INTRODUCTION
Listening is an essential skill in daily life, serving various purposes such as entertainment and information acquisition Among the four language skills—Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing—Listening is often the most challenging for language learners due to its complex nature This article aims to explore "How to Improve Listening Skills for High School Students," emphasizing the significance of listening in effective communication and its role in providing comprehensible input for language learning Unlike reading, where learners can revisit the text for clarification, listening often presents difficulties as it occurs in real-time contexts like lectures and conversations After nearly 15 years of teaching at Nguyen Mong Tuan High School, I've observed persistent challenges students face in developing their listening skills This research seeks to offer strategies to motivate both teachers and students to enhance listening proficiency.
The study is done with the following aims:
Firstly, the study is carried out in order to survey the real state of learning English listening skill in high school so that I could work out the solutions.
Many high school students struggle with developing their English listening skills This article aims to identify the common challenges they encounter in mastering this essential skill.
Due to the challenges faced, many students lack interest in developing their listening skills in class This study proposes several effective solutions to enhance listening abilities, which also aim to help students keep pace with the speed of everyday conversations, ultimately improving their overall communication competence.
1 What are the real situations of learning English listening skill for high school students ?
2 What are the difficulties of listening to English at high school ?
3 What are solutions to improve listening skills for high school students at NMT ?
This study focuses on enhancing listening skills among high school students, specifically those enrolled in English at NMT Due to constraints in time, knowledge, and available reference materials, the research does not encompass the entire spectrum of listening skills but instead emphasizes effective solutions to help students improve in this area.
The research will employ both quantitative and qualitative methods, utilizing survey questionnaires for teachers and students, along with interview questions directed at NMT students Following data collection, the researcher will present the findings through tables and charts for clarity and analysis.
The organization of the study
The study includes 3 Parts mainly organize as follows:
Part I: Introduction Part II: Development
Theoretical background related to English listening skill What problems do students have with listening Solutions in English listening skill
Strategies of English listening skill
Discussion about the result of study Suggestion improves listening skill Part III:
Summaries of the study The limitations of the study
Literature review
Since the early 1970s, researchers like Asher, Dostoevsky, Winitz, and Krashen have highlighted the significance of listening as a crucial tool for understanding in language learning Listening has become a vital component of second language acquisition (Feyten, 1991) and is the skill by which students are often evaluated in real-life situations, making it essential for everyday interactions Howatt and Dakin (1974) define listening as the ability to identify and comprehend what others are saying, which includes understanding a speaker's grammar, vocabulary, and overall meaning.
Listening is a crucial skill for mastering both native and foreign languages, garnering increasing attention in language acquisition studies Various linguists have offered multiple definitions of listening, including notable contributions from Howatt and Dakin (1974), Wolvin and Coakley (1982), Pearson (1983), Hirsch (1986), Scarcella and Oxford (1992), and Bentley and Bacon.
(1996), Brown (2001), Gary Buck (2001), Scott Shelton (2008).
Listening is defined as the ability to identify and comprehend spoken language, which includes recognizing a speaker's accent, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, while also grasping the intended meaning (Howatt & Dakin, 1974).
Wolvin and Coakley (1982) regarded listening: “the process of receiving, attending to and assigning meaning to aural stimuli”.
According to Pearson (1983), listening is a complex skill that requires the simultaneous integration of phonology, syntax, semantics, and an understanding of text structure, all governed by cognitive processes This highlights the importance of listening in achieving language proficiency, even if its full potential is not always recognized.
Hirsch (1986) defines listening as a skill that encompasses neurological responses and sound interpretations, enabling individuals to understand and derive meaning This process involves reacting, selecting significance, remembering, attending, analyzing, and incorporating prior experiences.
Listening is a crucial component of second language acquisition, as highlighted by Bentley and Bacon (1996) They define listening as an active process where the listener actively constructs meaning from the spoken input they receive.
