INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Listening is a crucial component of effective communication and is the foundational skill among the four key areas of language development: listening, speaking, reading, and writing Children naturally listen and respond to language before they begin to speak, and even as they learn to read, listening remains essential for acquiring knowledge and following directions In educational settings, students must listen attentively to lectures and discussions to comprehend and retain information for future use.
Listening is the most utilized language skill, essential in both educational settings and everyday life Rankin (1952) found that adults dedicate over 40% of their communication time to listening, compared to 31.9% for speaking, 15% for reading, and 11% for writing This highlights the importance of listening in the learning process, as students primarily engage by listening to teachers during lectures, questions, and instructions According to Wolvin and Coakley, effective listening is crucial for academic success.
In educational settings, students spend a significant portion of their communication time listening, with estimates ranging from 42 to 57.5 percent (1997) and nearly 90 percent in high school and university settings (Taylor, 1964) Given that listening constitutes such a substantial part of classroom interaction, developing effective listening skills is crucial to meet these demands In language learning environments, the ability to listen effectively is particularly important, as it greatly influences the development of other language skills.
Listening to words multiple times is essential for students to recognize and pronounce them effectively This practice not only aids in vocabulary building but also enhances language proficiency and improves overall language usage (Barker, 1971).
Many English-language classes worldwide prioritize reading and writing over listening practice, particularly in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) contexts where English is taught solely within the classroom EFL students, who learn English in countries where it is not the primary language, often lack exposure to authentic spoken English As a result, they frequently struggle to understand native speakers due to various challenges, including limited background knowledge, fast speech, diverse accents, and complex vocabulary and grammar Developing strong listening comprehension skills is therefore a significant hurdle for these learners.
This study aims to identify the challenges faced by English major sophomores at Tay Do University in developing their listening skills The findings are anticipated to offer valuable insights into the difficulties students encounter while listening, and will also propose effective strategies for enhancing their listening abilities.
The significance of the study
This study aims to identify the listening comprehension challenges faced by English major sophomores at Tay Do University Recognizing these difficulties is crucial for learners to adopt effective strategies that enhance their listening skills Additionally, understanding students' listening problems will help educators refine their teaching methods, ultimately leading to improved listening outcomes for students.
The research findings on students' listening difficulties aim to offer English teachers valuable guidelines for evaluating and selecting educational materials This study serves as a resource for those interested in using these insights as a foundation for further exploration in this field.
The organization of the study
This study includes five chapters:
Chapter 3: Research aims- Research question- Hypothesis
LITERATURE REVIEW
The definitions of listening
Effective communication requires interaction between speakers and listeners, and many mistakenly believe that using more words guarantees success However, successful conversations hinge on the essential process of listening, which is crucial for effective communication In the context of second language instruction, listening holds significant importance for various reasons.
If people cannot listen well; they will find it hard to communicate or even they cannot pass their listening examination
Listening has been defined by many researchers Firstly, listening is considered a process of receiving the sound in speaking form attentively Chastain
Listening is defined as the ability to understand native speech at normal speed (1971) and involves auditory discrimination, aural grammar, and the selection and retention of necessary information (Morley, 1972) It encompasses a range from sound discrimination to aural comprehension (Postovsky, 1975) Furthermore, listening is a process where individuals understand and organize what they hear into meaningful lexical elements (Goss, 1982) Ultimately, it is about comprehending oral language, where students process sounds, classify them into lexical and syntactic units, and grasp the intended message (Bowen et al., 1985).
Listening involves encoding the messages we hear into meaningful concepts According to Gary Buck (2001, p.31), listening comprehension is an active process where individuals construct meaning by applying their existing knowledge.
Listening comprehension involves both linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge, as highlighted by Nadig (2013), who defines it as the process of understanding spoken language through recognizing speech sounds, grasping individual word meanings, and interpreting sentence syntax O'Malley et al (1989) describe it as an active process where listeners construct meaning using contextual cues and prior knowledge, supported by various strategic resources Underwood (1989) simplifies this concept, defining listening as the act of paying attention and deriving meaning from what we hear.
