LISTENING DIFFICULTIES PERCEIVED BY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN USING THE NEW ENGLISH TEXTBOOK FOR GRADE 10 AT QUE VO II UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BAC NINH

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1. Rationale
Listening has long been considered a difficult and boring subject by many second
language learners. It takes much time and energy to make progress in this skill. For
listening teachers, correspondingly, it is a difficult task to get students involved in listening
lessons. Nonetheless, just as other teachers do, listening teachers should create an
interesting and motivating learning environment on one hand; and on the other hand, they
must become aware of difficulties and problems facing their students, then, select the best
techniques to help them.
At my upper secondary school, teaching and learning listening is a really new
challenging job. In addition to the lack of well-equipped facilities, teaching listening
methods are quite new and unfamiliar to teachers. Since the new English textbook was in
use, they have been inexperienced in teaching listening methodology and approaches.
Another problem is students’ low levels of proficiency in term of vocabulary, grammar,
pronunciation, skills and so forth. It is the reason why students find it difficult and tough to
listen to and they are not confident enough to do listening tasks successfully. Moreover,
learning habits do not help much to improve their listening in classroom. The students
often get bored, tired and indifferent in listening lessons because of the quality of teacher’s
voice and pronunciation, uncreative tasks and activities, topics, and so on. In my opinion,
there is a must to work out current and potential problems, then, create better suitable
teaching methods and strategies that can facilitate the effectiveness of listening lessons.
In literature so far, there have been so few studies on the difficulties in teaching and
learning listening in a foreign language. Moreover, most of researchers have come to an
agreement to a list of common problems facing both students and teacher in general. On
one hand, students’ factors which may influence in their listening are their background
knowledge, language items such as vocabulary and pronunciation, and their listening
strategies. On the other hand, the teacher’s employment of different techniques and

methodology has impacts on successful listening lessons. Moreover, not many researchers


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study listening difficulties perceived by upper-secondary school teachers and students in
using the new “Tieng Anh 10” textbook. Hence, it is in urgent need of taking a serious
look at such issue.
1.2. Aims of the study
The new “Ti ng Anh 10” , which deals with the four language skills: reading,
writing, speaking and listening, is first introduced. Thus, there are a number of problems
facing both the teachers and the students. The main purpose of the study was to probe
difficulties in teaching and learning listening among the teaching staff and the 10th form
students at Que Vo II upper-secondary school, in Bac Ninh province. Within this purpose
the three central objectives were:
(i) To describe the difficulties perceived by the teachers and the 10th -form students
when teaching and learning listening skill in the new text book “Ti ng Anh 10” .
(ii) To investigate factors affecting the success of this process in listening lessons
(iii) To suggest some solutions to stimulate students and give recommendation to
improve listening methodology for the teachers at Que Vo II upper-secondary school.
1.3. Scope of the study
This minor thesis is conducted at Que Vo II upper-secondary school in order to
perceive difficulties in teaching and learning listening skills of both teachers and 10th form
students. The study focuses on describing the problems and factors causing such
challenges, for instance, facilities, students’ English listening proficiency, and teachers’
methodology. To go ahead, the thesis also offers some appropriate suggestions to better the
current context.
1.4. Methodology
The research is done by both quantitative and qualitative methods; it is carried out
on the basic of situation analysis, material collection, survey questionnaires, class

observations and follow-up interviews.
In the first place, situation analysis has a look at the background to the study
including the description of the current context at Que Vo II upper-secondary school and
listening skill in the new textbook “Ti ng Anh 10”. Secondly, for the theoretical basis, a lot
of reference materials on listening teaching methodology and problems have been


