EFL 3rd year students awareness of CEFR requirements in learning listening at hue university of foreign languages (HUFL)

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale “Fluency in the English language is a key to success in life” (Hall, 2012) The saying refers a new era for not only the dominant role of English but also the change of language learning, teaching and assessment “Fluency” word reflects the direction of moves towards communicative acts rather than linguistic knowledge as previous time English now can be found in many areas of our real life such as “business, finance and banking, science and technology, popular culture, media and international relations” (Hall, 2012) Obliviously grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc cannot be highly appreciated if speakers are not able to use them effectively in these particular contexts For Vietnam, entering into the WTO and opening its markets to the outside world entails the demand for a good English language competence among both workers and students There were many teaching and learning language projects aim at enhancing Vietnamese English ability However, education officers admitted at a conference that foreign language teaching in Vietnam has been a “failure” According to experts, the reason firmly comes from “incorrect understanding of the subject has led to inappropriate teaching methods of foreign languages” (Thanhniennews, 2011, December 26th) As a result, “many college students have passed their exams with high grades but could not use the language in their life and work” said Dr Nguyen Ngoc Hung, chief manager of the National Foreign Language 2020 project For a long time, in Vietnam, English language function is to learn and remember as a subject of knowledge instead used for connecting people from other different languages So hopefully by the implement of the National Foreign Languages 2020 project, the tasks, content, methods, curriculum of teaching and learning foreign language within national education system will be renovated It may end human perception on learning English just for tests; instead, learners will make their effort to grasp English proficiency at the same time The National Foreign Languages 2020 project in Viet Nam is designed and adapted under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) of The Council of Europe.The project was released in 2008 and now (2014) being implemented in the second phase of the project (2011-2015) All students at Hue University of foreign languages have been taught and assessed under CEFR I wonder whether they have prepared for it What they think about CEFR, its criteria in language proficiency in general and CEFR’s requirements in listening in particular? How they adapt their learning methods? What advantages and disadvantages in learning English under CEFR? And are they able to reach this standard in the future? To satisfy all my concerns, I decide to have a study on “EFL 3rd year students' awareness of CEFR requirements in learning listening at Hue University of foreign languages (HUFL)” 1.2 Research significance This study points out the reality of learning listening under CEFR at Hue University of foreign languages More importantly, it can be used as additional evidence to draw out possible predication about how successful the Nation Foreign Languages 2020 project will get The findings and suggestions of this study will be of great use to the improvement of the teaching and learning of listening at universities of foreign languages in general and university investigated in particular The paper may also guide teachers and trainers to help their students eliminate difficulties in learning process and be better on their listening skills 1.3 Research aims The research aims at: Investigating EFL 3rd year students' awareness of CEFR requirements in learning listening at Hue University of foreign languages in Vietnam 2 Giving some suggestions in order to improve students’ listening skills and reach C1 level of their English language proficiency 1.4 Research scope This study mainly focuses on the students' awareness of CEFR requirements in learning listening at Hue University of foreign languages in Vietnam Its participants involve English teachers and 150 EFL 3rd year students 1.5 Research questions The project is particularly carried out to answer the following questions: What EFL students think about CEFR’s requirements in learning listening? What are the factors that affect students’ awareness about learning requirements? What are recommendations for students to achieve C1 listening level? 