Chuyên đề tốt nghiệp: Difficulties in listening comprehension faced by second-year business english students at national economics university

NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITYFACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGESDEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ENGLISH

NGUYEN THI HA VY

DIFFICULTIES IN LISTENING COMPREHENSION FACED BYSECOND-YEAR BUSINESS ENGLISH STUDENTS AT NATIONAL

ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY

NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITYFACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGESDEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ENGLISH

I would like to express my sincerest appreciation and deepest gratitude tothe following individuals who have contributed greatly to the completion of thisthesis:

First and foremost, I am immensely grateful to all the professors in theFaculty of Foreign Languages at National Economics University for theirexceptional dedication and enthusiasm throughout my four-year academic journey.I would like to extend my thanks to Mrs Kelly Pham, the Dean of theDepartment, and Mrs Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, the faculty assistant, for theirinvaluable assistance and support in providing me with the necessary informationrelated to the graduation process.

I am deeply indebted to Ms Nguyen Thi Thien Huong, my thesissupervisor, for her expert guidance, insightful feedback, and constant inspirationthroughout the entire research period.

Finally, I would like to express my profound gratitude to my belovedfamily and friends for their love, encouragement, and support throughout the pastthree months Without their constant encouragement, this thesis could not havebeen completed.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This research identified specific difficulties in listening comprehensionfaced by second-year Business English students at National Economics University.These difficulties were categorized into six main aspects which are: process, input,

listener characteristics, task demands, affective factors, and contextual factors.

One hundred Business English sophomores at National EconomicsUniversity, course (2022-2023) participated in this study, and a questionnaire wasused to collect data on their listening comprehension problems This study

employed a quantitative research methodology, and SPSS analysis was utilized toanalyze the data.

The comparison of mean reveals that the majority of the respondentsconsider most elements in listening comprehension to be challenging, with inputbeing the most difficult aspect and task demands being the least challenging.

Regression model analysis indicates that eight difficulties have a negative impacton student GPA, including unfamiliar words, long text, unfamiliar accents, over-focusing on every word and phrase, anxiety, guessing based on context, andunclear sounds The study also highlights a discrepancy between students’perceptions of their listening difficulties and the actual factors affecting their

academic performance.

To overcome these challenges, the study suggests some solutions for bothstudents and lecturers Students are encouraged to practice their listening skillsactively, practice note-taking skills, engage in relaxation techniques, and setrealistic performance expectations Teachers can use authentic listening materials,incorporate pre-listening vocabulary activities into lesson plan, break down theaudio into smaller segments for multiple listens, encourage students to share theirexperiences and manage anxiety, as well as offer regular feedback, and use high-quality audio sources.

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSBE : Business English

EFL : English as a Foreign LanguageESL : English as a Second Language

GPA_: Grade Point AverageL2 : Second Language

LC _ : Listening Comprehension

NEU : National Economics University

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURESFigures

Figure 1 Proposed research framework - - + cs + sserseeeersek 17Figure 2 Respondents’ listening competence - - «+s++++ 20Figure 3 Mean COINDAFISOII - G1111 911 9119 1 211 9v ng rưy 21Tables

Table 1 Process related difficulties 1n C - 5+ ++sx++<+sxe<ss 22Table 2 Input related difficulties 1n ÙC - 255 5+ «+ ++sse++sss 24

Table 3 Listener characteristics related difficulties in ÙC 25

Table 4 Task demands related difficulties in C - +-«++<+ 26Table 5 Affective factors related difficulties in C - ‹- ‹ 27

Table 6 Contextual factors related difficulties in UC - 28

Table 7 ANOVA one-way analysis of GPA with Process 29

Table 8 Regression model of GPA with ProCesS -. 5-55 <<<<<52 30Table 9 ANOVA one-way analysis of GPA with Input - 30

Table 10 Regression model of GPA with Input -«<+<<«<2 31Table 11 ANOVA one-way analysis of GPA with Listener characteristics"— 32

Table 12 Regression model of GPA with Listener characteristics 32

Table 13 ANOVA one-way analysis of GPA with Task demands 33

Table 14 Regression model of GPA with Task demands 33

Table 15 ANOVA one-way analysis of GPA with Affective factors 33

Table 16 Regression model of GPA with Affective factOrs 34

Table 17 ANOVA one-way analysis of GPA with Contextual factors 34

Table 18 Regression model of GPA with Contextual factors 34

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Ác 1S nh HH HH rhg iEXECUTIVE SUMMARY À1 ST HH HH HH re iiLIST OF ABBREYVIA TIONS HH ke, 11LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES - - Ặ SĂSSseseieieirey ivTABLE OF CONTTENTTS - LH HH HH HH gà nưệt VCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 5 che ie, 1

