Trang 1 HUNG YEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES --- GRADUATION PAPER FIELD: ENGLISH LINGUISTICS A STUDY ON THE FACTORS AFFECTING ENGLISH LISTENING
Rationale of the study
English has become a vital medium of international communication, utilized by both non-English speakers and native speakers worldwide It is no longer confined to English-speaking countries; instead, it serves as a global language for diverse interactions across the globe.
The English language has become crucial for enhancing trade and travel globally, leading to an increasing need for proficiency in this communication tool Additionally, English is prevalent in modern technology and media, including mobile phones, email, and the Internet Consequently, it is essential for people worldwide to use English as their primary means of communication through these devices.
Given its significance as a global language, it is crucial for Vietnamese students to master English for effective communication Proficiency in English opens up numerous opportunities to engage with people worldwide The ability to communicate in real-life situations in English is essential, and students are expected to achieve this The primary goal of learning English is to interact efficiently in various contexts To facilitate this interaction, learners must develop four key skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing Among these, listening is often considered the most challenging due to the complexities of understanding a second or foreign language.
As a researcher, I would like to offer the thesis title “A study on the factors affecting English listening skill of the first-year English major students at Hung Yen University of
Technology and Education ” for several reasons
Listening is a crucial skill for English learners, as effective verbal communication relies on the ability to hear and comprehend what speakers are saying.
Purposes of the study
This study explores the factors influencing the listening skills of Freshman English Major Students at Hung Yen University of Technology Education (UTEHY) and identifies techniques to enhance their listening abilities The findings aim to serve as a valuable resource for English teachers and students to improve listening instruction effectively Specifically, the research focuses on the challenges students encounter in developing their listening skills.
To find out the student and teachers’ opinion on teaching and learning listening skill
To pinpoint the factors, difficulties that the first year English major students have in learning listening comprehension
Suggest the solutions for both teachers and students, especially it is the first year English students so as to improve the listening skill
Research questions of the study
This study is implemented to find answers to the following research questions:
1 What are the teachers and students’ opinions about teaching and learning listening skills?
2 What factors do the first year English major students face in learning listening skill at UTEHY?
3 What are some solutions to help the first year English major students to improve their listening skill?
The main methods of this study are quantitative and qualitative methods Survey questionnaires and interviews are designed for both teachers and students at UTEHY
1.4 Scope of the Study and Limitations
This study investigated the factors affecting in learning listening skill for the Freshman English major students at UTEHY and offer some solutions to improve their listening skill
The study is carried out into four parts:
This part includes the rationale, the purposes, the research questions, the scopes, and methods of the study
This chapter explores key concepts related to the research topics, highlighting the significance of listening, defining listening skills, and categorizing different types of listening It also outlines the three stages of a listening situation and emphasizes the teacher's role in effectively teaching listening skills.
This chapter explores the perspectives of first-year English major students at UTEHY regarding the learning and teaching of listening skills It provides a detailed overview of the subjects involved, the instruments used for data collection, the research methodologies employed, as well as the procedures for data collection and analysis.
The analysis of questionnaires and interview responses reveals key factors influencing first-year English majors, along with effective strategies to enhance their listening skills.
This part summarizes all the key issues as well as the limitation and recommends the techniques to help the first year English major better in listening skill
Listening is a crucial component of oral communication, playing a vital role in its effectiveness Research indicates that students dedicate about 20% of their school hours to listening, and when considering television and half of their conversations, this figure rises to approximately 50% of their waking hours This highlights the importance of listening in both native and second language development, leading to various definitions and understandings of listening skills.
Bullentin (1952) described listening as an active process where listeners engage by selecting and interpreting information from both auditory and visual cues, enabling them to understand the context and the intentions of the speakers.
Listening, as defined by Howatt and Dakin (1974), is the ability to identify and comprehend spoken language This skill encompasses understanding the speaker's accent, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as grasping the overall meaning An effective listener can perform all these tasks concurrently.
