INTRODUCTION
Rationale
English is now recognized as the global language for communication, playing a crucial role in enhancing trade and travel worldwide In Vietnam, the demand for English proficiency is rising, leading to abundant job opportunities as foreign companies increasingly invest in the country Individuals with strong English skills find it easier to secure well-paying jobs.
In recent years, Vietnam has emphasized the importance of English language training nationwide At Tay Do University, many students select English as their major, recognizing its value in enhancing job opportunities However, mastering English presents challenges, as students must develop four fundamental skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Listening is often perceived as the most challenging skill to master among the four language skills, which has led to research on the difficulties faced by English majors at Tay Do University Many students underestimate the importance of listening, resulting in insufficient practice and a lack of success in their listening abilities In reality, listening is a complex and long-term process that requires significant time and effort to improve, as it plays a crucial role in language acquisition and everyday communication.
Students studying English at Tay Do University encounter significant challenges in listening comprehension due to their inability to identify specific issues in their listening skills This lack of awareness contributes to various problems in linguistic knowledge, including pronunciation, intonation, accent, vocabulary, and background knowledge.
This research aims to assist English majors at Tay Do University in identifying the challenges they encounter during the English listening process, enabling them to recognize and address their difficulties effectively.
The significance of the research
Many students underestimate the importance of listening skills compared to speaking, reading, and writing in their English studies This article explores the challenges faced by freshmen majoring in English at Tay Do University during their listening courses Furthermore, it offers essential solutions aimed at enhancing their listening abilities.
The organization
The research consists of five chapters:
Chapter 3: Research aim- Research question- Hypothesis
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition of listening and its importance
Listening is a principal element in daily life especially in communication To know clearly about listening, there are several definitions of listening stated by authorities
Active listening is crucial for effective communication, as defined by Thomlison (1984) Howatt and Dakin (1974) further emphasized that listening involves the ability to identify and comprehend what others are expressing These definitions highlight that listening is an active and conscious process aimed at gathering information, ideas, thoughts, and emotions from the speaker.
Listening is a fundamental language skill that plays a crucial role in education and understanding It enables individuals of all ages to acquire knowledge, develop values, and appreciate the world around them Effective communication hinges on the ability to listen, as it involves receiving and interpreting information accurately.
Listening is an essential communication skill that enables individuals to perceive, understand, and evaluate information effectively It serves as a crucial tool for receiving others' ideas and thoughts, allowing for precise responses in conversations.
Effective communication is essential in daily life, primarily achieved through spoken language, which facilitates quick and effective information transfer This interaction involves both speaking and listening; without the presence of attentive listeners, conversations can falter Successful communication occurs when information is clearly conveyed and understood by all parties involved.
Dr Lyman K Steil (2004) highlights that listening constitutes 45% of our communication time, making it the most significant skill in effective communication In fact, people spend nearly half their lives listening, which underscores the importance of this skill Among the four essential communication skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—listening is foundational, as individuals typically learn to listen before mastering the other skills This critical skill often develops during childhood, as noted by Underwood.
(1989) observed: “a child receives listening as the first skill comes from the observation of how children acquire the mother tongue”
Listening plays a crucial role in language learning, serving as an irreplaceable skill for learners According to Feyten (1991), "Listening has emerged as an important component in the process of second language acquisition."
Rost (1994) emphasized the crucial role of listening in language learning, stating that it provides essential input for learners He argued that without comprehensible input at the appropriate level, language acquisition cannot commence, highlighting the fundamental link between listening skills and the ability to speak a new language.
Listening plays a crucial role in effective communication and language acquisition, especially in learning English To achieve optimal results in mastering English, learners must recognize and prioritize the importance of listening skills.
Difficulties in learning Listening English
Mastering the English language requires proficiency in four key skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing Among these, listening poses significant challenges, particularly for English majors at Tay Do University, who encounter various obstacles in the listening process This research identifies three primary issues that impact students' ability to effectively listen in English.
Linguistic knowledge plays a crucial role in enhancing listening skills among students However, English majored freshmen at Tay Do University face challenges in developing effective listening abilities Several linguistic elements contribute to the difficulties these students encounter during the listening process.
Pronunciation plays a crucial role in effective communication, as it significantly impacts the success of conveying messages Poor pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings, making it difficult for listeners to grasp the speaker's intent To enhance clarity in English communication, speakers must focus on correct pronunciation Additionally, proper pronunciation positively influences second language acquisition; however, non-native English learners often struggle with pronunciation, which affects both their listening and speaking skills.