1.1 Rationale of the Stud y ccccccccceccccscceseceeseceseseeseeseseeeeas 1

1.2 Obje€CfÏVes HH HH HH HH 21.3 Research quesfÏons - Ă 21 213v vn re 31.4 Scope of the sfudy Gv HH HH Hư, 3

1.6 STUCẦUFC€ - Q S HH HH HH nh nành 3CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Ặ che 52.1 Listening comprehension ó5 S33 itrrreerrrrerrrree 52.1.1 Definition of listening COHmDF€Ï€TSÌOHI à.àằS-cS<<<S+ 52.1.2 The process of listening compreheTSi01 «~- 62.1.3 Strategies of listening coimpr€hieHSÌOHI sec 8

2.1.4 The importance of listening comprehension in languageLOCAL TING oo.ecccccccccscccccc cece cceseeessceeeeeeseeeeseceseeceseecesesessecsseeseseeeessceseecessesesseeeseeesas 10

2.2 Previous studies about difficulties in listening comprehension 102.3 Difficulties in listening comprehension - +5 <++ss>+ 13

QiBL PLOCESS 1 n ẻẦẮ.s 13VU Ni) 8nh 142.3.3 Listener CHA acteristics TH, 142.3.4 Task demands nan ốố.ố.e 152.3.5 Affective fACLOVS 0nn6n.ẦẮẦẦỐằ.ằ 162.3.6 Contextual ƒQCÍOTS ccccccccccccccccessscesecsessessecesseeeeeessssessseseseeees 162.4 Proposed research framework css-ssccsssreereeereses 17

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY eects ceeeeeteteeaes 183.1 Research meflo( - -.- óc 11x 1v ng ng rệt 183.2 Research participanfS - cư 183.3 Materials and insftrumenfS - chen, 183.4 Data collection proceduIrFs - - si, 193.5 Data analysis procedures - - - 5c sgk, 19CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 204.1 Descriptive nh 204.1.1 Respondents’ listening COHID€ÍCHC€ S55 ĂSSSsissses 204.1.2 Difficulties in listening comprehension 214.2 The impact of listening problems on student GPA 29

4.2.1 The impact of listening problems related to process on student

4.2.3 The impact of listening problems related to listenercharacteristics on student GPA cty 32

4.2.4 The impact of listening problems related to task demands onJ///./21ã67 8.0 33

4.2.5 The impact of listening problems related to affective factors onStUAENL GPA 0 eeeeccecceccesceseeseeseeseeseeecsecseescesenseeseesecsesseeseesesseseseaeeaseaeeseeaeeaes 33

4.2.6 The impact of listening problems related to contextual factorsON StUACNt GPA 00 AEẦẦốẦẦỐs 34CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDA TIONS ằc Si 365.1 Recommendations for students to eliminate difficulties inlistening comprehension ceccecceeseeeeeeceeeeeseceeeeseeeaeceseeeeeeseeeeeeneeaeees 365.2 Recommendations for lecturers to eliminate difficulties inlistening comprehension cccccccceesceeseeeceeseeeseceeeeeeesecesecseeeeenseeeneeaeens 37CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION 00.0 cccceccecesceseeceeeeseeeeseeseeeeeeseeeeaeeaeers 40REEFERENCES SH HH HH Hiệp vii

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This chapter clarifies the background, objectives, scope, researchquestions, methodology, and structure of the study.

1.1 Rationale of the study

English has established itself as a vital language on the international stage,particularly during the period of globalization As per the Statistics ResearchDepartment (2021), English has now become the most widely spoken languagewith 1348 million native speakers This prevalence of English allows it to serve asa mutual language for global cooperation across various fields Fluency in Englishis particularly essential in multinational businesses, where it can aid in securingemployment, communicating with clients, and forming cohesive businesspartnerships worldwide As a result, there is a growing number of individualsrecognizing the significance of English as a second language and seeking advancedEnglish programs in Vietnamese universities to meet societal expectations andinteract with individuals from other countries Attaining high levels of Englishproficiency can also provide a competitive advantage in enhancing one's

curriculum vitae and expanding career prospects.

Listening comprehension is widely recognized as one of the fundamentalpillars of English language acquisition, alongside writing, reading, and speaking.Although listening comprehension is crucial for effective communication, it isoften overlooked by English language learners Some learners may believe thatthey can rely on their reading and writing skills to communicate effectively inEnglish However, this is not the case Listening skills are just as important asreading and writing skills when it comes to communicating in English.Furthermore, listening skills are particularly important in real-life situations where

learners must communicate with native speakers who may speak quickly or useidiomatic expressions that learners are not familiar with In these situations,effective listening skills are essential for learners to understand what is being saidand to respond appropriately According to research, listening comprehension isessential for effective communication and is a vital component of languageproficiency (Rost, 2011) In fact, it is now a compulsory skill in the English

language learning process at both Vietnamese and international universities.

Developing listening comprehension skills is widely recognized as achallenging task for many English language learners Students who struggle withlistening comprehension are likely to experience a negative impact on their

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academic performance, as this skill is considered an essential component oflanguage proficiency (Goh & Kwah, 2017) Teachers are often dissatisfied withstudents who have difficulties with listening, as it can impede effectivecommunication and hinder their ability to comprehend academic materials.Consequently, educators continuously seek innovative teaching methods toaddress the difficulties encountered in listening and provide students with thenecessary support to improve their listening comprehension skills.