Wolvin and Coakley (1991) define listening as "the process of receiving, attending to, and assigning meaning to aural stimuli," highlighting that it is a complex problem-solving skill This perspective emphasizes that listening extends beyond merely perceiving sound; it involves focusing on specific elements of auditory input, constructing meaning, and connecting new information to prior knowledge, aligning with second-language acquisition theories.
Besides, Anderson & Lynch (1988) provides the definition of listening is as follows: “Listening
Comprehension involves grasping the message conveyed by the speaker Listeners play a crucial role in this process by actively engaging with the content, utilizing their knowledge to analyze and interpret what they hear, ultimately leading to a better understanding of the speaker's intent.
O'Malley and Chamot (1989) define listening comprehension as an active process where individuals engage with specific elements of auditory information, derive meaning from audio passages, and connect what they hear to their prior knowledge.
Listening is an active and dynamic process that involves attending to, perceiving, remembering, and responding to both verbal and non-verbal communication According to Purdy (1991), it encompasses understanding the needs and concerns expressed by others.
According to a study by Oxford (1993), listening is a multifaceted skill that goes beyond merely perceiving sounds; it involves the comprehension of meaningful words, phrases, clauses, sentences, and connected discourse, making it a complex problem-solving ability.
In this study, the researcher references Howatt and Dakin's definition of listening, which highlights it as the ability to identify and understand what others are saying Listening is a complex activity that aids students in comprehending auditory information by activating their prior knowledge It is an active process that goes beyond mere hearing, involving multiple cognitive processes.
There are so many reasons to advocate the importance of listening skills
New language learners should prioritize listening skills at the beginning of their studies, similar to how children acquire their mother tongue This approach aligns with the natural process of language acquisition, as listening serves as a foundation for understanding spoken language and grasping the general context of conversations.
Listening is a crucial skill in overall communication, as highlighted by Rivers (1981), who emphasized that effective communication relies on understanding the language being spoken Wilt (1950) noted that individuals spend significantly more time listening—45%—compared to speaking (30%), reading (16%), and writing (9%) Furthermore, Postovsky (1976) argued that enhancing listening comprehension is vital for improving speaking skills, suggesting that proficiency in listening naturally leads to better speaking abilities Thus, developing listening skills is essential for anyone learning English, as it forms the foundation for successful verbal communication.
Scope of the study and Limitation
This study investigated the factors affecting in learning listening skill for the Freshman English major students at UTEHY and offer some solutions to improve their listening skill.
Structure of the Thesis
The study is carried out into four parts:
This part includes the rationale, the purposes, the research questions, the scopes, and methods of the study
This chapter explores key concepts related to the research topics, emphasizing the significance of listening skills It defines listening, classifies different types of listening, and outlines the three stages of the listening process Additionally, it discusses the crucial roles teachers play in effectively teaching listening skills.
This chapter explores the perspectives of first-year English major students at UTEHY regarding the learning and teaching of listening skills It provides a detailed overview of the subjects involved, the instruments used for data collection, the research methodologies employed, and the procedures followed for data collection and analysis.
The analysis of questionnaires and interview responses reveals key factors influencing first-year English majors, leading to the development of effective strategies to enhance their listening skills.
This part summarizes all the key issues as well as the limitation and recommends the techniques to help the first year English major better in listening skill
Listening is a crucial component of effective oral communication, with students dedicating about 20 percent of their school hours to listening activities When factoring in television and half of their conversations, this figure rises to approximately 50 percent of their waking hours Given the significant amount of time spent listening in classrooms, developing listening skills is essential for both native and second languages, leading to various definitions and understandings of listening and its importance.
Listening is an active process where the listener selects and interprets information from both auditory and visual cues, helping to understand the context and the speaker's intent (Bullentin, 1952).
Listening is the ability to identify and comprehend spoken language, as highlighted by Howatt and Dakin (1974) This skill encompasses understanding a speaker's accent, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as grasping the overall meaning A proficient listener can effectively perform these four tasks at the same time.
