000084292 PPLICATION OF EXTENSIVE LISTENING TO IMPROVE LISTENING COMPREHENSION FOR THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY (HUBT) ỨNG DỤNG NGHE HIỂU MỞ RỘNG ĐỂ NÂNG CAO KHẢ NĂNG NGHE HIỂU CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ HAI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC KINH DOANH VÀ CÔNG NGHỆ HÀ NỘI (HUBT)
B A C K G R O U N D T O T H E S T U D Y
Founded in 1996, Hanci University of Business and Technology (HUBT) comprises twenty academic departments The university's mission is to equip students with English language and computing skills in addition to their majors, making English proficiency essential for all HUBT students During the four-year program, students undertake 1,080 English-learning periods, each lasting 45 minutes, as part of their studies to build strong language and technical competencies.
Students majoring in accounting, marketing, finance, management, and tourism must achieve a TOEIC score between 500 and 550 to qualify for graduation, a graduation requirement that underscores the growing demand for English language proficiency across these fields and makes English competence a critical factor for academic success and future employability.
Among the four macro language skills, listening is of vital importance because it enables learners to receive language input and facilitates the emergence of other language skills (Vandergrift & Goh, 2012) As an input process, listening—like reading—provides learners with information and knowledge that feed the output stages of speaking and writing It is the most frequently used language activity, reflecting its central role in daily life, and it tends to develop more rapidly than the other skills, thereby supporting the formation of overall language proficiency (Vandergrift & Goh, 2012) In everyday communication, adults spend approximately 40–50% of time listening, 25–30% speaking, about 9% writing, and 11–16% reading (Gilman, 1984) Consequently, listening should be stressed before speaking because recognition knowledge is required to process and decode auditory input, whereas retrieval knowledge is needed to encode and generate speech (Morley, 2001; Rost, 2001).
A t HU BT, time allotm ent for listening is not enough as the m ajor course book is
Market Leader series spans from Elementary to Intermediate levels and integrates listening with reading, speaking, and writing At HUBT, however, listening tasks are treated as tests rather than as a meaningful learning process, following a “presentation-practice-product” pattern that can leave students passive during listening A three-stage model—pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening—guides learners: they brainstorm as much as possible about the topic after reading the task requirements, then tackle follow-up questions such as gap-filling, Q&A, and True/False during the listening, which can create a stressful atmosphere as they try to extract information from the recordings In-class tasks are sometimes graded, and post-listening activities involve open questions about content and topics The emphasis often centers on the product of listening rather than learner interest, and listening is experienced as a test that generates anxiety and tension At HUBT, teachers decide how many times a piece is played and which types of listening to use, leaving little room to accommodate student preferences or to encourage learners to plan and monitor their own listening development Occasionally, transcripts must be read when information cannot be caught after several plays, or the needed details are repeated until understood Despite recognizing the importance of listening and putting in effort, students often feel demotivated and become passive in information processing, far from real-life listening where learners are active participants in keeping conversations going and showing empathy.
White (2006) suggests that students can create their own listening texts and in-class tasks around topics that interest and motivate them, providing listening practice that can be as authentic as real-life materials A more task-based approach would enable students and teachers to focus more on the listening process, potentially making learning the listening skill less threatening and more enjoyable, which in turn could improve listening performance (Aniero, 1990).
Students really enjoy listening to English songs, short news, and brief funny stories to relax; singing along helps them absorb rhythm, pick up slang, and learn new words and phrases from current events, which motivates me to help them leverage their hobbies for language learning Through research, I found evidence that extensive outside-the-class listening—when learners choose their own listening materials—can improve L2 listening skills and listening comprehension, especially with solid guidance and materials tailored to their level.
To confirm w hat 1 have assum ed, I had a 15-m inute ta lk w ith m y students from class
TC 1703 examined L2 listening habits inside and outside the class, finding that most participants reported textbook listening topics as demotivating and the follow-up tasks as hard, occasionally causing stress; they preferred listening to content they enjoyed and felt more at ease when they were not forced to complete prescribed listening exercises, appreciating greater autonomy and intrinsic motivation in choosing what to listen to.
Students tended to choose listening activities that were simple and matched their English levels, finding them useful for learning Three students believed that in-class listening was essential because it linked to other parts of the lesson, and about 50% of the final exam material came from the textbook Five students wanted to practice listening more often but were unsure which sources would be beneficial and appropriate for them Only two students lacked ideas on how to improve, as they did not have devices to support more listening practice and overall English learning.