Listening, as defined by Brown (2001), goes beyond simply receiving audible symbols; it involves a complex process that includes the psychomotor activity of perceiving sound waves through the ear and sending nerve impulses to the brain This intricate process consists of three key components: the sender, the message, and the listener.
Effective listening, as noted by Scott Shelton (2008), is a complex and engaging process that requires individuals to navigate various challenges This includes adapting to different accents, unfamiliar vocabulary, and diverse syntactic structures, all while managing background noise Moreover, it necessitates a conscious effort to maintain focus and avoid distractions Successfully addressing these elements simultaneously is crucial for accurately identifying and comprehending the intended meaning of any message.
In summary, the various definitions provided aim to elucidate the essential nature of listening skills, which are crucial for acquiring both native and foreign languages.
Listening is a vital component of overall English competence, as emphasized by Wang Shouyuan (2003), and therefore requires focused attention in educational settings To enhance listening teaching outcomes, educators should investigate the nature and processes of listening comprehension, along with relevant theories and methodologies This approach will help students understand the significance of listening comprehension as a fundamental aspect of learning English.
From a constructivist linguistics perspective, foreign language instruction should prioritize language form and structure, particularly in listening skills Effective listening teaching encompasses four key aspects of language form Initially, educators guide students to differentiate between vowel and consonant pronunciations, followed by comprehension of vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall discourse This structured approach aims to enhance students' understanding of spoken language.
The "bottom-up" approach aids students in grasping vocabulary meanings through sound discrimination, enhances their comprehension of sentence meanings, and enables them to effectively monitor and manage discourse by understanding the significance of sentences.
Since the 1970s, functional language theory has shifted the focus of linguistic research towards the role of language in society Experts in functional linguistics view language as a communicative tool rather than a mere structural system Therefore, listening skills are not just about recognizing sounds, words, or sentences; the primary aim is to enhance students' abilities to accurately interpret speakers' intentions and engage in effective communication.
Understanding the definitions of various authors on listening reveals its significance in our daily communication and language learning By exploring the essence of listening, we can appreciate its vital role in effective interactions and the acquisition of new languages.
Language learning depends on listening since it provides the aural input that serves as the basic for language acquisition and enables learners to interact in spoken communication.
Listening is the primary language mode children acquire, forming the basis for their language and cognitive development while influencing communication throughout life A study by Wilt (1950) revealed that individuals listen 45% of the time during communication, a finding still referenced in later research Wilt's study indicated that communication time is divided into 30% speaking, 16% reading, and 9% writing, echoing Rankin's 1928 discovery that 70% of walking time is spent communicating, with a significant portion dedicated to listening and speaking.
The Study
In this chapter, the researcher presents a comprehensive analysis of data gathered from survey questionnaires administered to second-year English majors at HPU The focus is on examining the factors that influence English listening skills and identifying potential solutions for students This analysis aims to address the eight survey questions outlined at the beginning of the study.
The study involved 43 second-year high school students aged 15 to 17, most of whom have been learning English for seven years—four years in secondary school and three years in high school Despite their extensive study, the students share similar English backgrounds, primarily due to their rural origins in the North and the outdated English curriculum for secondary students, which provided limited opportunities for practical skill application Consequently, upon entering NMT, these students faced significant challenges due to their restricted English proficiency.
The Faculty of Foreign Languages is comprised of 20 educators, aged between 30 and 44 Most of these teachers are alumni of the Foreign Languages Faculty at Hanoi National University or Hanoi University.
An interview was conducted with three students from classes 11a6 and 11a2 at NMT to gather insights on factors influencing English listening skills and suggestions for improvement The students participated willingly and comfortably, allowing the researcher to collect valuable information Following the interviews, the researcher analyzed the data meticulously, ensuring that the results were accurately recorded The findings from the interviews will be integrated with data collected from questionnaires to provide a comprehensive analysis in each section.
Design of the survey questionnaires
A survey was conducted with 43 second-year students at NMT High School, featuring 9 questions aimed at examining the effectiveness of listening skills development both in and out of the classroom Students were instructed to select the most appropriate responses that aligned with their experiences.
