Rationale
In today's interconnected world, the importance of the English language, particularly in Vietnam, is increasingly recognized, making English learning a priority for students Among the various challenges faced, listening skills stand out as a critical aspect of language acquisition Listening is essential for understanding and acquiring a foreign language, yet it is often undervalued compared to reading and writing Students typically receive around 90% of their classroom information through listening, yet many struggle with this skill due to factors like rapid speech, natural language reductions, intonation, and unfamiliar accents To address these challenges, it's crucial to implement effective teaching methods that enhance listening abilities One such method is dictation, where learners listen to an oral text and transcribe it, allowing for repeated exposure and segmented information, thereby facilitating improved language comprehension and overall learning.
The focus of this study is to highlight the importance of dictation as a technique and to prove that this technique has the potential for learners’ The
This study explores the effectiveness of the dictation method in enhancing students' listening skills, aiming to develop their competencies as autonomous listeners By investigating this approach, the research seeks to identify how dictation can foster improved listening abilities among learners.
Aims of the study
This study investigates the effectiveness of dictation as a technique for enhancing listening skills among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students It aims to determine whether dictation is beneficial for developing listening abilities and to explore student responses to this teaching method Additionally, the research seeks to draw teachers' attention to the potential of dictation in improving students' listening proficiency.
Methods of the study
This study effectively utilized a quantitative approach, employing structured questionnaires with predetermined response options to gather insights from a large sample of second-year foreign language students The aim was to explore their attitudes towards listening skills, the challenges they face in understanding English, and their expectations from teachers Questionnaires were chosen for their convenience, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and ease of completion for students, incorporating both closed and open-ended questions As second-year students often encounter difficulties in listening, it is crucial for them to be equipped with various techniques early on With the right strategies, they can enhance their listening skills over time Following the data collection, appropriate methods were applied to analyze the gathered responses.
Scope of the study
This research focused on a sample of 40 final-year English major students at Haiphong University of Management and Technology The study is confined to a specific group of students, allowing for targeted insights into their academic experiences and perspectives.
Management and Technology This population will be chosen randomly Questionnaires are given out when students finish their class at universities.
Design of the study
This study is composed of three main parts:
Part one is the introduction which consists of rationale, aims, study methods, the scope and design of the study
Part two is the development – the main part of this paper which is divided into three chapters:
Chapter I is the literature review
Chapter II shows detailed explanation of the methodology
Chapter III shows the findings and discussion
Part three is the conclusion which summarizes what was given in previous parts as well as some limitations of the study and recommendations for further study
LITERATURE REVIEW
An overview of listening
Listening is one of the most frequently used language skill which plays a crucial role in communication and in the process of education For that reason,
Listening is a complex and often unseen intellectual process that involves several key skills As noted by Field (1998), effective listeners must be able to differentiate sounds, comprehend vocabulary and grammatical structures, and interpret the speaker's emphasis and intentions Additionally, they need to recall information and understand it within the socio-cultural context of the conversation.
According to Anderson & Lynch (1988), listening comprehension involves grasping the speaker's message, where the listener plays a crucial role by leveraging their knowledge to interpret and analyze the spoken information effectively.
Wolvin & Coakley (1985) defines listening in a simpler way: ‘Listening is the process by which the hearing organs receive, process, and identify the message of speech
Listening comprehension, as defined by Van Tan and Nguyen Van Dam (1997) in the 'Vietnamese Dictionary,' is a process where hearing captures external sounds and transmits them to the central nervous system In this process, the sounds are analyzed, transformed into signals, and sent to the senses, enabling humans to develop reflexes in response to those sounds.
Listening comprehension is a multifaceted problem-solving skill that goes beyond merely receiving sound; it involves the analysis and interpretation of the intended message conveyed by the words.
In conclusion, listening is defined in various ways by different authors, yet it is universally recognized as an essential skill for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students Mastering listening is vital for enhancing their overall language proficiency and communication abilities.