Gilbert (1995) emphasized the interdependence of listening comprehension and pronunciation, stating that poor listening skills can isolate individuals from the language and hinder their ability to engage in conversations with native speakers This observation is particularly relevant for English majors at Tay Do University, who often mimic their teacher's pronunciation without paying attention to phonetics, ending sounds, stress, and linking Consequently, students may struggle to recognize words they frequently speak during listening exercises, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach to language learning.
Proper pronunciation is crucial for students to differentiate between similar-sounding words, such as the verb "desert" (/di'zə:t/) and the noun "desert" (/ˈdezət/) Without good pronunciation skills, students struggle to recognize these words when heard, hindering their ability to grasp the key messages conveyed by speakers.
Students face challenges in understanding various accents, including British, American, and Australian, which complicates their listening skills Familiarity with native speakers' voices can be difficult due to variations influenced by age and gender Non-native speakers often carry over pronunciation and communication styles from their native languages, leading to misunderstandings Additionally, English learners frequently struggle to distinguish between English sounds and similar sounds in their own languages.
In Vietnam, the absence of final sounds in Vietnamese makes it challenging for learners to recognize English words Additionally, the frequent use of linking words in English speech requires extensive practice for proper understanding Students often struggle with speaking due to incorrect articulation, leading to difficulties in comprehending native speakers' pronunciation.
Intonation is a crucial element of speech that significantly influences meaning; the same sentence can convey different interpretations depending on its intonation Clear pronunciation of words alone is insufficient for effective communication if the intonation patterns are not standard Consequently, listeners may miss vital information while focusing solely on the words spoken Intonation involves variations in vocal pitch, which convey grammatical nuances and personal attitudes Additionally, strategic pauses in speech can emphasize important information that follows, enhancing overall comprehension.
Intonation plays a crucial role in conveying questions in spoken English According to Peter Roach (2009), a rising pitch when saying the word "right" suggests a question or encourages the speaker to continue, whereas a falling pitch indicates confirmation or agreement This highlights how intonation can lead to misunderstandings in conversations Therefore, students must focus on the intonation of each sentence to accurately interpret the speaker's intent.
In short, students often have trouble about pronunciation, intonation and accents in studying listening Mispronunciation, wrong intonation or various accents will lead to Ineffective listening and misunderstanding in communication
In language acquisition, mastering vocabulary is essential for effective communication in English As David Wilkins (1972) stated, “without grammar, very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” Therefore, a limited vocabulary hinders learners' ability to understand others and articulate their thoughts, making vocabulary the primary tool for successful language use.
Students often encounter unfamiliar words while listening, making it challenging to look them up as they would in reading or writing Therefore, it is crucial to develop the skill of inferring meanings from context during listening activities Effective listeners concentrate on key information rather than trying to catch every word, which enhances their overall comprehension.
A limited vocabulary significantly hinders students' ability to comprehend spoken English, making it difficult for them to recognize words in conversations Despite their efforts to listen attentively, learners often struggle to identify words, especially since many words can have multiple meanings depending on the context Additionally, English features numerous homophones—words that sound alike but have different meanings—which further complicates understanding As Folse (2004) notes, “Learners who know more words are able to use those known words to learn even more,” highlighting the importance of vocabulary expansion in the listening process.
Students at Tay Do University struggle with listening comprehension due to a tendency to focus on individual words rather than grasping the main ideas This ineffective listening strategy leads to difficulties in identifying key points, especially when unfamiliar vocabulary arises, causing them to miss subsequent information from the speaker A limited vocabulary exacerbates this issue, hindering their ability to follow dialogues Additionally, when communicating in a non-native language, students often find themselves mentally translating, which becomes challenging when speakers talk quickly or slur their words As a result, even simple words can be difficult to recognize, interrupting the listening process and impeding overall understanding.
Background knowledge plays a crucial role in listening comprehension, as emphasized by Rost (2002), who described listening as an active interpretation process where listeners align new information with their existing knowledge This highlights the importance of background knowledge in effective listening Proverb (1990) further elaborates that background knowledge encompasses familiarity with the target culture, current events, art, politics, and literature, reinforcing its significance in the listening process.
Background knowledge also can be defined as the knowledge that students had or learned in the classroom as well as through life experiences
In an academic setting, background knowledge encompasses the essential academic language and vocabulary required to comprehend content effectively For non-native English speakers, a lack of this background knowledge can lead to significant challenges, especially when their experiences stem from different cultures and geographical contexts Abu Rabia (1998) noted that while exposure to culturally-oriented materials can help language learners acquire necessary knowledge and vocabulary for everyday situations, establishing connections between their prior knowledge and new content in English remains difficult Consequently, students without sufficient background knowledge often struggle to understand spoken content, hindering their listening success.
