INTRODUCTION
Statement of the problem
In recent years, listening has become increasingly vital in foreign language learning, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Experts like Rubin and Thompson emphasize that the initial focus should be on developing listening skills, as this foundational step significantly enhances the overall language acquisition process.
Listening is arguably the most crucial language skill, as individuals dedicate around 60% of their time to this activity It provides a valuable opportunity to immerse oneself in the language, enhancing overall proficiency Without effective listening skills, participating in conversations in a foreign language becomes challenging.
According to Rost (1994:141), listening is an essential skill for foreign language students and serves as a strong predictor of language success Therefore, its importance in the process of learning a foreign language cannot be overstated.
Recently, listening skills have become an integral part of English curricula in Vietnam's primary, secondary, and high schools With an increasing number of students aiming for ambitious goals such as studying abroad, excelling in college entrance exams, or achieving high marks in school, there is a growing emphasis on enhancing their language abilities.
To gain admission to Thang Long High School (TLHS), students are required to achieve a minimum score of 53.5 out of 60 on the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination, indicating strong performance across all subjects, particularly English However, this year's incoming students exhibit notably low listening skills, which becomes evident during their listening classes using the "Tieng Anh 10" textbook.
Many 10th-grade students at TLHS struggle with listening skills, often displaying disinterest in lessons and reluctance to engage with audio recordings This study aims to identify the specific listening challenges these students face while using the textbook "Tieng Anh 10" and to propose effective teaching strategies to address these difficulties.
Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are:
- To identify common difficulties 10-grade students of TLHS encounter when studying listening skills in “Tieng Anh 10”
To assist students in overcoming their challenges, it is essential to implement effective solutions tailored to their needs Teachers at TLHS are encouraged to adopt strategies that address these difficulties, ensuring that lesson planning is informed by a thorough understanding of learners' issues By incorporating targeted recommendations, educators can create a supportive learning environment that fosters student success and engagement.
Research questions
The study aims at finding out answers to the following questions:
1 What difficulties do 10-grade students at TLHS encounter in studying listening skills?
2 What solutions are suggested to overcome these difficulties?
Significance of the study
Awareness of the difficulties that students encounter in listening skills would benefit both students and teachers Hopefully, the findings of this study will
Teachers gain insight into students' listening skill challenges, enabling them to implement effective strategies to address these issues By understanding the specific difficulties their students face, educators can adapt their teaching methods and techniques, ultimately enhancing the learning experience.
The study aims to assist students in recognizing their listening skill challenges and discovering effective learning strategies By understanding their own difficulties, listeners can enhance their listening practices and ultimately become more proficient listeners.
Scope of the study
In Vietnam, 10th-grade students have access to two types of English textbooks: "English 10" for English majors and "Tieng Anh 10" for general classes While both textbooks share similar topics and skills, "English 10" offers more advanced content Both are widely used in Hanoi schools, but this research specifically examines the challenges faced by 10th-grade students in developing listening skills using the "Tieng Anh 10" textbook, which is implemented in common classes across the country.
The researcher aims to better understand the listening difficulties faced by 10th-grade students at TLHS While it is not implied that students from other high schools in Hanoi experience the same challenges, there may be shared issues among them Future research into listening problems in various contexts is anticipated to yield more precise and reliable insights.
Design of the study
The study includes three parts:
Part one is the Introduction of the study which states the problem, the research questions, objectives, scope, significance and the design of the whole paper
The Development section of the article is divided into two chapters Chapter one provides the theoretical framework pertinent to the topic, while chapter two outlines the study's subjects, data collection methods, procedural steps, data analysis, and presents the findings.
Part three is the Conclusion which summarizes major findings of the investigation, provides implications and suggestions, limitations and suggestions for further studies
LITERATURE REVIEW
The nature of listening
Listening is an active process that involves analyzing sounds, distinguishing it from hearing, which is a passive perception of sound According to Harmer (1989: 16), listening is a "receptive skill" that enables individuals to grasp the main ideas conveyed through auditory information Additionally, effective listening equips learners with the ability to adapt their listening strategies to extract both general concepts and specific details necessary for comprehending messages.
Listening is an active process where the listener constructs meaning from the speaker's information, which includes understanding their accent, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary According to Morley (1972), as cited in Tesfaye (2008), listening encompasses reauditorizing, extracting essential information, remembering it, and relating it to form meaning, going beyond mere auditory discrimination and aural grammar Thus, while often perceived as a passive skill, listening actively involves selecting and interpreting information from both auditory and visual cues.
Listening is essential for understanding messages and engaging in meaningful conversations, which are crucial for effective communication Without active listening, the communicator cannot grasp the message, hindering timely and appropriate responses Additionally, listening is vital in language acquisition, as highlighted by Rost (1994).
Listening is vital in the language classroom because it provides input for the learner Without understanding input at the right level, any learning simply cannot begin
Listening is essential for developing speaking and other language skills It plays a crucial role in learning a second language by providing necessary input, which is vital for the learning process Therefore, listening is a key skill in language acquisition.
According to Rubin and Thomson (1994), listening is categorized into two types based on the context of understanding: reciprocal (interactive) listening and non-reciprocal (non-interactive) listening Reciprocal listening occurs in interactive situations, such as face-to-face conversations and phone calls, where listeners can actively engage by asking for clarification or repetition In contrast, non-reciprocal listening involves passive engagement with monologues or speeches, such as when listening to the radio, watching TV, or attending lectures, where the listener cannot seek clarification or adjust the pace of speech.
Derrington and Groom (2004) identify five distinct types of listening: informative listening, where learners retain key information; appreciative listening, which aligns with personal preferences and brings enjoyment; and critical listening, focused on deep analysis and retention of information.
Discriminative listening allows the listener to discern emotions and inferences based on tone of voice, while empathic listening involves the listener's non-verbal cues that show attentiveness to the speaker's message.
Process of listening
Duzer (1997) identifies nine key activities that facilitate silent learning: first, determining a reason for listening; second, processing raw speech and creating a mental image in short-term memory; third, organizing the information by recognizing the type of speech event—such as a conversation, lecture, or radio ad—and understanding the message's function, whether to persuade, inform, or request; fourth, predicting what information may be included; fifth, recalling relevant background knowledge to aid interpretation; and sixth, assigning meaning to the message.
