This research project investigates the effects of using textrelevant schemata activation activities on listening comprehension of EFL sophomores of University of Languages and International Studies. The research subjects were divided into three groups, two receiving an experimental treatment (either formal or content schemata) and a control group receiving no treatment. At the end of treatment, a listening test including a summary writing task and a set of comprehension questions was administered to all groups. The analysis of the test scores revealed that the formal and content schemata activation activities significantly facilitated learners’ L2 listening comprehension. Between these two listening supports, the former brought about a slightly better listening outcome than the latter. Additionally, question types and learners’ general listening proficiency were two factors that moderated the effects of schemata activation on L2 listening comprehension. Learners performed greater on global questions than local question and high proficiency learners were found to benefit more from the formal schemata activation activities than low level counterparts. Regarding the pedagogical implications, this study informs teachers and course designers in their decisionmaking to select andor design suitable prelistening activities to foster learners’ listening comprehension.
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF SCHEMATA ACTIVATION ACTIVITIES ON L2 LISTENING COMPREHENSION Supervisor: Nguyễn Chí Đức, Ph.D Student: Trần Minh Thảo Year of Enrollment: QH2014.F1.E2 HANOI – 2018 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA NHỮNG HOẠT ĐỘNG KÍCH THÍCH KIẾN THỨC NỀN TRONG VIỆC NGHE HIỂU NGÔN NGỮ THỨ HAI Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Nguyễn Chí Đức, PhD Sinh viên: Trần Minh Thảo Khóa: QH2014.F.1.E2 HÀ NỘI – 2018 ACCEPTANCE PAGE I hereby state that I: Tran Minh Thao from QH2014.F1.E2, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper Signature Tran Minh Thao ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Nguyen Chi Duc, for untiring supporting me during these months He is the most dedicated person and one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever known He always provided insightful comments that helped me to view issues from various perspectives Although I had many shortcomings, one of which was my weak research skill, he still patiently guided and encouraged me from the beginning till the end He is my best role model for a scientist, a mentor and a teacher I could not have imagined a better supervisor for this journey Next, a very special gratitude goes to all teachers and students in University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam, who willingly spent time participating in my study Without their help, I would not have been able to complete this thesis I also thank to my beloved friends for their care, their wishes and their encouragement Special thanks to Bui Quynh Trang, Pham Hong Ngoc, Nguyen Vu Quoc Duy, Nguyen Thu Tra, Nguyen Ngoc Anh and Luong Huyen My who listened and offered me valuable advice when I needed support Last but not least, I am deeply grateful to my family My special and heartily thanks to my mom who pushed me to complete this thesis, cheered me up when I felt down about myself, stayed up with me through some sleepless nights and always believed in me ABSTRACT This research project investigates the effects of using text-relevant schemata activation activities on listening comprehension of EFL sophomores of University of Languages and International Studies The research subjects were divided into three groups, two receiving an experimental treatment (either formal or content schemata) and a control group receiving no treatment At the end of treatment, a listening test including a summary writing task and a set of comprehension questions was administered to all groups The analysis of the test scores revealed that the formal and content schemata activation activities significantly facilitated learners’ L2 listening comprehension Between these two listening supports, the former brought about a slightly better listening outcome than the latter Additionally, question types and learners’ general listening proficiency were two factors that moderated the effects of schemata activation on L2 listening comprehension Learners performed greater on global questions than local question and high proficiency learners were found to benefit more from the formal schemata activation activities than low level counterparts Regarding the pedagogical implications, this study informs teachers and course designers in their decision-making to select and/or design suitable