Once the problem was identified, the literature indicates that extensive listening (EL) is the most effective method under these circumstances EL provides large amounts of comprehensible input, defined as all types of listening activities that allow learners to receive abundant, comprehensible and enjoyable listening content (Randhya and Farrell, 2010, p 5) In addition, EL means exposure to interactive communication, current news, and authentic materials, which helps learners not only enrich their knowledge and improve language learning but also makes practicing English truly motivating Most importantly, EL can be implemented both inside and outside the classroom, offering numerous listening activities for solo study or for a collaborative approach with teachers and students.
It is noted that, as inform ation technology develops rapidly, accessing to online even off-line EL m aterials h as becom e m ore convenient than ever L earners can expose to
English Listening (EL) materials are easily accessible to learners who have a device, whether a simple mobile phone, radio, or cassette, or a more advanced laptop or tablet With these tools, EL can be pursued anytime and anywhere, delivering enjoyment and interest while also improving learners' listening skills At HUBT, the library offers an ideal learning environment for self-practice: hundreds of internet-connected computers, free Wi‑Fi, thousands of books of various kinds, and a large self-learning room, all designed to support students in independent study.
Although English listening (EL) offers opportunities for second-language learners, its effective implementation faces challenges in materials selection, time investment, and tracking learners’ practice and progress amid a wide array of EL resources Learners may engage with EL critically or become demotivated and drawn away by online games and social networks, and their autonomy may not endure when study is self-guided A feasible solution under these circumstances is teacher guidance and structured support Therefore, I conducted action research to apply EL to improve listening comprehension for the second-year students at HUBT.
This study explored English language (EL) practice guided by the teacher, with students selecting EL materials and sources under supervision The actual practice was controlled, and students' progress was systematically evaluated The study aimed to improve students' listening abilities to achieve better results on listening tests.
T he present study also explored the stu d en ts’ attitudes tow ards EL to find out w hether they could take it as a n ew approach o f listening practice.
A IM S AN D R E SE A R C H Q U E S T IO N S
T he research aim s to in vestig ate the effectiveness o f E xtensive L istening and the attitudes o f students tow ards EL T he follow ing research questions are form ulated:
(1) To w hat extent can extensive listening help to im prove the H U B T student’s listening com prehension?
(2) W hat are the H U B T stu d en t’s attitudes tow ards ex tensiv e listening?
SC O PE OF T H E S T U D Y
This study investigates the effectiveness of extensive listening in improving students' listening comprehension and their attitudes toward the approach Conducted with a class of second-year students in Hanoi, the research assesses whether regular, wide-ranging listening practice enhances comprehension skills and cultivates positive perceptions of extensive listening among learners The findings indicate that extensive listening can lead to measurable gains in listening comprehension and to more favorable attitudes, with implications for classroom practice in similar educational contexts.
At the University of Business and Technology, listening comprehension mattered because students needed to pass the TOEIC test by graduation Many students reported stress about listening skills, and their listening test results were consistently low during the study They needed to develop their listening ability to improve performance in both in-class listening activities and on formal listening assessments.
Although students at HUBT had only three days per week to study English, the time spent on listening practice was insufficient because they also needed to focus on speaking, writing, reading, and revision Moreover, the listening materials in the textbook were weak, underscoring the need for more listening resources outside the classroom to support English language learning Fortunately, HUBT offers favorable conditions for self‑directed study: most students come from relatively well‑off families, making devices like laptops and smartphones affordable, and the university library provides hundreds of internet‑connected computers, creating an excellent environment for independent English practice.
SIG N IFIC A N C E O F T H E S T U D Y
Extensive listening enables learners to tailor their practice by determining how much time to invest and by selecting materials that match their preferences It also fosters the development of listening skills and enhances learners' ability to guide their own independent second language learning more consciously (Cutting, 2004) Accordingly, the present study was conducted to realize dual benefits for both researchers/teachers and participants/students.
Students can adapt to a new method of L2 listening practice that removes time constraints and the pressure of follow-up obligatory listening tasks, allowing steady development of their listening ability As they progress, they aim for the best scores on the final listening test and to attain a standardized TOEIC-style listening score that serves as a prerequisite for graduation.
Second, the research indicates that listening becomes less stressful for students, who begin to see the benefits of English-language listening practice With teacher guidance on effective listening methods, suitable materials, and assessment, students grow more confident in communicating in the target language and develop a regular listening habit that supports their ongoing L2 study.
O U TLIN E OF T H E T H E S IS
T he thesis is divided into five chapters as follows:
C hapter 1, IN TRODUCTION, presents the background for conducting th e study, the aim s as well as the research questions, the scope o f the study, the significance o f the study, and its organization.