To ensure effective communication, it is essential to confirm that the message has been understood, identify the key information that should be retained in long-term memory, and eliminate the original form of the message stored in short-term memory.
These nine activities indicate the interaction of two cognitive processes: bottom- up and top-down In the bottom-up view:
The bottom-up approach to listening involves breaking down speech into individual sounds, which are then combined to create words, and further linked to form clauses and complete sentences.
In the process of understanding spoken discourse, learners decode sounds to form words, which are then linked to create phrases and sentences, ultimately constructing a complete text's meaning This comprehension relies not only on grammatical relationships but also on phonetic elements such as stress, rhythm, and intonation To enhance this data-driven processing, learners can engage in activities that help them discriminate between sounds or recognize rising and falling intonations.
Top-down processing involves interpreting meaning based on the speaker's intent, utilizing existing knowledge structures in the learner's mind This approach highlights the importance of background knowledge that learners already possess, which aids in understanding the information they encounter.
Effective listening relies on the integration of both internal knowledge, which is not explicitly stated in words, and external knowledge to fully comprehend spoken information A lack of relevant knowledge can hinder understanding, while successful listeners are adept at connecting familiar concepts with new information The distinction between the bottom-up perspective, viewing the listener as a "tape recorder," and the top-down perspective, seeing the listener as a "model builder," highlights the necessity of employing both approaches for optimal comprehension.
Factors affecting EFL listening
Underwood (1994) identifies seven key challenges in EFL listening comprehension: the inability to control the speaker's speed, the lack of opportunity for repetition, limited vocabulary, difficulty recognizing cues, interpretation issues, concentration problems, and entrenched learning habits A common belief among language learners is that the primary obstacle in listening is the inability to manage the pace at which a speaker communicates.
Rubin and Thompson (1994: 87) highlight three key challenges faced when learning to listen to a foreign language Firstly, speakers often talk too quickly, making it difficult for listeners to keep up; in such cases, listeners should feel empowered to ask for repetition or clarification Secondly, understanding foreign language content in media, like TV and movies, can be challenging; listeners are encouraged to use visual cues, teacher prompts, and their own knowledge to make educated guesses about the content Lastly, listeners often become distracted when encountering unfamiliar words or phrases, leading them to miss crucial information; therefore, it is important for them to focus on familiar elements and maintain their attention on the overall message.
Research by Rubin (1994) highlights five key factors influencing foreign language listening comprehension, based on an extensive review of over 130 studies These factors include text characteristics like speech rate, pauses, stress, and rhythm; interlocutor characteristics such as gender and language proficiency; task characteristics related to the type of task; listener characteristics encompassing language proficiency, memory, attention, age, gender, learning disabilities in the first language, and background knowledge; and process characteristics involving top-down and bottom-up processing, listening strategies, and the negotiation of comprehensible input.
Yagang (1994) identifies four key sources that contribute to the challenges of listening comprehension: the message, the speaker, the listener, and the physical setting This study will specifically examine the factors highlighted by both Yagang and Rubin (1994), concentrating on listening issues related to the Text, the Speaker, the Listener, and the Listening Environment The subsequent section will explore each of these characteristics in detail.
Text characteristics significantly impact EFL listening comprehension, as they encompass factors such as the content of the listening passage, the appeal of the topic to engage learners, and the conceptual difficulty involved Additionally, aspects like syntactic complexity, text length, and density can either enhance or hinder listening comprehension success.
1.3.1.1 Length and density of the text
In learning a foreign language, listening and interpreting unfamiliar sounds for long time are tiring Although successful listeners do not try to understand every
Students often struggle to catch key words in long, dense texts due to fatigue and difficulty concentrating When messages contain excessive information, effective listening strategies may become ineffective Shorter spoken texts can enhance comprehension by minimizing fatigue and maintaining focus According to writers like Ur (2005) and Underwood (1989), spoken language should present information in a less dense manner compared to written language, facilitating better understanding.
It is important to pick topics that will be interesting for students of different ages
Selecting engaging listening materials is crucial for enhancing learner motivation and enjoyment When texts are interesting, they not only capture learners' attention but also encourage active participation in activities According to Underwood (1989), an intriguing topic makes it easier for students to concentrate, highlighting the importance of considering learners' interests in material selection.
When the listening topic is engaging, students enjoy listening tasks and are motivated to pay close attention Conversely, uninteresting topics can make listening activities tedious, hindering concentration, which is essential for effective comprehension As noted by Underwood (1989), even a brief lapse in attention can significantly affect understanding.
1.3.1.3 Conceptual difficulty of the text
Challenging concepts can hinder students' listening abilities Boyle (1984) emphasizes that when listening material is complex—be it abstract, specialized, technical, or lengthy—it can significantly impact comprehension.
When selecting or preparing listening materials, it's essential to ensure that the difficulty level is appropriate for all students Topics related to people, daily life, the environment, and social issues often feature simple concepts that students find familiar and accessible In contrast, theoretical concepts can hinder comprehension, leading to confusion and frustration if the spoken text is overly complex or beyond the learners' existing knowledge This is because challenging concepts require prior experiences and linguistic skills that many students may not possess.
1.3.1.4 Syntactic complexity of the text
Brown and Yule (1983) highlight key differences between spoken and written discourse that are crucial for EFL listening comprehension Spoken language tends to be syntactically simpler, whereas written language is more complex Consequently, if listeners struggle to break down and simplify intricate sentences into basic syntactic units, they may struggle to understand the text effectively.
In real-life situations, listeners engage for specific non-linguistic purposes, such as communication or entertainment Conversely, in listening classrooms, the focus shifts solely to linguistic skills and test preparation.
A problem arises here, however, when the tasks require responses beyond checking the students listening skills Penny Ur asserts:
…[T]asks that involve a lot of reading (such as answering multiple-choice questions) or writing (such as taking notes) have one disadvantage that should be noted
Ur (2005) highlights that even native speakers struggle with multiple-choice listening exercises and note-taking during lectures, as these tasks often emphasize writing skills over listening skills When the goal is to enhance listening abilities, it may be counterproductive to include tasks that require reading, speaking, or writing, which can be exhausting for students Consequently, Ur and other experts suggest that listening tasks should prioritize quick, straightforward responses and focus solely on listening skills, rather than integrating other language skills Therefore, it is recommended that listening tasks be designed to be listening-based, avoiding reliance on reading, writing, or speaking components.