1.6 Research structure: Five chapters are included in this study Chapter 1: Introduction The introduction chapter is written by answering the questions: What am I investigating? Why I am doing that? And how the findings will effect on my way of thinking? In addition, I will show the scope of my study and my aim when doing this study The research questions will be included in this first chapter Chapter 2: Literature review and theoretical background The main content of Chapter is to review all the materials related to the topic as well as the previous research Chapter 3: Methodology In chapter 3, participants, research methodology, data collection and data analysis would be presented Chapter 4: Findings and discussion This chapter will analyze the data from the interviews and questionnaires Chapter 5: Conclusion, implications and suggestions In the final chapter, I will summarize the key findings of the study and point out some of my implications and then the suggestions for further research CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS 2.1 Introduction This chapter focuses on providing (i) an overview of listening including definition, listening significance and listening process;(ii) implement of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) under National Foreign Languages 2020 project in Vietnam; (iii) the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in which CEFR’s purpose, CEFR’s levels and CEFR’s requirements in listening at C1 level are defined one by one; (iv) factors influence EFL students’ awareness about CEFR’s requirements such as presage factors, process factors and production factors; (v) previous researches 2.2 Overview of listening 2.2.1 Definition There are a number of different listening definitions According to Underwood (1989:1), listening is "the activity of paying attention to and trying to get meaning from something we hear" In 2002, Rost stated that listening comprehension is an inferential process Linguistic knowledge and world knowledge interact as listeners create a mental representation of what they hear Bottom up and top down processes are applied to get to this mental representation and achieve comprehension Have a look on Widdowson’s listening comprehension definitions (1990), we can see that “It is unlike that we ever achieve an exact match between intention and interpretation, and we probably would not know it if we did” In other word, listening is a challenging process for language learners to master communicative competence and an extreme difficulty for language researchers to investigate at the same time In brief, listening is a component of language skills including a number of “subskills” It is more than simply hearing; it is “decoding” sounds and understanding the meaning behind those sounds (Forseth, 1996) 2.2.2 The importance of listening Among four skills in communication, listening plays a prominent role Many investigators have come to an agreement that listening is the most frequently used language skill (Morley, 1999; Scarcella & Oxford, 1992) Bird (1953) Barker, Edwards, Gaines, Gladney, and Holley (1980) proved the vital listening position with believable numbers In Bird’s work (1953), he concluded that female college students took up 42 percent of their total verbal communication time in listening while they spent 25 percent in speaking, 15 percent in reading, and 18 percent in writing A study considered by Barker, Edwards, Gaines, Gladney, and Holley (1980) confirmed Bird's view of the primacy of listening and showed that the portion of verbal communication time spent by college students was 52.5 percent in listening, 17.3 percent in reading, 16.3 percent in speaking, and 13.9 percent in writing Listening occupied 40-50%; speaking, 25-30%; reading, 11-16%; and writing, about 9% is a result supplied by Mendelsohn (1994) In contrast, Dunkel's (1991) study reported that international students' academic success in the United States and Canada relied more on reading than listening comprehension, especially for those students in engineering, psychology, chemistry, and computer science Thus, the importance of listening in classroom instruction has been less emphasized than reading and writing However, Dunkel could not deny the significant listening role in the lives of people Listening is even more important for the lives of students since listening is used as a primary tool of learning at all stages of education Before students study or collect written materials by themselves, instructors have given instruction in oral language; it infers students must firstly listen 2.2.3 Listening process Have a quick look on surface of listening process; people can be easy to label listening as a passive skill Listeners “seem to only sit in a language lab quietly, listen to pre-recorded dialogues, and write the answers to some questions related to the oral stimulus” (Ahmadi & Gilakjani, 2011) It is misunderstanding since there are abundant evidences to show listening demanding a number of complicated processes on the part of the learners Aderson and Lynch (1988) stated in his research that both first (L1) and second (L2) language models of listening process has both top- down and bottom-up aspects Besides, these two fundamental processes intersect to develop an interactive one Thus, we have three types of listening processing The bottom-up process In bottom-up processing, the learner tries to match the initial sounds of a new word to his familiar lexicon to guess what a word might be As more sounds occur, the listener can eliminate more and more possibilities until he arrives at the single, most accurate match to the input sounds In brief, bottom up requires linguistic knowledge The top-down process In top-down processing, the learner tries to use his/her background knowledge in comprehending the meaning of a message In terms of listening, the listener actively constructs (or reconstructs) the original meaning of the speaker employing new input as clues For short, top-down occurs when background knowledge is activated The interactive process In listening skill, both bottom-up and top-down processing have weak points Understanding a text is an interactive process