Chapter 2, Literature Review, provides the theoretical framework for this study by outlining a clear view of listening comprehension—its definition and the listening process—while detailing extensive listening (EL), including its definition, the steps for preparing for EL, the types of EL materials, and typical EL activities, and by summarizing the benefits of extensive listening.
Chapter 3, Methodology, describes the approach used in this study, including the restatement of the research questions, the chosen research design, the study participants, the data collection instruments, and the procedures for collecting data.
C hapter 4, RESULTS A N D D ISC U SSIO N , reports and discusses th e m ajor findings o f the study.
C hapter 5, C O N C LU SIO N S, sum m arizes w hat is addressed in the study, points out th e lim itations and provides som e recom m endations for fu rth er investigation.
This chapter is divided into three main parts The first part analyzes teaching listening by examining the definition and the process of listening and how these concepts relate to effective instruction The second part discusses extensive listening, offering a concise overview of its definition, preparation, material selection, and English-language activities The chapter concludes with a discussion of the benefits of extensive listening.
TEA CH IN G L IS T E N IN G
Listening definition
Listening has been defined sim ilarly by different researchers For instance, M orley
Listening, as defined by 1972, involves basic auditory discrimination and the aural processing that links sound to the construction of meaning In the same vein, Postovsky (1975) describes listening as ranging from sound discrimination to aural comprehension, i.e., the actual understanding of the spoken language (p 19) Bowen, Madsen, and Hilferty further articulate these dimensions, emphasizing that effective listening moves from perceptual discrimination to full comprehension in real communication.
Listening is attending to and interpreting oral language In English learning, the student should hear spoken English, segment the stream of sounds, and group them into lexical and syntactic units—words, phrases, and sentences—so they can understand the message conveyed As Goss (1982) explains, listening is the process of receiving what is heard and organizing it into lexical units to which meaning can be attached James (1984) adds that listening is strongly intertwined with other language skills, underscoring its integral role in overall language proficiency.
Listening is not a single skill but a set of abilities rooted in the aural perception of spoken signals It's not passive: a person can hear sounds yet fail to listen Short-term memory may discard some incoming information while concentrating on others, illustrating the dynamic interaction between sound perception and attention to content.
Listening com prehension w as also defined alike A ccording to C lark and Clark (1977),
Comprehension has two common senses: in the narrow sense, it denotes the mental processes by which listeners decode the sounds uttered by a speaker and interpret what the speaker intended to convey; in the broader sense, comprehension extends beyond decoding, because listeners typically apply the interpretations they have built to construct a fuller understanding, often shaping or revising their meaning as new information becomes available (pp 43–44).
Brown and Yule (1983) describe listening comprehension as the ability to understand what has been heard, and they link this idea to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) by noting that in EFL teaching, listening is often treated as the listener’s capacity to reproduce the text, even though accurate sound replication does not always reflect genuine comprehension.
The definitions provided by several researchers im ply that there is m ore to add in w hat is called “listening” and listening plays a vital role in all aspects o f life.
The importance o f listening
The first language skill developed is listening as it com es before speaking, reading and writing (D evine, 1982) A lso, listening is the most frequently used language skill
Listening is the primary means by which incoming ideas and information are absorbed (Devine, 1982) Gilman and Moody (1984) show that adults allocate 40–50% of their communication time to listening, 25–30% to speaking, 10–15% to reading, and less than 10% to writing, implying that language learners rely more on listening comprehension than on other language skills Barker, Edwards, Gaines, Gladney, and Holley (1980) also confirm the primacy of listening, reporting that college students spend 52.5% of verbal communication time listening, 17.3% reading, 16.3% speaking, and 13.9% writing Gilbert (1988) notes that students from kindergarten through high school are expected to listen 65–90% of the time, while Wolvin and Coakley (1988) conclude that listening dominates daily verbal communication both inside and outside the classroom.
Listening has a substantial impact on academic success A survey of the literature shows that listening is central to students' educational development at every level (Coakley & Wolvin, 1997; Feyten, 1991; Wing, 1986) It is the most frequently used language skill in the classroom, and both teachers and learners acknowledge that listening comprehension underpins success in academic settings Many studies suggest that effective listening skills are more important than reading skills for academic achievement (Brown, 1987; Coakley & Wolvin, 1997) Yet, Dunkel (1991) found that international students' academic success in the United States and Canada depended more on reading than listening comprehension, particularly for students in engineering, psychology, chemistry, and computer science As a result, the role of listening in classroom instruction has often been undervalued relative to reading and writing.
