INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Listening comprehension poses a significant challenge for learners of foreign languages, with many students perceiving it as the most difficult skill to master Throughout my teaching experience, students frequently express their struggles with understanding spoken language, often attributing this difficulty to a lack of concentration during listening activities The limited classroom time dedicated to listening practice further exacerbates this issue, as learners need ample opportunities to develop their skills Additionally, students often have fewer chances to engage in real-life communicative situations, which are crucial for enhancing their listening abilities Therefore, it is essential to focus on improving students' listening comprehension to facilitate their overall language learning process.
The integration of learning and entertainment, particularly through movie watching, significantly enhances listening comprehension for learners In today's technology-driven society, modern educational institutions are equipped with advanced tools such as computers, internet access, televisions, and projectors, making lessons more engaging compared to traditional methods English language centers, in particular, utilize these resources to provide diverse and immersive lessons By watching movies, learners are exposed to authentic native speaker dialogues, helping them familiarize themselves with vocabulary, pronunciation, and intonation in real-life contexts Ultimately, this approach not only entertains but also effectively boosts learners' listening skills, making English learning enjoyable and impactful.
Listening lessons that rely solely on classroom books and tests often lead to boredom and a lack of motivation among learners In contrast, using movies as an audio-visual aid can significantly enhance students' listening skills, vocabulary, and grammar Movies are particularly appealing to young learners, capturing their interest and boosting their listening comprehension By watching films, learners can grasp vocabulary in context, allowing them to understand word meanings more deeply and learn correct pronunciation and usage This method not only aids in listening comprehension but also makes the learning process more engaging and effective Therefore, incorporating movie watching into lessons is a highly efficient strategy for improving listening skills.
To enhance students' listening comprehension, I have explored effective methods and found that integrating movie watching into lessons is both engaging and beneficial Consequently, I have decided to conduct a study titled “Improving Listening Comprehension for EFL Students by Using Movies as a Supplementary Lesson.”
Aims of the study
This study aims at improving listening comprehension for EFL students by the movies watching as a supplementary lesson The research is undertaken to target the following objectives:
To improve listening comprehension for students at EFE (English For Everyone) English Centre and encourage them to practice listening comprehension at home by the movies watching or English programs
To examine the effects of the movies watching as a supplementary lesson on English Centre student’s listening comprehension.
Research questions
To fulfill the aims of study, I focus on researching the following questions:
Question 1: What are the problems affecting EFL student’s listening comprehension?
Question 2: Is using the movies watching able to improve listen comprehension for EFL students?
Scope of study
The study focuses on 14-year-old learners at the EFE (English For Everyone) English Centre, who are using the textbook "Smart Choice 2" by Ken Wilson and Thomas Healy, published by Oxford University Press This resource is designed to enhance students' proficiency in four key language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
The study was conducted with thirty-two students from two classes at the EFE (English For Everyone) English Centre, who were divided into a control group of fifteen students and an experimental group of seventeen students, due to time constraints.
The researcher selected episodes one to eight from the first season of the iconic American sitcom "Friends" for the experimental group Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, "Friends" aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, spanning ten seasons The series follows the lives of six friends in their 20s and 30s living in Manhattan, New York City, making it a relatable topic for students.
On www.studymovie.net, the movie "Friends" is available with English and Vietnamese subtitles, but the focus is on the English subtitles to aid students in their listening skills The film features short conversations with suitable syntax and vocabulary, making it an excellent resource for language learners Additionally, the humorous and engaging dialogues provide a comedic experience that enhances the learning process.
Significance of the study
This study aims to enhance the professional teaching skills of both myself and my colleagues, while also contributing to the improvement of listening instruction at my center and advancing English teaching more broadly.
Structure of the thesis
The thesis comprises the following chapters:
This chapter includes the rationale, aims, objectives and scope of the study
This article critically examines essential concepts such as culture, communication, and marriage proposals, focusing on both direct and indirect strategies for asking for marriage It also explores the significance of paralanguage factors, including rate, pitch, and pauses, alongside body language elements like posture, kissing, and touching Additionally, a review of related studies is provided to enhance understanding of these dynamics.