Speaker factors influencing communication encompass the speaker's language proficiency, whether they are a native or non-native speaker, as well as their production characteristics, including pronunciation, accent, voice variation, and delivery speed Additionally, the speaker's prestige and personality play significant roles in how their message is perceived (Boyle 1984: 35).
Many students lack exposure to authentic discourse, leading to challenges in understanding diverse linguistic codes Variations in pronunciations among different English dialects, such as British, Indian, Canadian, Australian, and regional U.S English, complicate sound perception Ur (2005) notes that foreign language learners often struggle to comprehend speakers with accents different from their teachers, sometimes deeming these accents as inferior However, Ur emphasizes that there is rarely a "wrong accent" and encourages educators to familiarize students not only with British and American English but also with a wider range of accents.
The other problem that makes difficult to understand the native speaker English may be the learners past experience of learning Let us now look at how Yagang describes it:
Overview of listening section in the English 10 textbook “Tieng Anh 10” 17
Listening skills represent a new challenge for Vietnamese students and teachers unfamiliar with the communicative approach, making it one of the most difficult skills to master In the English 10 syllabus, listening lessons account for 20% of the curriculum and are structured into three stages: Pre-listening, While-listening, and Post-listening.
To effectively prepare students for listening activities, it is essential to engage them through various pre-listening activities that spark interest and build background knowledge This stage should include discussions about relevant pictures, sharing personal experiences, and exploring vocabulary related to the topic, as well as making predictions about the content Without a solid understanding of the topic and associated vocabulary, students may struggle to comprehend the listening text, even if they are familiar with the sounds Therefore, teachers must focus on achieving key goals such as motivation, contextualization, and preparation during this stage Utilizing engaging activities like games and vibrant visuals can help introduce the topic, provide necessary background information, and pre-teach essential vocabulary, ensuring students are well-equipped to listen effectively.
This stage focuses on a variety of listening activities designed to enhance students' listening skills and comprehension of the text, often consuming a significant portion of the lesson Students typically listen to audio recordings multiple times to engage in different tasks Teachers act as facilitators, providing essential listening strategies and cues to assist students in completing their assignments, without expecting them to grasp every word from the recording While-listening activities may include identifying the main topic and noting key information.
19 information, answer the questions, fill in the blanks or complete a table, map, chart or picture
Post-listening activities serve multiple purposes in the learning process, as outlined by Underwood (1989) Firstly, they assess students' comprehension of the lesson and their completion of while-listening tasks Secondly, these activities help identify the reasons behind any difficulties students may have in understanding certain parts of the text Lastly, they provide students with the opportunity to reflect on the speakers' attitudes and mannerisms Common post-listening activities found in textbooks include answering questions, engaging in discussions, and writing summaries.
Previous works review
Research on teaching and learning listening skills has garnered significant attention from scholars Boyle (1984) studied two universities in Hong Kong, where he consulted teachers and students to identify six key factors that hinder effective listening comprehension The findings highlighted various obstacles affecting listening skills Similarly, Bennui (2005) surveyed first-year students at Thaksin University to explore the reasons behind their low performance in listening This research revealed six critical factors that negatively impacted their listening abilities.
Le Thi Xuan Anh (2001) found that Vietnamese tertiary students unconsciously employ "Listening Strategies." She identified a connection between the students' listening skills and the strategies they choose to use.
In a 2008 study, the listening difficulties experienced by teachers and students using the new English textbook for grade 10 at Que Vo II Upper-secondary School in Bac Ninh were analyzed The findings identified three primary issues: insufficient language background, a lack of essential language skills, particularly in listening techniques and strategies, and the need for more support from teachers.
Phuong (2009) conducted a study on the challenges faced by first-year non-English students at the University of Economic and Technical Industries while learning listening skills through the "New Headway Pre-intermediate" textbook The research identified several contributing factors, including students' lack of experience, ineffective learning methods, poor study habits, limited background knowledge, teaching methods, and the learning environment Similarly, Nguyen Thi Mai Trang (2011) investigated the listening difficulties encountered by tenth-grade students at Pham Ngu Lao High School The findings highlighted issues related to linguistic abilities, psychological factors, instructional materials, and learning strategies Based on these insights and student feedback, the researcher offered recommendations for both teachers and students to address these challenges effectively.
Most researchers have concentrated on the general principles of teaching listening skills or the challenges learners encounter in developing these skills, often proposing solutions for improvement While previous studies have addressed listening difficulties among 10th-grade students, they were limited to specific high schools, failing to represent the broader context of all schools in Hanoi Therefore, the researcher recognizes the necessity of conducting a study within the context of TLHS, where she is currently employed.
THE STUDY
Subjects
The subjects of the study are chosen randomly from 3 classes at TLHS, 10A3, 10 T1, 10D1 The total population is 100 10-grade students, who were the same age
During the data collection period, students were nearing the completion of their second semester final exams, indicating they had already covered nearly all the listening sections in "Tieng Anh 10." As a result, they were likely aware of the challenges they encountered in their listening classes.
Data gathering instruments
This study employs a student questionnaire as its sole instrument, developed after reviewing literature on factors influencing EFL listening The questionnaire is divided into two parts: the first part collects background information from respondents regarding their previous language learning experiences and their views on the significance of listening skills The second part focuses on students' opinions about the challenges they face in developing listening skills, featuring two sections dedicated to this topic.
The questionnaire consists of two sections: Section A includes 20 close-ended questions utilizing a five-point scale to assess listening difficulties, where 1 indicates "Never" and 5 signifies "Always." Section B features one open-ended question, allowing students to share additional listening challenges not covered in the close-ended items.
22 ones listed in the close-ended questions.
Procedure
There are three stages in the data collection:
Stage 1: The questionnaires are designed in both English and Vietnamese (see
After revising the initial questionnaire based on feedback from a group of 10 students, the researcher conducted interviews to ensure its reliability Subsequently, consultations with three experienced teachers at TLHS led to the development of the final questionnaire, which is divided into two parts.