To sum up, there are many different definitions given to clarify the nature of listening skill which is necessary in the process of acquiring a native language or foreign one.
The importance of listening
Listening plays a crucial role in both communication and learning English, as poor listening skills hinder students' ability to understand messages accurately It serves as a vital tool for building relationships, with Rost (1994) highlighting that listening comprehension is essential for effective input, without which learning cannot occur Lundsteen (1979) noted that listening is the first skill children develop, as they learn to listen before they speak Additionally, Hedge (2000) pointed out the shift in modern society from printed media to audio, underscoring the importance of listening in English language classrooms Consequently, listening is a key skill for successful communication and English language acquisition, and students must prioritize its development.
Good listening skills are essential for improving other communication abilities, including speaking, reading, and writing According to Hedge (2000), listening accounts for 45% of communication, highlighting its significance in everyday interactions Doff (1995) and Ziane (2011) emphasize that effective listening is crucial for developing speaking skills; without strong listening abilities, it is challenging to enhance one's speaking proficiency Learners with good listening skills in English find it easier to engage with media, study, and communicate with others To cultivate these skills, learners must have ample practice and exposure to the English language The correlation between listening and language acquisition is clear: increased listening leads to more effective speaking Therefore, maximizing exposure to English is vital for language learners.
Strategies of listening comprehension
Cognitive strategies are essential for understanding linguistic input and gathering data, as they enable learners to infer word meanings from context when unfamiliar These strategies facilitate the comprehension and retention of information, allowing it to be stored in short-term or long-term memory for future retrieval The comprehension process involves analyzing received data through various levels of organization, such as sounds and words, akin to decoding By employing problem-solving techniques, learners can navigate learning tasks more effectively and enhance their knowledge acquisition Common examples of cognitive strategies include repetition for memorization, summarization, and synthesizing details.
This strategy emphasizes the importance of conscious listening, where learners actively engage with the text It focuses on planning, monitoring, and assessing information, similar to pre-listening activities (Holden, 2004) Research by Vandergrift (2007) indicates that advanced listeners employ metacognitive strategies twice as often as elementary listeners Metacognition, defined as "thinking about one's own thinking," enables students to identify effective learning methods in appropriate contexts For example, a student struggling to connect key concepts in a story can benefit from using a graphic organizer, like a concept map, to visually link main ideas, thereby applying metacognitive skills to enhance comprehension (Nelson & Conner, 2008).
This strategy fosters positive emotional responses and perspectives in language learning Vandergrift (2003) defines socio-affective strategies as techniques used by listeners to collaborate, confirm understanding, and reduce anxiety JJ Wilson further elaborates on socio-affective strategies in his book.
Socio-affective strategies focus on how learners interact with others and their attitudes towards language learning For instance, students might practice a telephone conversation in their second language with peers to build confidence or treat themselves to a doughnut upon successfully completing a task in the target language.
Habte-Gabr (2006) emphasized the importance of fostering a strong relationship between lecturers and students to create a stimulating learning environment It is essential for learners to develop strategies to reduce anxiety and boost their confidence in the educational process.
8 during listening tasks, and raise personal motivation in enhancing listening ability (Vandergrift, 1997).
Potential difficulties in English listening comprehension
Listening skills are often overlooked in language curricula, leading to challenges in comprehension for EFL learners due to limited vocabulary (Gilakjani & Ahmadi, 2011; Kelly, 1991; Chang, 2007) Familiarity with key lexical items is essential before engaging in listening tasks, as unfamiliar words can distract listeners and hinder their understanding When speakers use unknown vocabulary, listeners may struggle to grasp the message, often pausing to decipher meanings and missing subsequent information Additionally, the inability to recognize signaling words, such as "first," "second," and "third," can further complicate comprehension, especially in contexts requiring sequential understanding These signals are crucial for following directions and comprehending shifts in topics, as they help listeners identify the structure of the speech through verbal markers and non-verbal cues like intonation and gestures.
