A study on the relationship between teaching and learning listening comprehension at a high school in hoa binh

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES  BÙI THỊ THỦY A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHING AND LEARNING LISTENING COMPREHENSION AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HOA BINH NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ MỐI QUAN HỆ GIỮA VIỆC DẠY VÀ HỌC NGHE HIỂU Ở MỘT TRƯỜNG THPT TẠI HỊA BÌNH M.A MINOR THESIS FIELD : ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE : 60.14.0111 HANOI – 2013 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES  BÙI THỊ THỦY A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHING AND LEARNING LISTENING COMPREHENSION AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HOA BINH NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ MỐI QUAN HỆ GIỮA VIỆC DẠY VÀ HỌC NGHE HIỂU Ở MỘT TRƯỜNG THPT TẠI HỊA BÌNH M.A MINOR THESIS FIELD : ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE : 60.14.0111 SUPERVISOR : Ph.D PHẠM THỊ THANH THÙY HANOI – 2013 i STATEMENT OF THESIS ORIGINALITY I certify that this minor thesis entitled ‘A study on the relationship between teaching and learning listening comprehension at a high school in Hoa Binh’ is the result of my own research and that it has not been submit for any other degree to any other university or institution Hanoi, 2013 Student‟s signature Bùi Thị Thủy ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This minor thesis has been accomplished with the help and encouragement of many people Thus, I hereby would like to express my appreciation to all of them Firstly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my beloved supervisor Ph.D Pham Thi Thanh Thuy for her invaluable guidance, critical comments, positive supports and precious corrections on my writing and thesis completion Secondly, I would like to thank all lectures and staffs of faculty of postgraduate for their valuable lessons and precious help that help me overcome difficulties in doing this thesis th Thirdly, I also owe my sincere thanks to English teachers and 10 form, 11 th th form and 12 form students, who enthusiastically took part in this study at Yenthuy C high school where I conducted this minor thesis I would not have completed my thesis without their help Last but not least, I would like to thank my beloved family, my husband who gave me love, tolerance and encouragement during the study iii ABSTRACT This study aims at finding out students‟ needs and expectations to listening comprehension, how students learn listening comprehension, how English teachers teach listening comprehension and some ways to fill the gaps between students‟ needs and expectations with how listening comprehension is taught at Yenthuy C high school Firstly, all five English teachers and 166 students were invited to answer two survey questionnaires Then, six listening comprehension periods were observed randomly Last, four English teachers were invited to joined an informal interview The research reveals that the majority of the students have their own certain needs, expectations in learning listening comprehension and most of the teachers‟ teaching methods satisfy students‟ needs and expectations iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: INTRODUCTION Rationale Aims of the Study Methods of the study Scope of the study Design of the study PART 2: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Listening comprehension 1.1.1 Definition of listening comprehension 1.1.2 The importance of listening comprehension 1.2 Teaching listening comprehension 1.2.1 The stages of teaching listening comprehension 1.2.2 Processes of teaching listening comprehension 1.2.3 Techniques ofteaching listening comprehension 1.2.4 Principles of teaching listening comprehension 1.3 Learning listening comprehension 1.3.1 Motivation in learning listening comprehension 1.3.2 Strategies of learning listening comprehension 1.3.3 Classroom interaction in learning listening comprehe 1.3.4 Difficulties in learning listening comprehension 1.4 Needs analysis and expectations 1.4.1 Need analysis 1.4.2 Expectations CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Participants 2.3 The data collection instrument 2.3.1 Classroom Observation v 2.3.2 Questionnaires 2.3.3 Informal Interview 2.4 Data collection and analysis 2.5 Conclusion CHAPTER 3: REAL SITUATION OF TEACHING LISTENING COMPREHENSION AT YENTHUY C HIGH SCHOOL 3.1 3.1.1 Teachers’ stages in teaching listening comprehension Results of the teachers’ stages through questionnaire 3.1.2 The results of teachers’ stages through classroom observation 3.1.3 3.2 The results of teachers’ stages through interviews Teachers’ processes in teaching listening comprehension 3.2.1 The results of teachers’ processes through questionnai 3.2.2 The results of teachers’ processes through classroom o 3.2.3 The results of teachers’ processes through informal in 3.3 Teachers’ techniques for teaching listening comprehension 3.3.1 The results of teachers’ techniques through questionna 3.3.3 The results of teachers’ techniques through interviews 3.4 Teachers’ applications of techniques to check students’ listening comp 3.5 Teachers’ principles in teaching listening comprehension CHAPTER 4: REAL SITUATION OF LEARNING LISTENING COMPREHENSION AT YENTHUY C HIGH SCHOOL 4.1 Students’ needs in learning listening comprehension 4.2 Students’ expectations to teachers’ teaching listening comprehension 4.3 Students’ motivation in learning listening comprehension 4.4 Students’ strategies in learning listening comprehension 4.5 Students’ interactions in learning listening comprehension 4.5.1 The results of students’ interactions through questionn 4.5.2 The results of students’ interactions through classroom 4.6 Students’ difficulties in learning listening comprehension CHAPTER 5: FILLING THE GAPS BETWEEN STUDENTS’ NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS WITH TEACHING LISTENING COMPREHENSION 45 vi 5.1 Filling the gaps