This chapter provides methods, instruments and procedures for collecting and analyzing data
This chapter presents the findings of the study, and discusses the ways the Vietnamese & English perform marriage proposal as well as the similarities and differences when performing marriage proposal
The conclusion gives the summary of findings as well as the limitations of the study and suggestions for further research
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition of listening
Listening is a crucial language skill that plays a significant role in developing second language proficiency While many researchers have offered definitions of listening, there are both similarities and differences in their interpretations.
Listening, as defined by Howatt and Dakin (1974), is the skill of identifying and comprehending spoken language This process includes recognizing a speaker's accent and pronunciation, understanding their grammar and vocabulary, and grasping the overall meaning An effective listener can perform these four tasks concurrently.
Ronald and Roskelly (1985) define listening as an active process requiring the same skills of prediction, hypothesizing, checking, revising and generalizing that writing and reading demand
Listening is defined as the ability to recognize and comprehend spoken language, encompassing aspects such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and meaning (Thomlison, 1984; Hamouda, 2013) According to Morley (1972), effective listening requires auditory discrimination, understanding aural grammar, selecting relevant information, retaining it, and linking sounds to their meanings (as cited in Pourhosein Gilakjani & Sabouri, 2016).
Listening is an interactive skill that requires significant effort and practice from students It involves actively perceiving and constructing meaning from a continuous stream of sound To excel in listening, individuals must possess a strong understanding of the language being spoken.
Effective listening allows individuals to grasp another person's thoughts and feelings from their perspective, akin to stepping into their shoes and experiencing their viewpoint To truly listen, one must engage actively in the communication process rather than merely absorbing information passively.
Listening is an essential part of the communication process Students spent the majority of each school day listening and much of what students know is acquired through listening
Listening is an essential mental skill that plays a crucial role in how we comprehend and engage with our surroundings Despite being a term frequently used in everyday conversation, its significance is often overlooked (Rost, 1994).
“Listening is considered to be a part of the oracy, a capacity to formulate Thought verbally and to communicate with others, so it is the skill that underlines all verbal communication”
Listening is the skill of recognizing and comprehending a speaker's message by interpreting their accent, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary According to Rost (1994), mastering listening involves understanding several key components essential for effective communication.
- Identifying stressed words and grouping of words
- Identifying functions (such as apologizing) in conversations
- Connecting linguistic cues to paralinguistic cues (intonation and stress) and to non- linguistic cues (gestures and relevant objects in the situation) in order to construct meaning
- Using background knowledge and context to predict and then to confirm meaning - Recalling important words, topics and ideas
- Giving appropriate feed back to the speaker
- Reformulate what the speaker has said
Rost (1994) insists on the fact that students must deploy all these sub skills to realize a successful process when he states:
Effective listening requires the seamless integration of various component skills, highlighting that listening is a coordinated effort rather than a collection of isolated abilities This holistic approach to skill integration ultimately defines an individual's overall listening capability.
Definition of listening comprehension
According to Ma Luhua (2002), listening comprehension is a complex psychological process where listeners understand language through hearing This interactive process integrates language knowledge with psychological activities, going beyond mere message decoding to include the reconstruction of meaning from the decoded information.
According to Little Wood (2000), a listener's comprehension process is enhanced by both linguistic knowledge and non-linguistic resources The effectiveness of their involvement is influenced by the specific context and the nature of social relationships.
Understanding every word of a message is not crucial for the listener, as not all clues carry the same significance Instead, it is important for the listener to grasp the overall meaning and remain engaged in the communication process to address any misunderstandings (Little Wood, 2000).
Rebecca L (1993) emphasizes that enhancing positive listening skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) can be achieved by teaching students that understanding every word is not essential Instead, encouraging them to engage in guessing and hypothesis testing can significantly improve their comprehension abilities.
Listening comprehension is a vital component of language skills, alongside reading and visual comprehension (Kutlu et al., 2009) It goes beyond mere hearing; instead, it is an active process where individuals focus on specific elements of spoken language, derive meaning from the content, and connect what they hear to their prior knowledge.
Listening comprehension is a complex and interactive process where listeners actively construct meaning It involves understanding oral input through sound discrimination, vocabulary knowledge, grammatical structures, stress, intonation, and various linguistic, paralinguistic, and non-linguistic cues in context (Rost, 2002).