Wolvin and Coakley (1991) define listening as "the process of receiving, attending to, and assigning meaning to aural stimuli," highlighting that it is a complex, problem-solving skill that goes beyond mere sound perception This perspective aligns with second-language theory, which emphasizes that listeners actively focus on specific elements of auditory input, construct meaning, and connect what they hear to their existing knowledge.
Besides, Anderson & Lynch (1988) provides the definition of listening is as follows: “Listening
Comprehension involves grasping the message conveyed by the speaker Listeners play a crucial role in this process by actively engaging with the content, utilizing their knowledge to analyze and interpret what they hear, ultimately leading to a better understanding of the speaker's intent.
O'Malley and Chamot (1989) define listening comprehension as an active process where individuals concentrate on specific elements of auditory input, derive meaning from what they hear, and connect this information to their prior knowledge.
Listening is defined as an active and dynamic process that involves attending to, perceiving, remembering, and responding to both verbal and non-verbal communication This process is essential for understanding the needs and concerns expressed by others.
According to a study by Oxford (1993), listening is a multifaceted skill that goes beyond merely perceiving sounds; it involves understanding the meanings of words, phrases, clauses, sentences, and connected discourse, making it a complex problem-solving ability.
In this study, Howatt and Dakin define listening as the ability to identify and understand what others are saying This definition highlights that listening is a complex activity that aids students in comprehending auditory information by activating their prior knowledge Furthermore, listening is an active process that goes beyond mere hearing, involving multiple cognitive processes.
There are so many reasons to advocate the importance of listening skills
New language learners should focus on listening skills at the beginning of their language acquisition journey, similar to how children learn their mother tongue This approach aligns with the natural human process of acquiring a new language Listening is essential for understanding spoken language and grasping the overall context of conversations.
Listening is a crucial skill in overall communication, as it significantly impacts comprehension and interaction Rivers (1981) emphasized that effective communication hinges on understanding the language being spoken, while Wilt (1950) highlighted that individuals spend the majority of their communication time—45 percent—listening, compared to 30 percent speaking, 16 percent reading, and 9 percent writing Furthermore, listening proficiency is essential for enhancing speaking skills; Postovsky (1976) argued that improving listening comprehension directly contributes to better speaking abilities Therefore, developing listening skills is vital, especially for English learners, as it forms the foundation for successful verbal communication.
Listening is a crucial foundation for enhancing speaking skills, as highlighted by Doff (1988), who emphasizes that effective speaking cannot be achieved without first honing listening abilities To communicate effectively, one must prioritize listening to others and comprehending their messages clearly.
Students’ attitude and opinion on listening skill in learning English
According to Chart 1, over 57% of first-year English major students perceive listening skills as challenging, indicating a significant struggle among learners in this area Additionally, around 15% of students consider listening skills to be quite difficult, while 20% find the skill both challenging and interesting Conversely, only about 8% of participants reported that they do not find listening skills interesting at all.
Very difficultQuite difficultDifficult but interestingNot interesting at all
Table 2: Students’ opinion and attitude of listening skill
According to the findings from Question 1, a significant majority of students (69%) consider listening skills to be very important in both academic and real-world settings, highlighting the critical role of this skill in language acquisition Additionally, 19% of students view listening as rather important, while 12% deem it important, with none of the respondents believing it to be unimportant.
In a recent survey regarding listening skills, nearly one-third of respondents (34%) expressed a dislike for this skill, primarily due to its perceived difficulty In contrast, only 11% of participants reported a genuine passion for improving their listening abilities.
D % Question 1 1 How do you think about listening skill in English studying at school as well as in actual environment?
Question 2 2 How much do you like learning listening skill?
32 listening skill However, a large of them said that they like this skill much and quite much ,represented 23% and 34 % respectively
According to Chart 1 and Table 1, a significant percentage of participants perceive listening skills as challenging, with 32% expressing a dislike for this skill Despite this, most acknowledge the importance of listening skills both in academic settings and real-life situations.