between students’ needs in learning listening comprehension and teachers’ teaching listening comprehension 45 5.2 Filling the gaps between students’ expectations in learning listening comprehension and teachers’ teaching listening comprehension 47 5.3 Some activities for gap filling between teaching and listening comprehension 48 PART 3: RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 51 Findings and suggestions 51 Conclusion 52 Limitations of the study 52 Suggestions for further study 53 REFERENCES 54 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Students‟ background information 211 Table 2: The results of teachers‟ processes in teaching listening comprehension 255 Table 3: The results of teachers‟ techniques for teaching listening comprehension.277 Table 4: The results of teachers‟ applications of techniques to check students‟ comprehension in the classroom 30 Table 5: The results of teachers‟ principles for teaching listening comprehension 322 Table 6: Results of students‟ needs in learning listening comprehension (n=166) 333 Table 7: Results of students‟ expectations in learning listening comprehension (n=166) Table 8: Results of students‟ motivation in learning listening comprehension (n=166) 366 Table 9: The results of students‟ cognitive strategies in learning listening comprehension (n=166) Table 10: The results of students‟ metacognitive strategies in learning listening comprehension (n=166) Table 11: The results of students‟ socio-affective strategies in learning listening comprehension (n=166) Table 12: The results of students‟ interactions in learning listening comprehension (n=166) Table 13: The results of students‟ difficulties in learning listening comprehension (n=166) ………………………………….……………………………………… 444 viii LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1: Questionnaire for students Appendix 2: Questionnaire for teachers Appendix 3: Informal interview for teacher Appendix 4: Informal interview for teacher Appendix 5: Informal interview for teacher Appendix 6: Informal interview for teacher Appendix 7: Classroom observation Appendix 8: Classroom observation Appendix 9: Classroom observation Appendix 10: Classroom observation Appendix 11: Classroom observation Appendix 12: Classroom observation …………………………………… XXVIII XVIII APPENDIX 5: INFORMAL INTERVIEW FOR TEACHER Interviewer: Are you ready for this interview? Teacher 3: Yes Interviewer: Have you followed stages including pre-listening, while-listening and post-listening in teaching listening comprehension? Teacher 3: Yes I have Interviewer: Do you have enough time to use all the listening stages as teaching? Teacher 3: Yes, but sometimes I cannot finish all stages in 45 minutes because some listening lessons are too long Interviewer: Do you think when learning listening skills, students only improve their listening ability or integrated skills? Teacher 3: I think it is very necessary to improve their integrated skills Interviewer: In what ways should you in order to improve their English listening ability and other skills such as speaking, writing, and reading through listening comprehension? Teacher 3: After listening, students present their ideas about the listening text Sometimes I design the writing tasks related to the listening text Interviewer: Do you use English songs, English films on T.V, and English news on the radio in your classroom? Teacher 3: Seldom Our school is in mountainous area, there are a few listening materials available here I just teach them listening comprehension in the textbook Interviewer: Do you think learning listening skills will be a good preparation for their future job? Teacher 3: Yes, of course It is very necessary for their future job Interviewer: Do you think that your students learn listening comprehension only because of their good listening marks in listening comprehension exams? Give reasons to specify your answers Teacher 3: Yes Marks help and motivate them to try to listen in the classroom Interviewer: Do you equip your students with necessary strategies in listening XIX comprehension such as guessing the meaning of the text, guessing the speaker‟s attitudes through their voice? Teacher 3: Yes, sometimes I provide them with some listening strategies so as to help them focus on important information Interviewer: Why? Teacher 3: Because this makes them find it more easier to listen to the text and focus on what they should hear Interviewer: Do you adjust your listening tasks because of their level, ability or interest? Teacher 3: Yes Sometimes Interviewer: Do you often use some integrated skill activities Teacher 3: Yes but not very often Interviewer: How much students have to use other skills on these activities? Teacher 3: Because reading, speaking or writing lessons are long enough to follow and sometimes I have no minutes left for other skills Thus, I teach each skill separately Interviewer: How often you explain your students about the objectives of listening activities in the classroom? Teacher 3: Very often Before asking my students to listen to a text, I usually explain its objectives to them Interviewer: How often you provide your students with certain amount of needed words for listening activities in pre-listening stage? Teacher 3: I often provide them with needed words in pre-listening by giving the meaning of the words Interviewer: By what ways? Teacher 3: By illustrating pictures and real objects Interviewer: What should you to encourage your students to listen better? Teacher 3: More songs and games should be used to motivate them Teachers should spend more time redesigning listening tasks and making them easier Interviewer: Thank you very much Teacher 3: Not at all XX APPENDIX 6: INFORMAL INTERVIEW FOR TEACHER Interviewer: Are you ready for this interview? Teacher 4: Yes Interviewer: Have you followed three stages including pre-listening, while-listening and post-listening in teaching listening comprehension? Teacher 4: Yes Interviewer: Do you have enough time to use all the listening stages when