Rationale of the study
The TOEIC test, which includes listening and reading sections, is increasingly popular in Vietnamese workplaces and universities Preparing for the TOEIC listening section is challenging as it requires test takers to process information in real-time, necessitating effective listening strategies Without these strategies, students often struggle with listening tasks Listening strategies can be categorized into cognitive, metacognitive, and social-affective types, with the cognitive theory classification by O’Malley and Chamot (1990) being widely recognized Cognitive strategies help listeners understand content, while metacognitive strategies involve monitoring one's own listening process, fostering self-reflection and self-direction Learners who cultivate metacognitive awareness tend to become more autonomous, and Goh (2008) suggests that instruction in metacognitive strategies can improve listening comprehension, boost confidence, enhance motivation, and reduce anxiety during listening activities.
Many students lack sufficient knowledge of metacognitive strategies for listening comprehension, which is evident in the limited focus on instructing these strategies in educational literature As a result, Vietnamese students' listening proficiency remains unsatisfactory This dissatisfaction with the current teaching and learning environment has motivated me to implement interventions aimed at enhancing listening skills.
“An action research project on the use of metacognitive strategies to enhance students’ listening comprehension in TOEIC tests at an English centre in Hanoi”.
Aims and objectives of the study
The ultimate aim of the study is to see whether giving students instructions in using metacognitive strategies help them improve their listening comprehension in the TOEIC tests
The objectives of this research are:
- To find out the students’ employment of metacognitive strategies in listening comprehension in the TOEIC tests before the intervention;
- To investigate the extent to which giving the students instructions on metacognitive strategies help them improve their listening comprehension skill in TOEIC tests;
- To find out the students’ feedbacks to the instructions of metacognitive strategies in listening comprehension in TOEIC tests
Research methodology
Action research is well-suited for this study as it allows the researcher to influence learners through active teacher involvement in the teaching and learning process By utilizing a combination of instruments, including questionnaires, interviews, and pre- and post-tests, the research aims to gather reliable data for a thorough investigation of the issues at hand A pre-questionnaire will be administered in the first week to assess students' use of metacognitive strategies in listening comprehension prior to the intervention In the final week, a post-questionnaire and interviews will be conducted to gather student feedback on the instructions for metacognitive strategies, with interviews serving to clarify and expand upon the questionnaire responses.
Pre-test and post-test are designed based on the actual TOEIC listening test They are marked to reveal any improvements students have made during the research progress
Specifically, the study is conducted to answer the following research questions:
How did the students use metacognitive strategies in listening comprehension in preparation for the TOEIC tests before the intervention?
To what extent does giving students instructions on metacognitive strategies help them enhance their listening comprehension in the TOEIC tests?
What are the students’ feedbacks to the instructions of metacognitive strategies in listening comprehension in the TOEIC tests?
Scope of the study
Due to the researcher's limited knowledge and time, this action research will be conducted on a small scale, focusing on 8 lessons with a specific group of 13 students at an English center.
Structure of the study
This study is divided into three parts:
Part one “Introduction” presents the rationale of the study, aims, objectives, research questions, scope, and methods of the study
Part two of the article, titled "Development," is divided into three chapters Chapter 1, the Literature Review, establishes the theoretical framework for the research Chapter 2, Methodology, outlines the study's approach, detailing the participants, instruments, and procedures used in the research Finally, Chapter 3, Research Findings and Discussion, presents the results and data analysis, highlighting key findings and their implications.
The conclusion of this study highlights the key findings while acknowledging its limitations Additionally, it offers recommendations for future research based on these significant insights.
Metacognitive strategies in listening comprehension may provide a new look into the teaching and learning of TOEIC listening skills especially at my English
The center aims to enhance students' listening skills by incorporating metacognitive strategies into their comprehension practices These strategies will serve as valuable resources for teachers facing challenges in teaching TOEIC listening effectively Additionally, the study's findings can benefit ESL and EFL educators and learners in various educational institutions.
PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter delves into the theoretical foundations pertinent to the study, beginning with an examination of the concept of listening and the TOEIC listening test It further investigates metacognitive strategies that enhance listening comprehension and reviews relevant prior research in the field.