Research has shown that second language learners face various challengesin listening comprehension, including linguistic features (Field, 2008; Brown,2007) Aside from linguistic factors, learners may also encounter cognitive andaffective difficulties in listening comprehension Limited working memorycapacity or attention can make it difficult for learners to process and retaininformation (Vandergrift & Goh, 2012) Furthermore, motivation, anxiety, andself-efficacy can also significantly impact learners’ listening performance Anotherchallenge that second language learners may face in listening comprehensionrelates to the physical setting For example, background noise, poor acoustics, ora lack of visual cues can make it difficult for learners to hear and understandspoken language (Field, 2008; Vandergrift, 2010).

Numerous studies have examined listening comprehension and problems inlistening comprehension in second language learners In Vietnam, there have beenmany studies conducted on listening comprehension in English and few focusedon challenges that tertiary-level students face in English listening comprehension.However, there is still a lack of research specifically examining the challenges that

second-year Business English students face in listening comprehension at NationalEconomics University Therefore, this study aims to contribute to theunderstanding of this specific group of learners and provide practicalrecommendations to improve their listening skills By identifying these difficultiesand providing effective solutions, this research can contribute to enhancing thequality of English language education and improving students' overall Englishproficiency, thus preparing them for success in the global job market.

1.2 Objectives

The aims of this research include:

- Investigating the difficulties that second-year BE students at NEU faced inlistening comprehension.

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- Proposing several solutions to tackle the listening comprehension problemsamong second-year BE students at NEU.

1.3 Research questions

This study focuses on finding the answers to the following questions:

- What are the listening comprehension difficulties that BE sophomores at NEUencounter?

- | What can be done to improve the listening comprehension of BE sophomoresat NEU?

1.4 Scope of the study

Geographical scope: The Faculty of Foreign Languages of NEU was

selected as the research place.

Time scope: The data was gathered and assessed from December 2022 toMarch 2023.

Sample size: 100 BE sophomores at NEU were taken in for research.

Content scope: Difficulties in listening comprehension faced by year BE students at NEU.

second-1.5 Methodology

Primary data is collected via survey questionnaires The designed queriesare delivered to 100 BE students at NEU during the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year The answers gained from the survey form are a key tool forfurther analysis of problems that BE sophomores face in listening comprehensionactivities and recommendations for improvement.

Secondary data is gathered through desk research based on availablesources such as published reports, foreign scientific research, journals, books, etc.

1.6 Structure

The study consists of five chapters.

Chapter 1: Introduction - presents the rationale, aims, scope, method, anddesign of the study.

Chapter 2: Literature review - deals with the concepts of listeningcomprehension and reviewing previous studies of difficulties in listeningcomprehension.

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Chapter 3: Methodology - addresses the research process, the choice andimplementation of data collection methods.

Chapter 4: Data analysis - contains a presentation of the primary datacollected.

Chapter 5: Recommendations - proposes some practical recommendationsto tackle the issues.

Chapter 6: Conclusion - contains the summary of the study, limitations andsuggestions for further study.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter consists of the theoretical background and previous studies ofthe study.

2.1 Listening comprehension

2.1.1 Definition of listening comprehension

Researchers have varying perspectives on the definition of listeningcomprehension O'Malley, Chamot, and Kupper (1989) states that listeningcomprehension is an active and conscious process that involves constructingmeaning using contextual information and existing knowledge, while relying onmultiple strategies to fulfill task requirements Mendelsohn (1994) describeslistening comprehension as the ability to understand spoken language, includingdeciphering the speaker's intention and processing linguistic forms like speechspeed and fillers, while also coping with interaction, understanding the discourse'soverall message, comprehending without understanding every word, andrecognizing different genres According to Rost (2002), listening comprehensioncan also be defined as a cognitive process that involves the use of both bottom-upand top-down processing He characterizes listening comprehension as aninferential process, in which linguistic and world knowledge interact to create amental representation of what is heard To achieve comprehension, bottom-up andtop-down processes are employed Listening involves receiving, constructing andrepresenting meaning, negotiating meaning with the speaker, responding, andcreating meaning through involvement, imagination, and empathy Effectivelistening requires the ability to decode the message, apply various strategies andinteractive processes, and respond appropriately Additionally, activeinvolvement, effort, and practice are necessary to listen for thoughts, feelings, andintentions The comprehension process involves assigning both a literal andintended meaning to the utterance, and successful communication depends on theability to match perceived meaning with intended meaning Vandergrift and Goh(2012) highlight the role of metacognitive awareness in listening comprehension,which includes strategies such as predicting, monitoring, and evaluating one's ownunderstanding during the listening process They also emphasize the importanceof socio-affective factors, such as motivation and anxiety, in affecting listeningcomprehension.