5 ability to grasp words correctly in order to be good listeners that help them to realise success in communication with others
First of all, it is necessary to mention the role of this type of skill in normal human life, in activities with friends and relatives
I.2.1 Help yourself be able to understand, empathize with other people
Listening is not just about hearing words; it's about understanding the speaker's emotions and intentions Developing effective listening skills requires practice, as truly grasping what someone is expressing can be challenging.
Effective communication is essential for success, whether in parenting, the workplace, or personal growth Just as parents must listen to their children, bosses need strong listening skills to understand their staff To thrive in your career and master a foreign language, particularly English, honing your listening abilities is crucial Ultimately, the key to a fulfilling life lies in the art of listening.
I.2.2 Help build relationships with people around
Thanks to the role of understanding, not only listening to communicative English, but also listening to common skills helps to build and develop many different relationships
Knowing how to motivate and help others will make your relationship stronger You can also easily establish a new relationship by listening to the other person’s story
Effective listening skills foster trust and encourage open communication, making it easier to build friendships and succeed in your professional endeavors By actively listening to customers, you can create a strong rapport that entices them to choose your product and encourages repeat business Developing this trust through attentive listening is essential for long-term customer relationships.
Listening skills including of two main types are casual and focused listening going together, up to the aim of listening (Nguyen Thi Van Lam and Ngo Dinh Phuong, 2006)
Casual listening, means listening without a particular purpose When we listen, we do not pay much or even any attention to the information unless
In our daily lives, we often engage in a form of listening that can make it difficult to recall what we've just heard, such as when we enjoy music or catch up on news while multitasking with chores or socializing with friends.
Focused listening is a deliberate and concentrated form of listening, distinct from casual listening It involves actively engaging with the material to gather specific information and insights This type of listening is particularly valuable in settings such as classrooms, meetings, and seminars, where participants aim to deepen their understanding of topics of interest.
Listening process divides into five periods:
Sound waves trigger a physical response in the listener's ear, allowing them to interpret the speaker's meaning through their thoughts and emotional tone This understanding is a vital component of the communication process and is present in all forms of speech.
Remembering is needed for maintaining conversation because it means that a message has not only been delivered and interpreted but also added to the listener mind’s storage bank
Human morality and selective attention influence our conversations, leading to only a portion of information being retained in our memory As a result, our recollections can significantly differ from what we originally perceived or heard.
This stage is mostly executed by conscious awareness, consists of judging the messages in some way Meanwhile, you might try to penetrate the speaker’s underlying intentions or motives
Effective communication requires listeners to provide feedback, either verbally or nonverbally, to confirm that the message has been received This feedback is essential for sustaining the conversation and ensuring clarity between speakers and listeners.
In conclusion, listening is the psychological process of receiving, attending to, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken or nonverbal messages (Syed Arif Ali Shah - Published on Jul 5, 2010)
Listening can be particularly challenging for young learners, especially when they encounter a new language Inexperienced individuals often rely on cues from their first language, which is still developing Unlike face-to-face communication, listeners cannot seek clarification or visual support when listening to audio materials, such as CDs Consequently, listening is considered one of the most difficult skills to learn and teach, as it involves an active interpretation process where listeners must utilize their existing knowledge to comprehend spoken messages Additionally, learners have no control over the vocabulary, structure, or pace of the speakers As language instructors, it is crucial to remind students that despite their best efforts, they may still face challenges in improving their listening skills This process takes time and practice, and it is unrealistic to expect them to understand every word during listening activities.
According to Bloomfield et al (2011), there are some other elements concerning the traits of the listeners that can additionally have a main impact
Listeners' working memory plays a crucial role in their ability to comprehend spoken language, particularly when it comes to their second language (L2) Several factors influence their listening skills, including the extent of exposure to the L2, familiarity with its phonology, vocabulary knowledge, and background information on the topic being discussed These elements collectively enhance listeners' capacity to understand and retain what they hear in a foreign language.
METHODOLOGY
Participants
To conduct the research, a population of second-year students from Hai Phong University of Management and Technology was selected, with a sample of 40 students chosen randomly Most participants have an average of eight years of English learning experience, having studied for four years in secondary school, three years in high school, and one year at university Despite this background, their English proficiency is limited due to the restrictive high school curriculum, which provided few opportunities for practical language use Consequently, upon entering university, these students encounter significant challenges in their studies and have identified various difficulties and needs related to listening activities.