Vocabulary is central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their own ideas Wilkins
(1972, p.111–112) wrote that “while without grammar very little can be conveyed,
A strong vocabulary is essential for effective communication, as it enables students to express their thoughts clearly English learners, especially those majoring in the language, must acquire a substantial vocabulary to enhance their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills Building this background knowledge is crucial for their overall proficiency in English.
Students frequently struggle with listening comprehension due to limited vocabulary knowledge A single word can possess multiple meanings, leading to confusion about its appropriate usage in various contexts To enhance their listening skills, students must effectively memorize a wide range of words and their meanings This preparation not only aids in understanding diverse topics across different fields but also boosts their confidence when encountering new material.
Understanding grammar is essential for students to effectively use language, as noted by Harmer (1987) Without a grasp of grammatical structures, students can only produce isolated phrases for specific functions A lack of grammar knowledge hampers the language learning process, particularly for Vietnamese speakers, who often struggle with English due to differing grammatical rules This reliance on their mother tongue can lead to frequent writing errors Therefore, a solid foundation in grammar is crucial for improving English listening skills and overall language proficiency.
Having a solid understanding of grammar is essential for developing language skills, as it forms the foundation for effective communication Teachers play a crucial role in helping students acquire grammar knowledge by providing meaningful contexts that enhance learning and engagement.
Munro and Derwing (1999) observed that even heavily accented speech is sometimes intelligible and that prosodic errors (errors in stress, intonation, and
Pronunciation research highlights the importance of both phonetic sounds and supra-segmental features, such as stress, intonation, and speech rhythm, in enhancing intelligibility (Crystal, 2003) Languages can be categorized as stress-timed or syllable-timed In stress-timed languages like British and American English, stressed syllables occur at regular intervals, leading to equal timing between them, while unstressed syllables are spoken more quickly, often resulting in vowel reduction For instance, the sentences "Tom runs fast" and "Meredith can run fast" illustrate this concept, as both take approximately the same time to pronounce despite differing syllable counts Conversely, in syllable-timed languages, such as Tamil, Spanish, and French, syllables are produced with equal timing, affecting the rhythm of speech (Crystal, 2003).
Avery and Ehrlich (1992) suggested that the phonetic patterns of a learner's first language can transfer to their second language, often resulting in foreign accents This transfer leads to mispronunciations in nonnative speakers, showcasing the impact of their native language's sounds, rules, stress, and intonation Research, including studies on English rhythm, has explored how these factors influence nonnative speakers' pronunciation.
Research from 1985 indicates that learners' native language significantly affects their ability to produce English-like stress patterns within phrases Similarly, Avery and Ehrlich (1992) highlighted that the phonetic characteristics of a learner's first language can impact their pronunciation in the target language.
Language acquisition can be challenging for learners due to several factors First, the presence of unique sounds in the target language that are not found in the learners’ native language can hinder their ability to produce or recognize these sounds Second, differing phonotactic rules between the learners' mother tongue and the target language can lead to difficulties, as these rules are specific to each language Lastly, the rhythm and melody of a language influence its stress and intonation patterns, which learners may inadvertently transfer from their native language to the target language.
In conclusion, understanding the various factors influencing L2 pronunciation acquisition is essential for ESL teachers to effectively address the challenges faced by learners from diverse backgrounds By identifying the specific difficulties non-native speakers encounter with English pronunciation, educators can assist students in overcoming their foreign accents and enhancing their pronunciation skills Furthermore, this knowledge allows teachers to deliver targeted pronunciation instruction and tailor their teaching methodologies to meet the unique needs of their students.
Effective listening comprehension relies heavily on accurate word pronunciation According to Ur (1984), if a word is pronounced differently from how it was initially learned, the listener may fail to recognize it or might not notice it at all.
Students frequently struggle with the pronunciation of native speakers, even when they recognize the words due to mispronunciations To improve their listening skills, they should focus on understanding the linguistic components of words, including stress patterns and the distinction between weak and strong forms As Ur (1984, p 4) noted, "If listeners learn to pronounce the sounds accurately themselves, it will be much easier for them to hear them correctly when spoken by others."