between the listener's previous knowledge and the text Efficient comprehension that associates the textual material with listener's brain does not only depend on one's linguistic knowledge Meanwhile, we must realize if the incoming information that the listener hears is unfamiliar to him, it cannot evoke his schemata and he can only depend heavily on his linguistic knowledge Furthermore, in the case, the listener can trigger a schema; he might not have the suitable schema expected by the speaker Therefore, only relying on top-down processing may result in the failure of understanding The interactive process is consequently the combination of top-down and bottom-up processing It helps listener have the advantages and overcome the disadvantages of these processes to augment the comprehension At high levels of proficiency, two processes interact in a compensatory fashion so that what the learner misses from the bottom can be compensated for from the top as schemata become activated, and predictions are put forth and confirmed Even in one's native language, a person does not actually hear every part of a message; both bottom-up and top-down processing work simultaneously to fill in the gaps as the incoming message progresses In another word, the listener's purpose will also help to dictate which process dominates (Vandergrift, 2004) 2.3 Implement of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) under National Foreign Languages (NFL) 2020 project in Vietnam In the aim of assessment the teacher’s language proficiency thousands of teachers in 30 provinces and cities were required to sit for a test prepared last year by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) The test was designed under the guidelines of CEFR to check their listening, speaking, reading, writing skills and use of English MOET demands that high school teachers reach the framework’s secondhighest skill level C1, while elementary school teachers must achieve the fourthhighest level B1 and middle school educators the third-highest B2 The shocking result of the test was that language proficiency was poor According to Nguyen Vinh Hien, Deputy Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam, only about 10% of teachers who satisfied the requirement (Thanhniennews, 2011, December 26th ) A question may be raised whether unqualified teachers can train learners with qualified English proficiency Certainly, the answer is incapable Another reflection comes from the colleges and universities where those teachers and students are trained According to Nguyen Ngoc Hung, head of the permanent national language Scheme 2020 foreign language teaching and learning in universities is still restricted, the actual teaching and learning foreign languages in universities does not work, foreign language is taught as a subject of knowledge rather than skills, teaching methods have not learner-centered He added teaching and learning process for major exams, focusing on grammar, reading and translation Most leavers get high grades however, they are not confident to use target language The reality of English language teachers and students quality shows the need to look at the responsibilities of universities to train teachers who teach foreign languages Therefore, no solution may be better than “retraining” and “training” teacher staff at universities of foreign languages under international standard As we mentioned, we cannot deny the current shortages of language educational training in Vietnam Upon the tendency of strong international integration, Vietnam must make strategic changes to suit learners’ need without hesitation To meet the demand, it is necessary to update the teaching methodology and empower the teaching capacity of the language teachers Then trainers have to train foreign language users to perform communicative acts instead of learning it to keep in mind for exams That is the reason why in 2008 the Vietnamese Prime Minister decided to issue Government Decision 1400 The goal of which is “To renovate thoroughly the tasks of teaching and learning foreign languages within the national educational system.” (The government, September 30th, 2008) And two years later, this national renovation was implemented by project named National Foreign Language 2020 Under Project 2020 Vietnam wants most of its students to be able to use a foreign language, especially English, confidently in their study, daily communication, and work by 2020 2.4 The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) 2.4.1 The purpose of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages In order to provide a basis of language syllabuses and curriculum guidelines, the design of teaching and learning materials, and the assessment of language proficiency, the Council of Europe (CE) established CEFR It describes in a comprehensive way what language learners have to learn to use a language for communication and what knowledge and skills they have to develop to be able to act effectively The description also covers the cultural context in which language is set Framework moreover, defines levels of proficiency that allow learners' progress to be measured at each stage of learning and on a life-long basis The CEFR is intended to overcome the barriers to communication among professionals working in the field of modern languages arising from the different educational systems in Europe It