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gathered, analyzed and synthesized thoroughly with the due consideration for teacher’s
teaching and students’ learning situations.
Eventually, for the practical basis, questionnaires, class observations, follow-up
interviews were carried out with the teachers and students to gather the most reliable data
for analysis to find answers to the research questions mentioned above.
1.5. Design of the study
This study is divided into four main chapters in order to get better insights into
different aspects of the problems.
Chapter 1 presents reasons for choosing the topic, aims, scopes, methodology and
overview of the thesis design.
Chapter 2 consists of three sub-parts of which the current upper-secondary school
context in general and in particular is first presented. Two other parts deal with
introduction of the new “Ti ng Anh 10” textbook and literature review of listening skills
and teaching listening approaches.
In chapter 3, the methodology underlying the research and descriptions of data
analysis are presented. In terms of methodology, the background information of the
research questions, the subjects, the data collection instruments, and data collection
procedure are discussed. More importantly, data analysis provides specific explanations,
interpretation and the findings of the study.
Chapter 4, Conclusion and Implication, summarizes the major findings and offers
personal recommendations for such currents problems in teaching and learning listening

skill at Que Vo II upper-secondary school. Limitation and suggestions for further research
are also discussed.


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CHAPTER 2
CURRENT UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL CONTEXT AND INTRODUCTION
OF THE NEW “”TIENG ANH 10” TEXTBOOK

2.1. The current upper-secondary school context
2.1.1. The general context in Vietnam
English has become a part of upper-secondary school curriculum since 1980s when
Vietnam carried out its economic policy reformation emphasizing the open market
economy, integration, and globalization. However, a more than two-decade history of
English teaching and studying seems not to make much progress in using English to
communicate practically and efficiently. The effectiveness of English language learning is
very low with the outcome that the students are unable to use English for communicative
purposes.
For the last few years, English has been taught and studied more intensively and
extensively. The situation, reported by Ministry of Education and Training, Secondary
Division (2006: 95) is quite optimistic that the ratio of upper-secondary students learning
English counts for 98.5%. Actually, this figure only shows the increasing needs of English
in our society, not the levels of real teaching and learning qualities at schools. It is a matter
of fact to discuss herein some controversial problems of the upper-secondary school
context in Vietnam concerned with English learning and teaching conditions.

2.1.1.1. Teachers
To start with, the teachers’ qualification and proficiency are unequal. According to
the researches of Ministry of Education and Training (2006: 97, 98), the ratio of regular

teachers who officially graduated from Universities of Education, English Department is
very low. A small number of those graduated from Vietnam National University, College
of Foreign Languages, English Department. Many others received in-service training or
regular training at other local or provincial universities and colleges. This can be an excuse
for shortage of a skillful and professional staff in terms of language knowledge and
methodology.
Moreover, the researches of Ministry of Education and Training (2006: 98) also
point out that the percentage of teachers experiencing in teaching English for 15 years or


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more is rather high. In other words, the age gap is another matter of discussion.
Consequently, their proficiency of language theory and communicative skills is remarkably
low. In fact, teachers of English have few opportunities or even no to communicate in
person with foreigners or native speakers at schools. This discourages their motivation,
regardless of age and background knowledge, to practice communicative skills and to
update modern technologies in language teaching.
Noticeably, many teachers have hardly attended training programmes or
professional workshops given by the national or provincial trainers. Frankly speaking,
most of them have no opportunities to get acquainted with reformation of new language
teaching methods and approaches. Hence, they do not acknowledge the communicative
language teaching or learner-centered approaches in theory and in practice at all. In
addition, few of teachers have a chance to study abroad and enjoy various English teaching
experiences in person. These facts result in ineffective and theoretical outcome which is
backward and no longer meet the demand of the development, the integration and
globalization of our country in the modern time.
2.1.1.2. Students
In Vietnam, the upper-secondary school curriculum, textbook and reformation of
language teaching are all prescribed and administrated by the Ministry of Education and