3.6.3.2 Teachers’ viewpoint on their students’ situation about listening skill.
Teachers’ opinion how your students feel about listening skill
The chart reveals that 57% of Listening teachers believe their students find the skill very challenging, while nearly 29% view it as difficult yet engaging Notably, both teachers and students agree that listening is an interesting subject, with no respondents indicating otherwise Additionally, only 14% of the surveyed teachers consider the skill to be particularly complicated for students to master.
From chart 1 and chart 2 shows both teacher and student gave a parallel answer, most of they think listening skill is a very hard skill, at 57% and 57% respectively Stupendously, none of
Many students find this skill challenging yet engaging, while a minority perceives it as uninteresting Teachers often assume that this skill lacks appeal, but it's essential to recognize that a significant number of students do find it intriguing.
3.6.3.3 Participant’s habit of practicing listening
% Question 4 4 How often do you practice listening skill by yourself at home?
Question 10 10 How often do you practice listening at home?
Table 3: Students’ habit of practicing listening
The data indicates that a significant number of students neglect practicing their listening skills, with two-thirds (66%) dedicating less than 30 minutes daily to this aspect of their learning Alarmingly, none of the students reported spending more than 2 hours each day to enhance their listening abilities, and only 6% manage to allocate 2 hours for English listening practice Additionally, 28% of learners spend around 1 hour daily on improving their listening skills.
Basing on this table, we can find that many students do not spend much time to practise listening
3.6.3.4 Teaching curriculum and students’ ability of listening English when they were in Primary –Secondary – high school
Questions Content of questions Options
% Question 1 1.When you were in Primary-
Secondary -High school , how did you find the school’s teaching curriculum concentrate on listening skill than other skills of English ?
Question 4 4.When you were in Primary school,
Secondary school, and High school, how were you able to listen English skill?
Table 4: Lower schools’ teaching curriculum and Students’ ability of listening skill
A recent survey revealed that 70% of students believe the teaching curriculum places less emphasis on listening lessons compared to other skills As a result, over one-third of participants, specifically 39%, reported having poor listening skills, with an additional 25% of learners also struggling significantly in this area.
The survey results indicate that none of the participants felt that listening skills were emphasized more than other English skills during their education Notably, no students considered themselves excellent in listening throughout Primary, Secondary, and High school Only 12% believed that their schools focused on developing this skill, while a mere 6% felt they were proficient in English listening prior to the survey Additionally, 18% of respondents noted that listening lessons received the least attention in lower teaching curriculums, and the same percentage reported a medium level of proficiency in their listening skills.
Through table 4, it can be seen that as soon as the students have been in lower school levels, they were not good at in listening skill
3.6.3.5 Teacher’s opinion about the traditional teaching English from the Primary school to High school which are affecting on their students’ listening skill at present.
Teacher’s opinion about the traditional teaching English from the Primary school to
According to Chart 3, a significant 43% of teachers agree that traditional English teaching methods from Primary to High School significantly impact students' listening skills Additionally, 29% believe that these methods moderately affect their students Overall, more than two-thirds (72%) of teachers feel that past listening instruction methods have influenced their learners Conversely, nearly 20% of teachers think that traditional methods have only a minimal effect, while 14% claim they are not influential at all The data clearly indicates that traditional English teaching methods from Primary to High School have a substantial impact on students' listening skills today.
3.6.3.7 Student’s opinion and Teachers’ outlook on facilities and classroom conditions
❖ Student’s opinion on facilities and classroom conditions
The Lab is well-equipped with modern technology of facilities
The class size is too large, the students cannot listen well
The class is large enough, students can listen well from every place
Lacking in equipment in the Lab 20 42 15 16 7
Table 5: Students’ opinion on facilities and classroom conditions
❖ Teachers’ opinion on facilities and classroom conditions
In your opinion, is The Lab suitable for listening lesson for your students
The class is well-equipped with modern technology of facilities
The class size is too large, the students cannot listen well
The class is large enough, students can listen well from every place
Table 6: Teachers’ opinion on facilities and classroom conditions
According to Table 5, less than half of the participants strongly agree that their classroom is well-equipped with modern technology, while over half express general agreement with this sentiment Nearly half of the respondents believe that the labs are adequately equipped to support the teaching and learning of listening skills Interestingly, about 34% of participants are uncertain about the adequacy of the facilities, while a small percentage—18% disagree and 5% strongly disagree—believe the labs lack modern technology In summary, a significant number of students feel that the labs are conducive to effective learning, as they can hear clearly in class; however, some students report difficulties in hearing, indicating a need for upgraded speaker systems to enhance learning effectiveness.