provides the means for educational administrators, course designers, teachers, teacher trainers, examining bodies, etc., to reflect on their current practice, with a view to situating and coordinating their efforts and to ensuring that they meet the real needs of the learners for whom they are responsible 2.4.2 CEFR’s levels CEFR ranks from level A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 to C2 as ascending proficiency - Basic User: A1 (formulaic) & A2 (simple communication) - Independent User: B1 (learners can independently communicate in some limited situations) & B2 (learners can independently communicate in familiar situations) - Proficient User: C1 (learners can communicate fluently in many contexts) & C2 (learners can communicate perfectly and fluently in almost contexts) 10  Creative  Sensitive  Logical  Careful Other opinions 11 How many listening periods you study each term?  Less than 30 periods  30 periods  45 periods  60 periods  More than 60 periods 12 Which current textbook(s) including listening part have your teachers used to teach listening skill? (You can choose more than one option)  North Star  IELTs Listening  Q_ Skills  Test Plus Other textbook(s) 13 Do you think course structure is clear and easy to understand?  Yes  No 14 When teaching listening skill, which question type(s) below have your teacher used? (You can choose more than one option)  Multiple-choice  Comprehension questions  True/False  Filling in the blank Completing the table Other opinions 15 What supporting tools have your teachers used?(You can choose more than one option)  Songs  Pictures  Internet 79  Video clips  Movies Other opinions (please specify) 16 In learning listening skill, you need (You can choose more than one option)  Assessment by others  Self-assessment 17 How often have your teachers assessed listening skill?  Rarely  Sometimes  Often  Very often 18 What form of oral inputs have you had in listening periods? (You can choose more than one option)  Public announcements (information, instructions, warnings, etc.)  Media (radio, TV, recordings, cinema) As a member of a live audience (theatre, public meetings, public lectures,  entertainments, etc.)  Overheard conversations 19 When teaching listening skill, what speech types have teachers taught? (You can choose more than one option)  Speech is not clearly structured and relationships are only implied and not signaled explicitly  Speech with unfamiliar accent  Speech with a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, appreciating register shifts Other opinions (please specify) 20 What difficulties you encounter when learning listening? (You can choose more than one option)  Few periods 80  Lack of listening materials to practice listening outside class  No clear teachers’ instructions  Inappropriate learning attitude (hesitation, lack confidence, etc.)  Shortage of physical condition (large class, noise, poor quality of TV, CD player, lights, etc) Other opinions (please specify) 21 What difficulties have you encountered when being assessed listening skill ? (You can choose more than one option)  Difficulty in following speech due to vocabulary, grammar and structure  Topics beyond your field  Unfamiliar accents  Being nervous Other opinions (please specify) 22 Which process you often carry out when listening English?  Match the initial sounds of a new word to your familiar lexicon to guess what a word might be (bottom-up process)  Activate your background knowledge to constructs (or reconstructs) the original meaning of the speaker (top-down process)  Combine both bottom-up and top-down process Other opinions (please specify) 23 When you listen, you often  Try to improve understanding by applying and comparing ideas (“Deep” approach)  Try to get correct answer, involve reproductive strategies with little attempt to integrate information (“Surface” approach) 81 Why? 24 Generally, what you think about CEFR requirements at C1 level?  Very easy  Easy  Normal  Difficult Reason(s): ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… C Suggestions for learning listening skill 25 What should you have to gain listening skill at CEFR – C1 level? (You can choose more than one option)  Having sufficient knowledge of language (vocabulary, grammar, speech structure, pronunciation, etc)  Enriching background knowledge (Economy, society, education, culture, science, art, etc)  Practicing listening skill regularly  Gaining self-confidence when participating in listening activities  Self-studying and self-assessment with the help of Internet, CDs, etc  Familiarizing yourself with the test format before being assessed Other opinions (please specify) _ Thank you for your cooperation!  