Listening comprehension is not a passive activity; rather, it is an active process that involves discerning sounds, understanding vocabulary and grammar, interpreting intonation, and retaining information for contextual interpretation This complexity makes listening a demanding task that requires significant mental effort.
Listening comprehension is a complex process that involves more than merely hearing sound waves; it requires the transmission of these sounds to the brain for effective understanding and application.
Listening is an interactive process that goes beyond simply receiving sound waves; it begins with the psychomotor act of hearing, where the ear transmits sound waves to the brain This initial step triggers a complex interplay of cognitive and emotional mechanisms, highlighting that effective listening involves active engagement rather than passive reception.
Wagner (2002, p.10-12) developed a Model of Second Language Listening Comprehension, highlighting its significance as a crucial aspect of listening skills This model identifies six key skills essential for effectively operationalizing L2 listening comprehension within an academic Target Language Use (TLU) domain, as illustrated in the accompanying figure.
The importance of listening
In today's communication-focused world, the ability to listen effectively is crucial, leading to higher promotions and positions for skilled listeners in many companies (Lucas, 2008).
Listening is a crucial component of language learning, as it works in conjunction with other skills to facilitate mastery According to Saricoban (1999), listening is a fundamental language skill and serves as the initial step in language acquisition, providing essential input for learners.
Listening and speaking are intricately connected, as emphasized by Field (2009), who highlights the necessity of two-way communication in effective conversation He argues that non-native speakers must possess listening skills that match their speaking abilities to engage in meaningful dialogue While this may seem obvious, a quick assessment of listening proficiency in language classes reveals that many learners struggle to comprehend spoken language, even though they can produce it at a higher level.
Anderson and Linch (1998) conducted communication experiments where speakers instructed listeners to draw diagrams or arrange objects, revealing that effective speaking relies heavily on successful listening Their findings indicate that speakers who have previously experienced similar tasks as listeners deliver the most effective spoken performances.
Listening plays a crucial role in the learning process of reading and writing According to Nunan in "The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages" (2011), listening is the most commonly utilized language skill and is frequently integrated with speaking, reading, and writing.
Teaching listening strategies
Wolvin and Coakely in 1996 (citied in Goh, 2002) They identified five types of listening according to the purpose of listening
Let’s look at them one by one
Discriminative Listening focuses on distinguishing sounds and visual stimuli without considering their meaning At a basic level, this involves recognizing the gender of speakers or the number of voices present, emphasizing the importance of familiarizing the ears with various sounds This foundational skill is evident when a child responds to auditory stimuli, such as recognizing a parent's voice among others As students progress, discriminative listening evolves from merely identifying sounds to recognizing individual words.
Comprehensive listening emphasizes the importance of fully understanding the message being communicated, serving as the foundation for the subsequent three types of listening However, challenges in comprehension can arise due to various factors.
Students, both individually and socially, may interpret the same message in various ways Therefore, significant effort is required in classroom teaching to help students enhance their comprehension skills effectively.
Therapeutic listening is a form of listening where the listener acts as a sympathetic presence, providing minimal verbal feedback This approach allows individuals to express their thoughts and feelings while working through problems By fostering an environment of support and understanding, therapeutic listening plays a crucial role in enhancing interpersonal relationships.
Critical listening is the fourth type of listening, requiring listeners to evaluate and respond to the message critically In contrast, appreciative listening emphasizes the enjoyment derived from the listening experience My students highlighted that they often enjoy English music, even when they don’t fully understand the lyrics, challenging the idea that comprehension is essential for enjoyment We discussed their practice of listening to songs in the language lab, where they first attempt to discern the lyrics before listening a second time with the lyrics in front of them This method allowed them to appreciate the song more deeply during the second listen, illustrating the connection between understanding and enjoyment in the listening process.
2.4.2 Principles for teaching EFL listening
To enhance students' understanding of information processing, it is essential to explore both bottom-up and top-down approaches These methods illustrate how individuals interpret auditory input, shedding light on the complexities of sound perception The concept of bottom-up and top-down processing, initially introduced by Rumelhart and Ortony in 1977 and further developed by Chaudron and Richards, serves as a valuable framework for comprehending reading and listening experiences.