Question 1, 2 and 3: studying on students attitude toward learning English in general and listening skill in particular.
Question 4: studying on practicing listening skill of students Question 5, 6: difficulties students encounter when listening English.
Question 7, 8, 9: students's expectation to improve their listening skill.
The study focused on high school students to investigate their English listening skills Data was gathered through the distribution of eight survey questionnaires and interviews with three students Following data collection, an analysis was conducted, revealing various techniques employed by students to enhance their listening skills.
Students’ attitude toward learning English in general and listening skill in particular(Q1)
Chart 1: The most favorite skill to students’ view
The objective of this research is to identify the English skill most favored by students According to Chart 1, while listening, reading, writing, and speaking are all important in language learning, speaking stands out as the most preferred skill, with 46% of students expressing interest In contrast, listening only accounts for 21% Several factors contribute to this preference; listening is often perceived as more challenging, requiring extensive practice and integration with other skills like pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary Additionally, students may find their Vietnamese teachers' accents less engaging, and in class, they typically listen to audio materials where native speakers talk at a rapid pace, further complicating their listening experience.
Very difficult Difficult Normal Easy
With 56% of students struggling due to homophones and accents, understanding spoken language becomes challenging The data indicates that reading and writing skills contribute only 19% and 14% respectively, highlighting a significant gap in students' ambitions regarding speaking and listening skills This emphasizes the need to develop effective strategies to engage students and enhance their listening abilities.
The students' assessment of learning the listening skill(Q2)
Chart 2: The students' assessment of learning the listening skill
The chart clearly indicates that listening is a challenging skill to master, with 56% of learners finding it difficult Many students struggle with listening to English, and 16% consider it very difficult, while 26% find it normal and only 2% perceive it as easy Notably, those who believe listening is easy tend to be the top-performing students Overall, the survey confirms the widespread perception of the difficulties associated with learning listening skills in English.
Below is the result when the author asks three students the same question in the interview:
What do you think of the difficulty of English listening skill? Number( %)
Table 1: The interview results of students’ assessment in English listening skill
According to the statistics presented in Table 1, a majority of students find rewriting English sentences challenging, with 2 students expressing that it is very difficult and 1 student (33%) stating it is difficult Additionally, as illustrated in Chart 2, most students acknowledge that English listening skills pose a significant challenge.
According to Chart 1, a significant number of students find English listening skills to be challenging In contrast, a questionnaire conducted among six teachers reveals their perspectives on this issue.
Items Opinion Number of teachers Percentage
C It is very difficult but interesting 1 16%
D It is quiet easy and very interesting 0 0%
E It is difficult and boring 0 %
Table 2: Teacher’s assessment on difficult of English listening skill
Very impportant Not very important important
The assessment of English listening skills reveals that 50% of teachers find it very difficult, while 34% still regard it as interesting despite its challenges Contrary to popular belief, listening is a crucial skill that significantly impacts success in life Although its importance is easily recognized, many individuals neglect to actively enhance this skill in both their native and foreign languages Notably, only one teacher acknowledged that English listening is both very difficult and interesting, with no one selecting the options indicating that it is easy or boring.
The chart illustrates how various challenges may impact students' interest in developing their listening skills in class.
Students’ opinions toward the role of listening skil l(Q3)
Chart 3: Students’ opinion toward the role of listening skill
Students at NMT High School clearly recognize the significance of listening skills, with 86% acknowledging its crucial role in effective communication Additionally, 12% consider listening skills important, while no respondents deemed them unimportant Only 2% of students, who feel their future career will not require communication with foreigners, view listening skills as less critical Overall, the data highlights that students are well aware of the importance of listening skills in their academic and future professional lives.
Listening skills are essential for effective communication in everyday life, especially when learning a foreign language Mastering this skill is increasingly important for language learners to enhance their understanding and interaction.
Studying on practicing listening skill of students (Q4)
Table 2: Students’ practicing level about listening English