Stage 2: 100 students were chosen randomly from 3 classes; therefore, it took the researcher 3 days to go to each class First, the students were asked to finish the questionnaires while the researcher went around offering help The questionnaires were answered within 30 minutes
Stage 3: The data were analyzed and contrasted to get answers to the research questions
Findings and discussion
Chart 1.1: Students’ time experience in learning English
For the question number 1: How long have you been studying English? , among
A survey of 100 participants revealed that 55 respondents (55%) have studied English for over 7 years, while 42 participants (42%) have learned the language for 5 to 7 years Only 3 students (3%) reported studying English for 3 to 5 years, and none of the respondents have learned English for less than 3 years These statistics indicate that the majority of students possess at least five years of experience in learning English.
English is now taught from elementary schools, making listening a compulsory skill in secondary school curricula As a result, students are accustomed to listening to simple recordings, including conversations and descriptions Question number 2 aims to gather more information on students' listening performance, with results illustrated in the accompanying chart.
Chart 1.2: Students’ average scores in listening skills last semester
The data reveals that 43% of students have average English listening scores ranging from 5.0 to 6.4, while 14% score below 5.0 Additionally, another 43% of students achieve scores above 6.5 This distribution suggests that the first semester's average scores may indicate the respondents' proficiency in English listening skills Despite many students having studied English for an extended period, their listening scores highlight significant challenges in this area.
Chart 1.3: Students’ responses related the importance of listening skills
The chart illustrates students' responses to question number 3 regarding the perceived importance of listening skills A significant majority, 95% of students, rated the importance of listening skills as high (scores of 3, 4, and 5), indicating a strong awareness of their significance in learning English Conversely, a small minority, accounting for 5%, consider listening skills to be unimportant.
Chart 1.4: Students’ responses related to the difficulty level of listening skills in comparison with other skills
The chart illustrating the responses to question number 4 reveals that 44% of students find listening skills to be as difficult as other skills, while 38% consider listening to be more challenging Additionally, 16 students, representing 16%, believe that listening is significantly more difficult than other skills In contrast, only 2 respondents, or 2%, feel that listening is much easier than other skills Overall, more than half of the surveyed students perceive listening skills as difficult.
2.4.2 Students’ opinion concerning difficulties they encounter in studying listening skills
The data is categorized into four key areas based on the literature review: Listener, Text, Speaker, and Listening Environment factors Additionally, questions addressing students' challenges related to each of these categories—listener difficulties, text-related issues, speaker concerns, and environmental factors—are organized accordingly.
2.4.2.1 Difficulties related to Text factors
1 I find listening difficult because of unfamiliar words in the spoken text
2 I find it difficult because of complex grammatical structures in the spoken text
3 I find listening difficult because of the length and complexity of sentences
4 Long spoken text makes me tired and anxious when listening
5 I don‟t continue listening because the information is not interesting enough to me
6 I find listening difficult because of unfamiliar topics/ subjects
Table 1: Difficulties related to Text factors
Items number 1, 2 and 3 are presented and analyzed together on chart 2.1 because all of them are factors related to bottom-up processing strategy
Chart 2.1: Students’ responses related to unfamiliar words, difficult grammatical structures, and complex sentences
Item 1 is asked to know whether unfamiliar words negatively affected students‟ listening comprehension A large number of the students, 87/ 100 (87%), have responded that unfamiliar words is sometimes (23%), often (51%) or always (13
%) a factor having influence on their listening The percentage of respondents choosing “never” and “seldom” are 5% and 8% respectively
Item 2 is asked to know whether complex grammatical structures interfere with learners‟ listening comprehension 26 % of the respondents think that they never (9%) or seldom (17%) face the difficulty of complex grammatical structures The great majority of students (74 %) have responded that difficult grammatical structures sometimes (30%), often (23%) or always (21%) negatively affect their listening comprehension
Item 3 is asked to know whether length and complexity of sentences affect students‟ listening comprehension 89/100 students (89%) have responded that complexity of sentences sometimes, often, always (33%, 34%, 22% respectively) interfere with their listening comprehension
The findings indicate that 10th-grade students at TLHS commonly struggle with listening skills due to unfamiliar vocabulary, complex grammatical structures, and intricate sentence constructions.
Chart 2.2: Students’ responses related to long spoken text
Chart 2.2 presents students‟ responses to item 4 which aims to find out if the length of the spoken text negatively affects students‟ listening comprehension when learning listening skills The chart reveals that a long spoken text is a problem to the majority of respondents Whereas 29 students (29%) seemed not to face the difficulty regularly (14% chose never and 15% chose seldom), 71% of the students sometimes, often or always encounter the problem
Chart 2.3: Students’ responses related to uninteresting information and unfamiliar topics
Chart 2.3 illustrates students‟ responses to the items number 5 and 6 It shows that both problems greatly impact on students‟ listening skills The numbers of students
A significant majority of respondents, 89% and 83%, reported facing challenges with uninteresting information and unfamiliar topics, respectively Additionally, over half of those surveyed indicated that they often (62%) or always (63%) encounter these issues.
Research indicates that listening messages lacking student interest or relevance can significantly impede comprehension When topics are disconnected from students' experiences, they tend to lose focus, leading to inattentiveness during listening activities This lack of engagement not only disrupts concentration but also poses a serious challenge to effective understanding.
2.4.2.2 Difficulties related to Listener factors
7 At the time of listening I find it difficult to predict what will come next
8 I find it difficult to get a general understanding of the spoken text from the first time listening
9 I find it difficult to recognize the words I know because of the way they are pronounced
10 I have difficulties because the speaker‟s pronunciation is different from what is familiar to me
11 There are words that I will normally understand in writing, but when I hear them in a stream of speech, I find it difficult to tell where one word finishes and another begins
12 I find it difficult to answer long questions
13 I feel worried and discouraged when I don‟t immediately understand the spoken text
14 I can listen to the sounds but I don‟t know how to spell the words
Table 2: Difficulties related to Listener factors
Chart 2.4: Students’ responses related to the skills of predicting and getting a general idea of a text
Chart 2.4 shows a similarity in the respondents‟ recognition of the two problems The majority of the respondents choose the last three columns for both items 7 and
The study reveals that a significant majority of students struggle with predictive listening skills, as evidenced by only 12% marking columns 1 and 2 for item 7, and a mere 7% for item 8 This indicates that most students find it challenging to anticipate what comes next and to grasp the general idea from initial listening Consequently, it can be inferred that nearly all participants have difficulty applying predictive skills and understanding the overall context of a text According to experts like Rost (1991) and Rubin (1994), the inability to utilize effective listening strategies can negatively impact listening comprehension.