pre-listening activities to foster learners’ listening comprehension TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the problem and rationale for the study Research aims and research questions 3 Potential contributions Research methodology Structure of the study CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW Listening comprehension 1.1 Definition of listening comprehension 1.2 The process of listening comprehension Schema 10 2.1 Definition of schema 10 2.2 Types of schema 12 Roles of schema activation in listening comprehension 13 CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY 21 Overall research design and research aims 21 Research participants 23 Input materials 24 Data collection instrument 25 4.1 Pre-listening test 25 4.2 Post-listening test 26 Procedures of data collection 27 5.1 Formal schemata activation group 27 5.2 Content schemata activation group 28 5.3 Control group 28 Data analysis 39 CHAPTER THREE: RESULTS 30 The overall listening comprehension scores 30 The scores on the summary measure 32 The scores on the specific question measure 34 The scores on the inference question measure 36 Overall summary 38 CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS 39 Discussion 39 Implications 41 2.1 Pedagogical implications 41 2.2 Research implications 42 CONCLUSION 44 Summary of research findings 44 Limitations of the study 45 REFERENCES 46 APPENDIXES 52 LIST OF TABLES, DIAGRAMS AND ABBREVIATIONS TABLES Table 1: Zeng’s techniques to trigger stored schemata 13 Table 2: Nguyen and Newton’s techniques for schemata activation 14 Table 3: Summary of Chang and Read’s procedures of data collection 16 Table 4: Research Design 22 Table 5: The Overall Listening Comprehension Scores 31 Table 6: Scores on the Summary Measure 33 Table 7: Scores on the Specific Question Measure 35 Table 8: Scores on the Inference Question Measure 36 DIAGRAMS Figure 1: Cognitive Processes and Knowledge Sources in Listening Comprehension Figure 2: A person’s possible schema of an egg 11 ABBREVIATIONS L2 Foreign or Second Language IELTS International English Language Testing System CEFR Common European Framework of Reference for Language ESL English as a Second Language EFL English as a Foreign Language INTRODUCTION This initial section aims to give an overview of this research report First, the rationale for this study will be presented, which is subsequently followed by the research aims and the contribution that this study can make to research and instruction practices Most importantly, the research questions which work as a guideline for the whole research project will also be stated in this section Statement of the problem and the rationale of the study Listening is often regarded as the most frequently used language skill in normal life (Rost, 2001), which therefore deserves to have an important place in language teaching and learning agenda (Rost, 2001; Vandergrift, 2004) Significant though it may seem, it has been considered “the Cinderella of the four language skills” [i.e., speaking, reading, writing and listening] (as cited in Peter, Guangwei & Lawrence, 2009) This might be partially reflected in the paucity of research on L2 listening and therefore more investigations into this language skill are still welcomed According to Vandergrift (2004, p.3), “listening is probably the least explicit of the four macro language skills, making it the most difficult skill to learn” and therefore to teach as well Chang and Read (2006) also supported the view above Goh (2000) even identified ten cognitive problems regarding L2 listening comprehension, such as: L2 lexical segmentation and recognition, limited capacity of human working memory and challenging nature of real-time listening Goh also attributed these problems to many factors, one of which was learners’ failure to use relevant schematic knowledge to facilitate their listening processes Schematic knowledge includes content schemata and formal schemata While the first one refers to topical knowledge or knowledge about the world outside, the latter refers to knowledge about the structure of a given text Grabe (1991) pointed out that, to comprehend a spoken or a written text, L2 learners need both types of Vandergrift, L., &Goh, C C (2012).Teaching and learning second language listening: Metacognition in action New York: Routledge Wang, C (2005) The effect of advance organizers and listening proficiency on EFL students’s listening comprehension English Teaching and Learning 30(2):1–22 Willis, D (1983) The Potential and Limitations of Video In John, Ed, McGovern (Eds.),Video Applications in English Language Teaching (pp.17-27) Oxford: Published in association with British Council by