Learning a new language often presents challenges for students, particularly due to the influence of their mother tongue on pronunciation This can hinder their ability to recognize native speakers' pronunciation, making it difficult to develop listening comprehension skills Effective listening begins with the ability to identify and select sound signals, highlighting the importance of pronunciation knowledge Inadequate pronunciation can weaken a student's ability to discriminate sounds, adversely affecting their listening comprehension and leading to misunderstandings Gilbert (1995) emphasized the interdependence of listening comprehension and pronunciation; if learners struggle to hear English clearly, they may become isolated from the language, and if they cannot be understood, they risk losing opportunities for conversation with native speakers Therefore, integrating pronunciation instruction into listening activities is crucial, yet it is often overlooked in classrooms due to its complexity and time demands.
Listening comprehension challenges often stem from discrepancies between word pronunciation and their printed forms (Bloomfield et al., 2010) The differences between spoken and written language can lead to difficulties in recognizing words during oral communication, posing significant obstacles for students.
A significant barrier to effective learning is the absence of background knowledge According to Gary Buck (2001, p 18), background knowledge encompasses the general non-linguistic understanding of our world and its functioning This foundational knowledge is crucial for facilitating comprehension and enhancing the learning experience.
Way to learn English listening effectively
To enhance students' listening skills, teachers should implement activities before, during, and after listening exercises, as suggested by Baker and Westrup (2000) It is essential for educators to focus on sub-skills such as predicting, identifying the main idea, and listening for specific information to foster effective listening comprehension.
To enhance listening skills, teachers should introduce engaging topics and authentic materials that reflect real-life situations, making lessons more interesting By utilizing textbook listening texts, educators can create dynamic activities that motivate student participation It's essential for teachers to alleviate students' anxiety over missing information and to provide relevant background knowledge before listening exercises Incorporating interactive games that introduce cultural and societal contexts can be beneficial, such as using true/false statements for predictions related to the listening material Clear instructions should be given prior to listening to help students focus on key messages Additionally, teachers should establish guidelines, allowing students to listen multiple times, express their ideas with supporting evidence, and engage in discussions before confirming their answers.
Teachers should engage all students, not just the strong ones, to gather diverse insights To accommodate the varying abilities of learners, it is essential for educators to enhance the complexity of listening tasks, thereby fostering greater encouragement and participation among students.
The integration of technology in education significantly benefits educators, especially those teaching English Utilizing English video clips with subtitles enhances language acquisition by improving comprehension through visual cues that convey meaning and emotion Additionally, these video resources allow students to explore cultural contexts beyond their classroom, fostering greater cultural awareness.
Songs are essential teaching tools in ESL/EFL classrooms, as they resonate with students who enjoy music and often have strong opinions about it This connection to music helps foster a safe and natural classroom environment, alleviating feelings of shyness and hesitation among learners.
Repetitive listening to familiar songs enhances language learning by boosting learners' confidence at every stage Recognizing known words significantly increases motivation, making the learning process more effective Additionally, enjoying a favorite song creates a positive and engaging experience, reinforcing both language skills and logical understanding.
Incorporating songs and chants in the classroom allows students to listen to and reproduce the language, enhancing their understanding of sounds, rhythm, and intonation for a more natural pronunciation This approach serves as a foundational step leading to more advanced materials that address hesitations, rephrasing, and diverse accents Ensuring that the language remains comprehensible and adjusting task difficulty are essential for effective learning (Yagang, 1994).
Students must concentrate on the speaker's message while minimizing external distractions This involves active listening, which includes engaging visually and grasping the overall context rather than just fragmented information By focusing on key themes, they can enhance their understanding and retention of the material being presented.
RESEARCH AIMS-RESEARCH QUESTION-HYPOTHESIS
Research aims
This study aims to identify the challenges faced by sophomore English majors in listening comprehension The research seeks to raise awareness of these difficulties and provide effective strategies for enhancing their listening skills.