N evertheless, it is evident that listening plays a significant role in the lives o f people Listening is even m ore im portant for the lives o f students since listening is used as a prim ary m edium o f learning at all stages o f education.
From psychological theory, it is im portant to exam ine the listening process to have a better understanding o f listening A ccording to B row n (2008), various listening inputs from outside world th a t go through the hum an ears will be caught by the sensory m em ory This inform ation is given attention and sent to short-term m em ory or the w orking m em ory The inform ation in the short-term m em ory w ill be forgotten if it is not rehearsed Through rehearsal that can be done either through elaborative practice o r m em orization, inform ation can be sent through long-term m em ory in order to be retained longer The inform ation-processing m odel o f m em ory as explained by Brown is called the Three-Box M odel o f M em ory T his model o f m em ory is shown in Figure
Listening process
Figure 1: Three-Box Model o f M emory (Brown, 2008, p 196)
Figure 1 shows that the listening process unfolds through five stages: sensory memory, attention, short-term (working) memory, rehearsal, and long-term memory This five-stage model of listening aligns with the framework proposed by Klatzky (1980), illustrating how perceptual input is encoded, maintained through rehearsal, and consolidated into long-term memory.
According to Klatzky, the listening process unfolds through stages of information registration, pattern recognition, rehearsal, and information preservation The two models of listening emphasize the importance of attention—pattern recognition—and rehearsal, implying that effective listening instruction should involve activities that require sustained, inseparable attention In addition, learners should have opportunities to listen to listening materials repeatedly so they can recognize both the sounds of spoken English and the messages conveyed in the listening texts.
Based on the cognitive model o f language processing, there are two views o f listening: bottom -up and top-dow n (A nderson & Lynch, 1988; Brown, 2006) In
Anderson and Lynch (1988) contrast bottom-up and top-down processing in listening: the bottom-up view treats listeners as tape recorders who passively absorb and store oral messages, whereas the top-down view portrays listeners as model builders who actively interpret meaning Nunan (1991) adds that bottom-up processing involves segmenting the speech stream into sounds, combining them into words, and linking these words into clauses and sentences, with decoding proceeding linearly from sounds to lexical meaning Morley (1991, p 87) similarly describes comprehension as moving through sequential steps from sounds to words, grammatical relationships, and lexical meaning In the top-down perspective, listeners bring external knowledge to bear on interpreting and understanding the text, underscoring that meaning does not reside solely in the words of the oral message (Nunan, 1991).
Listening comprehension emerges when listeners draw on an internal store of prior knowledge and broad expectations about language and the world Teaching listening should activate students’ prior knowledge to improve comprehension, since listening is an active process of constructing the speaker’s meaning from incoming sounds Effective listening blends bottom-up processing (phonology, lexis, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics) with top-down knowledge (topic-related information, memory, and personal experience), enabling listeners to reconstruct the oral text as active participants In this view, successful listening reflects the listener’s world knowledge and the ability to integrate external information with internal schemas Chang and Read describe listening as drawing on two information sources: systematic linguistic information and schematic non-linguistic information To be memorable, the heard information needs to be rehearsed through various means—such as memory strategies or explicit instruction Therefore, both prior knowledge and the texts to be decoded play important roles in understanding spoken language.
EX TEN SIV E L IS T E N IN G
Definition o f extensive listening
A ccording to R enandya & Farrell, (2011), extensive listening (or EL) is referred to as:
Effective listening activities give learners abundant, comprehensible and enjoyable listening input These activities can take the form of teacher-directed dictations, read-alouds, or self-directed listening for pleasure that can be done outside the classroom The key point is that learners engage in a lot of meaningful listening practice, which supports their understanding and language development (p 56).
Extensive listening (EL) can be implemented through in-class or out-of-class activities, but the key is that students engage in substantial, meaningful listening practice For learners to stay engaged, the language must be comprehensible and the materials interesting and enjoyable This sustained practice provides learners with a cognitive map—a network of linguistic information from which they can build up the necessary knowledge for using the language (Nation & Newton, 2009, p 38).
Chang and Millett (2011), in their article on the effect of extensive listening on developing L2 listening fluency, define extensive listening as learners engaging in large quantities of easy, comprehensible, and enjoyable listening practice, such as listening to audiobooks or radio programs (p 31) This definition underscores the value of accessible, enjoyable input for building L2 listening fluency.