Pergamon Zeng, Y (2007) Schema theory and its application in teaching listening for nonEnglish major undergraduates Sino-US English Teaching, 4(6): 32- 36 51 APPENDIXES A Consent form (a signed sample) 52 B Profile of research participants Control group (Code: A0) Code General information Age L2 listening Proficiency Scores Gender A01 20 Female 20 A02 20 Female 13 A03 20 Female 34 A04 20 Female 26 A05 20 Male 30 A06 20 Female 23 A07 20 Female 22 A08 20 Female 23 A09 20 Female 17 A10 20 Female 16 A11 20 Female 31 A12 20 Female 32 A13 20 Female 30 A14 20 Female 24 A15 20 Male 15 A16 20 Female 25 A17 20 Female 22 A18 20 Female 11 A19 20 Male 32 53 Formal schemata activation group (B0) Code General information Age L2 listening Proficiency Scores Gender B01 20 Female 27 B02 20 Female 39 B03 20 Female 33 B04 20 Male 23 B05 20 Female 22 B06 20 Male 19 B07 20 Female 25 B08 20 Female 22 B09 20 Female 38 B10 20 Female 35 B11 20 Male 32 B12 20 Female 23 B13 20 Female 20 B14 20 Female 25 B15 20 Female 33 B16 20 Female 31 B17 20 Male 25 B18 20 Male 19 B19 20 Female 16 B20 20 Female 24 54 B21 20 Female 14 B22 20 Female 19 B23 20 Female 36 B24 20 Female 16 B25 20 Male 17 B26 20 Female 23 B27 20 Female 29 B28 20 Female 15 B29 20 Female 19 B30 20 Female 12 B31 20 Female 25 B32 20 Female 27 B33 20 Female 14 55 Content schemata activation group (C0) Code General information Age L2 listening Proficiency Scores Gender C01 20 Female 21 C02 20 Female 18 C03 20 Female 15 C04 20 Female 11 C05 20 Female 26 C06 20 Female 31 C07 20 Female 25 C08 20 Female 20 C09 20 Female 21 C10 20 Female 30 C11 20 Female 17 C12 20 Female 25 C13 20 Female 18 C14 20 Female 23 C15 20 Female 20 C16 20 Male 23 C17 20 Male 35 C18 20 Male 34 C19 20 Male 27 C20 20 Female 23 56 C21 20 Female 21 C22 20 Male 36 C23 20 Female 26 C24 20 Female 17 C25 20 Female 16 C26 20 Female 34 57 C Information on the listening input Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKnAJCSGSdk Titile: Urbanization and the future of cities Presenters: Vance Kite Length: 5:08 Transcript: Today, more than half of all people in the world live in an urban area By midcentury, this will increase to 70% But as recently as 100 years ago, only two out of ten people lived in a city, and before that, it was even less How have we reached such a high degree of urbanization, and what does it mean for our future? In the earliest days of human history, humans were hunter-gatherers, often moving from place to place in search of food But about 10,000 years ago, our ancestors began to learn the secrets of selective breeding and early agricultural techniques For the first time, people could raise food rather than search for it, and this led to the development of semi-permanent villages for the first time in history "Why only semi-permanent?" you might ask Well, at first, the villages still had to relocate every few years as the soil became depleted It was only with the advent of techniques like irrigation and soil tilling about 5,000 years ago that people could rely on a steady and long-term supply of food, making permanent settlements possible And with the food surpluses that these techniques produced, it was no longer necessary for everyone to farm This allowed the development of other specialized trades, and, by extension, cities With cities now producing surplus food, as well as tools, crafts, and other goods, there was now the possibility of commerce and interaction over longer distances 58 And as trade flourished, so did technologies that facilitated it, like carts, ships, roads, and ports Of course, these things required even more labor to build and maintain, so more people were drawn from the countryside to the cities as more jobs and opportunities became available If you think modern cities are overcrowded, you may be surprised to learn that some cities in 2000 B.C had population densities nearly twice as high as that of Shanghai or Calcutta One reason for this was that transportation was not widely available, so everything had to be within walking distance, including the few sources of clean water that existed then And the land area of the city was further restricted by the need for walls to defend against attacks The Roman Empire was able to develop infrastructure to overcome these limitations, but other than that, modern cities as we know them, didn't really get their start until the Industrial Revolution, when new technology deployed on a mass scale allowed cities to expand and integrate further, establishing police, fire, and sanitation departments, as well as road networks, and later electricity distribution So, what is the future of cities? Global population is currently more than billion and is predicted