teaching key words/ structures
- Giving instructions clear to students
-Activating the prior knowledge -Grasping the context of listening text -Predicting the content of the listening passage -Having a reason to listen
-Knowing what to do in the next while-listening stage -Being confident about the listening work
- Guiding students to focus on the things that need to listen to
- Letting students listen more than once (a special purpose for each time)
- Helping them respond to the listening contents, not just to the linguistic knowledge
- Giving the activities not too difficult or too easy
-Recognizing how sounds are pronounced in isolation and in utterances
-Constructing general and specific meanings -Developing the skill of eliciting messages from spoken language
-Wishing to listen and carry out the activities
- Organizing students into pairs/groups and letting them discuss the listening text
- Involving in follow-up activities (speaking, reading, and writing skills)
-Understanding what needs to understand and completing the while-listening task successfully -Finding out the reasons of failure to gain the listening experience
-Having the opportunities to consider the language, attitude, and manner of the speakers
-Combining listening with other skills Table 2.1: Summary of some listening teaching activities and expected output to students
This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the main challenges encountered during the pre-, while-, and post-listening stages, which English teachers should be aware of to enhance listening comprehension During the pre-listening phase, difficulties arise from students’ limited cultural knowledge, vocabulary gaps, and lack of visual aids, which hinder engagement At the while-listening stage, problems include issues with speakers’ pronunciation, speech rate, and accents, as well as listeners’ passive attitude and concentration difficulties In the post-listening phase, learners often face challenges such as information overload, shyness in sharing insights, lack of constructive feedback, difficulty integrating listening with other skills, and fatigue from excessive information processing These issues are summarized in Table 2.2 and serve as a conceptual framework for this thesis, complementing the information presented in Table 2.1.
This chapter introduces carefully designed listening strategies to effectively develop teaching and learning practices It also reviews previous research on listening comprehension within the Vietnamese context, providing valuable data and insights that inform the development of the researcher’s own thesis.
The next chapter will present the methodology used to collect information in the study
STAGES LISTENING TEACHING ACTIVITIES HYPOTHETICAL DIFFICULTIES IN TEACHING
- Introducing the listening text briefly
- Asking students to discuss on the topic of listening lessons
- Making students guess what they are going to hear
- Pre-teaching key words/ structures
- Giving instructions clear to students
- Explaining background knowledge of culture and context
- Concerning learners’ poor vocabulary stock
- Not having enough of visual support
- Guiding students to focus on the things that need to listen to
- Letting students listen more than once (a special purpose for each time)
- Helping them respond to the listening contents, not just to the linguistic knowledge
- Giving the activities not too difficult or too easy
- Distinguishing English sounds, connected speech, stress and intonation
- Facing of the problems of unfamiliar spoken style
- Helping students catch up with speakers’ speed
- Having problems with strange accents
- Teaching listening skill in a passive position
- Attracting students’ concentration during listening
- Organizing students into pairs/groups and letting them discuss the listening text
- Involving in follow-up activities (speaking, reading, and writing skills)
- Asking learners to remember much information at the same time
- Making students present the listening message in front of the class
- Lacking time to analyze what goes wrong
- Being difficult to link listening with other skills
- Attracting tired students’ interest Table 2.2: Summary of some common hypothetical difficulties in teaching English listening skill