Research question
The study is conducted with the purpose off dealing with the research question:
What are English – majored sophomores’ difficulties in learning listening skill?
Hypothesis
English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University may encounter various challenges in listening comprehension, including insufficient background knowledge, inadequate pronunciation skills, unfamiliar vocabulary, and gaps in grammar understanding Additionally, factors such as the length and speed of listening texts, as well as issues related to accent and intonation, can further complicate their listening experiences Psychological obstacles may also play a role in hindering their ability to effectively engage with listening materials.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This survey research was conducted at Tay Do University to address the research question regarding the challenges faced by English major sophomores in listening skills Sixty participants completed questionnaires detailing their difficulties, and the collected data will be analyzed to draw conclusions.
Participants
The study involves 60 randomly selected English major sophomores, predominantly 19 years old, comprising both male and female participants from rural and urban backgrounds All participants are native Vietnamese speakers who learn English as a foreign language They completed questionnaires to identify the challenges they face in listening comprehension.
Instruments
The researcher uses questionnaire to find out difficulties of English majored sophomores at Tay Do University
The questionnaire consists of two main sections: the first section features 6 questions aimed at gathering general information about participants' English learning experiences, while the second section contains 20 statements evaluated on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree A summary of the questionnaire results is provided in the accompanying table.
Question/Statement Summary of the question’s/ Statement’s content
Question 1 to 6 Students’ Background of learning English
Question 7 to 8 Students’ problems in lack of Background knowledge Question 8 to 10 Students’ problems in Accent
Question 11 to 12 Students’ problems in Length and Intonation
Question 13 to 16 Students’ problems in Length and Speed
Question 17 to 21 Students’ problems in Vocabulary
Question 21 to 23 Students’ problems in Pronunciation
Question 24 to 25 Students’ problems in Grammar
The second data collection tool used in this study was an interview paper aimed at exploring issues related to the listening ability process It included five questions focusing on three key areas: perceptions of listening comprehension skills, challenges faced by students during the listening learning process, and potential solutions to these challenges By allowing learners to express their thoughts in their own words, we gained insights into their understanding and attitudes towards these difficulties The participants' feedback proved to be invaluable for the survey on listening comprehension issues.
Procedure
From the 1 st week 3 rd week
- Designing framework of research proposal
From the 4 th week to 8 th week
From the 9 th week to 12 th week
- editing chapter 3 and getting teacher guidance for writing chapter 4,5
- editing chapter 4,5 and receiving the advice of teacher
- editing the whole research proposal
EXPECTED OUTCOME
Vocabulary
Many students struggle with limited vocabulary, believing that the meaning of unfamiliar words is paramount, leading them to seek extensive vocabulary lists When encountering new words, they often focus on definitions instead of inferring meaning from context To address this issue, it's crucial for students to understand the significance of vocabulary acquisition and to engage in more reading to naturally expand their word knowledge.
Grammar knowledge
Many students struggle to remember grammatical structures, which hinders their comprehension of listening texts due to unfamiliar sentence constructions This study highlights the significance of grammar in enhancing listening skills, motivating students to improve their grammatical knowledge for better understanding of audio materials.
Pronunciation
Students often struggle with pronunciation, which hinders their ability to understand spoken language and recognize familiar words This difficulty is compounded by the impact of intonation on meaning, making it challenging to grasp conveyed messages Common mistakes include issues with stress, linking vowels, and consonants To enhance their pronunciation skills, students can increase their awareness by engaging with media such as TV shows and news broadcasts.
Background knowledge
Background knowledge is crucial for effective listening skills, as a deficiency in this area can significantly hinder students' comprehension Even if students can hear all the spoken words, a lack of relevant background knowledge may lead to misunderstandings, ultimately preventing them from grasping the intended meaning of the listening task.
Length and speed of the listening texts
Listening comprehension becomes challenging when speakers talk faster than normal, making it hard for listeners to grasp target words Additionally, lengthy listening texts can hinder students' ability to identify main points, leading to missed information during lapses in concentration.