Training. Although English has been popularized at every lower and upper-secondary
school in Vietnam, students’ English competence is very low. It can be due to the lack of
native speaking environment which discourages students’ interests. Another reason results
from their attitudes to importance of other subjects such as mathematics, physics,
chemistry, literature, and so forth. As the result, upper-secondary students are merely able
to acquire a limited basic knowledge of English in terms of vocabulary and grammar
structures, except for pronunciation, intonation or communicative skills like speaking or
listening. In short, upper-secondary students’ language background, including those
studying at normal and gifted schools, is at elementary level after graduation.
In general, Vietnamese upper-secondary students’ motivation is not highly
appreciated. There is a big gap between urban and rural students in terms of ambition to
acquire English language. Although many students are aware of the importance and
necessity of learning English, they hesitate to speak English in real-life communication or
even at school. This can be influenced by their introvert characteristics.


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Methodologically, traditional grammar-translation approach is dominant at schools
rather than communicative language teaching approach. In other words, it emphasizes
students’ language competence; meanwhile CLT approach is interested in developing
students’ communicative ability. Thus, it has bad impact on students’ passive and
dependent learning method and awareness. They are confused and strange to new
communicative activities such as pair work, group work, discussion, and so on.
Another disadvantage facing students at almost upper-secondary schools is the lack
of actual native learning environment. Students have no chance to interact with English
foreigners at schools, except for some urban schools. Understandably, they have neither
motivation nor experience in communicating or using English in actual situation
2.1.1.3. Facilities
Obviously, facilities are in urgent need to adapt with new language teaching

approaches. In other words, physical settings of the current upper-secondary schools come
up for discussion. First of all, an average class size of forty-five to fifty students is too big
to carry out communicative language teaching approaches. Consequently, teachers get in
troubles with class management and organization if they want to apply group work or pair
work activities, for example. Secondly, traditional desk arrangement does not encourage
communicative interaction between teacher and students as well as among students. It
constrains students’ motivation, comfort and creativeness and dynamic to master language
comprehension and skills. Thirdly, unclear sounds resulting from poor-quality equipment
can interfere with students’ comprehension. Indeed, noise, including both background
noises on the recording and environmental ones, can take students’ mind off the content of
listening passage. To be worse, the lack of appropriate equipment and language teaching
aids is universal and controversial in Vietnam. According to the research of Ministry of
Education and Training (2006:105, 106) among investigated upper-secondary schools all
over in Vietnam, the number of tapes and cassette players, overhead projectors, CD
players, visual aids such as pictures, teacher cards is countable. It is undeniable that
modern technology encourages much any aspects of language teaching and learning.
However, little technology support is given appropriately and evenly among different parts
of the country. Moreover, many of such limited devices are misspent because no one takes
advantage of them. Finally, reference books for teachers and students, including
supplementary exercises, methodology or training books, dictionaries, magazine or


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newspapers in English, tapes and recorders and so on, are hardly available in every uppersecondary school. Frankly speaking, there is also a big gap among urban, rural and
mountainous schools in Vietnam regarding facility investment and potentiality of practical
use.
In short, well-equipped conditions, especially modern technology, encourage much
of language teaching and learning effectiveness. Vice versa, unfulfilled facility also has
bad impacts on making progress in this issue.

2.1.1.4. Textbooks
English was officially introduced as a subject of secondary school curriculum in
Vietnam in the late 1980s, Since then, two series of English textbooks have been taught
simultaneously at upper-secondary schools. The three-year English textbook, “B sách h
3 n m” (from grade 10 to grade 12), by
Hoàn, Lê

ng Tr n C

ng, Nguy n M Dung, Ph m Kh i

c Nhu n, and Hồng V n Sít, was introduced since 1980s. The seven-year

English student’s book, “B sách h 7 n m (from grade 6 to grade 12), was compiled by
T Anh, Phan Hà and May Vi Ph

ng.