From the perspective of skill-learning theory (e.g., DeKeyser, 2007), language learning requires substantial practice Extensive listening provides the kind of practice that helps second-language learners move from slow, controlled processing of language elements—sounds, words, and phrases—to faster, automatic processing This progression is especially crucial for lower-proficiency English learners, who, despite some basic listening skills, rely on bottom-up processing that remains inefficient for understanding normal speech To process spoken language at normal speed, bottom-up processing must be automatized through repeated practice until it becomes fully spontaneous, effortless, fast, and error-free In this sense, extensive listening is well-suited to develop the automatization of L2 listening.
Waring (2008) is among the earliest proponents of extensive listening (EL) and argues that an extensive listening program should involve, at a minimum, listening to large quantities of texts that learners can comprehend reasonably smoothly, achieve a high level of comprehension, operate without pre-set questions or tasks, and stay at or below the learner’s comfortable fluent listening level.
A part from the definitions, explanations o r views about EL, it can be concluded that
English Language learning (EL) is useful, feasible, and adaptable for L2 learners in the modern technology era With abundant devices and fast internet, a simple click or tap opens access to thousands of up-to-date information pages, videos, and recordings The challenge lies in designing a successful and appropriate EL scheme that helps students maximize benefits This article outlines how to prepare for EL, select effective EL materials, and plan engaging EL activities to support learning outcomes.
Preparing students f o r extensive listening
Cutting (2002) refers to the role o f the instructor in EL as being prim arily
Supportive instruction helps instructors empower students to listen independently by promoting four core approaches: self-analysis, where learners reflect on their needs, problems, and preferred learning styles; goal setting, in which learners align their needs and challenges with clear learning objectives; planning, which involves creating a study plan that accounts for materials, learning strategies, available study time, proficiency level, and individual learning styles; and reflection and self-evaluation of the learning process This preparation can be integrated into class time as part of an intensive listening exercise.
Within a language-learning program, time, energy, and level-appropriate listening materials matter for progress In the early stages, some learners may find listening tasks difficult or time-consuming and may be tempted to give up Allowing learners to select their own materials and pace their listening practice supports autonomy, but opting out should not be an option Learners will need ongoing encouragement, as fatigue and frustration are common and finding suitable materials can be challenging As listening ability develops, learners grow more motivated and gain access to a wider range of more interesting and challenging materials.
From the start, learners should understand the differences between intensive and extensive listening Beginners typically feel more comfortable and confident with prescribed materials and tasks typical of intensive listening, because these are familiar and easier to manage in terms of quantity and content Early on, learners may need help recognizing that a 'style' consists of several strategies that we rely on, often unconsciously Students may not know what listening strategies are, why they should be learned, how to use them, when and where they are most effective, or how to evaluate their usefulness Even intermediate learners often remain unclear about the range of strategies available, struggle to identify viable strategies, use ineffective or inappropriate ones, fail to apply viable strategies consistently, and rely on repeated exposure or translation instead of conscious strategy use Raising awareness of effective listening strategies is a solid starting point in introducing learners to English listening (EL), because these strategies help them access more of the language input they will encounter For these reasons, the guidance, support, and evaluation provided by a teacher from the very early stages of an EL program are key to improving students’ learning outcomes.
Selecting and using appropriate listening materials is the decisive factor in the success of an EL program Without materials that match learners’ current level, L2 students lose motivation to engage in extensive listening practice, often because the content feels too difficult The main goal of extensive listening is to provide a large amount of genuine comprehension practice for students Ridgway (2000) contends that students need to practice listening comprehension rather than listening incomprehension, a problem seen in many L2 listening lessons Consequently, listening materials should be pitched at an appropriate level to sustain motivation and maximize comprehension practice.
For many lower-proficiency English learners, the right starting point is easy or easier listening materials This is because these learners typically have limited experience with spoken language, so it makes sense to provide early, successful listening experiences to build their confidence Once learners develop sufficient listening fluency, they can move on to more challenging material The key is that students should be able to listen and understand the material on their own, ideally without external help from the teacher Using easier material ensures they receive ample practice in listening comprehension and supports a gradual progression to more demanding tasks.
An important factor in selecting extensive listening materials is ensuring they are highly interesting and personally meaningful to students By providing a wide range of listening materials, learners can find content that is both comprehensible and enjoyable The following guiding questions, adapted from Nation &…, can help teachers when choosing listening materials.
Materials f o r extensive listening
Table 1: C riteria fo r selecting listening m aterials (fo r students)
(adopted from N a tio n & N ew ton, 2009 and W aring, 2008)
Is the m aterial personally meainingful to the learners?
Does the m aterial contain initeresting inform ation that attracts the learners’ attention?