Teachers overwhelmingly acknowledge the adequacy of modern technology in classroom facilities, with 43% strongly agreeing and 57% agreeing that the classrooms are well-equipped.
A majority of students, 67%, disagreed with the notion that class sizes hinder their ability to listen effectively, while only 15% agreed with this concern Similarly, teachers shared a comparable perspective, indicating a consensus between students and educators regarding the adequacy of class sizes for effective learning.
Both students and teachers largely agree that classroom sizes are adequate for effective listening, with 31% of students and 29% of teachers strongly agreeing, and 55% of students and 57% of teachers agreeing with this viewpoint Additionally, only 14% from both groups expressed uncertainty regarding this matter.
A significant majority of participants express concern over the shortage of equipment, with 62% of students and 65% of teachers agreeing or strongly agreeing on the issue This highlights the need for schools to upgrade their facilities to enhance English learning Conversely, less than 20% of participants are uncertain about this perspective, indicating that just over a quarter of learners and teachers support the idea of improving resources for better educational outcomes.
,accounting for 16% and 75% for students ’opinion and 17% and 8% for teachers’ one in orderly
From two above tables, a significant both teachers and students agree that the class is well- equipped with modern technology of facilities: however, lacking in equipment in the Labs
3.7 Teachers and Students’ view toward the different accent affecting on listening result
The fifth question of the questionnaire aims to provide insights into students' actual experiences with learning English listening skills, and the findings are illustrated in the pie chart below.
Chart 4: Teachers and Students’ view toward the different accent affecting on listening result
Statistics provide in Chart 4, a very large ratio of learners considered that the different accent strongly affect on listening result ,this outlook took up the biggest number of all ideas
A significant 69% of students indicated that different accents impact their listening comprehension Similarly, over half of the listening teachers, specifically 57%, agreed that varying accents significantly affect students' listening outcomes Furthermore, 23% of learners and 29% of teachers noted that accents have a moderate effect on students' listening results.
Surprisingly, all students and teachers acknowledged that accents do have an impact on listening comprehension, with only a small number suggesting that different accents have a minimal effect on students' listening results.
Through these statistics, we can see clearly that the different accent is also a big factor for the
Freshmen English major students at UTEHY
Unfamiliar accents both native and non-native can cause serious problems in listening comprehension and familiarity with an accent helps learners’ listening comprehension
3.8 Cause affecting English listening skill
3.8.1 The factors as well as difficulties that students often have when learning English listening skill
To enhance the listening skills of first-year English major students at UTEHY, the researcher aims to identify the challenges that hinder their improvement in this area The sixth question in the questionnaire is specifically designed to investigate these difficulties The following chart illustrates the various factors contributing to students' listening challenges.
Chart 5: The factors as well as difficulties that students often have when learning English listening skill
The chart indicates that 37% of students, or 24 out of 65, struggle with listening due to a limited vocabulary, highlighting a significant challenge in their learning process Additionally, 29% of learners find the speaking speed too fast to comprehend the content effectively These two factors emerge as primary reasons for the listening difficulties faced by first-year English majors While only 9% of participants reported a lack of focus during listening exercises, this is not a major concern Moreover, 25% of students noted that insufficient background knowledge on the topic contributes to their listening challenges, underscoring the importance of background knowledge in enhancing listening skills.
Lacking certain background knowledge of the topic
Not catching up the speed of the speaker
Not focusing on lesson when listening
The chart highlights several external factors that hinder students' listening skills, with a significant emphasis on the impact of limited vocabulary.