Based on these theories, it can be concluded that listening comprehensionis a complex cognitive process that involves constructing meaning from spoken

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language using contextual information and existing knowledge It requires the useof both bottom-up and top-down processing, as well as the ability to monitor andevaluate one's own understanding during the listening process Successful listeningcomprehension also involves the application of various strategies and interactiveprocesses, active involvement, effort, and practice Additionally, socio-affectivefactors such as motivation and anxiety can affect listening comprehension.

2.1.2 The process of listening comprehension

Listening comprehension is a complex activity that involves carefullyselecting and interpreting important elements of spoken language, utilizingexisting knowledge to construct meaning, and integrating new information withprevious knowledge Within the field of cognitive psychology, comprehension isviewed as a form of information processing Schema, which can be thought of asstructures similar to data sets, play a vital role in this process by representinggeneral concepts stored in memory, such as objects, events, actions, and sequencesof events or actions (Rumelhart, 1980) Listeners use linguistic and situationalcues, as well as their own expectations, to activate and apply the schema tounderstand the spoken language If the incoming information is consistent with theschema, then comprehension occurs However, if there is a lack of compatibilitybetween the information and the schema, either the schema or the information willneed to be adjusted or disregarded The concept of schema leads to two basicmethods of processing information: bottom-up processing and top-downprocessing These approaches work together to create an interactive processing

system As a result, there are three different types of models used to explain theprocess of listening comprehension.

Bottom-up processing

Bottom-up processing refers to a cognitive model that is activated when weencounter new information This process involves decoding sounds and othersensory information from the smallest meaningful units (phonemes) to completetexts by utilizing hierarchically organized schemata These schemata are formedfrom specific at the bottom to general at the top, and they help us make sense ofthe incoming information For instance, when we listen to someone speaking, ourbrain starts with decoding individual phonemes, then connects them together toform words, and words are then combined to create phrases, sentences, andultimately, a complete message This process is aided by our linguistic knowledge,

such as our knowledge of grammar and syntax (Rubin, 1994).

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However, efficient comprehension of a text or speech does not solelydepend on one's linguistic knowledge It is an interactive process that involves thelistener's previous knowledge and experience When we encounter newinformation, we also bring our pre-existing knowledge and experience to the table,which helps us understand the new information in a meaningful way In otherwords, bottom-up processing is just one part of the complex process ofcomprehension While it is important to have linguistic knowledge, it is equallyimportant to have prior knowledge and experience to efficiently comprehend a textor speech.

Top-down processing

Top-down processing is a way our brain processes information by using ourexisting knowledge to help us understand new information It's like having amental blueprint or roadmap for understanding things When we encounter newinformation, our brain automatically compares it to this mental roadmap and makespredictions about what the new information might mean based on our pastexperiences and knowledge (Carrell and Eisterhold, 1983) In listening, top-downprocessing means that we use our previous knowledge and experiences tounderstand what someone is saying For example, if someone is talking about a

topic we are familiar with, we can use our existing knowledge about that topic tohelp us understand what they are saying We can also use context clues like bodylanguage and tone of voice to help us understand the meaning behind the words

However, if the incoming information is unfamiliar, we can't rely solely onour prior knowledge to understand it In this case, we have to rely more on ourlinguistic knowledge and try to make sense of the new information based on thewords we hear Another potential problem with top-down processing is that ourexisting knowledge and mental roadmap may not always match the situation or thespeaker's intended meaning In these cases, relying solely on top-down processingcan lead to misinterpretation or misunderstanding.

Interactive processing

The interactive processing method is based on the idea that successfullistening comprehension requires both bottom-up and top-down processing.Bottom-up processing refers to the processing of individual sounds, words, andgrammar to build up the meaning of the message Top-down processing, on theother hand, involves the use of background knowledge, expectations, andcontextual information to interpret and understand the message Interactiveprocessing combines these two approaches by encouraging the listener to use both

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types of processing in an interactive and dynamic way to improve theirunderstanding.

During the listening process, the listener uses a range of cognitive processesto interpret and comprehend the material Anderson's cognitive perspective (1985)suggests that comprehension involves three stages: perception, parsing, andutilization In the perception stage, the listener pays attention to the input and storesit in echoic memory This is where the listener takes in the sounds and words beingspoken and begins to recognize them In the parsing stage, words are convertedinto a mental representation of their combined meaning This is where the listenerbegins to understand the meaning of the words and phrases being spoken This

stage involves recognizing and decoding the syntax and grammar of the languagebeing used The utilization stage involves connecting the new input with existingknowledge in long-term memory This is where the listener begins to make senseof the information being presented by relating it to their prior knowledge andexperiences This stage involves using top-down processing, such as predictingwhat might come next in the conversation based on the listener's knowledge of thetopic and the context of the conversation Perception, parsing, and utilization referto distinct stages in the process of listening comprehension These three stages can

occur simultaneously during a single listening event, and are closely connected.

Coakley and Wolvin (1986) propose that listening comprehension in asecond language involves receiving, attending to, and assigning meaning toauditory stimuli It involves a listener who brings their prior knowledge of thetopic, linguistic knowledge, and cognitive processes to the listening task, as wellas the auditory text and the interaction between the two Fischer and Farris (1995)view listening comprehension as an active process in which students construct amental representation of an auditory text based on their prior knowledge of thetopic and the information presented.