In 1990, researchers distinguished between bottom-up and top-down processing in learning Bottom-up processing involves students beginning with the fundamental components, such as words and grammar, to build understanding Conversely, top-down processing starts with learners utilizing their background knowledge, which includes content schema—general information from prior learning and experiences—and textual schema, which pertains to their awareness of the types of information relevant to specific contexts.
To enhance students' listening skills, it's essential to expose them to various types of listening, emphasizing that effective listening involves understanding both the content and the purpose behind it Listeners must recognize their objectives and engage in listening for diverse reasons Therefore, any exploration of listening tasks should address the different types of listening involved This includes not only the tasks themselves but also the texts, which refer to the audio materials or recordings that students are engaging with.
To enhance listening skills, it is essential to provide learners with a variety of tasks that align with different types of listening texts While engaging in these tasks, it's crucial that the demands on learners do not exceed their production capabilities For instance, if a beginner listens to a story and is asked to write a summary in English, they may comprehend the narrative but lack the proficiency to articulate it in writing Tasks that require excessive production can lead to confusion regarding a learner's understanding, as incorrect answers may stem from various factors, including comprehension issues or difficulties in expression Therefore, carefully designed tasks are vital for effective listening practice.
Limiting students to only basic receptive exercises, such as "check the box" or "number the pictures," hinders their learning experience Since listening constitutes a significant portion of communication, it's essential for students to engage in production tasks as well Exposure to a diverse range of activities helps students navigate various text types and respond effectively Additionally, incorporating varied tasks boosts student interest; a monotonous approach to listening activities can lead to disengagement for both learners and teachers.
2.4.3 Techniques for teaching EFL listening
Several researchers described various techniques on listening understanding in different areas as follows:
Ur (1984, p.9) emphasizes the importance of listening comprehension in foreign language classrooms, suggesting that classroom practices should reflect real-life listening experiences She outlines key characteristics that should be integrated into teaching methods to enhance effective listening skills.
1 We listen for a purpose and with certain expectations
2 We make an immediate response to what we hear
3 We see the person we are listening to
4 There are some visual or environmental clues as to the meaning of what is heard
5 Stretches of hear discourse come in short chunks
6 Most heard discourse is spontaneous and therefore differs from formal spoken prose in the amount of redundancy, “noise” and colloquialisms, and in its auditory character Rost (1991, p.65) had studied teaching listening to develop learners listening skill
In particularly, he focused on the principles for developing listening ability followed by listening styles that can be summarize in four types:
1 Listening ability develops through face-to-face interaction By interacting in English, learners have the chance for new language input and the chance to check their own listening ability Face-to-face interaction provides stimulation for development of listening for meaning
2 Listening develops through focusing on meaning and trying to learn new and important content in English, learner can mobilize both their linguistic and non-linguistic abilities to understand
3 Listening ability develops through work on comprehension activities By focusing on specific goals for listening, learners can evaluate their efforts and abilities By having well-defined comprehension activities, learners have opportunities for assessing what they have achieved and for revision
4 Listening develops through attention to accuracy and an analysis of form By learning to perceive sounds and words accurately as they work on meaning oriented activities, our learners can make steady progress By learning to hear sounds and words more accurately, learners gain confidence in listening for meaning
Wills (1981, p 134, cited in Arif Saricoban, 1999) lists a series of micro-skills of listening, which she calls enabling skills These are:
1 Predicting what people are going to talk about
2 Guessing unknown words or phrases with panic
3 Using one’s own knowledge of the subject to help one understand
4 Identifying relevant points; rejecting irrelevant information
5 Retaining relevant points (note-taking, summarizing)
7 Understanding different intonation patterns and uses of stress, etc., which give clues to meaning and social setting
8 Understanding inferred information, e.g., speaker’s attitude or intentions
Problems related to student’s listening comprehension
Listening to lengthy texts in a foreign language can be exhausting for learners, leading to decreased auditory competence and reduced concentration Ur (1996) notes that listeners experience greater fatigue compared to readers or speakers While reading, writing, and speaking can also be tiring, these activities allow learners to control their pace and take breaks as needed.
In listening, the pace is set by someone else, and the breaks may or may not occur when the listener needs them
Student concentration and motivation are vital for effective listening comprehension in foreign language classrooms Maintaining focus can be challenging, as even brief lapses in attention can significantly hinder understanding (Bingol, 2014).