Chart 2.5: Students’ responses related to speakers’ pronunciation
Chart 2.5 analyzes items 9 and 10, focusing on pronunciation factors affecting students' comprehension Respondents rated these items above 97%, indicating that 100% of students sometimes, often, or always struggle to recognize familiar words due to pronunciation differences This suggests that many students find it challenging to identify known words when pronounced differently, a point supported by Ur’s (1984) literature Vietnamese students, accustomed to their teachers' pronunciation, may have difficulty recognizing the same words when spoken by others, particularly native speakers, which negatively impacts their listening comprehension.
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always
Table 2.1: Learners’ responses related to the difference between written and spoken language
Table 2.1 reveals that a significant 76% of students experience difficulty recognizing familiar words in written form when they hear them spoken, indicating a challenge in distinguishing between written and spoken language In contrast, only 22% of respondents report seldom or never encountering this issue, suggesting that while many students can recognize certain words in writing, they struggle to identify them in auditory contexts.
CONCLUSION
Conclusions
1.1 Students’ listening performance and how they perceive the importance of listening skills
The analysis of students' listening scores reveals that a significant majority, 57%, have achieved below a 6.5 in listening skills, despite 97% having studied English for at least five years Furthermore, 95% of the students recognize the importance of listening skills This disparity suggests that various factors may be negatively impacting their listening abilities, leading to overall low performance in this area.
1.2 Difficulties 10-grade students at TLHS encounter when studying listening skills
This study aims to identify the factors affecting 10th-grade students at TLHS in developing listening skills, focusing on the roles of the Text, Speaker, Listener, and Listening Environment Data was gathered through a questionnaire, revealing a variety of issues linked to these four key areas.
- Difficulties related to Text factors that interfere with students‟ comprehension when learning listening skills include unfamiliar words and topics, complex grammatical structures, sentences and long spoken text
Students often face challenges in developing listening skills due to various listener factors These include difficulties in predicting content and identifying main ideas, a limited vocabulary, and a lack of familiarity with the characteristics of spoken English Additionally, time constraints can further hinder their comprehension abilities.
41 practicing is added by students as a potential problem negatively affecting their listening skills
Students often face challenges in comprehending listening skills due to various speaker factors These difficulties arise from the speaker's accent, rapid speech delivery, an unappealing voice, and the presence of multiple speakers in a given audio text.
Students face various challenges in their listening environment that hinder their comprehension of listening skills Key issues include distracting noise, subpar audio equipment, limited time to complete tasks, and the speaker's visibility Additionally, insufficient classroom time and a lack of encouragement from teachers further contribute to the difficulties students encounter in developing effective listening skills.
The study highlights that students face three primary challenges in developing their listening skills: difficulty in recognizing words due to pronunciation issues, struggles with spelling, and obstacles arising from unfamiliar pronunciations by speakers.
Implications
The findings of common listening difficulties faced by 10-grade students of TLHS are of great importance Based on the findings of the study, some solutions can be suggested
Many students face significant challenges in recognizing words due to pronunciation issues, unfamiliar accents, and difficulties in spelling what they hear These obstacles stem from insufficient linguistic knowledge, particularly in pronunciation and vocabulary Limited exposure to listening skills has hindered students' familiarity with the nuances of spoken language Therefore, it is essential for students to engage in regular listening practice to enhance their comprehension and overall language proficiency.
42 encouraged to self-develop independent listening outside class English songs, movies, videos, and other English language broadcasts provide learners with opportunities to listen to English effectively in a relaxing way
Students may struggle with spelling due to weaknesses in English pronunciation or a limited vocabulary To improve spelling and enhance listening skills, it is essential to focus on mastering English pronunciation and expanding one's vocabulary.
Teachers play a crucial role in enhancing students' listening skills by providing appropriate exercises and learning materials It is essential for educators to pre-teach vocabulary, focusing on both meanings and accurate pronunciation During the while-listening stage, techniques such as pausing the audio, replaying sections, and offering suggestions can support students in completing their tasks effectively Additionally, designing task-oriented exercises can capture students' interest and facilitate subconscious learning of listening skills.
Ur (2005) proposed various tasks such as expressing agreement or disagreement, taking notes, marking diagrams, and answering questions Task-based exercises offer a significant advantage over traditional multiple-choice questions by not only assessing students' listening comprehension but also promoting the use of diverse listening skills and strategies, thereby fostering a more active learning experience.
Many students struggle with listening skills due to inadequate listening strategies, leading to anxiety and a lack of general comprehension Effective listening strategies are crucial for mastering this skill Therefore, teachers should guide students through specific listening steps tailored to various tasks before they engage in listening activities.
When students encounter an unfamiliar topic, it is crucial to provide background knowledge to address potential challenges Prior to listening activities in the classroom, educators should offer relevant information about the content, context, and speakers of the listening text This approach not only stimulates students' expectations but also aids in familiarizing them with the topic at hand.
Rubin and Thompson (1994: 90) suggest that when students face unfamiliar words or phrase they have to “concentrate on familiar elements” and “keep listening”
Besides, teachers should provide background knowledge and linguistic knowledge, such as complex sentence structures and colloquial words and expressions
To enhance learners' listening skills, it is essential to adapt materials by minimizing lengthy and unengaging texts Instructors should focus primarily on aural comprehension, ensuring that listening tasks emphasize listening over reading, speaking, and writing Additionally, tasks containing excessively long questions need to be modified for better effectiveness.
Incorporating competitive games into lessons can enhance student engagement, especially when the material lacks interest As noted by Ur (2005: 27), introducing elements of drama or humor can significantly improve the appeal of a text Additionally, teachers have the option to customize listening materials by shortening or editing recordings with appropriate software to better suit their students' needs.
Controlling the speed of a recorded speaker is not possible, making it challenging for students when the speech is fast To assist students in overcoming these difficulties, teachers can provide opportunities for repeated listening and teach effective listening strategies According to Rubin and Thompson (1994), students should learn to ask for repetition, seek clarification, pay attention to intonation and tone, and focus on question words It is essential for teachers to remind students that they do not need to catch every word but should concentrate on key words and critical information Additionally, teachers can pause the recording to enhance clarity and comprehension.