to top out around 10 billion Most of this growth will occur in the urban areas of the world's poorest countries So, how will cities need to change to accommodate this growth? First, the world will need to seek ways to provide adequate food, sanitation, and education for all people Second, growth will need to happen in a way that does not damage the land that provides us with the goods and services that support the human population Food production might move to vertical farms and skyscrapers, rooftop gardens, or vacant lots in city centers, white power will increasingly come from multiple sources of renewable energy Instead of single-family homes, more residences will be built vertically We may see buildings that contain everything that people need for their daily life, as well as a smaller, self-sufficient cities focused on local and sustainable production The future of cities is diverse, malleable, and creative, no longer built around a single industry, but reflecting an increasingly connected and global world 59 D Text Comprehension Test Name: Class Score:… /10 COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS I/ Circle the best answer to each of the questions below: By mid-century, population in the city will go up to……… a) 17% b) 77% c) 70% d) 7% What caused the development of the first semi-permanent village? a) Improvement in technology b) Changes in weather conditions c) Advance in agriculture d) Provision of freshwater Why did ancient cities often have a large population? a) People gathered in these cities to protect themselves from attacks b) There were developed transportation systems in these cities c) Roman Empire developed infrastructure d) There was abundant food and water in these cities 60 Which of the following appeared as a result of the Industrial Revolution … a) road networks b) water distribution c) walled cities d) clean water The world population is expected to top out at… billion people a) b) c) d) 10 II Read each statement below carefully Write at the beginning of the statement T if you think the statement is TRUE F if you think the statement is FALSE The Industrial Revolution changed the ancient cities to the modern cities Modern cities have population densities twice as high as cities in 2.000 BC did People have now already been provided with adequate food, sanitation, and education High buildings should replace single-family homes 5000 years ago, techniques helped people to produce a steady amount of food 61 E A student’s sampled summary 62 F Checklist for evaluating multiple-choice items and true/false items Multiple-choice items The vocabulary is appropriate to the students’ grade level The item assesses an important aspect of the targeted instructional targets The stem is clearly worded and free of ambiguity The stem is free of irrelevant or unnecessary detail The stem asks a question that has a definite answer The stem is grammatically correct in its relationship to each alternatives The use of absolutes (e.g., “always”, “never”) has been avoided The use of negatives has been avoided The alternatives are all appropriate to the question asked or implied by the stem The distracters are all plausible The alternatives are stated briefly and simply as possible One alternative is not significantly longer than the others Key words in the stem have not been repeated in any of the alternatives “All of the above” and “none of the above” has not been used The number of alternatives is consistent Every item is independent of every other item True/ false items Statements are unequivocally true or false 63 Each item is as significant as possible Only one central idea is included in each statement Negative, and particularly double negative statements, have been avoided The statement is short and uses simple language The statement is paraphrased rather than copied form learning materials There is no pattern in the order of responses The item is free of verbal clues that give away the answer Trick questions have been avoided 64 G Mind-map City expansion Permanent villages City formation Urbanization Human prehistory Semipermanent villages Future changes of cities 65 ... TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA NHỮNG HOẠT ĐỘNG KÍCH THÍCH KIẾN THỨC NỀN TRONG VIỆC NGHE HIỂU NGƠN NGỮ THỨ HAI Giáo viên hướng... flexible schematic structures For example, we might have schemata for a classroom which includes chairs, tables, blackboard, and bookshelves; therefore, each time we enter a classroom, we not need... benefits of prior knowledge activation activities for L2 listening comprehension They are also strong in terms of methodology as both used a quantitative method (i.e., the listening comprehension