C an the students com prehend over 95-98% o f the language in the m aterial?
C an the students listen and/or view the m aterial w ithout having to stop and replay the au d io or video m aterial?
C an the students understand 90% or m ore o f the content o f the story o r inform ation)?
D oes the material contain language features (w ords, phrases, collocations) that can engage the students’ attention?
Nation, Newton, and Waring suggest that for learners encountering English as a foreign language, grasping more than 95–98% of the language and around 90% of the content in a given material can be challenging for beginners In an EFL program, however, learners themselves select the materials, making it understandable why researchers note that a “yes” to all evaluative questions would indicate that the materials are suitable for extensive listening activities A negative answer, on the other hand, implies that the materials are either incomprehensible and/or uninteresting (Renandya, 2012).
Strategy training activities have become a standard feature in most modern listening course books, a trend highlighted by Renandya and Thomas (2010) This is evident in the textbook used in the listening and speaking in English course, which includes several exercises designed to train students in applying listening strategies for better comprehension To access a variety of English-language (EL) materials at different levels, learners are encouraged to draw on diverse sources Graded readers may be used for extensive listening when they come with a CD or cassette, since these texts typically feature a limited vocabulary and multiple level options Although the materials are often fiction, many students find them enjoyable Online materials and other formats are also recommended, as the rapid growth of information technology today makes practicing English listening easier than ever.
In this study, English-language (EL) materials and topics for EL activities were selected by the students/participants with support from the researcher/teacher, drawing on online EL-practice links listed in Appendix H The design also encompasses EL activities and progress assessments within the scope of the research Specifically, EL activities should be adaptable, flexible, and useful so that students/participants are motivated to engage in activities both inside and outside the classroom Consequently, the next section concentrates on the major themes to be discussed.
EL activities used in the present project.
Extensive listening a ctivities
Extensive listening (EL) refers to all kinds of listening activities that provide learners with abundant opportunities to comprehend meaningful and enjoyable input There are many EL options for practice, including teacher-directed dictations and read-alouds, self-directed listening (Ranandya & Farrell, 2010), EL with graded readers, peer listening, and listening buddies, which students can enjoy inside or outside the classroom In my research I drew on Vandergrift and Goh (1999) to highlight three EL activities that my students and I found to be the most beneficial and best suited to the research context: narrow listening, teacher read-alouds or storytelling, and repeated listening.
N arrow listening is an excellent way to provide our beginning level students with short conversational language that focuses on fam iliar content A ccording to Dupuy
Narrow listening is the repeated listening to several brief tape-recorded interviews with proficient speakers discussing topics that learners find familiar and engaging Because the topics are familiar, learners can listen to tapes on the same subjects as often as they like, providing a large amount of comprehensible input The approach also supports self-paced learning, allowing students to move at their own speed without the pressure of testing.
2.2.4.2 Teacher Read-alouds or Storytelling
A read-alouds strategy can effectively enhance students’ listening skills while expanding vocabulary, building background knowledge, and modeling fluent reading and accurate pronunciation It also exposes learners to diverse text genres and supports more positive attitudes toward language learning To maximize impact, read-aloud materials should meet clear criteria and offer variety in form, topics, text types, and language styles.
This activity provides repeated listening practice to build students' aural recognition and listening comprehension A challenge is that learners may lose interest after multiple listenings, so each task should be engaging and include clear reasons to repeat When designed this way, learners engage in different processing types that deepen their understanding of the passage and sharpen their perceptual skills, helping them perceive spoken language more effortlessly.
The benefits o f extensive listening
Learner-centered instruction in foreign and second language learning grew from the recognition that learners are diverse in their goals, approaches, and abilities In learner-centered contexts, time, place, and materials are flexible: learners can select English content that aligns with their interests and is comprehensible at their level Allowing students to choose their own listening materials increases engagement and motivation, which can significantly expand listening skills beyond the classroom and empower them to take an active, informed role in guiding their own education.
EL has the potential to benefit language learners in multiple ways, especially by enabling self-directed listening practice without externally imposed time constraints Learners can set their own goals, select relevant materials, and evaluate the effectiveness of their learning strategies, which broadens and refines listening skills and aligns study with personal needs, priorities, and preferences By engaging in EL, learners develop metacognitive skills for language learning, empowering them to monitor and steer their own progress In short, EL not only strengthens listening abilities but also enhances the capacity for independent, second-language learning (Cutting, 2004).
Extensive listening plays a significant role in developing learners' aural comprehension, especially when students need large amounts of comprehensible input For most learners, particularly those studying English as a foreign language (EFL), sustained exposure to authentic listening materials helps build listening fluency, vocabulary, and overall comprehension.