82 APPENDIX - QUESTIONNAIRE (For EFL teachers at Hue College of Foreign Languages) This questionnaire aims to explore the issue of EFL 3rd year students' awareness of CEFR requirements in learning listening at Hue University of foreign languages (HUFL) All the data collected in this questionnaire will be used for the SOLE purpose of the research The researcher assures that all information collected will be confidential and I won’t use your real name in my thesis and my publication, with the hope that you will answer these questions accurately and honestly Your assistance in completing all the following items is appreciated Thank you very much for your enthusiastic assistance Please kindly note that The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, abbreviated as CEFR, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe and, increasingly, in other countries CEFR is Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which is one the initiatives of Council of Europe (CE) The aim of CEFR is to give a framework of achievable learners’ language level from the beginning to advance For each level of particular skills, it supplies requirements that learner must achieve Please put ( ) into the box next to your answers Your additional ideas are appreciated since they contribute qualitatively to our study Personal information Name (optional): Gender:  Male Age:  Female Your degree/ certificates/ experiences for EFL methodology  BA  MA Other (please specify) Numbers of years teaching English: How many students you often have in a class? 83  Less than 30 students  About 40 students  More than 50 students A Teachers’ awareness of CEFR requirements for listening skill at C1 level In English, what CEFR level your students need to achieve for graduation?  C2  C1  B2  B1 How often have you mentioned CEFR requirements as course goal in learning listening?  Never  Sometimes  Often  Very often What are CEFR requirements at C1 level? (You can choose more than one option)  Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning  Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions  Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes  Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices Other opinions (please specify) In overall listening comprehension at C1 level, what are CEFR requirements that learner can? (You can choose more than one option)  Understand enough to follow extended speech on abstract and complex topics beyond his/her own field, though he/she may need to confirm occasional details, especially if the accent is unfamiliar  Recognize a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, appreciating register shifts  Follow extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only implied and not signaled explicitly 84  Have no difficulty in understanding any kind of spoken language, whether live or broadcast delivered at fast native speed In understanding conversation between native speakers at C1 level, what are CEFR requirements that learner can ?(You choose one option)  Easily follow complex interactions between third parties in group discussion and debate, even on abstract, complex unfamiliar topics  Keep up with an animated conversation between native speakers  Generally follow the main points of extended discussion around him/her, provided speech is clearly articulated in standard dialect  Generally identify the topic of discussion around him/her, when it is conducted slowly and clearly In listening as a member of a live audience at C1 level, what are CEFR requirements that learner can follow? (You choose one option)  Specialized lectures and presentations employing a high degree of colloquialism, regional usage or unfamiliar terminology  Most lectures, discussions and debates with relative ease  The essentials of lectures, talks and reports and other forms of academic/professional presentation which are propositionally and linguistically complex  In outline straightforward short talks on familiar topics provided these are delivered in clearly articulated standard speech In listening to audio media and recordings at C1 level, what are CEFR requirements that learner can ?(You choose one option)  Understand and extract the essential information from short, recorded passages dealing with predictable everyday matters which are delivered slowly and clearly  Understand the main points of radio news bulletins and simpler recorded material about familiar subjects delivered relatively slowly and clearly 85  Understand most radio documentaries and most other recorded or broadcast audio material delivered in standard dialect and can identify the speaker's mood, tone etc  Understand a wide range of recorded and broadcast audio material, including some non-standard usage, and identify finer points of detail including implicit attitudes and relationships between speakers In listening to announcements and instructions at C1 level, what are CEFR requirements that learner can? (You choose one option)  Understand announcements and messages on concrete and abstract topics spoken in standard dialect at normal speed  Extract specific information from poor quality, audibly distorted public announcements, e.g in a station, sports stadium etc and can understand complex technical information, such as operating instructions, specifications for familiar products and services  Understand simple technical information, such as operating instructions for everyday equipment and can follow detailed directions  Understand instructions addressed carefully and slowly to him/her and follow short, simple directions B Factors influence EFL students’ awareness about CEFR requirements At Hue College of Foreign Languages, which skill are students good at  Listening  Speaking  Reading 10 To be a good listener, what characters must students have? (You can choose more than one option)  Intelligent  Hard working  Creative  Sensitive  Logical  Careful Other opinions 86  Writing 11 How many listening periods you teach each term?  