Hamouda (2013) emphasizes the importance of student attentiveness during listening lessons, as they must quickly process and comprehend newly introduced information Lack of concentration can lead to students missing key content from the lecture, ultimately hindering their overall understanding of the material.
According to Macháčková (2009), various factors significantly impact learners' concentration, with the selection of an engaging topic being crucial for maintaining interest Additionally, the duration of listening exercises is important, as overly long sessions can lead to distraction Furthermore, poor audio quality and external disturbances can also cause listeners to lose focus.
2.5.1 Problem related to hearing sounds
A significant challenge for learners of English as a foreign language is the identification of sounds, which greatly impacts their listening skills According to Rixon (1986: 38), many students struggle with the pronunciation of English words, leading to difficulties in recognizing and comprehending spoken language Addressing pronunciation issues is crucial for enhancing learners' overall understanding of English.
Rixon proposes four explanations for the difficulty caused by English sounds The first difficulty is caused by different ways to pronounce the same sound:
In BBC English, the /t/ sound is pronounced in two distinct ways, with one method involving aspiration and hissing sounds when /t/ appears at the beginning of syllables Students unfamiliar with aspiration in their native language may struggle to distinguish the /st/ sound.
Rixon (1986: 38) The second difficulty appears as a result of differences between English sounds and their spellings, “As there is a difference between the spoken and written form of words in
English students can fail to identify the pronounced form of words they know in written form” (Rixon, 1986: 38)
Rixon emphasizes the importance of students understanding English connected speech, as it can hinder their ability to identify individual words He discusses this phenomenon, particularly focusing on the role of stressed and unstressed vowel sounds.
In natural speech, listeners often experience three primary types of sound changes related to the weak forms of vowels Words in unstressed positions are pronounced differently than their stressed counterparts For example, the word "to" is pronounced as /tu:/ when isolated, but in connected speech, it changes to /tə/.
Elision and assimilation, in Rixon‟s view, are reasons for this difficulty:
Elision in connected speech refers to the omission of sounds in natural pronunciation, such as the word "probably" being pronounced as /probli/ Another key aspect of connected speech is assimilation, where the pronunciation of a word changes due to the influence of surrounding sounds.
17 letter can be influenced by the letter before or after it so that it changes its sound e.g ten bikes can be pronounced /tem baiks/ (Ibid.)
Students often encounter challenges with sounds that are absent in their first language or with pairs of sounds that appear indistinguishable to them For instance, Ur (1996: 11) highlights a specific issue faced by his French student, illustrating the complexities of sound recognition in language learning.
The sound /θ/, as in the word 'think', is absent in the French language Consequently, native French speakers may initially overlook its presence in English, often substituting it with more familiar sounds like /s/ or /f/.
Hebrew learners may find it challenging to differentiate between similar-sounding English words, such as "ship" and "sheep" or "fit" and "feet," due to the absence of equivalent sounds in the Hebrew language This distinction can require considerable practice and time for effective mastery.
Ur (1996) highlights the challenges posed by the sequences and juxtapositions of sounds, particularly focusing on consonant clusters These chains of successive consonants can confuse listeners, leading to misinterpretations as they may perceive the consonants in the incorrect order.
„parts‟ for „past‟), or omit one of the sounds (“crips” for “crisps”)
Brown (1990) highlights that students struggle to effectively use phonological coding to identify spoken words and their sentence structure He attributes this challenge to their greater proficiency in interpreting the written form of the language.
2.5.2 Problem related to stress and intonation
Second language listeners often face challenges in decoding speech, but understanding stress and intonation can significantly aid their comprehension While group dynamics may cause some words to be reduced and harder to recognize, the emphasis on focal stress highlights key information This allows L2 listeners to form hypotheses about the speaker's message, even when they grasp very little else.
The movies watching
Movies, also referred to as films, are sequences of moving images recorded for display in cinemas or on television They serve to tell stories, depict real-life situations, or educate audiences As a prominent form of visual communication, movies are enjoyed by people globally as a source of entertainment and enjoyment.
In other words, a movie is a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement
According to Herron et al (1995), video is highly effective in contextualizing language by linking form to meaning and showcasing foreign cultures more effectively than other instructional materials It allows students to hear native speakers in everyday conversations and practice essential linguistic structures The visual aspect of video reduces ambiguities found in audio recordings, thus enhancing comprehension and motivating students to learn the foreign language.