Therefore, to improve listening comprehension, it is important to engage ininteractive processing that combines both bottom-up and top-down processing, as

well as to develop one's linguistic knowledge and cognitive skills.

2.1.3 Strategies of listening comprehension

O'Malley and Chamot (1990) categorized listening strategies into threetypes: metacognitive, cognitive, and social Metacognitive strategies, which relateto self-regulated learning, involve planning, monitoring, evaluating, revising, andselecting For example, metacognitive planning strategies can help learners clarify

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the objectives of a listening task and focus on important language input orsituational details that facilitate understanding (Vandergrift, 1999) Thesestrategies can be divided into pre-listening planning, while-listening monitoring,and post-listening evaluation strategies By using metacognitive strategies,learners can become more active in their listening process and effectively controltheir own comprehension and response.

Cognitive strategies are a set of techniques used to understand, retain, andrecall information effectively These strategies can be categorized into two types

of processing: bottom-up and top-down processing According to Stanchina (1987), effective listeners use their prior knowledge to raise hypothesesabout a text and integrate new information into their ongoing interpretations Theymake inferences to bridge gaps, assess their interpretations, and modify theirhypotheses as needed Effective listeners predict what will be said by the signaland adjust their hypotheses accordingly They also monitor their understanding,use visual and contextual cues, and draw inferences to aid comprehension.

Henner-Social/affective strategies in listening comprehension refer to thetechniques used to collaborate with others, verify understanding, and reduceanxiety These strategies are non-academic and aim to stimulate learning byestablishing empathy between the instructor and the student They consider factorssuch as emotions and attitudes to promote personal motivation and confidence inlistening tasks Vandergrift (1997) emphasized that it is crucial to reduce anxietyand increase confidence in listening tasks for improving listening competence.According to O'Malley & Chamot (2001), social and affective strategies have animmediate impact on the learning situation among the four strategies ofmanagement, social, cognitive, and affective strategies for listening

comprehension Therefore, it is essential for listeners to know how to use socialand affective strategies to lower anxiety, feel confident, and promote personalmotivation in improving listening competence.

Using these strategies can help learners become more active in theirlistening process, effectively control their own comprehension, and improvelistening competence However, difficulties in listening comprehension can ariseif learners are not aware of how to use these strategies or if they do not have enoughpractice with them For example, if learners do not use metacognitive strategies,they may not be able to plan and focus on important information, leading toconfusion and misunderstanding If learners do not use cognitive strategies, theymay miss important information or have difficulty making connections between

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ideas If learners do not use social/affective strategies, they may feel anxious orlack motivation, leading to a decrease in comprehension Therefore, it is crucialfor learners to learn and practice these strategies to overcome difficulties inlistening comprehension.

2.1.4 The importance of listening comprehension in language learning

Listening comprehension is a crucial component of language learning, as itis an essential skill for effective communication in any language To acquire a newlanguage, learners must be able to understand the spoken language around them.Research has shown that listening comprehension is the most frequently usedlanguage skill in everyday communication, with individuals spending up to 45%of their communication time listening (Brown & Yule, 1983).

Furthermore, listening comprehension is strongly correlated with overalllanguage proficiency (Buck, 2001; Rost, 2011) According to Brown and Yule(1983), individuals who are skilled listeners are more likely to be successfullanguage learners This is because listening comprehension is a foundation for

other language skills, such as speaking and writing.

In addition, listening comprehension can expose learners to authenticlanguage use, which is often different from the language taught in textbooks.Authentic listening materials, such as podcasts, movies, and conversations withnative speakers, can expose learners to real-world vocabulary, grammar, andpronunciation (Field, 2008) This exposure can help learners develop more natural-sounding language use and improve their ability to understand and participate inreal-world communication.

Overall, listening comprehension plays a crucial role in language learningand is a skill that learners should strive to develop By improving their listeningcomprehension, learners can enhance their overall language proficiency andincrease their ability to communicate effectively in the target language.

2.2 Previous studies about difficulties in listening comprehension

Rubin (1994) was a pioneer in identifying and categorizing the factors thatinfluence listening comprehension Her classification system divides these factorsinto five categories: text characteristics, interlocutor characteristics, taskcharacteristics, listener characteristics, and process characteristics Textcharacteristics refer to the features of the listening content that are delivered to thelisteners, including the vocabulary, grammar, and discourse structure of the text.

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Interlocutor characteristics, on the other hand, identify the personal variations ofthe speaker, such as their accent, dialect, and gender Task characteristics refer tothe different types of listening tasks that teachers use in the classroom, such ascomprehension questions or note-taking exercises Listener characteristics identifythe personal traits of the listener that can affect their ability to comprehend thelistening material, such as motivation, anxiety, and prior knowledge Finally,process characteristics reveal the cognitive activities that listeners engage in whilelistening, such as top-down and bottom-up processing, the use of strategies, andthe effects of background noise Rubin's classification system has had a significantimpact on the field of listening comprehension research and has been widelyadopted by scholars in the field.

