An investigation into the use of the internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill by first year english majors at thua thien hue college of education

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES -   - QUACH THI HA AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF THE INTERNET OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM FOR THE PRACTICE OF THE LISTENING SKILL BY FIRST YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT THUA THIEN HUE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 60140111 SUPERVISOR: LE PHAM HOAI HUONG, ASSOC PROF DR HUE, 2013 i BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ -   - QUÁCH THỊ HÀ ĐIỀU TRA VIỆC ỨNG DỤNG INTERNET NGOÀI LỚP HỌC ĐỂ LUYỆN KỸ NĂNG NGHE CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT CHUYÊN NGÀNH TIẾNG ANH TẠI TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM THỪA THIÊN HUẾ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH MÃ SỐ: 60140111 NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC: PGS.TS LÊ PHẠM HOÀI HƯƠNG HUẾ, 2013 ii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine The data and findings discussed in the thesis are true, used with permission from associates and have not been published elsewhere Author Quach Thi Ha iii ABSTRACT The Internet plays an important role in teaching and learning English, especially in supporting students‟ learning What is more, the Internet is regarded as one of the best tools to help students for self-study Using the Internet to practice the listening skill is one of the most interesting ways of learning English This study investigated the use of the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill by first year English majors at Thua Thien Hue College of Education (HCE) The data were collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews and diaries The questionnaire includes the basic information and 30 statements about students‟ ideas about using the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill The two-week diary is the information in students‟ day-to-day experiences of students‟ using the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill The results of the study reveal that most of the students had positive attitudes towards the use the Internet for English listening practice The research also investigated the benefits of the practice the listening skill on the Internet as well as discovered the difficulties students faced when using the Internet in learning listening process Based on the above findings, some implications were recommended for the use of the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill iv Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Le Pham Hoai Huong for her excellent insights and her considerate, experienced guidance she has given to me throughout the entire development of the study Without her experienced instructions and valuable comments, my research would be far from being finished I would specially acknowledge the support of Thua Thien Hue College Education for offering me conditions and conveniences to fulfill my study I would also like to send my deep gratitude to Le Thi Kim Phuong, M.A who gave me many precious comments I am very thankful to her for this Special words of thanks also go to all the informants who spent time responding to the questionnaires, interviews, and diaries which contributed an essential part to the success of the research Without their contribution, I would not have been able to complete my paper v Finally, my deepest gratitude and appreciation go to my family, my colleagues, my friends and my classmates for their support and encouragement they gave me to accomplish this research v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS SUB COVER PAGE i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP iii ABSTRACT iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES x CHAPTER INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Background 1.2 Rationale .3 1.3 Research aims .4 1.4 Research questions 1.5 Significance of the study .5 1.6 Scope of the study 1.7 Organization of the study CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction 2.2 What is the Internet? 2.2.1 Definitions of the Internet 2.2.2 Advantages and disadvantages of the Internet in Education 2.2.2.1 Advantages of the Internet in Education 2.2.2.2 Disadvantages of the Internet in Education 2.2.3 The Internet as a Learning Tool .9 2.2.4 How to find information on the Internet 11 2.3 The Listening skill 12 2.3.1 Definition of Listening 12 2.3.2 The Importance of Listening 13 2.3.3 The Benefits of Practicing Listening on the Internet out of Classroom 14 vii 2.4 Self - Study 16 2.4.1 What is Self - Study? 16 2.4.2 Self - Study and the Practice of the Listening skill 17 2.5 Previous Studies 17 2.6 Summary .20 CHAPTER METHODOLOGY .21 3.1 Introduction 21 3.2 Research Methods 21 3.3 Participants 21 3.4 Data collection instruments 21 3.4.1 Questionnaires 22 3.4.2 Interviews .22 3.4.3 Diaries 23 3.5 Procedure 23 3.5.1 The Pilot Study 23 3.5.2 The Main Study 23 3.6 Data analysis .24 3.7 Summary .24 CHAPTER FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 25 4.1 Introduction 25 4.2 The reliability statistics data collected from questionnaires 25 4.3 The first year English major‟s perception of English listening practice 25 4.3.1 Listening is the most difficult skill to improve 25 4.3.2 The importance of the listening skill in learning English 26 4.4 The first year English major‟s perceptions of using the Internet for the practice of the listening skill 28 4.5 The habit of using the Internet for English listening practice 32 4.6 Benefits listening practice on the Internet reported by students 38 4.7 Disadvantages of English listening practice on the Internet reported by students 43 4.8 Summary .48 viii CHAPTER CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 49 5.1 Overview .49 5.2 Summary of the findings 49 5.2.1 The perceptions of first year English majors at TTHCE of using the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill 49 5.2.2 How students use the Internet to practise the listening skill 50 5.2.3 What students learn when practicing the listening skill on the Internet 50 5.3 Implications on using the Internet to improve the