2.6.2 The importance of using the movie watching in listening comprehension
There are numerous studies on the use of videos in developing particular language skills, especially listening comprehension, (Wetzel,Radtke & Stern, 1994; Ginther, 2002; Gruba, 2006; Opat, 2008; Suvorov, 2008; Chung, 1994; Ockey, 2007)
Movies serve as an effective teaching tool for language learning, enhancing student motivation and engagement (Seferoğlu, 2008; Florence, 2009; Ismaili, 2013) They utilize paralinguistic features such as gestures, pauses, and character reactions, helping students grasp the essence of dialogues (Keene, 2006) Furthermore, films ignite students' imagination and creativity (Kusumarasdyati, 2004) Keene (2006) emphasizes that movies excel in providing contextual information and fostering interactional skills, surpassing traditional audio formats like cassettes and CDs By offering rich content across literary, dramatic, and cinematic dimensions, movies not only enhance language input but also promote critical thinking and various language skills (Eken, 2003, as cited in Keene, 2006).
Research by Pezdek, Lehrer, & Simon (1984) indicates that movie fragments enhance memory and information retrieval during reading and listening Additionally, films can improve writing skills by providing engaging and motivating cues, which aid in understanding and producing foreign language input and output (Hanley & Herron, 1995) Supporting this, Herron and Hanley (1992) found that movies provide background information that activates prior knowledge, crucial for stimulating the four language skills.
Videos and movies enhance foreign language learning by providing engaging visual and auditory cues that support comprehension and production of language They allow learners to observe authentic interactions among native speakers, offering insights into the social dynamics of communication Additionally, films can aid in developing writing skills by presenting motivating content that complements audio and written materials, ultimately facilitating better understanding and output in a foreign language.
Movies offer students a valuable way to enhance their understanding of stories and concepts by providing a visual context that complements their reading According to Gambrell and Jawits (1993), cinematic elements can help students connect with unfamiliar information, allowing them to adapt their thoughts and emotions to the text Hibbing and Rankin-Erickson advocate for the Watch-Read-Watch-Read (W-RW-R) method, which encourages students to build background knowledge, make predictions, and engage with both the film and the text iteratively (Rankin-Erickson, 2003) This approach emphasizes the importance of visualization, as highlighted by Draper (2012), who identifies it as a crucial skill for effective reading, enabling students to vividly picture events, characters, and narratives within the context of the story.
• Proficient readers spontaneously and purposefully create mental images while and after they read
• The images emerge from all five senses, as well as emotions, and are anchored in readers’ background knowledge
Proficient readers enhance their experience by using images to immerse themselves in rich details, which adds depth and dimension to their reading This engagement not only makes the text more memorable but also deepens the reader's connection to the material.
Proficient readers utilize images to form conclusions and develop unique interpretations of the text, enhancing their ability to remember key details and recall the content after reading Personal experiences often influence the images that contribute to their understanding of the material.
Proficient readers continuously update their mental images while reading, integrating new information from the text and refining their interpretations as they progress.
• Proficient readers understand and articulate how creating images enhances their comprehension Draper ,(2012)
2.6.3 Principles for choosing movies to improve student’s listening comprehension
Selecting video materials that align with students' levels and interests is crucial for enhancing their listening skills, as noted by Harmer (2007) He also highlights that excessive visual stimuli can distract students from auditory content To aid teachers in choosing appropriate films for language learning, Ellis (2005) offers ten guiding principles, emphasizing that these should serve as reflective suggestions rather than strict rules While not all principles may apply to every context, several have significantly influenced the development of effective educational materials.
+ Provide a rich repertoire of formulaic expressions
+ Take into account individual differences
Teachers should not only understand language acquisition but also leverage insights from literature on material design According to Tomlinson (2010), effective materials development should adhere to principles that align with key aspects of language acquisition In summary, materials must offer meaningful engagement and support learners' needs.
+ Plenty of authentic spoken and written texts, presented in a contextualized way
+ Potential for engagement, both affective and cognitive
+ Interesting, relevant, enjoyable, yet challenging texts and tasks
+ Opportunities to produce the language through meaningful and authentic tasks
Engaging and relevant materials significantly enhance learners' motivation and enjoyment, making it crucial for teachers to select films that resonate with students' experiences and interests Choosing entertaining topics that are familiar to learners can foster a deeper connection and enhance the overall learning experience.