Research aims
This research aims to identify the challenges faced by English-majored freshmen at Tay Do University in their English listening skills By recognizing these difficulties, the study seeks to provide insights that will assist students in overcoming their listening challenges and enhancing their overall proficiency in English listening.
Research question
This research is conducted to focus for the following research questions:
1 What are some common difficulties in listening of English majored freshmen at Tay Do University?
2 How can students overcome those difficulties?
Hypothesis
Many English majors at Tay Do University find listening to be a challenging aspect of learning the language Despite their efforts to improve their listening skills, students encounter various difficulties during the listening process A literature review and research questions suggest that factors such as linguistic challenges, background knowledge, and unfamiliar topics contribute to these listening difficulties for students.
RESEARCH METHOLOGY
Design
This proposal aims to identify the challenges faced by English majored freshmen at Tay Do University in their English listening course The study is structured around specific research questions and hypotheses, focusing on the experiences of these students A questionnaire will be distributed to gather information regarding their listening difficulties in English The collected data will be objectively analyzed to reveal the common obstacles encountered by the students Additionally, interviews will be conducted to validate the findings from the questionnaire.
Participants
The participants of this research are English major freshmen of English class course
11 at Tay Do University These students come from different areas both rural and urban, both males and females and the ages ranged from 18 to 20 Vietnamese is their mother tongue and they learn English as their foreign language Besides, students have been learning English from 7 to 12 years To get the results of this research, students will be received questionnaires about difficulties that they have faced in learning listening English.
Instruments
Questionnaires and interview are instruments of this research The questionnaires are used to find out difficulties of participant in learning listening English of
Collecting information from English majors at Tay Do University is essential for understanding student needs Additionally, conducting interviews not only validates the accuracy of the questionnaires but also provides deeper insights for the research survey.
The questionnaire includes two parts Part one consists of eight questions about the students’ background The information are student’s hometown, student’s year of studying English, student’s attitude toward listening and their frequency of practicing listening English In part two, there are 16 statements listed in a table Statement 1 and 2 focus on the importance of listening, and the statements from 3 to
16 are the difficulties of students in English listening process
The interview paper includes 6 open questions which focus on the attitude and difficulties that English major freshmen have faced, they can share their own ideas without limit.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Chapter IV presents the design, participants, instrument, procedures of the research
This proposal is performed to find out difficulties in English listening of English majored freshmen at Tay Do University have to face in learning listening subject The design is based on the research question and hypothesis The main key of this survey was participants who are English majored freshmen at Tay Do University Questionnaire is supposed to be sent to students for collecting the information about their difficulties in learning listening English The research data will be collected and analyzed objective then show the common difficulties in learning listening English that English majored freshmen are facing Finally, the researchers will use interview method to confirm the correct of the information in questionnaire
The participants of this research are English major freshmen of English class course
11 at Tay Do University These students come from different areas both rural and urban, both males and females and the ages ranged from 18 to 20 Vietnamese is their mother tongue and they learn English as their foreign language Besides, students have been learning English from 7 to 12 years To get the results of this research, students will be received questionnaires about difficulties that they have faced in learning listening English
Questionnaires and interview are instruments of this research The questionnaires are used to find out difficulties of participant in learning listening English of
English majored freshmen at Tay Do University It is very useful to collect information of students Besides, the interview is used to confirm the correct of questionnaires and help researching more details in the survey
The questionnaire is divided into two sections The first section comprises eight questions regarding students' backgrounds, including their hometown, years of studying English, attitudes toward listening, and the frequency of their listening practice The second section features 16 statements presented in a table, with the first two statements emphasizing the significance of listening skills, while statements three onward explore additional related aspects.
16 are the difficulties of students in English listening process
The interview paper includes 6 open questions which focus on the attitude and difficulties that English major freshmen have faced, they can share their own ideas without limit
This research was done within 12 weeks and the process was divided into 3 steps in the following table:
Duration (12 weeks) Activities in study process
Step 1: from the 1 st week to 2 nd week
- Designing framework of the research/ outline
Step 2: from the 3 rd week to 7 th week
- Editing chapter 1, 2, the questionnaires and interview
Step 3: from the 8 th week to 12 th week
- Writing chapter 4,5 and getting the teacher’s guidance
- Editing chapter 3, 4, 5 and temporary completion of the main content in the research
- The teacher checks the research and proposes some advices
Listening is crucial for mastering English, yet it presents challenges for learners Freshmen majoring in English at Tay Do University frequently encounter difficulties related to language skills and background knowledge Unfortunately, many students struggle to identify the specific issues they face during the listening process.
Students often struggle with limited vocabulary when studying listening skills, which hinders their comprehension of spoken English Additionally, issues such as improper pronunciation, intonation, and varying accents contribute to misunderstandings in English communication.