Data collection instruments and procedure
The current research utilized a semi-structured questionnaire designed for easy comprehension, featuring both open-ended and closed-ended questions This approach aims to capture participants' perspectives on dictation; however, some weaker students often left these questions unanswered The questionnaire comprises 13 questions divided into three sections The first section gathers general information about the participants' years of studying English The second section includes six questions that explore students’ perceptions of listening, the challenges they face, the activities they engage in, and their suggestions for overcoming these difficulties The final section, consisting of six questions, is crucial as it examines the frequency of dictation use, students’ viewpoints on its effectiveness, and whether they believe it enhances their listening skills in the classroom.
This section outlines the processes involved in gathering information to identify solutions for the stated problems The steps for data collection in this study include systematic methods to ensure comprehensive analysis and accurate findings.
Explaining about the questionnaires to the students The researcher explains the items clearly to avoid misunderstanding
Giving instruction to the students to fill out the questionnaires
The next step after the researcher collects the data is analyzing the data
There are some steps in analyzing the data They are presented as follows:
Reading and identifying the questionnaires that had been answered
Classifying the result of the questions
Composing tables to classify students’ problems and strategies used based on the questionnaires
Calculating the result taken from the students’ answer based on the tables
Going to conclusion based on the data analysis
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Summary
Listening is a crucial skill for effective communication in a second or foreign language, yet many students struggle with understanding spoken language, including vocabulary and pronunciation This study explores the impact of dictation as a technique to enhance students' listening abilities and aims to confirm the hypothesis that dictation can significantly improve listening skills in the classroom By providing new insights into the effectiveness of dictation, the research highlights the importance of teachers selecting the appropriate type of dictation to ensure success Future studies should expand this research with a larger population to further validate these findings.
Limitations of the study
The study has several limitations, primarily due to the researcher’s focus on a small group of second-year students in the Foreign Languages Department in Hai Phong, which restricts the generalizability of the results Additionally, the researcher was unable to employ other methods, such as classroom observation, which could have enhanced the reliability of the findings The techniques proposed in this research are drawn from various reliable yet limited sources Despite these shortcomings, the researcher aims for this study to positively impact the teaching and learning of English listening skills through the dictation method in the Foreign Languages Department.
Recommendations for further study
Researchers interested in expanding this study are encouraged to explore the same topic among high school or middle school students, as the current research focuses solely on university-level participants.
This study aimed to explore the effects of dictation as a technique for enhancing students' listening skills Future research could focus on how dictation influences the improvement of students' writing abilities.
An additional area for research that can be worth to investigate is the effectiveness of dictation in English listening teaching to help students improve their listening skill
This study, conducted with a limited timeframe, focused on a small group of second-year students Future researchers may benefit from expanding their sample size and employing experimental methods for more comprehensive findings.
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2 Bloomfield et al (2011) What makes listening difficult? Factors affecting second language listening comprehension Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26819608_The_effect_of_computer- assisted_learning_versus_conventional_teaching_methods_on_the_acquisition_ and_retention_of_handwashing_theory_and_skills_in_pre- qualification_nursing_students_A_randomised_control on 15 Sep 2020
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Appendix : Students’ Questionnaire Name: Study at: Major: Section I:
1 How long have you been studying English? years Section II:
Students’ Views of Listening 2 Do you think that listening is important as a language skill? a Yes b No
3 Does your teacher give you listening activities in the classroom? a Yes b No
4 How would you rate your level in listening? a Excellent b Good c Adequate d Weak
5 If your level is weak in English, is it because of: a Lack of listening b Lack of reading c Lack of practice
6 If listening is the reason, is it because: a Do not understand the pronunciation of the teacher b Not interesting to listening c Time allotted to listening is not sufficient d Noise
7 What do you suggest to overcome these difficulties? a Doing more practice b Asking the help of teachers c Additional sessions
Section III: Students’ Views of Dictation Use