3.8.2 Teachers’ opinion and Students’ view on factors as well as difficulties that students meet in listening skill (“T” stands for Teacher, “S” stands for Student)
The poor quality of equipment (CD,
Wrong methods of self-studying
Table 7: Teachers’ opinion and Students’ view on factors as well as difficulties that students meet in listening skill
In overall Base on statistic in this table which clearly pointed that almost of both teacher and student nearly have a similar outlook in all aspects
Students face significant challenges, particularly with long and short vowels and linking words, which account for up to 80% of their difficulties These issues greatly impact their overall listening abilities, leading to frequent struggles in comprehension.
A significant percentage of students face difficulties related to health issues, unfamiliar topics, and elisions, with 61% of teachers and 55% of students acknowledging these challenges Additionally, 43% of teachers and 58% of students reported struggles, while 40% of teachers and 55% of students identified wrong self-study methods as a major factor impacting listening skills, with 61% and 48% respectively Moreover, 55% of learners and 18% of teachers noted encountering idioms in listening exercises, highlighting another area of concern in language comprehension.
Students and teachers identify inadequate equipment, such as CDs, radios, and speakers, as significant issues, with 39% of students and 32% of teachers reporting problems Additionally, a staggering 61% of learners admit to using ineffective self-study methods.
Remarkably, there is a very small minority of teachers and learners assert to never meet to these problems, proximately from 0 % to 20%
To sum up, grounding on the statistics in this table, we can find evidently that there are so many big factors which affect on students’ ability of listening
3.8.3 The subjective factors affecting the students’ learning listening skill
Chart 6: The subjective factors affecting the students’ learning listening skill
Try to focus on listening every word so can not catch up with the speed of the speaker
Only focus on listening stressed words
Need to listen more thanthree times to understand feel tired and unconcentrated when listening more than three times
The factors as well as difficulties that students often have when learningEnglish
The chart reveals that 37% of students, specifically 24 out of 65, struggle with listening due to a limited vocabulary This research highlights the challenges faced by first-year English majors, as effective listening is hindered when vocabulary is insufficient Additionally, 29% of learners reported that the speaking speed is too fast to comprehend the text These two factors are significant contributors to their listening difficulties Conversely, only 9% of participants admitted to a lack of focus during lessons, indicating it is a minor issue Furthermore, 25% of students noted that a lack of background knowledge on the topic affects their listening skills, underscoring the importance of background knowledge in enhancing listening comprehension.
Lacking certain background knowledge of the topic
Not catching up the speed of the speaker
Not focusing on lesson when listening
The chart highlights various external factors that hinder students' listening skills, with a significant emphasis on the impact of limited vocabulary.
3.8.2 Teachers’ opinion and Students’ view on factors as well as difficulties that students meet in listening skill (“T” stands for Teacher, “S” stands for Student)
The poor quality of equipment (CD,
Wrong methods of self-studying
Table 7: Teachers’ opinion and Students’ view on factors as well as difficulties that students meet in listening skill
In overall Base on statistic in this table which clearly pointed that almost of both teacher and student nearly have a similar outlook in all aspects
Students face significant challenges, particularly with long and short vowels and linking words, which account for 80% of their difficulties These issues considerably impact their overall learning abilities, leading to frequent struggles during listening activities.
A significant percentage of students face challenges related to health issues, unfamiliar topics, and elisions, with 61% of teachers and 55% of students acknowledging these difficulties Additionally, 43% of teachers and 58% of students reported issues with listening skills, while 40% of teachers and 55% of students identified ineffective self-study methods as a major factor impacting listening abilities Furthermore, 55% of learners and 18% of teachers noted that encountering idioms poses additional challenges in listening comprehension.
Students and teachers identify inadequate equipment, such as CDs, radios, and speakers, as significant factors affecting learning, with 39% of students and 32% of teachers expressing concerns Additionally, a striking 61% of learners reported using ineffective self-study methods.