Lack of background knowledge in social, cultural, and geographical contexts can hinder students' listening comprehension, making it difficult for them to grasp spoken content Students often struggle with unfamiliar topics outside their academic fields, leading to boredom during listening exercises, especially when faced with subjects like economics or sports Additionally, insufficient practice in listening can result in poor performance in English listening skills.
This research aims to help students identify their challenges in English listening comprehension and encourages them to seek effective strategies for enhancing their listening skills.
1 Abu Rabia, S (1998) Social and cognitive factors influencing the reading comprehension of Arab students learning Hebrew as a second language in Israel
Journal of Research in Reading, 21, 201-12
2 Anderson, A., & Lynch, T (2000) Listening Oxford: Oxford University Press
3 Feyten, C M (1991) The Power of Listening Ability: An overlooked Dimension in Language Acquisition The Modern Language Journal 75:173-80
4 Folse, Keith S (2004) Vocabulary Myths: Applying second language research to classroom teaching University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor
5 Gilbert, J (1995) Pronunciation practices as an aid to listening comprehension
In D J Mendelson and J Rubin (Eds), A Guide for the Teaching of Second Language Learning (pp 97-111)
6 Howatt, A & J Dakin (1974) Language laboratory materials, ed, J P B Allen,
7 Proverb, R (1990) Applying Strategies to the Four Language Skills Language
Learning Strategies: what every teacher should know
8 Roach, P (2009) English Phonetics and Phonology, Fourth Edition, Cambridge University Press
9 Schmidt-Rinehart, B C (1994) The effect of topic familiarity on second language listening comprehension Modern Language Journal, 78(2), 179-189
11 Wilkins, D (1972) Linguistics in language teaching (pp 111-112)
12 Bulletin (1952) Retrieved from: http://iteslj.org/Articles/Saricoban-Listening.html
13 Lyman K Steil Retrieved from: http://www.net-temps.com/careerdev/crossroads/print.htm?idB73
14 Rost, M (1994) Introducing listening London: Penguin Retrieved from: http://jalt-publications.org/old_tlt/files/97/sep/nunan.html
15 Rost, M (2002) Teaching and Researching Listening London, UK: Longman Retrieved from: http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/67
16 Thomlison (1984) Retrieved from: http://www.tutorvista.com/english/define-listening-skills
I am Nguyen Ngoc Huyen, a senior student majoring in English, and I appreciate your time in helping me complete this questionnaire My research focuses on the challenges faced by English-majored freshmen in listening to English.
The questionnaire from Tay Do University aims to gather essential information, and your thoughtful and careful responses to the following questions will greatly assist my research Thank you for your participation.
Please read the following questions and circle the appropriate answer to your opinion Give the specific answers if needed
1 How long have you studied English? ……… years
2 Where do you come from? a Urban area/ city b Rural area/ countryside
3 What are your purposes of learning English? a Study abroad b Communicating with foreigners c Finding a good job d Overseas residence e Others:
4 According to you, learning English is a Very important b Important c Normal d Not important
5 Which English skill do you like best? a Listening b Speaking c Reading d Writing
6 What do you think about listening subject? a Very important b Important c Normal d Not important e Not important at all
7 How is your listening skill? a Very good b Good c Normal d Bad e Very bad
8 How much time do you spend practicing listening a day? a ……… hour(s) a day b ……… minute(s) a day
This table is about your difficulties in listening English
Please read the following statements and mark ( ) in suitable column to express your opinion
1 Listening is important in studying and daily life
2 If I am not good at listening skill, I can meet misunderstanding in communication
3 Learning listening English is not easy for me
4 I have faced many challenges in learning listening
5 I often face many difficulties in listening English because my pronunciation and intonation are not good
6 I cannot recognize the familiar words when they are spoken since I have mispronunciation of those words
7 The same sentences with the different intonation will lead to several meanings
8 It is hard to distinguish which word was mentioned when hearing a new accent for the first time
9 I often listen and translate word by word to Vietnamese in listening process
10 I do not have enough words to understand the conversation in listening English
11 A word can have several meanings in different situations
12 Background knowledge is a key feature in listening materials
13 Lacking background knowledge is difficult for me to understand the content of speech
14 Unfamiliar topics make me feel uncomfortable and bored
15 I cannot understand the messages of unfamiliar topics
16 Lack of practice will prevent the development of my listening skill
The end Thanks for your help!
My name is Nguyen Ngoc Huyen, a senior majoring in English I appreciate your valuable time in assisting me with the interview questions, which are essential for my research Please take a moment to answer the following questions thoughtfully Thank you very much for your support.
1 Why do you choose English as your major?
2 Do you like learning listening English? Why or why not?