Less than 30 periods  30 periods  45 periods  60 periods  More than 60 periods 12 Which current textbook(s) including listening part have you used to teach listening skill? (You can choose more than one option)  North Star  Q_ Skills  IELTs Listening  Test Plus Other textbook(s) 13 Do you think course structure is clear and easy to understand?  Yes  No 14 When teaching listening skill, which question type(s) below have you used? (You can choose more than one option)  Multiple-choice  Comprehension questions  True/False  Filling in the blank Completing the table Other opinions 15 What supporting tools have you used? (You can choose more than one option)  Songs  Pictures  Video clips  Movies  Internet Other opinions (please specify) 16 In learning listening skill, students need (You can choose more than one option) 87  Assessment by others  Self-assessment 17 How often have you assessed listening skill?  Rarely  Sometimes  Often  Very often 18 What form of oral inputs have you had in listening periods? (You can choose more than one option)  Public announcements (information, instructions, warnings, etc.);  Media (radio, TV, recordings, cinema); As a member of a live audience (theatre, public meetings, public lectures,  entertainments, etc.);  Overheard conversations 19 When teaching listening skill, what speech types have you taught? (You can choose more than one option)  Speech with unfamiliar accent  Speech with a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, appreciating register shifts  Speech is not clearly structured and relationships are only implied and not signaled explicitly Other opinions (please specify) 20 What difficulties students encounter when learning listening? (You can choose more than one option)  Few periods  Lack of listening materials to practice listening outside class  No clear teachers’ instructions  Inappropriate learning attitude (hesitation, lack confidence, etc.) 88  Shortage of physical condition (large class, noise, poor quality of TV, CD player, lights, etc) Other opinions (please specify) 21 What difficulties have students encountered when being assessed listening? (You can choose more than one option)  Difficulty in following speech due to vocabulary, grammar and structure  Topics beyond your field  Unfamiliar accents  Being nervous Other opinions (please specify) 22 Which process students often carry out when listening to English?  Match the initial sounds of a new word to your familiar lexicon to guess what a word might be (bottom-up process)  Activate their background knowledge to constructs (or reconstructs) the original meaning of the speaker (top-down process)  Combine both bottom-up and top-down process Other opinions (please specify) 23 When students listen, students often  Try to improve understanding by applying and comparing ideas (“Deep” approach)  Involve reproductive strategies with little attempt to integrate information (“Surface” approach) Why? 24 Generally, what you think about CEFR requirements at C1 level?  Very easy  Easy  Normal 89  Difficult Reason(s): ……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… C Suggestions for learning listening skill 25 What should students have to gain listening skill at CEFR – C1 level? (You can choose more than one option)  Having sufficient knowledge of language (vocabulary, grammar, speech structure, pronunciation, etc)  Enriching background knowledge (Economy, society, education, culture, science, art, etc)  Practicing listening skill regularly  Gaining self-confidence when participating in listening activities  Self-studying and self-assessment with the help of Internet, CDs, etc  Familiarizing yourself with the test format before being assessed Other opinions (please specify) _ Thank you for your cooperation!  90 APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS What you study listening for? What is the role of CEFR in learning language? When studying listening under CEFR, what difficulties and benefits you have? Should teachers and educators anything to support your learning? If, yes What? Do you think you will satisfy listening requirements at C1 level in the near future? - - APPENDIX 4: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS What you teach listening for? What is the role of CEFR in teaching language? When teaching listening under CEFR, what difficulties and benefits you have? What students need to have in order to boost their listening skill at Hue University of foreign language? Do you think your students will satisfy listening requirements at C1 level in near future? How many percentages? 91 CHAPTER I .1 INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Research significance .2 1.5 Research questions CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS .5 2.2 Overview of listening 2.2.1 Definition 2.2.2 The importance of listening .6 2.2.3 Listening process .7 2.3 Implement of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) under National Foreign Languages (NFL) 2020 project in Vietnam .8 2.4 The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) 10 2.4.1 The purpose of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages 10 2.4.2 CEFR’s levels 10 2.4.3 CEFR requirements in listening at C1 level 13 2.4.3.1 Overall listening comprehension 13 2.4.3.2 Understanding conversation between native speakers 17 2.4.3.3 Listening as a member of a live audience .18 2.4.3.4 Listening to audio media and recordings 19 2.4.3.5 Listening to announcements and instructions 20 2.4.3.6 Assessment