To become familiar with various English accents and speaking styles, students should engage in listening practice both in and out of the classroom Numerous supplementary resources, such as "Listen In" by David Nunan and "Tactics for Listening" by Jack C., are available and well-suited for 10th-grade learners.
Teachers can make use of the book New Way In Teaching Listening by David
Nunan and Lindsay Miller offer practical strategies for teaching listening skills effectively According to Ur (2005: 20), educators should expose students to a variety of English accents, including British and American, to enhance their familiarity and prepare them to understand diverse spoken English.
Last but not least, the problems of unattractive and confusing voice of the speaker should be taken into consideration for future editing the textbook “Tieng Anh 10”
Many students at TLHS experience disruptive noise both inside and outside the classroom, along with poor-quality tape recorders that hinder their listening abilities The average class size of 45-55 students is too large to foster an effective language learning environment, making it challenging for teachers to manage the classroom and organize activities Students seated at the back struggle to hear clearly and are easily distracted by surrounding noise To enhance the listening experience, it is recommended that class sizes be limited to fewer than 25 students, and upgrading facilities for English teaching is essential.
According to Ur (2005: 28), providing immediate feedback on student performance is crucial in listening classes, as it promotes error correction and encourages students This practice not only boosts students' confidence in tackling listening challenges but also enables teachers to assess the class's progress and adjust their guidance accordingly.
To address the issue of speaker visibility, Ur (2005: 4) recommends prioritizing live speakers and utilizing recordings only for specific purposes In situations where live speakers are unavailable, teachers can effectively employ visual materials or create their own visual aids to enhance the learning experience.
Students‟ time experience in learning English
For the question number 1: How long have you been studying English? , among
A survey of 100 participants revealed that 55 respondents (55%) have studied English for over seven years, while 42 participants (42%) have learned the language for 5 to 7 years Only 3 students (3%) reported studying English for 3 to 5 years, and none of the respondents have studied for less than three years These statistics indicate that the majority of students possess at least five years of experience in learning English.
English is now taught from elementary levels, with listening skills included in secondary school curricula, leading students to become accustomed to simple audio recordings like conversations and descriptions To assess student performance in listening, Question number 2 was posed, and the results are illustrated in the chart below.
Students‟ average scores in listening skills last semester
The chart indicates that 43% of students have average English listening scores ranging from 5.0 to 6.4, while 14 students (14%) report scores below 5.0 Additionally, 43% of students achieve scores above 6.5 These average scores from the first semester suggest that despite many students having studied English for an extended period, they still face significant challenges with their listening skills in class.
Students‟ responses related the importance of listening skills
The chart illustrates students' perceptions of the importance of listening skills, revealing that a significant majority (95%) rated its importance as high on a scale of 1 to 5 This indicates that most respondents recognize the crucial role listening plays in learning English Conversely, a small minority (5%) view listening skills as unimportant.
Students‟ responses related to the difficulty level of listening
The chart illustrating responses to question number 4 reveals that 44% of students view listening skills as equally challenging as other skills, while 38% perceive them as more difficult Additionally, 16 students, accounting for 16%, believe that listening is significantly more challenging than other skills In contrast, only 2 respondents, or 2%, find listening to be much easier than other skills Overall, more than half of the surveyed students consider listening skills to be difficult.
2.4.2 Students’ opinion concerning difficulties they encounter in studying listening skills
The data is categorized into four key factors based on the literature review: Listener, Text, Speaker, and Listening Environment Additionally, questions addressing students' challenges associated with each of these factors—listener, text, speaker, and environment—are organized within their respective categories.
2.4.2.1 Difficulties related to Text factors
1 I find listening difficult because of unfamiliar words in the spoken text
2 I find it difficult because of complex grammatical structures in the spoken text
3 I find listening difficult because of the length and complexity of sentences
4 Long spoken text makes me tired and anxious when listening
5 I don‟t continue listening because the information is not interesting enough to me
6 I find listening difficult because of unfamiliar topics/ subjects
Table 1: Difficulties related to Text factors
Items number 1, 2 and 3 are presented and analyzed together on chart 2.1 because all of them are factors related to bottom-up processing strategy
Students‟ responses related to unfamiliar words, difficult
Item 1 is asked to know whether unfamiliar words negatively affected students‟ listening comprehension A large number of the students, 87/ 100 (87%), have responded that unfamiliar words is sometimes (23%), often (51%) or always (13
%) a factor having influence on their listening The percentage of respondents choosing “never” and “seldom” are 5% and 8% respectively
Item 2 is asked to know whether complex grammatical structures interfere with learners‟ listening comprehension 26 % of the respondents think that they never (9%) or seldom (17%) face the difficulty of complex grammatical structures The great majority of students (74 %) have responded that difficult grammatical structures sometimes (30%), often (23%) or always (21%) negatively affect their listening comprehension
Item 3 is asked to know whether length and complexity of sentences affect students‟ listening comprehension 89/100 students (89%) have responded that complexity of sentences sometimes, often, always (33%, 34%, 22% respectively) interfere with their listening comprehension
The findings indicate that 10th-grade students at TLHS commonly struggle with listening skills due to unfamiliar vocabulary, intricate grammatical structures, and complex sentence formations.
Students‟ responses related to long spoken text
Chart 2.2 presents students‟ responses to item 4 which aims to find out if the length of the spoken text negatively affects students‟ listening comprehension when learning listening skills The chart reveals that a long spoken text is a problem to the majority of respondents Whereas 29 students (29%) seemed not to face the difficulty regularly (14% chose never and 15% chose seldom), 71% of the students sometimes, often or always encounter the problem.
Students‟ responses related to uninteresting information
Chart 2.3 illustrates students‟ responses to the items number 5 and 6 It shows that both problems greatly impact on students‟ listening skills The numbers of students
A significant majority of respondents, 89% and 83%, reported frequently facing challenges with uninteresting information and unfamiliar topics Additionally, over half of the participants, specifically 62% and 63%, indicated that they often or always experience these difficulties.
The findings suggest that listening messages lacking student interest and relevance to their experiences can significantly impede comprehension for most learners This aligns with existing literature, which indicates that unengaging topics lead to inattentiveness during listening activities Consequently, this distraction adversely affects learners' concentration, posing a serious challenge to their overall understanding.