Accent and Intonation
Accent and intonation have a various kind in English Unfamiliar accents both native and non-native can cause serious problems in listening Also, intonation is a significant feature in English" When learning English, intonation usually makes students confused in communication because different intonations can make the same sentence have various meanings.
Psychological factors
Psychological factors affect students in the process of learning and practice English listening skills Students are usually fell shy whenever they try to communicate with others by English and got lots of mistakes For a long time without the solutions, the obstacles involved to psychological factors will build a wall that prevent students from overcome their fear Through this study, hoping that students can solve their problems v
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This article references several key studies in the field of second language acquisition, highlighting the comprehension strategies employed by French listeners as analyzed by Vandergrift (1997) in "The Comprehension Strategies of Second Language (French) Listeners." Additionally, it cites Wilkins (1972) for insights on the role of linguistics in language teaching, emphasizing the foundational theories that support effective instruction Wenk (1985) further contributes to the discourse by examining "Speech Rhythms in Second Language Acquisition," offering a detailed exploration of how rhythm affects language learning Together, these works underscore the importance of understanding both linguistic principles and listening strategies in enhancing second language proficiency.
My name is: Tran Duc Huy
This questionnaire aims to gather data for our study titled "Some Difficulties in English Listening Comprehension Among English-Majored Sophomores at Tay Do University." Please respond to the questions by circling the letter corresponding to your choice, checking off items in the checklist, or providing your thoughts in the blanks Rest assured that all personal information and responses will remain confidential and will not be used for any other purposes.
Please circling the letter next to your choice, or expressing your ideas in the blanks:
1 Which skill do you like best?
2 What do you think about listening skill?
3 How do you evaluate your English skill? xiii
4 How often do you spend on practicing listening skill in everyday?
5 How often do you have problems in your listening?
6 What is the hardest course of difficulties in listening English?
D Length and Speed of listening
Part 2: The problems affecting to listening English skill
Please check (ѵ) in the column that best fits your opinion in each statement in the following table according the 5-degree scale including xiv
7 You feel hard to get through English listening tasks with unfamiliar topics
8 You usually feel it difficult to understand the listening text in English when the speakers speak with varied accents
9 The difference between British and American accent causes you difficulty in listening
10 You have trouble speaking when the speaker put the voice too low
11 Sometimes I misunderstand the clues when listening because of English intonation
12 You lose the flow of speech because you concentrate very hard on understanding long sentence you hear
13 You often fear that you will not understand the test before each listening test
14 You find it difficult to understand well when speakers speak too fast
15.You have a problem when you try to remember the meaning of a long listening text in
16 You find it difficult to understand the listening text in English when the speaker does not pause long enough
17 When thinking about meaning of unfamiliar words, you neglect the next part of the listening text in English
18 It got little hard for you to understand the listening English text in which there are too many unfamiliar words
19 Because of one word has different meanings, so you got difficult to understand
20 You find it difficult to understand listening texts in which there are too many unfamiliar words including jargon and idioms
21.The speakers often linger and swallow sound, you are often hard to hear
22 I have numerous problems during listening a text because of my mispronunciation
23 You have trouble hearing because you hit the wrong stress of sound
24 A poor grammar foundation make you can not convey ideas more efficiently and coherently
25 Complex grammatical structures interferes with your listening comprehension
26 You don’t know how to different words come together so you don’t understand the deeper meaning of an utterance
Thank you for your cooperation! xvi
Hello! I'm Tran Duc Huy, an English major senior at Tay Do University in Can Tho City This interview paper is essential for my graduation thesis titled “Challenges in English Listening Comprehension Among Sophomores at Tay Do University.” I would greatly appreciate your time in answering the following questions Thank you for your cooperation!
PART 1: General background information of the participant
PART 2: Opinions and suggestions solving the listening problems
Instruction: Please fill in the answers in the blank
1 Do you like English listening comprehension skill? Why/Why not?
2 Do you think listening skill is important for English learners? Why/Why not? _ _ _ _
3 How often do you practice English listening? how do you exercise English listening? (internet, lecture room, etc).