Teng (2002) further expands on the factors that influence listeningcomprehension, highlighting the distinction between internal and external factors.Internal factors refer to the personal characteristics of the listener, such as theirmotivation, attention, and working memory capacity These factors are within thelistener's control and can be developed through training and practice Externalfactors, on the other hand, are outside of the listener's control and include factorssuch as the speaker's accent, the complexity of the listening material, and thecontext in which the listening takes place These factors can have a significantimpact on listening comprehension and may require different instructionalapproaches to address.

Chang and Roebl (2011) conducted a study on the factors that contribute tolistening difficulties in L2 learners They used a Likert scale questionnaire with 31items, and identified six factors that impacted listening comprehension: text,listener, speaker, task, input channel and surroundings, and relevance.

Yang (2011) conducted a study aimed at gaining a better understanding ofthe listening process from the perspective of EFL learners The study involved 32students at a technology institute who were asked to keep a listening diary,documenting their experiences and difficulties while listening to English Throughanalysis of the diaries, the listening problems were classified into five categories:text, listener, listening process, speaker, and task The top five difficulties faced bythe students were unknown words in the text, fast delivery of the listening material,limited vocabulary, lack of practice, and inability to focus on the upcoming text

while still processing the meaning of the previous text.

Lotfi (2012) utilized a unique approach in his research by conducting anexploratory factor analysis of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

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learners' perceptions regarding problems with listening comprehension Hegenerated a questionnaire consisting of 40 items, which were categorized into sixdistinct factors: process, input, listener, task, affect, and context The process factorincluded learners’ beliefs about cognitive and metacognitive strategies that relateto listening comprehension, while input reflected their beliefs about variousaspects of speech, such as vocabulary, grammar, accent, and speech rate Thelistener factor represented learners’ beliefs about their own attention, attitude, andmemory, while tasks reflected beliefs about different characteristics of listeningtasks The affective factor represented beliefs about emotional states related tocomprehension failure and anxiety, and the context factor reflected beliefs aboutunfavorable learning conditions, such as inadequate equipment and unsuitable

learning environments.

According to a study by Prof Cecilia L Calub (2016) from Tarlac StateUniversity's College of Education, college students experience listeningcomprehension difficulties, and remediation strategies are suggested for theclassroom The findings of the investigation revealed that the students encountereddifficulties in listening comprehension due to various factors, such as physicalsetting, noisy environment, and problems with listening aids, materials, orequipment Additionally, the students encountered difficulties related to thelinguistic features of the texts, their concentration levels, psychologicalcharacteristics, the listener, the speaker/reader, and the content of the text.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thao (2019) carried out research which aimed to explorethe listening challenges faced by first-year students of FELTE, ULIS, VNU Togather data, the researchers employed questionnaires and semi-structuredinterviews The participants and data collection methods were described briefly.The findings indicated that most of the listening difficulties can be classified into

four categories: the speaker, the listener, the material, and the physicalenvironment.

In a study conducted by Tran Thi Ai Huong and her colleagues (2021), 98first-year students majoring in English at Mien Dong University participated in aquestionnaire survey and 5 of them responded to semi-structured interviewquestions The collected data from the questionnaire were analyzed using SPSSversion 20.0, focusing on descriptive statistics The results indicated that Englishmajors encountered various challenges when it comes to listening, including issuesrelated to the listener, dialogue content, the speaker, physical environment, and

linguistic factors.

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A group of 45 first-year college students, who are majoring in English atthe Faculty of Foreign Languages, participated in a research study of Phan andNguyen (2023) Their ages ranged from 18 to 22 years old These students wereenrolled in the Listening 2 course in the second semester of the academic year2021-2025 at Dong Nai Technology University (DNTU), specifically in the K17classroom This research paper explores the challenges that students face inunderstanding spoken language and identifies the reasons for these challenges Thestudy uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data, which revealsthat the difficulties can be attributed to the listening materials, the listenersthemselves, and the listening facilities To address these challenges, the paperrecommends that students should be exposed to a variety of listening techniques

and taught how to apply listening strategies effectively Moreover, the role ofteachers is emphasized as they can determine the appropriate listening techniquesto use and modify them to assist students in overcoming their listening difficulties.Among these studies, Lotfi's (2012) taxonomy provides the mostcomprehensive framework for classifying factors causing difficulties in listeningcomprehension, making it a valuable tool for teachers and researchers.

2.3 Difficulties in listening comprehension2.3.1 Process

Rubin (1994) identified cognitive and metacognitive strategies as part ofthe listening process that can affect listening comprehension Cognitive strategiesinvolve mental processes such as attending to and recalling information, predictingcontent, and relating new information to existing knowledge Metacognitivestrategies, on the other hand, involve the awareness and control of cognitiveprocesses, such as monitoring comprehension, planning, and evaluating one'sperformance.