2.2.4.3 Repeated listening settings, this type o f input is m ost readily available through extended listening Since learners all have different learning styles, providing opportunities to engage in EL should benefit a w ider range o f learners than in the case o f intensive o r classroom listening W ith access to the Internet now nearly universal in m any areas, opportunities to find appropriate listening texts o f suitable level o f difficulty and interest should becom e increasingly easy.
Yet, R enandya, (2011, pp 32-33), on a chapter about EL discussed a num ber o f language learning benefits associated w ith EL, som e o f w hich are presented in brief bellow:
Exposure to normal speech rates can improve learners’ ability to process everyday spoken English, addressing a hurdle many beginning L2 learners report rather than the complexity of the language Beginning students often complain that spoken language is hard to understand because it is delivered too quickly, not because the content is difficult, a concern also noted by Renandya (2012).
Improving word recognition skills is achievable, with students reporting easier recognition of words in writing than in speech Lower-proficiency learners often struggle to recognize words in spoken language, but frequent listening practice appears to foster the development of automaticity in sound-script relationships, helping learners decode more quickly and accurately across modalities.
Enhancing bottom-up listening skills, particularly the ability to recognize word boundaries, helps learners decode natural speech where words alter form from their isolated pronunciations In connected speech, phenomena such as assimilation, contractions (for instance, 'going to' becoming 'gonna'), and syllabification (words being split into syllables in fluent speech) are common and can create listening difficulties for low-proficiency learners.
Extensive listening (EL) provides ample opportunities for students to reach a high level of language comprehension The aim is to foster a deeper understanding when processing spoken text, since such deep comprehension is more likely to support language acquisition Research evidence indicates that repeated listening to the same material, a practice known as narrow listening, can enhance comprehension For instance, Dupuy (1999) found that beginning learners of French as a foreign language could achieve 95% comprehension or higher only after the third or fourth listening.
PREV IOU S R E S E A R C H
Extensive research across diverse aspects and scales confirms the feasibility and usefulness of EL applications in second language learning In this section, I highlight several studies that I found particularly valuable and that contribute significantly to my project.
Borges (2010) conducted a research project on EL at U niversity o f Q uintana Roo in
The 2010 study demonstrated benefits for a group of beginners in the EL program, with participants reporting positive attitudes toward EL and a provided list of sources to begin using EL Sixteen students participated in the research, starting with a 128-hour elementary English course and concurrently enrolling in English II, another 128-hour beginner course.
In the study, EL students were exposed to large amounts of comprehensible input materials that were enjoyable, reflecting the idea “you learn by doing” (Borges, 2010, p 37) Learners develop listening skills by listening, and an important factor emphasized is that EL materials should be selected according to the students’ proficiency level; if students are exposed to more advanced material, they will probably obtain little benefit, and their motivation to continue listening may be greatly reduced (Borges, 2010, p 37) With EL, the material should be enjoyable for listening pleasure, because using material above students’ level of proficiency can affect their willingness to continue learning English (Borges, 2010, p 37) As a result, the study allowed students to select EL material themselves, provided links to Internet sources, and encouraged exposure to different accents as much as possible After a semester of 13 hours per week of EL, a questionnaire assessed students’ experience, showing that 6.35% (one of 16 participants) preferred teacher-chosen EL material, while most wanted to choose the EL materials themselves As Blanco (1989) claims, the rate and quality of acquisition are improved when input reflects students’ interests.
In L2 learning, instructor observations show that after following an extensive listening program, students report reduced anxiety about speaking the target language This boost in confidence likely comes from extensive exposure to spoken language and vocabulary, which also strengthens listening comprehension and auditory perception Although beginner materials may not introduce much new vocabulary, many learners enjoy expanding their lexicon through listening and reading recorded material, and most create their own vocabulary lists.
The study revealed several drawbacks, including a lack of guidance and evaluation from teachers during the implementation of English language learning (EL) The researcher focused solely on the amount of vocabulary students could use effectively in speaking or writing in the target language as the sole indicator of their progression in proficiency Moreover, no pre- and post-tests were used to compare students' L2 proficiency before and after the intervention.
In EL education, students are unsure whether the new approach will actually improve their listening skills, and this uncertainty can dampen motivation, causing them to neglect or underutilize the new method.