by others/self-assessment 21 2.5 Factors influence EFL students’ awareness about CEFR requirements .23 2.5.1 Presage factors .23 2.5.2 Process factors .23 2.5.3 Product factors .24 2.6 Previous research 26 2.7 Chapter summary 28 CHAPTER III 29 METHODOLOGY 29 3.4.1 The questionnaire 30 92 4.2.1.2 The CEFR requirements in overall listening comprehension at C1 level (subcluster 1.2) 37 4.2.1.3 The CEFR requirements for particular situations (sub-cluster 1.3) 38 4.2.1.3.1 The CEFR requirements in understanding conversation between native speakers at C1 level 38 4.2.1.3.2 The CEFR requirements in listening as a member of a live audience at C1 level 40 4.2.1.3.3 The CEFR requirements in listening to audio media and recordings at C1 level 42 4.2.1.3.4 The CEFR requirements in listening to announcements and instructions at C1 level 43 4.2.2 Factors influence EFL students’ awareness about CEFR requirements in learning listening skill at C1 level (Cluster 2) .45 4.2.2 1.Presage factors (Sub- cluster 2.1) 45 4.2.2.1.1 Personal characteristics 45 4.2.2.1.2 Situational characteristics 47 4.2.2 2.Process factors (Sub- cluster 2.2) 57 4.2.2 3.Product factors (Sub- cluster 2.3) 59 CHAPTER CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH .64 REFERENCES 71 APPENDICES 75 93 [...]... examination(s) to earn C1 certificate before the end of the fourth school year in university b The requirements of CEFR – C1 level Chart 4 1 How often teachers have mentioned CEFR requirements as course goal in learning listening For the question: “How often have teachers mentioned to CEFR requirements as course goal in learning listening? ”, the participants of two groups had something in common in. .. students at Hue University s College of Education From the participants’ perspective, speaking skill at B1 level needed to be taught to non-English major students From the reality of teaching and assessing speaking skill, the impact of CEFR had existed but there are still a lot of changes in teaching and assessing in order to satisfy the requirements of CEFR standard at B1 level A large number of students. .. communication flexibly without interruption as native speakers 2.4.3 CEFR requirements in listening at C1 level Basing on the Decision 1400 of the Ministry Prime about teaching and learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System, Period 2008-2020, all leavers at universities of foreign languages (four -year program) must have language proficiency of level 5 Another way to say, EFL student is required... concerning the investigated issues Using quantitative data gave a quick, easy method of analysis and had concrete, mathematically-based findings In quantitative research, since the information was in numerical form, we typically worked out some descriptive statistics by means of tables and figures These methods were designed to refine and distill the data so that readers could glean interesting information... content of questions was classified in three clusters: Number Clusters 1 Students / Teachers’ awareness of CEFR Questions 1-8 requirements in learning listening skill at 2 C1 level Factors influence EFL students / teachers’ 3 awareness about CEFR requirements Suggestions for learning listening skill 9- 24 25 Table 3.1: Structure of the questionnaire content By using questionnaire, the privacy of the... of reliability and validity 33 CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Introduction This chapter presents the results collected from questionnaires, interviews and observation Three main parts which are presented in this chapter are (1) Awareness of CEFR requirements in learning listening skill at C1 level; (2) Factors influence awareness about CEFR requirements; (3) Suggestions for learning listening. .. Illustrating and analyzing results from the questionnaires and interviews 4.2.1 Students / Teachers’ awareness of CEFR requirements in learning listening skill at C1 level (Cluster 1) Cluster 1 was divided into 3 sub-clusters so that analyzing data would be easier and clearer 4.2.1.1 The CEFR level in English that students need to achieve for their graduation (sub-cluster 1.1) a Deciding suitable level Students. .. things as vocabulary, accurate pronunciation and grammar structures that play significant roles in speaking skill Moreover, the learning attitude is another determining factor, which causes lots of difficulties in teaching and assessing Solving these problems may help students achieve the defined requirements at their levels Based on the findings, implications for lecturers, educational administrators... awareness of CEFR s requirements in learning listening skill I believe my research paper can reflect exactly the reality of implementing NFL 2020 project in Hue university of foreign 27 language, at the same time can elicit some useful suggestion for enhancing students English competence effectively 2.7 Chapter summary In this chapter, the researcher has supplied the background knowledge of listening, CEFR. .. two later factors have no meaning on the change of the first ones By the diagram, Lizzio et al (2002) show that academic outcomes strongly depend on the quality of presage factors and the choice of learning approach that students have Their course satisfaction must derive from the satisfaction of learning environment Therefore, students awareness of learning requirements should be investigated basing