Process-related difficulties can arise when EFL students lack the necessarycognitive and metacognitive strategies to effectively process and comprehendspoken language For example, if a listener is unable to identify and retainimportant information due to a lack of attention, their comprehension will suffer.Similarly, if a listener lacks the ability to monitor their comprehension and adjusttheir strategies accordingly, they may not be able to effectively comprehend thelistening material.

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2.3.2 Input

Many studies have investigated the difficulties related to different aspectsof aural input, such as vocabulary, speech clarity, grammatical structure, speechrate, prosodic features, accent, pause, and text length.

Field (2008) found that lexical difficulties, such as unknown vocabularyand idiomatic expressions, were among the most common problems in listeningcomprehension Similarly, Hasan (2000) identified the lack of familiarity withspecialized vocabulary as a significant difficulty for EFL listeners.

Speech clarity was also identified as a major difficulty in listeningcomprehension Rubin (1994) found that the clarity of speech enunciation was themain problem in the speaker factor Moreover, problems related to speech claritywere more common among non-native speakers than native speakers.

Grammatical structure was another factor that can cause listeningdifficulties Hasan (2000) reported that the complexity of grammatical structures,including word order and tense, can hinder understanding Additionally, Field

(2008) noted that the use of complex syntax, such as passive voice, can posechallenges to EFL listeners.

Speech rate and prosodic features, such as intonation and stress, were alsoidentified as potential barriers to listening comprehension Field (2008) reportedthat fast speech rate was a common difficulty, especially for lower-level listeners.Meanwhile, Rubin (1994) found that difficulties related to intonation and stress

were more common among non-native speakers.

Accent was another factor that can affect listening comprehension Fan (2002) found that differences in accent between the listener and speaker couldcause problems In addition, Field (2008) noted that the use of regional accents ordialects could pose challenges for EFL listeners.

Ngar-Finally, text length and complexity were also identified as potentialdifficulties Field (2008) found that longer listening texts could be overwhelmingfor lower-level listeners, while Hasan (2000) reported that complex text structures,

such as argumentative essays, could be challenging for EFL listeners.

2.3.3 Listener characteristics

Listening comprehension is a complex process that involves not only thecharacteristics of the listening material but also the personal factors of the listener.Several studies have examined the problems associated with listenercharacteristics, such as attention, attitude, and memory.

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Rubin (1994) identified listener characteristics as one of the five categoriesof listening factors, including text, interlocutor, task, and process characteristics.Hasan (2000) also highlighted the importance of listener characteristics in listeningcomprehension and emphasized the role of attention and memory in the process.

In a study conducted by Field (2008) with 80 English learners in Japan,attention was found to be a crucial factor in successful listening comprehension.The study used an eye-tracking device to measure the participants’ attentional

focus during listening tasks and found that successful listeners had a higher levelof attention to the relevant parts of the listening material.

Memory has been shown to play a critical role in listening comprehension.Rubin (1994) suggested that the ability to store and retrieve information fromshort-term memory is essential for successful listening comprehension Moreover,Hasan (2000) emphasized the importance of long-term memory in the process ofconstructing meaning from listening material.

2.3.4 Task demands

Task characteristics have been identified as one of the major factorsaffecting listening comprehension Different listening tasks require differentcognitive processes and strategies, and learners may encounter differentdifficulties depending on the type of task they are assigned Field (2008) identifiedtwo main types of listening tasks: listening for the gist or main idea and listeningfor detail Listening for gist involves understanding the general meaning of thelistening material, while listening for detail requires more attention to specificinformation and details.

Several studies have investigated the effect of task type on listeningcomprehension Brown and Yule (1983) found that listening for the main idea wasmore effective in promoting comprehension than listening for detail However,Vandergrift and Tafaghodtari (2010) argued that both types of tasks are essentialfor developing different listening skills, and suggested that teachers should use abalanced approach by including both types of tasks in their listening instruction.

Other task characteristics may also affect listening comprehension Forexample, the type of response required (e.g multiple-choice questions, shortanswer questions, summaries) may influence learners' attention to different aspectsof the listening material (Goh, 2000) Additionally, familiarity with the topic orcontent of the listening material may affect learners' motivation and engagementwith the task (Goh, 2002).

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In summary, task characteristics are important factors that influencelistening comprehension Different types of listening tasks may require differentcognitive processes and strategies, and the type of response required and thefamiliarity of the content may also affect learners’ performance Therefore, it isimportant for teachers to consider these factors when designing listening tasks fortheir students.

2.3.5 Affective factors

Affect, or the emotional dimension of listening, is an important factor thatcan affect listening comprehension Researchers have explored different aspectsof affective factors that can pose challenges to successful listening.

Chang and Roebl (2011) included affect as one of the six key factorscontributing to difficulties in listening Affect refers to the emotional dimension oflistening, including comprehension failure and anxiety levels The authors foundthat listeners can experience negative emotions, such as frustration and anxiety,when they face listening difficulties These negative emotions can then affect theirmotivation to continue listening, which can further impede comprehension.

Similarly, Rahimi and Abedini (2009) found that anxiety can negativelyimpact listening comprehension among Iranian EFL learners They suggested thatteachers should address learners' anxiety levels and create a supportive classroomenvironment to help reduce anxiety and improve listening performance.