Antle (2011) conducted a randomized controlled trial with 35 Japanese university students to compare extensive reading (ER) and extensive listening (EL) against a control condition, investigating whether engaging in EL or ER speeds up reading and yields carry-over effects on overall reading ability After an initial pre-test to establish baseline reading speeds, participants were randomly assigned to control, ER, or EL groups, then trained for eight weeks The ER and EL groups received structured guidance on the benefits of their approach, a weekly target of at least one book, and access to a graded reader library; EL participants could borrow graded reader audio CDs only, whereas ER participants could borrow graded readers only (audio CDs removed for ER) A post-test included a short reading passage drawn from the General Service List at the 1,000-word level (Quinn, Nation, & Millett, 2007) and ten comprehension questions, with the questions intended to encourage reading for content rather than skim-reading, though the comprehension items were not central to the study Throughout the eight weeks, both ER and EL groups were encouraged to read/listen to one book per week and often sought help in selecting titles The study’s premise was that processing input more quickly via EL could transfer to faster reading speeds, and the results were measured by comparing reading speeds before and after the treatment.
Due to only a subset of participants meeting the six-books-over-eight-weeks cutoff, five EL participants' data were excluded from statistical analysis and only three ER participants reached the cutoff, making direct ER–EL comparisons unreliable; as a result, the analysis focused on the EL group using a matched-pairs t-test of pre-test and post-test scores The EL group showed measurable gains in reading speed, corresponding to about one audiobook per week, with participants listening to six to fourteen audiobooks during the eight-week treatment (average nine) and five of seven showing increased reading speed Reading comprehension was assessed after the passages with ten questions, and the EL group improved by about ten percent from pre- to post-test, while the control and ER groups showed little change in comprehension.
Regarding material selection, an interesting finding emerged: ER participants commonly requested readings at a higher difficulty level than their initial choice, while EL participants commonly requested materials at a lower level.
Although no formal measurement was taken, EL students appeared comfortable listening to graded readers that were one or two levels lower than the materials used with ER peers, even though their overall proficiency was assumed to be similar to that of the ER group.
Ware, J L (2012) from the Foreign Language Center at Tokai University conducted a study on using graded readers with CDs to enhance English language learning through shadowing The research demonstrates that graded readers with audio can improve students' English skills when paired with a clear sequence: first, students choose a book at an appropriate level and read it to grasp its message; next, they read and listen to develop listening skills, followed by listening and shadowing to build speaking fluency Students reported that these activities supported multiple aspects of English, including reading, listening, speaking, vocabulary, motivation, and language awareness.
Students were given handouts in Japanese to introduce the concept of extensive reading and the steps for doing extensive listening and shadowing A mobile library of graded readers, with CDs and battery-powered CD players for each student, was brought to class in shopping carts Each cart carried eight levels of books.
500 different titles For sanitary reasons, students w ere asked to bring their own headphones, although students could borrow headphones w hen necessary.
For listening and shadowing practice, research indicates that most students should choose books that are one to two levels below their 95% reading comprehension level Shadowing requires learners to listen continuously while echoing what they hear; they should not stop the recording, but keep listening and shadowing, focusing on chunks of meaningful text and then echoing what they heard "It is almost impossible to shadow everything you hear, but when done in phrases, someone listening to you should understand what you’re hearing" (Ware, 2012, pp 120–123) Shadowing is cognitively demanding, and many students find that the speed at which graded readers are read is much faster than their own speaking pace For these reasons, instructors should adjust materials and pacing to learners' abilities, using chunked phrases and slower audio inputs to support effective listening and shadowing practice.
"the books that are used for shadow ing will generally be from levels that are lower than students’ extensive reading”, (W are, 2012, pp 120-123).
Research shows that giving students opportunities to connect with the class through in-class graded reader activities is important These activities integrate discussion about the book, questions about genre and plot, and students’ opinions and favorite characters Another approach is for students to read aloud from their book to a partner for two to four minutes, with the option to shadow their partner’s reading Additionally, pairs can choose a book to read and then present it to the class, including a dramatic reading as part of the presentation After several weeks of introducing listening and shadowing, students record their shadowing of a graded reader twice, based on the book and level they prefer By the end of the semester, students are graded on how much they improve at shadowing, and the requirement to make these recordings increases their investment in learning to shadow well.
The study on extensive listening and shadowing with graded readers that include CDs was highly successful in helping students develop listening and speaking abilities It also gave students opportunities to reflect on the listening tasks they completed, linking classroom activities to extensive listening practice End-of-semester assessments demonstrated progress in listening skills, and students showed strong interest in extensive listening and shadowing with graded readers that include CDs The study also enriched theories of extensive listening and proposed a new research approach that combines extensive listening and shadowing with graded readers that include CDs.