listening skill 51 5.3.1 For teachers 51 5.3.2 For students 52 5.3.3 For the Educational Authorities 53 5.4 Contribution of the study 53 5.5 Limitations of the study 53 5.6 Suggestions for future research 54 5.7 Conclusion 54 REFERENCES 55 APPENDIX 59 ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CAA : Council on Academic Accreditation EFL : English as a Foreign Language ESP : English for Specific Purposes FNC : Federal Networking Council HCE : Thua Thien Hue College of Education IP : Internet Protocol IRC : Internet Relay Chat PC : Personal Computer PDF : Portable Document Format TCP : Transmission Control Protocol TV : Television α : Alpha x Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill Thus, it has not discovered the benefits of using the Internet to practice other skills such as speaking, reading or writing 5.6 Suggestions for future research The limitation of this research is that it was conducted on a small scale and within a limited time of implementation Therefore, similar research on a larger scale should be implemented to investigate the use of the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill Moreover, it is suggested that further studies should be done to subjects not only the listening skill but also writing, speaking, and reading skills so as to have an overview of students‟ preferences and inappropriate parts in order that students can have the best results in learning English 5.7 Conclusion In conclusion, in spite of some limitations, such as small-scale study, this thesis reflected the general reality of using of the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill by first year English majors at HCE With many advantages, the Internet is not only useful for English learning but also for English teaching Also, teachers play an important role in teaching learners strategies and how to apply them into introducing students' self - study effectively 54 REFERENCES Allport, G (1942) The use of personal documents in psychological science New York: Social Science Research Anderson, A., & Lynch, T (1988) Listening London: Oxford University Press Baniabdelrahman, A A., & Bataineh, R F (2007) An exploratory study of Jordanian EFL students‟ perceptions of their use of the Internet International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology Bell, J (1993) Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in educational and social science (2nd ed.) 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The Internet TESL Journal, Retrieved 15 August 2012 from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Warschauer-Internet.html 48 Wisker, G (2001) The Postgraduate Research Handbook, Macmillan 49 Wolvin, A D., & Coakly, C (1985) Listening Dubuque: William C Brown 58 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS I am conducting a study entitled “An Investigation into the use of the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill by first year English majors at Thua Thien Hue College of Education” In order to complete this study, I appreciate your cooperation in answering the questions below about your using the Internet to practise the listening skill Your responses are very important to the success of the survey The data will be surely used for my study project only and no other purposes Please tick (√) your answers where appropriate Please supply some personal information: Student’s full name (Optional)…………………………………………… Sex:  Male  Female Age:………… Class:………………… School: HCE In learning English, which skill you have the most difficulty to improve? (More than one answer will be accepted) Listening □ Speaking □ Reading □ Writing □ Using the Internet to practise the listening skill is necessary Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ How often you use Internet to practice listening skill per week? 1- times □ 4-7 times □ more than times □ 59 Everyday □ The Internet is a Learning Tool Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ It is difficult to practice the listening skill on the Internet if you haven‟t got your own PC/Laptop Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ There are many things on the Internet such as films, social networks, games, etc that distract me from learning English Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ How difficult is it for you to study the listening skill? Very difficult □ Difficult □ Easy Normal □ □ How long does it take to practice the listening skill each time? Less than hour □ 1-2 hours □ more than hours □ 2-3 hours □ How you like using the Internet for practicing the listening skill? Strongly like □ Like □ Neutral □ Dislike □ Strongly dislike □ 10 When practicing the listening skill on the Internet, I learn (More than one answer will be accepted) □ new words □ model sentences □ pronunciation □ Others 11 To understand the content of a new lesson or dialogue, how many times you listen to? 1- times □ 2-4 times □ 4-6 times □ more than times □ 12 Listening is an important skill in learning English Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ 60 Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 13 I often on the Internet to practise the listening skill (More than one answer will be accepted) □ listen to English music □ watch films in English □ watch game shows □ Others 14 How you feel when using the Internet to practise the listening skill? Useful □ Interesting □ Boring □ Acceptable □ 15 I can collaborate with other students during practicing the listening skill on the Internet outside of class Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 16 Have you ever listened again the content you studied in the class? Always □ Usually □ Sometimes □ Rarely □ Never □ 17 What kinds of topics you like to practice the listening skill on the Internet? (More than one answer will be accepted) □ Entertainment □ Education □ Politics □ Culture □ Others 18 It takes me too much time to get online to learn English Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 19 We cannot develop the speaking skill unless we also develop the listening skill Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ 61 Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 20 Which websites you often access to practise the listening skill? (More than one answer will be accepted) □ Entertainment websites (Music, Film, Newspaper ) □ Study websites (ESL/ EFL websites ) □ Website from Ministry of Education □ Others 21 The Internet is helpful and useful for self - study Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 22 What influences you when learning the listening skill? (More than one answer will be accepted) □ Your needs and hobbies □ Your views and knowledge □ The differences between the foreign language and mother tongue □ Your ideas: 23 I take notes of important information when listening on the Internet in order to remember information or understand a complex idea Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 24 After learning on the Internet, my listening skill is improved so much Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 25 Where you use the Internet to practice the listening skill? (More than one answer will be accepted) □ Home □ Café □ Library □ Others 62 26 Do you practice listening outside the classroom? Always □ Usually □ Sometimes □ Rarely □ Never □ 27 I can practice listening on the Internet anywhere and anytime I like Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 28 I prefer practicing the listening skill on the Internet to practicing it with the radio or TV Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 29 There are many ways to learn and improve our listening The cheapest and still efficient way is to practice it on the Internet Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ 30 It is more helpful if the teachers instruct students in using ESL/ EFL websites to learn English effectively Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree □ - Thank you very much for taking time to answer the questions 63 APPENDIX QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEW (FOR STUDENTS) In your opinion, in learning English, which skill you have the most difficulty to improve? Why? What you think about using the Internet to practise the listening skill? What are your favorite websites when listening on the Internet? What difficulties you encounter when using the Internet for the practice of the listening skill? What benefits you have when using the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill? Do you need the teachers‟ instructions when using the Internet to practise the listening skill? Why? Or why not? - 64 APPENDIX DIARY Guidelines for diary completion Thank you for agreeing to keep a diary This two-week diary is specifically interested in your day-to-day experiences of your using the Internet outside the classroom for the practice of the listening skill Please try to fill in the diary every evening, by looking back over the day and thinking of times, places or content what you learned when using the Internet to practice listening out of classroom This may have arisen through comments said to you, something you hear or see your reaction to a news story, a song or an image and so on Please don't worry about grammar, spelling or handwriting You can write in Vietnamese Thank you for your participation Date: ……………………………………… Time:………………………………… Website: …………………………………………………………………………… What I did: (listened to music, watched films, learned from websites and so on) Where I was: (At home, in the library, at the coffee shop, at the part, on the bus ) How I felt: (interested, happy, bored and so on) What I learned: (new words, model sentences, pronunciation .) (Please specify) 65 APPENDIX LIST OF USEFUL WEBSITES ADDRESSES http://englishconversations.org: There are many different conversations, and you can listen, read the script and practice interactive listening activities Business English topics are included http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org: This is an interesting site You can search for your favorites with many games, stories, listening activities and grammar exercises http://learningenglish.voanews.com: You can listen voice of America in this site http://www.abc.net.au Watch and listen to the BTN news http://www.abc.net.au: The site has authentic listening material on current topics http://www.americanrhetoric.com: Many famous speeches help you to improve your English You can listen or watch on your computer, or download audio and video files to your mp3 player http://www.audioenglish.net: This website has all the English learning resources you need, from Practical English to Telephone English and Accounting English, all with audio http://www.bbc.co.uk: Listen and read the news You can watch & listen http://www.cdlponline.org: Improve your listening and reading skills 66 10 http://www.deakin.edu.au: is Intermediate to Advanced Students News stories with vocabulary and comprehension exercises Recent stories have audio and are added weekly You can choose stories from theme (topic) list near the bottom of the page 11 http://www.englishlistening.com/: For free and subscription access Free guest area for various listening levels 12 http://www.esl-lab.com/: A wonderful site dedicated to providing hours of listening practice for ESL students 13 http://www.eslradioandtv.com/: This Australian site was created by Monash University The program guide tells you about Monash University Click on the Listening Activities to choose a listening program 14 http://www.listen-to-english.com: is an excellent site You can listen to lots of stories on a wide range of topics or download them to your mp3 player Language notes or quizzes are included Look at the archive to see the full list of topics 15 http://www.manythings.org: There are many activities to improve your English 16 http://www.soundsofenglish.org: Sounds of English is a website designed for learners of English and their teachers Printable handouts, diagrams, movies and sound files 67 17 http://www.tolearnenglish.com/: This website is also very useful for your English 18 http://www.virtualilc.com: The Virtual ILC is an Australian site with different sections Go to 'Realweb' for language learning tasks; 'Easynews' to listen to news articles and answer questions or 'Listen to this' for listening about a topic This site is only available within Victoria University These websites are useful for teaching and learning listening, especially it is very helpful for students to practice English the listening skills out of class or in class - 68