In the first place, though the two series of textbooks are designed based on different
approaches they share several similarities Firstly, those textbooks are dominated by
integrate approach between language knowledge, especially grammar and vocabulary, and
language skills, i.e. speaking, listening, writing, and reading. It is a matter of fact that there
no distinctive focus on certain language knowledge or language skills. Secondly, they
attempt to teach only target upper-secondary students. Finally, there is no English
pronunciation or phonetics or intonation section which is very important to practice the
real language.
In the second place, the two textbooks differ distinctively. In terms of target
students’ levels of proficiency, the three-year English student’s book, “B sách h 3 n m”,
is appropriate to those who start learning English at grade 10. Meanwhile, the seven-year
English one, “B sách h 7 n m”, is used by students experiencing in English from grade

6. Therefore, the contents and the levels of difficulties are completely differential. In
respect of methodology, the three-year English student’s book is dominated by Situational
approach which focuses on pieces of situational communication language, especially
speaking skills. In contrast, the seven-year English student’s book is influenced by


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Traditional Grammar-Translation approach. In other words, this series of textbook focuses
on teaching reading skills, vocabulary and grammar structures.
Although, the two series of textbooks have had remarkable contributions to English
teaching and learning at Vietnam upper-secondary schools over more than two decades,
they have become outdated as the modern language teaching requires more communicative
approaches.
In addition to those textbooks, there have recently been also some other pilot
textbooks which are implemented in certain upper-secondary schools in Vietnam.
However, they were no longer popularized as the standard textbook for upper-secondary
curriculum like the new.
The new “Ti ng Anh 10” is a great improvement over the previous ones in terms of
methodology, input and presentation. It is designed to provide a comprehensive course for
senior secondary students who have completed the new series of English from “Ti ng Anh
6” to “Ti ng Anh 9”. With its much strength, it is expected that the new textbook will
contribute to better quality of English language learning at the Vietnamese uppersecondary school. In terms of curriculum development, the introduction of the new
textbook can be a new fresh air current blown into the teaching-learning situation at uppersecondary school in Vietnam.
From my point of view, textbooks have important role in foreign language
education. However, teachers and influence on textbooks and the use of textbooks are also
significant. As a result, students’ language learning and percipience or achievements are
significant, too. Challenges in implementing the new textbook are not small, facing both
teachers and students. It is a matter of fact that low quality of teachers (regarding both
methodology and experience in language skills teaching), and students naturally leads to

low quality of teaching and of learning.
2.1.2. The current context at Que Vo II upper-secondary school
Students at Que Vo II upper-secondary school are sixteen years old and have
experienced in English, including listening skill, for four years at lower-upper schools.
Nevertheless, they basically are beginners of English. Moreover, they do not have clear
determination on English learning goals. Thus, they are likely to be motivated or
demotivated easily. This matter of fact should be taken into account in using teaching
methods and approaches in order to foster and develop their listening skills efficiently.


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General speaking, the class size of an average of 45 students is big and
inconvenient enough. The desks are arranged traditionally with rows of four desks. There
is a narrow isle in the middle and two narrower on the sides. There is no other empty space
left where teachers and students move to and fro if they conduct different interaction and
activities. In addition, noise in a big class is inevitable which badly affect student
concentration and sound quality. Moreover, the class is not equipped with any necessary
facilities such as tapes, cassette players, speakers, television, CDs and over head
projectors, except for a board, chalks, pictures or other visual aids designed by teachers
themselves.
The teachers all graduated form Vietnam National University, college of foreign
languages, English department. A majority of them are young and novice teachers. In
general, these teachers are well-qualified in terms of their proficiency in English and
knowledge; however, they lack teaching experience, particularly teaching English skills.
Some of them have had opportunities to attend some short in-service workshops run by
either local or expatriate trainers.
Since the new textbook was introduced, few of them have been lucky enough to
attend the national or provincial textbook introduction workshops or training programmes
to get the ideas about the textbook and new teaching methodology. Unfortunately, facility