Listening is a crucial component of effective communication, both in one's native language and in a second language Research indicates that adults dedicate approximately 40-50% of their communication time to listening (Holden, 2004), highlighting it as the most utilized language skill.
There are a number of definitions of listening; however, the researcher would only name some typical and most recent ones
According to Merriam Webster dictionary, listening means paying attention to sound (e.g listen to music) or to hear something with thoughtful attention and giving consideration (e.g listen to a plea)
(Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listen)
The definition in the dictionary merely describes what is on the surface, but not the nature of “listening”
Listening is a multifaceted process that involves receiving spoken information, constructing meaning, and actively engaging with the speaker According to Rost (2002), it encompasses negotiating meaning and responding, while Helgesen (2003) emphasizes that listening is an active and purposeful endeavor aimed at making sense of auditory input.
Listening involves more than just decoding spoken words; it requires actively interpreting the speaker's message by integrating it with the listener's existing knowledge.
In short, Vandergrift (2003) asserts a more precise definition of listening, which is a receptive skill, a complex, active process of interpretation in which listeners try to
6 suit what they hear with their prior knowledge Therefore, students should work to develop aural proficiency skills and strategies to help them manage the listening comprehension process
Listening comprehension is an active and conscious process where listeners construct meaning by utilizing contextual cues and their existing knowledge This process involves employing various strategies and resources to effectively meet task requirements.
Buck (2001) emphasizes that listening comprehension is an active process of meaning construction, relying on the application of various types of knowledge to incoming sounds He identifies two key types of knowledge involved: linguistic knowledge, which pertains to language structure and vocabulary, and non-linguistic knowledge, which encompasses contextual and background information However, his definition lacks clarity on the specific distinctions between linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge.
Listening comprehension is an active, process-oriented activity that involves more than just receiving information; it requires listeners to engage with aural input by discriminating sounds, understanding vocabulary and grammar, and interpreting stress and intention This process also necessitates the retention and interpretation of information within both immediate and broader socio-cultural contexts (Wipf, 1984) Listeners must actively process this information, drawing on their background knowledge of the world and the second language, to create meaningful interpretations and store information in long-term memory (Young, 1997).
Listening comprehension involves two key processes: 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' processing In 'top-down' processing, listeners leverage their prior knowledge—such as familiarity with the topic, context, text-type, and cultural background—to decode the meaning of a message This knowledge enables them to use content words and contextual clues effectively, allowing them to infer the speaker's intentions.
Listeners engage in both top-down and bottom-up processing to comprehend messages effectively In top-down processing, they utilize prior knowledge to interpret meaning, while bottom-up processing involves decoding lower-level sounds, such as syllables and words, to construct understanding This interactive approach means that comprehension relies on a combination of linguistic knowledge and contextual understanding The extent to which each process is used varies based on the listener's language proficiency, familiarity with the topic, and the specific listening purpose For instance, listening for the main idea typically emphasizes top-down processing, whereas listening for detailed information leans more towards bottom-up processing.
Listening comprehension is an active cognitive skill where listeners consciously focus on processing aural information, understanding its meaning, and integrating it with contextual knowledge and background information to generate responses (O’Malley, Chamot & Küpper, 1989) This skill can be enhanced through the acquisition of effective learning strategies, particularly metacognitive strategies, which enable learners to better understand and interpret language input.
3 Overview of the TOEIC listening test
The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is a standardized assessment that evaluates learners' listening and reading skills Since its inception in 1979, the number of test takers has consistently grown, making TOEIC one of the most recognized English proficiency exams globally Many companies utilize TOEIC scores to establish English proficiency targets for hiring, internal transfers, and promotions to management roles Additionally, TOEIC is increasingly employed in academic settings to assess candidates for graduate programs.
The TOEIC test, widely recognized and traditionally administered, is a paper-and-pencil assessment that evaluates listening and reading comprehension through 200 multiple-choice questions—100 in each section Scores for each section range from 5 to 495, while the total score spans from 10 to 990, providing a comprehensive measure of English proficiency.
TOEIC listening is a kind of listening comprehension Firstly, the listening section requires test takers to be familiar with different native speaking accents, including the