2.4.2.2 Difficulties related to Listener factors
7 At the time of listening I find it difficult to predict what will come next
8 I find it difficult to get a general understanding of the spoken text from the first time listening
9 I find it difficult to recognize the words I know because of the way they are pronounced
10 I have difficulties because the speaker‟s pronunciation is different from what is familiar to me
11 There are words that I will normally understand in writing, but when I hear them in a stream of speech, I find it difficult to tell where one word finishes and another begins
12 I find it difficult to answer long questions
13 I feel worried and discouraged when I don‟t immediately understand the spoken text
14 I can listen to the sounds but I don‟t know how to spell the words
Table 2: Difficulties related to Listener factors
Students‟ responses related to the skills of predicting
Chart 2.4 shows a similarity in the respondents‟ recognition of the two problems The majority of the respondents choose the last three columns for both items 7 and
A significant majority of students, constituting 88% and 93% respectively, struggle to predict subsequent information and grasp the overall idea during initial listening, as evidenced by only 12 respondents (12%) marking columns 1 and 2 for item 7, and just 7 respondents (7%) for item 8 This indicates a widespread difficulty in utilizing predictive skills and understanding the general context of a text Research by authors such as Rost (1991) and Rubin (1994) suggests that a lack of effective listening strategies can adversely impact listening comprehension.
Students‟ responses related to speakers‟ pronunciation
Chart 2.5 analyzes items 9 and 10, focusing on pronunciation factors affecting students The findings reveal that over 97% of respondents reported difficulties in recognizing familiar words due to pronunciation variations Notably, 100% of students indicated they sometimes, often, or always struggle with this issue This suggests that many students face challenges in word recognition linked to pronunciation differences, a point previously discussed in the literature review by Ur (1984) Vietnamese students, accustomed to their teachers' pronunciation, may struggle to understand words pronounced by other speakers, particularly native ones, which ultimately hampers their listening comprehension.
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always
Table 2.1: Learners’ responses related to the difference between written and spoken language
Table 2.1 highlights the challenges students face in distinguishing familiar words in written form when they encounter them in spoken language A significant 76% of respondents indicated that they sometimes, often, or always struggle with this issue, while only 22% reported rarely or never experiencing such difficulties This suggests that many students can recognize certain words in writing but have trouble identifying them when heard in conversation.
The issue arises from several factors, particularly the approach Vietnamese teachers take in pre-teaching vocabulary Typically, teachers write new words on the board and model their pronunciation, which leads students to associate the words with their written form and careful pronunciation Consequently, students struggle to recognize how these words sound in natural, rapid speech, hindering their ability to comprehend spoken English effectively.
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always
Table 2.2: Students’ responses related to long questions
Table 2.2 reveals that 83% of students report difficulty in answering questions that require more than just short responses This suggests that many students struggle with listening questions that necessitate writing skills, potentially hindering their listening performance This finding aligns with Ur's (1989) assertion that challenges in listening tasks often stem from the additional demands of reading, speaking, and writing skills rather than listening alone.
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always
Table 2.3: Students’ responses related to their anxiety when they fail to understand the text immediately
Table 2.3 reveals that a significant 90% of students experience feelings of worry and discouragement when they struggle to comprehend spoken text This finding highlights that nearly all students feel anxious and disheartened in situations where immediate understanding is lacking.
It can be inferred that when the text include much information for students to understand, they are subjected to a difficult task
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always
Table 2.4: Students’ responses related to their inability to spell words
Table 2.4 reveals that nearly all respondents struggle with spelling words they hear, with 97% indicating they sometimes, often, or always experience this issue In contrast, only 3% of participants reported never facing this challenge.
The term "seldom" is often misunderstood by 10th-grade students at TLHS, which may stem from a limited vocabulary and difficulty in distinguishing words with similar sounds This indicates that vocabulary challenges are a prevalent issue among these students.
2.4.2.3 Difficulties related to Speaker factors
15 I find listening difficult because of the speakers‟ fast speech
16 I have difficulties because the e speaker‟s accent is different from what is familiar to me
Table 3: Difficulties related to Speaker factors
Students‟ responses related to the speaker‟ fast speech
Items 15 and 16 investigate the impact of fast speech and varying accents on students' listening comprehension, as shown in chart 2.6 A significant majority of students, 80%, reported that the speaker's rapid pace is a major challenge for them Additionally, 93% of students indicated that different accents from the speaker occasionally, frequently, or always hinder their listening comprehension These findings highlight that the natural speech patterns of native speakers can pose difficulties for students in understanding spoken language.
35 perceive as fast speech, and unfamiliar accent) interfere with the listening comprehension of many students
2.4.2.4 Difficulties related to Listening environment
17 I find it difficult to understand the meaning of the spoken text without seeing the speaker‟s facial expressions and gestures (e.g frowning face of anger; smiling face of happiness)
18 I don‟t have enough time to finish the listening tasks
19 I can‟t listen because of disturbing noise (inside or outside the class)
20 I can‟t listen because of poor-quality tape-recorders or cassette-players
Table 4: Difficulties related to Listening environment
Students‟ responses related to the visibility of the speaker,
Chart 2.7 illustrates the students‟ responses to items number 17 and 18 It shows that both problems affect students‟ listening comprehension More than half (58%) of the students sometimes, often or always find it difficult to understand the meaning of a spoken text without seeing the speaker‟s facial expressions and
A study reveals that 32% of students frequently face challenges due to the absence of non-verbal cues, indicating that while this issue may not be as severe as listening difficulties, it still poses a potential barrier to effective communication Additionally, 76% of participants expressed concerns regarding insufficient time to complete tasks, suggesting that this time constraint significantly impacts their listening abilities in the classroom.
Students‟ responses related to disturbing noise
Chart 2.8 which illustrates the responses to items 19 and 20 shows that disturbing noise and poor-quality tape-recorders negatively affect their listening comprehension Almost all students (96%) confirm the influence of disturbing noise on their listening and 84% of the students have responded that unclear sounds resulting from poor-quality tape-recorders or cassette- players (sometimes, often, always) interfere with their listening comprehension The two problems have been proven in many previous studies and it seems to be true with students in TLHS as well
In the final question of the questionnaire, students were prompted to identify additional challenges affecting their listening skills They highlighted five specific difficulties, which are summarized in the table below.