condition at Que Vo II upper-secondary school can not employ a cascade training model
for those who did not have opportunities to attend the national or provincial workshops.
Such teachers have to do observation at some classes and improve themselves
theoretically.
2.2. Overview of the new “English 10” textbook
2.2.1. General description
The new “Ti ng Anh 10” is the fifth volume which succeeds a new series of
English textbook for grade 6 to grade 9. Unlike the old textbooks where language input
was presented in terms of linguistic structures which were then mechanically practiced
through a series of rule-focused exercises, the new “Ti ng Anh 10” is underpinned by a
theme-based approach to the introduction of language input. Lessons are arranged
according to topics which are true to life, and familiar with upper-secondary students. This
is an important advantage of the textbook as it is relevant to the students’ needs, and
thereby arousing their interests. The purpose underlying in the textbook is to develop


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students’ communicative language skills including listening, speaking, reading, and writing
via different interesting and well-designed units. The innovation of the new “Ti ng Anh
10” is supported by what Cunningsworth (1995:86) says about a good textbook: “A study
of a language solely as an abstract system would not equip learners to use it in the real
world. Course books must and do represent language as it is actually used and they contain
subject matters and deal with topics of various kinds”.
The new “Ti ng Anh 10” consists of sixteen units; each unit presents a theme
which is updated and relevant to many aspects of the daily life: school talks, people’s
background, technology, mass media, community, national parks, music, films and cinema,
the world cup, and so on. Those themes are represented via five sections: reading,
speaking, writing, listening and language focus respectively. Such division aims to
improve students’ communicative skills and systematize important linguistic components.

Reading is selected as the first section in every unit on purpose. Via the reading text
and tasks which focus on developing different reading skills, it is useful to stimulate and
familiarize students with the theme and relevant information and language items.
Teaching procedure of reading, speaking, listening, and writing sections is divided into
three stages to achieve different language skills or knowledge on purpose. This refers to
the domination of communicative approach and characterized features of the new textbook.
2.2.2. Distinctiveness of the new textbook compared to the old one
2.2.2.1. Objectives and approaches to the textbook development
English curriculum at secondary school is designed based on communicative
approach driving at developing and consolidating communicative skills like speaking,
listening, reading and writing. Of which, phonetics, vocabulary and grammatical structures
are the essential instruments. Also, the combination of textbook, reference books and
teaching facility (tapes and recorder, CDs, television, computer, projector and so forth)
play an important and oriented role in language teaching and learning
The objectives of the new “Ti ng Anh 10” are specified as follows:
General objectives:
•

Using English as a communicative tool to speak, listen, write and read in target
contexts at basic level;

•

Acquiring fundamental and systematic target English knowledge


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•

Getting an overview of English speaking countries, people, and cultures,
conserving and developing our national traditions and cultural identity.

Specific objectives: 10th form students have to achieve certain goals of each language skills
underpinning in the textbook.
•

Listening: comprehending main and specific information of the text or dialogue;
improving basic listening skills

•

Speaking:

asking-answering,

presenting

the

topics

given;

using

daily

communication species: asking and giving opinions, instructions, asking directions,
and so on.

•

Reading: comprehending texts via practicing different reading skills: skimming,
scanning,…; enriching vocabulary and structures

•

Writing: writing short compositions and forms
Form my perspective, the objectives of the new “Ti ng Anh 10” are concret,

relevant, practical and appropriate to the upper-secondary school context in Vietnam.
Overall, the ultimate goal of English language teaching is to enable student to acquire
target language knowledge and communicative skills in practice. In brief, the objectives set
in the new “Ti ng Anh 10” by the textbook writers are aligned with world tendency of
English language teaching.
As far as the researcher concerned, a theme-based approach is used in compiling
with the new English textbook “Ti ng Anh 10”. It differs from a structural approach to the
development of the old textbooks in which structures were selected, presented and graded,
and the students practiced via doing a great deal of meaningless and uncommunicative
drill.
By employing the theme-based approach, textbook writers select various topics
which are suitable and adaptable to students’ age, interests and experience of life. The
advantage of this approach to textbook development is to motivate students; and the
themes can be splits into a variety of topics which can both attract students and be recycled
or expanded at a high level, guaranteeing the systematicity of the content.
2.2.2.2. Teaching approaches of the new “English 10” textbook
The new “Ti ng Anh 10” is a departure from the old. Methodologically, the new
textbook is a change from the old structural, grammar-translation methods with a greater