A movie set in your home country offers a unique advantage, as it allows students to engage with familiar cultural references and settings This familiarity can enhance their ability to predict plot developments and grasp new vocabulary related to the film's themes By connecting with the local context, learners can deepen their understanding and enjoyment of the cinematic experience.
Watching a familiar movie, perhaps one you’ve seen in your home country with subtitles or a translated soundtrack, can significantly aid EFL students in understanding the story and characters Initially, it can be challenging for these learners to grasp the content without subtitles To enhance comprehension, start by viewing the movie with closed captioning enabled, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the dialogue and narrative Afterward, watch the film again with the closed captioning turned off to test your understanding and retention of the material.
Many beloved films are adaptations of popular books, allowing audiences to explore the characters and stories in depth before watching the movie Notable examples include iconic titles like Harry Potter, The Godfather, The Lord of the Rings, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which resonate with readers and viewers alike around the globe.
+ A movie that is one of several in a series: in this way you at least get to know some of the characters and may even have a continuing story
+ A movie that has a lot of visual elements to support the dialogue The visual elements are effective to support the learner when they follow the movies
For language learning purposes, some movies are not useful and suitable for English foreign language learners, such as:
Related previous study
There were some thesises which research the topic listening skill or movies such as
In her research, Luu Thi Khanh Vinh emphasizes the significant impact of supplementary materials on enhancing EFL students' listening skills Both teachers and students acknowledged the essential role these materials play, particularly for first-year students The study highlights the necessity for educators and learners to be well-informed about various supplementary resources, enabling them to make informed choices that effectively support the development of listening skills.
In her research titled “Using Films in the ESL Classroom to Improve Communication Skills of Non-Native Learners,” Ms Atiya Khan highlights that students often show significant interest in watching English language films The key for educators is to harness this enthusiasm effectively, guiding it towards enhancing students' communication skills in English.
Incorporating films into the ESL classroom can significantly enhance language learning, provided that they are presented innovatively and paired with engaging, practical tasks To foster motivation among students, educators should align their teaching objectives with achievable activities that utilize films, even those that may initially seem beyond the students' linguistic capabilities.
METHODOLOGY
Context of the study
In the context of national integration, education plays a crucial role, with information technology and foreign languages being essential components Foreign languages serve as vital tools for effective integration and development, facilitating communication and understanding in a globalized world.
The EFE (English For Everyone) English Centre, established in late 2017 in Vinh city, Nghệ An Province, has seen a steady increase in both student and teacher enrollment Despite its relatively short history, the centre is well-equipped with essential resources, including televisions and loudspeakers This allows teachers to effectively utilize technology and the Internet to incorporate English films into their classroom activities throughout the eight-week experimental period.
Restated research questions
The study is set to answer the following research questions
Question 1: What are the factors affecting EFL student’s listening comprehension? Question 2: Is using the movies watching able to improve listen comprehension for EFL students?
Research method
In attempt to reach the aims of study and answer the research questions mentioned in chapter 1, a quasi-experimental study is applied in the research
A quasi-experiment is an empirical interventional study designed to assess the causal impact of an intervention on a target population without employing random assignment While it shares similarities with traditional experimental designs, quasi-experimental research allows researchers to control treatment assignment based on specific criteria rather than randomization This approach raises concerns about internal validity, as treatment and control groups may not be comparable at baseline Unlike randomized controlled trials, where participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either group, quasi-experiments may struggle to establish a clear causal link between the intervention and observed outcomes, especially in the presence of unaccounted confounding variables.
Quasi-experimental research, characterized by its resemblance to true experimental research, involves the manipulation of an independent variable without random assignment of participants to conditions This approach addresses the directionality problem by measuring the dependent variable after the independent variable is manipulated However, the lack of random assignment raises concerns about confounding variables, making quasi-experiments less internally valid than true experiments but more valid than correlational studies.
Quasi-experiments are typically carried out in field settings where random assignment is challenging or unfeasible, making them valuable for assessing the effectiveness of treatments like psychotherapy or educational interventions While various types of quasi-experiments exist, this article focuses on a few of the most prevalent methods used in research.