teaching? Teacher 4: Yes, but some listening lessons are too long and difficult for my students so I cannot finish all the stages Interviewer: Do you think when learning listening skills, students only improve their listening ability or integrated skills? Teacher 4: Both Learning listening skills is not only to their listening ability but also to improve their integrated skills Interviewer: In what ways should you in order to improve their English listening ability and other skills such as speaking, writing, and reading through listening comprehension? Teacher 4: Teachers should ask them to present their summary text after listening, work in pairs and ask and answer the question, to write a summary of what they have just listened to Interviewer: Do you use English songs, English films on T.V, and English news on the radio in your classroom? Teacher 4: Sometimes I usually teach them listening comprehension in the textbook only I don‟t have much time to prepare more tasks Interviewer: Do you think learning listening skills will be a good preparation for their future job? Teacher 4: Yes, I think so Interviewer: Do you think that your students learn listening comprehension only because of their good listening marks in listening comprehension exams? Give reasons to specify your answers XXI Teacher 4: Yes In many cases, if I not test and give them marks they will not try to listen and improve their listening skills Interviewer: Do you equip your students with necessary strategies in listening comprehension such as guessing the meaning of the text, guessing the speaker‟s attitudes through their voice? Teacher 4: Yes, I often provide them with some listening strategies so as to help them focus on important information Interviewer: Do you adjust your listening tasks because of their level, ability or interest? Teacher 4: Yes Sometimes because some tasks in the textbook are difficult for low-level students Interviewer: Do you often use some integrated skill activities? Teacher 4: Yes, but not always Interviewer: How much students have to use other skills on these activities? Teacher 4: Often speaking, and sometimes writing Interviewer: How often you explain your students about the objectives of listening activities in the classroom? Teacher 4: Often Before listening to a text Interviewer: How often you provide your students with certain amount of needed words for listening activities in pre-listening stage? By what ways? Teacher 4: I always provide them with needed words in pre-listening by writing them on the board and then giving the meanings of the words Interviewer: What should you to encourage your students to listen better? Teacher 4: We can use more language games to motivate them to listen in the classroom XXII APPENDIX 7: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Class: 12A4 Teacher Unit 10: Endangered species: Listening Teacher’s Stages T Before Bo you listen wo While you -A listen to Task the Task As co bo Le the be an Post- -A listening sum ide -A rep dis XXIII APPENDIX 8: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Class: 12A1 Teacher Unit 13: Listening Teacher’s Stages Teacher’s Pre- Top-down: A listening to give name Bottom-up p teach some n Play CD twic students to li repeat in cho individually While Get students listening questions in Task Translate the into Vietnam Play CD and to listen for t Play the reco again and ask give their an Task Read each st then translate sentences 1, Get students task XXIV Post- Ask students listening questions Give some a related to the skillful, defe goalkeeper… XXV APPENDIX 9: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Class: 12A2 (40 students) Teacher Unit 14: International Organization - Listening Teacher’s stages Teac Top-dow Bottom-u Prelistening words Get stude words in individua Give inst Read thro While - and give listening Read and Task repeat Get stude answers Check st Give the Task Vietname Get stude answers Top-dow Postlistening Ask stud internatio from read listening XXVI Illustrate them some students sit passively questions: and may be they feel What does it stand for? uninterested in the When was it established? given questions What are its activities? Two stand up and What are its main objectives? talk about the Call two students to talk organizations while about the organizations they others speak aloud know and make noise XXVII APPENDIX 10: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Class: 11A1 (38 students) Teacher Unit 12: The Asian Games: Listening Teachers’ stages Tea Pre- Apply b listening Play the students and the While - Get list listening questio Task Play CD students questio Check e right an Play ag answers Task 2: Read ea textboo Play the Time‟s Postlistening XXVIII APPENDIX 11: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION th Date: March 20 , 2013 Class: 10A3 (36 students) Teacher Unit : 12 – Music – Listening Teachers’ stages Teac Pre- Use top- listening asking s Pre-teac Get stud repeat w textbook While- Get stud listening instructi Play CD Task answer t Play the check ea right ans Play aga students Task Read ea textbook Adapt th question choices XXIX Get stud answers Get stud and chec Post- Give the listening Time‟s cannot g present asks the XXX APPENDIX 12: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Class: 11A3 (36 students) Teacher: Unit 11: Hobbies - Listening Teacher’s stages Warm-up Prelistening Whilelistening Task Task Postlistening ... That is the biggest reason for choosing the theme: ? ?A study on the relationship between teaching and learning listening comprehension at a high school in Hoa Binh? ?? Aims of the Study The main... 1: INTRODUCTION Rationale Teaching and learning comprehension should be interesting and motivated to students; however, teaching and learning listening at Yenthuy C high school is rather boring... and variation in teaching and learning in general and in teaching and learning listening comprehension in particular, students will certainly feel bored with learning listening To increase students‟