Remarkably, there is a very small minority of teachers and learners assert to never meet to these problems, proximately from 0 % to 20%
To sum up, grounding on the statistics in this table, we can find evidently that there are so many big factors which affect on students’ ability of listening
3.8.3 The subjective factors affecting the students’ learning listening skill.
The subjective factors affecting the students’ learning listening skill
Try to focus on listening every word so can not catch up with the speed of the speaker
Only focus on listening stressed words
Need to listen more thanthree times to understand feel tired and unconcentrated when listening more than three times
The chart illustrates student listening habits during skill development, revealing that 37% of learners attempt to catch every word, often struggling to keep pace with speech In contrast, 25% focus on identifying stressed words, which can be challenging for them Many students find it necessary to listen to a single item two to three times for comprehension, while 35% require more than three repetitions to understand fully However, listening more than three times can lead to fatigue for 4% of participants, resulting in decreased attention.
It seems to be likely that trying to listen every word is a students’ wrong listening learning method which causing a bad result
3.9 The activities, techniques, and recommendations which teachers and students usually use to improve listening skill
3.9.1 Students’ techniques to improve their listening skill
Listen again lessons in the class when come back home
Practice listening at home every day 11 80 9 0
Listen to the audio files on the internet 38 42 20 0
Note down new words and structure 73 22 5 0
Listen the topics which you are interested in
Listen audios and write tap scrip then check it
Skip new words and continues to listen to the tapes
Table 8: Students’ techniques to improve their listening skill
Table 8 reveals that a significant number of students are eager to enhance their listening skills through various techniques and suggestions Notably, 83% of students frequently skip new words while continuing to listen to audio materials, representing the highest percentage among all participants.
Eighty percent of learners regularly practice this skill at home, making it the second most popular technique among all suggestions Many students frequently jot down new words and structures to enhance their listening skills more effectively.
Over half of participants (56%) prefer listening to topics that interest them to enhance their listening skills Furthermore, half of the students reported that they occasionally revisit texts and speeches from class at home to practice their English listening abilities.
Listening to English songs and watching English films are popular methods among students to improve their listening skills, with 40% and 43% utilizing these techniques, respectively The data indicates that only 40% of learners occasionally listen to audio and transcribe it for practice Notably, no students reported never using these strategies, highlighting that the majority view them as effective solutions for enhancing their English listening abilities.
To sum up, to support improving listening skill, the first –year English major students use plentiful method as well as techniques to master this skill
3.9.2 Teachers’ techniques which they often use to improve students’ listening skill
Discuss the topic during pre-listening 0 0 14 86
Give several new words and structures related to listening
Ask students to take note while- listening 0 0 86 14
Give the tape scripts and translate into
Play games which are related to topic in post- listening
Try to hear all the words in the tapes 0 57 43 0
Concentrate to stress, pronunciation, and intonation while-listening
Talk about some stories related to lesson pre- listening
Organize some activities or games to make student feel comfortable before listening
Table 9: Teachers’ techniques which they often use to improve students’ listening skill
A significant majority of teachers, specifically 86%, employ pre-listening discussions as a key technique in teaching English listening skills This method helps students clearly understand the tasks they need to complete during exercises Additionally, the same percentage of teachers encourages learners to take notes while listening, further enhancing comprehension and retention.
Most teachers do not encourage their students to focus on understanding every word in audio materials, and listening for entertainment purposes is infrequently utilized, with about 71% of educators employing this technique occasionally.
Organizing activities or games is an effective method to create a relaxing environment for students, enhancing their listening skills According to Table 9, 57% of teachers frequently introduce new vocabulary and structures relevant to the lesson, providing essential support for student comprehension Additionally, 57% of teachers emphasize stress, pronunciation, and intonation during listening exercises, while 43% incorporate storytelling related to the lesson as part of their teaching methods.
Taken as a whole, teachers often take advantage of copious techniques for support of teaching listening English to help students develop in this skill as much as possible
An interview was conducted with five students from two classes, 1131202.1 and 113202.2, at the Faculty of Foreign Language, Hung Yen University of Technology and Education The students were cooperative and at ease while responding to the prepared interview questions.