1 Unattractive and sleepy speaking voice discourages me
2 Insufficient listening class time makes me unable to listen well (Some students state that it is necessary to increase the number of listening lessons)
3 I lack of time practicing after class because of other subjects‟ assignments
4 Lack of encouragement from teachers during class discourages me
(The teacher do not usually give feedback or compliments when I successfully completed the task)
5 Involvement of many speakers in the listening text makes me confused
Table 5: Other difficulties reported by students
Items 1 and 5 are problems related to Speaker Factors, while items 2 and 4 contribute to Listening Environment Factors, and the difficulty in item 3 comes from Listeners themselves All the difficulties listed, in fact, still belong to the four factors discussed in the study
The researcher concludes that the challenges faced by 10th-grade students at TLHS in developing listening skills with "Tieng Anh 10" stem from four key factors: the Text, the Listener, the Speaker, and the Listening Environment.
The study highlights that four key factors—Text factors, Speaker factors, Listener factors, and the Listening environment—significantly affect the listening skills of 10th-grade students at TLHS Among these, challenges associated with Listener factors are particularly prominent.
A significant 38% of students reported various difficulties, which have been categorized into four main groups and ranked accordingly in the table below Additionally, five other challenges identified by students are included in the table, with items marked with an asterisk (*) representing those suggestions that were added by students and are not ranked.
Difficulties related to Text factors
1 I find listening difficult because of unfamiliar words in the spoken text
2 I find it difficult because of complex grammatical structures in the spoken text
3 I find listening difficult because of the length and complexity of sentences
4 Long spoken text makes me tired and anxious when listening
5 I don‟t continue listening because the information is not interesting enough to me
6 I find listening difficult because of unfamiliar topics/ subjects
Difficulties related to Listener factors
7 At the time of listening I find it difficult to predict what will come next
8 I find it difficult to get a general understanding of the spoken text from the first time listening
9 I find it difficult to recognize the words I know because of the way they are pronounced
10 I have difficulties because the speaker‟s pronunciation is different from what is familiar to me
11 There are words that I will normally understand in writing, but when I hear them in a stream of speech, I find it difficult to tell where one word finishes and another begins
12 I find it difficult to answer long questions 83 13 th
13 I feel worried and discouraged when I don‟t immediately understand the spoken text
14 I can listen to the sounds but I don‟t know how to spell the words
* I lack of time practicing after class because of other subjects‟ assignments.
Difficulties related to Speaker factors
15 I find listening difficult because of the speaker‟s fast speech 80 15 th
16 I have difficulties because the speaker‟s accent is different from what is familiar to me
* Unattractive and sleepy speaking voice discourages me
* Involvement of many speakers in the listening text makes me confused
Difficulties related to Listening environment
17 I find it difficult to understand the meaning of the spoken text without seeing the speaker‟s facial expressions and gestures (e.g frowning face of anger; smiling face of happiness)
18 I don‟t have enough time to finish the listening tasks 76 16 th
19 I can‟t listen because of disturbing noise (inside or outside the class)
20 I can‟t listen because of poor quality tape-recorders or cassette-players
* Insufficient listening class time makes me unable to listen well
* Lack of encouragement from teachers during class discourages me.
Table 6: A summary of listening difficulties faced by students
1.1 Students’ listening performance and how they perceive the importance of listening skills
An analysis of students' listening scores reveals that a significant majority, 57%, have achieved scores below 6.5, despite 97% of them having studied English for at least five years Furthermore, 95% of students acknowledge the importance of listening skills This discrepancy suggests that students may possess inadequate listening abilities, influenced by various negative factors affecting their performance.
1.2 Difficulties 10-grade students at TLHS encounter when studying listening skills
This study aims to identify the factors affecting 10th-grade students at TLHS in developing listening skills, focusing on the roles of the Text, Speaker, Listener, and Listening Environment Data was gathered through a questionnaire, revealing various issues linked to these four categories that hinder effective listening.
- Difficulties related to Text factors that interfere with students‟ comprehension when learning listening skills include unfamiliar words and topics, complex grammatical structures, sentences and long spoken text
Students often face challenges in developing listening skills due to various listener factors These include difficulties in predicting outcomes and identifying main ideas, a limited vocabulary, and a lack of familiarity with the characteristics of spoken English Additionally, time constraints can hinder their ability to fully engage with listening tasks.
41 practicing is added by students as a potential problem negatively affecting their listening skills
Students often face challenges in developing listening skills due to various speaker-related factors Accents can create comprehension barriers, while fast speech may hinder understanding Additionally, an unattractive voice can detract from engagement, and the presence of multiple speakers in a conversation can complicate the listening process, making it difficult for learners to follow the dialogue effectively.
Students face several challenges in their listening environment that hinder comprehension, such as distracting noise, inadequate equipment, and insufficient time for tasks Additionally, the lack of visibility of the speaker and limited class time contribute to these difficulties Furthermore, students cite a lack of encouragement from teachers as a significant factor negatively impacting their listening skills.
The study highlights that students face significant challenges in developing their listening skills, primarily due to three key issues: difficulty in recognizing words because of their pronunciation, struggles with spelling, and encountering unfamiliar pronunciations from speakers.
The findings of common listening difficulties faced by 10-grade students of TLHS are of great importance Based on the findings of the study, some solutions can be suggested
Many students struggle with recognizing words due to pronunciation challenges, unfamiliar accents, and difficulties in spelling what they hear These issues stem from a lack of linguistic knowledge, particularly in pronunciation and vocabulary Limited exposure to listening skills prevents students from adapting to the nuances of spoken language Therefore, it is essential for students to engage in regular listening practice to improve their comprehension and overall language skills.
42 encouraged to self-develop independent listening outside class English songs, movies, videos, and other English language broadcasts provide learners with opportunities to listen to English effectively in a relaxing way
Students may struggle with spelling due to difficulties in English pronunciation or a limited vocabulary To improve spelling, it is essential to focus on accurate English pronunciation and to expand one's vocabulary, as these skills are also crucial for enhancing listening abilities.
Teachers play a crucial role in enhancing students' listening skills by providing appropriate exercises and learning materials It is beneficial for educators to pre-teach vocabulary, focusing on both meanings and accurate pronunciation During the while-listening stage, employing techniques such as pausing the audio, replaying sections, and offering suggestions can aid students in completing tasks effectively Additionally, designing task-oriented exercises can capture students' interest and facilitate subconscious learning of listening skills.