Participants
The study involved thirty-two students from two classes at the EFE (English For Everyone) English Centre in Vinh city, Nghe An province, each class comprising around fifteen students Despite having studied English for six to nine years, the students exhibited low language proficiency and lacked opportunities for real-life communication with native speakers Their fear of making mistakes stemmed from limited social knowledge and difficulties in expressing their thoughts Additionally, the school environment offered minimal interaction time among students, as they predominantly focused on grammar and vocabulary.
The experiment involved two classes: an experimental group that utilized movie watching as a supplementary lesson and a control group that followed the standard syllabus and textbooks Conducted over eight weeks, the study aimed to observe the effectiveness of using films in education, with the experimental group engaging with one episode from the first season of the chosen movie.
“Friends” every week Each episode is approximately twenty minutes
At the start of the study, both groups completed a pre-test, followed by a post-test conducted after eight weeks of experimentation The results from these tests were collected and analyzed to identify differences, thereby assessing the effectiveness of the experiment.
The control group is described in terms of gender and age, summarised in the table below:
Table 3.1: The control group’s background information
Likewise, the experimental group is described in terms of gender and age, summarised in the table below:
Table 3.2: The experimental group’s background information
Instruments for data collection
In order to acquire a sufficient collection and reliable and valid data for the study, the researcher conduct instruments: questionnaire and pre-test – post-test
The questionnaire is designed to explore English Centre students' opinions and challenges regarding movie watching as a tool for learning English It comprises two sections: the first section includes five closed-ended questions aimed at gathering information about the students' listening experiences, while the second section addresses thirteen specific difficulties that students encounter during the listening process.
The questionnaires were tailored to gather specific information and were distributed to thirty-two students from two English Centre classes Students were instructed to read the questionnaires and select their preferred options (refer to Appendix C) To ensure clarity, the researcher also provided a Vietnamese version of the questionnaire to aid student comprehension.
3.6.2 Pre-test and post-test
Students will take a pre-test consisting of 25 items from the listening section of Test 1 in the Cambridge English Key English Test 7 (Cambridge University Press) and a post-test with 25 items from Test 3 of the same listening section Detailed information about the pre-test can be found in Appendix A, while the post-test is available in Appendix B.
The study focused on enhancing listening comprehension through movie-based lessons, where students watched one 25-minute episode with English subtitles per session Participants had the opportunity to vote for their favorite films from a list provided by the teacher at the start of the study The selected movies served as the primary material for teaching listening comprehension skills.
At the conclusion of the experiment, participants' listening comprehension skills are assessed using a post-test identical to the initial pre-test Additionally, a questionnaire is utilized to gather insights into their attitudes and opinions regarding the effectiveness of learning listening comprehension through watching movies, providing deeper and more valid information.
The pre-test and post-test include both multiple choice questions and gap fill questions to check student’s listening comprehension and avoid the results of the test randomly.
Procedure of experiment
Before the experiment, all participants completed a pre-test to assess their listening skills, followed by a post-test after the experiment Each participant engaged in approximately twenty minutes of listening tests, where they listened to each part twice before selecting the best answers for parts 1, 2, and 3, or writing their answers for parts 4 and 5 Additionally, to gather data, a questionnaire consisting of twenty close-ended questions was administered to thirty-two students during the first week of the experiment.
The experimental group participated in a researcher-controlled listening comprehension experiment using the engaging TV show "Friends." With its captivating content and manageable episode length of about twenty minutes, the series effectively maintained the interest of the participants throughout the study.
From week two to week nine, the researcher designed a series of tasks aligned with the content of each episode (refer to Appendix E) After watching each episode, students were required to complete a task weekly In the first week, students matched six main character pictures with their corresponding names (see week 1 task in Appendix D) For weeks two through eight, tasks included two open-ended questions regarding events involving the characters in each episode, allowing students to respond based on their recollections after viewing (see Appendix D).
Table 3.3: The work of each week
2 Watch the episode one and do the task matching
3 Watch the episode two and answer two short questions
4 Watch the episode three and answer two short questions
5 Watch the episode four and answer two short questions
6 Watch the episode five and answer two short questions
7 Watch the episode six and answer two short questions
8 Watch the episode seven and answer two short questions
9 Watch the episode eight and answer two short questions