Three students reported challenges with vocabulary, linking words, weak forms, and insufficient background knowledge Additionally, some labs lack essential equipment and speakers, hindering their listening comprehension Two students mentioned experiencing health issues, including fatigue, sleepiness, and common illnesses, which affect their ability to focus during lessons.
To enhance listening skills effectively, it is essential to practice regularly at home using various methods tailored to individual preferences Engaging with English programs, watching English movies, and listening to topics of personal interest are all effective strategies for improvement.
After analyzing all the data, this chapter discusses the finding of the study for answering three research questions proposed in the introduction
3.11.1 Opinions of students and teachers about English listening skill
Statistics reveal that both teachers and students face considerable challenges in developing English listening skills Notably, 57% of first-year learners and their instructors agree that listening in English is particularly difficult However, despite these challenges, 34% of students express a preference for listening activities.
A large majority of teachers and students who consider this task as a so important skill at school as well as in the factual environment, representing 69 ratios of participants
There are a lot of problems and difficulties that both teachers and students often meet in teaching and learning this task
3.11.2 Factors have affected on teaching and learning English listening skill
Basing on the research to the Freshmen English major students and their teachers, the researcher finds 2 main factors which affect on learning English listening:
• Having a trouble with equipment (lacking headphones speakers, poor CD in the Labs)
• Being distracted with the noise from outside
• Having health problems (headache, tired, illness … so they can not concentrate on the lessons)
• Long listening text that make them feel disappointed and depressed
• Having a poor ability from the lower education (from Primary school, Secondary school, High school)
• Having difficulty with different accents
• Try to listen every word so they can not catch up with the speed
• Try to translate the text content into the mother tongue
• Having wrong self-studying method at home
• Having poor background knowledge (linking words, weak forms, long or short vowels, vocabularies, stressed words, negative formats, idioms …)
• Spend little time to practice listening outside the class as well as at home
3.13 Some techniques as well as solutions which teachers and students often use to teach and learn listening
✓ Skip new words and continues to listen to the tapes (83%)
✓ Note down new words and structure (73%)
✓ Listen the topics which you are interested in (56%)
✓ Listen again lessons in the class when come back home (39%)
✓ Sometimes practice listening at home (80%)
✓ Listen to English songs, news audio files on the internet (40%)
✓ Listen again lessons in the class when come back home (50%)
✓ Discuss the topic during pre-listening (86%)
✓ Organize some activities or games to make student feel comfortable before listening (57%)
✓ Ask students to take note while- listening (86%)
✓ Give several new words and structures related to listening (57%)
These above techniques as well as solutions which support students and teachers for learning and listening more effectively
It is not easy to master in Listening skill for the first –year students However, it is not so difficult to get better in this skill
Based on the research findings, the researcher offers key recommendations for students to enhance their listening skills These suggestions aim to provide practical strategies that can significantly improve students' auditory comprehension and overall listening abilities.
➢ Set up a appropriate strategy for improving listening skill
➢ Change habit and environment of learning listening English
To improve your listening skills, dedicate 10 to 15 minutes daily to practice at home, engaging with content that interests you, such as news, English songs, VOA programs, or short audio clips Consistently immersing yourself in a learning environment will significantly enhance your listening abilities over time Additionally, make it a habit to practice listening to English anytime and anywhere by saving short audio files on your smartphone, as regular practice is essential for progress.
“practice make perfect’’, they need more patient and effort
To enhance their English listening skills, students should adapt their learning habits and environment Instead of translating content into Vietnamese, they should aim to comprehend the material directly in English It's important not to focus on hearing every single word, as this can hinder understanding When encountering unfamiliar words, students should prioritize grasping the overall meaning rather than getting stuck on individual terms.
,you should skip and continue to listen for understanding the content because like that ,you can not catch up with the speed of the speech
Additionally, need to expand vocabularies, structures, idioms and improve the linking words, weak forms, stressed words
It is perfect to learn through many techniques to avoid disappointing such as: learning by watch English films, listening English song, listening audio files, ect
When listening, the learners had better summarize the ideas they listen to and take notes The students also should not listen a very long text to avoid depressed