In another study, Lee and Oxford (2008) explored the relationship betweenaffect and listening comprehension strategies They found that positive affectivestates, such as interest and enjoyment, can lead to the use of more effectivelistening strategies, while negative affective states, such as boredom andfrustration, can lead to the use of less effective strategies.

2.3.6 Contextual factors

Research on problems associated with contextual factors in listeningcomprehension has identified several factors that can negatively affectcomprehension, including noise and poor audio quality.

One study by Mehrpour and Rahimi (2012) investigated the effect ofbackground noise on listening comprehension in a second language The study

found that the presence of background noise significantly decreased participants’comprehension scores Similarly, another study by Kim (2014) examined the effect

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of noise on listening comprehension in a Korean language classroom and foundthat background noise significantly reduced students’ comprehension.

In addition to noise, the audio quality can also impact listeningcomprehension A study by Ching and Kwok (2013) investigated the effect of CDquality on listening comprehension in an English as a second language (ESL)

context The study found that participants’ comprehension scores weresignificantly lower when listening to low-quality audio compared to high-qualityaudio.

Furthermore, research has shown that the type of noise can also impactlistening comprehension For example, a study by Habibi and Alipour (2014)found that speech noise, such as background conversations, was more disruptiveto listening comprehension than non-speech noise, such as white noise.

2.4 Proposed research framework

On the basis of the literature review and previous studies, the frameworkbelow is suggested to identify and measure the difficulties in listeningcomprehension faced by second-year BE students at National EconomicsUniversity.

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3.2 Research participants

With the aim of gathering realistic particulars about listeningcomprehension difficulties faced by NEU sophomores, 100 second-year studentsfrom different classes of BE major, course (2022 - 2023) were invited to contributeto an online questionnaire The participants came from diverse backgrounds,

including both rural and urban areas, and all spoke Vietnamese as their nativelanguage and English as a foreign language They were all at the same academiclevel and had been studying English listening skills at NEU for two years In orderto have a thorough insight into the problems, this research is based on their currentreal situation.

3.3 Materials and instruments

The questionnaire comprised one question and 40 measurement items intotal and was divided into 2 main parts:

Part 1 consisted of one question which investigated the students’ listeningcompetence Students were required to report their listening skills GPA from thelast semester, with four options corresponding to four grade levels: >=9, >9 and>=8, <8 and >=7, and <7.

In part 2, there were 40 measurement items on a 5-point Likert scale rangingfrom | for “strongly disagree” to 5 for “strongly agree” This measurement scale

was adapted from the research of Lotfi (2012) to measure 6 conceptual factorsmentioned in the proposed framework This research designed Beliefs on EnglishLanguage Listening Comprehension Problems which was based on six categoriesspecified by Lotfi (2012) The questionnaire was found to be reliable and practicalwith a Cronbach's alpha of 96 for all 40 items The internal consistency reliabilitycoefficients for each category were also high, ranging from 87 to 94.

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3.4 Data collection procedures

Step 1: Design the questionnaire with measure items adopted from the Lotfi(2012) measurement scale.

Step 2: Pilot-test the questionnaire with the instructor and a small group ofBE students to identify any potential issues with clarity or comprehension of thequestions.

Step 3: Distribute the online questionnaire to a sample of 100 BE students,through social media.

Step 4: Collect the responses from participants and transfer them intofigures and tables in a spreadsheet or statistical analysis software.

Step 5: Analyze the collected data by SPSS

3.5 Data analysis procedures

The data collected in the survey is analyzed under the form of charts, tablesand descriptive statistics In detail, the data related to the difficulties in listeningcomprehension is calculated with the assistance of SPSS Statistical software Theresearcher conducted data analysis using descriptive statistics to obtain means forthe variables of perception One-way ANOVA was conducted to determine if therewere significant differences between groups Finally, regression analysis was usedto compute the coefficients and examine the relationships between variables.

There were 100 in the survey, and all of them are valid and can be used forthe research The detailed analysis is presented in the next chapter.

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CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

This chapter reveals the detailed data analysis and findings

4.1 Descriptive data

4.1.1 Respondents’ listening competence

BE students’ listening GPA in the last semester

Figure 2 Respondents’ listening competence

Based on the responses of the 100 students, we can see that the distributionof the listening GPA in the last semester is as follows:

° 20 students (20%) had a GPA of 9 or higher

° 36 students (36%) had a GPA between 8 and 9° 34 students (34%) had a GPA between 7 and 8

e 10 students (10%) had a GPA lower than 7

The largest group of students fell into the range of a listening GPA between8 and 9, accounting for 36% of the total number of students On the other hand,the smallest group of students had a listening GPA lower than 7, accounting foronly 10% of the total number of students Based on the information provided, wecan see that the distribution of listening GPA among the 100 students is fairlybalanced The majority of students GPA fall within the range of 7 to 9, with thelargest group being those with a GPA between 8 and 9 This suggests that themajority of students are performing well in their listening classes.

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