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emphasis on students’ communicative ability. This chance is needed, but it is also “a
disruptive and threatening process” (Hutchinson and Hutchinson 1996: 316).
The textbook writers utilized more communicative and learner-centered
approaches, an emphasis on oral and aural skills, and language for practical use.
Communicative language teaching has been dominant in language teaching all over the
world and it is also suitable to needs of Vietnamese traditional economy and integration
into the world communicative. According to Nunan’s (1989: 194), “communicative
language teaching views language as a system for the expression of meaning. Activities
involve oral communicative, carrying out meaning tasks and the needs of the learners.
Objectives reflect the needs of the learners; they include functional skill as well as
linguistic objectives. The learners’ role is as a negotiator and integrator. The teachers’ role
is as a facilitator of the communicative process. Materials promote communicative
language use; they are task-based and authentic.
Frankly speaking, although communicative language teaching is by no means new
to Vietnamese language teachers, this approach to language teaching has been
controversial and teachers were not sufficiently trained to use the approach. Teaching
communicative English requires teachers to have corresponding language-using and
language-teaching skills.
In a student-centered approach to teaching, teacher and student roles are redefined.
The teacher becomes a facilitator of learning instead of a dispenser of knowledge, and the
students take more responsibility for their own learning. Teachers center their planning,
their teaching, and their assessment on the needs and abilities of our students. The main
idea behind the practice is that learning is most meaningful when topics are relevant to the
students’ lives, needs, and interests and when the students themselves are actively engaged
in creating, understanding, and connecting to knowledge (McCombs and Whistler, 1997).
Students will have a higher motivation to learn when they feel they have a real stake in
their own learning. Instead of the teacher being the sole, infallible source of information,
then, the teacher shares control of the classroom and students are allowed to explore,

experiment, and discover on their own. The students are not just memorizing information,
but they are allowed to work with and use the information alone or with peers. Their
diverse thoughts and perspectives are a necessary input to every class. The students are
given choices and are included in the decision-making processes of the classroom. The


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focus in these classrooms is on options, rather than uniformity. Essentially, "learners are
treated as co-creators in the learning process, as individuals with ideas and issues that
deserve

attention

and

consideration"

(McCombs

and

Whistler,

1997)

(www.

Wcer.wisc.edu/step/ep301/Fall2000/ ochonites/stu_cen.html)
This approach has distinctive advantage over the teacher-centered component

involved traditional instructions where the teacher lectured, used the textbook, and
promoted discussion. The student-centered instruction was non-traditional instruction
where the students worked independently and in-groups on specific assignments. They
discussed lessons in the text by focusing upon “real world” applications. The teacher used
visuals, field trips, guest speakers, and current events to teach the lessons. The role of the
teacher was to monitor the students and give advice or ideas so that they may draw
conclusions and solutions independently or cooperatively.
In short, a communication-based and learner-centered textbook like Ti ng Anh 10”
requires teachers to develop new skills and classroom techniques related to the new
methodology underpinning the new textbook. When lessons are expected to provide a
genuine means of communication using all the four skills, as well as a means of
comprehending how the language works, teachers need to learn new teaching skills and to
improve their ability to use English for pedagogical purposes.
2.2.2.3. Learner-centered activities
One of the distinctive features of the new textbook compared to the old ones is the
employment of learner-centered activities. Undeniably, learner-centered activities such as
group work or teamwork and pair work familiarize students with a language and make
them more self-motivated and creative to achieve target language items and skills. Once
students find themselves on their own initiative in language classroom, they feel more
comfortable and enjoyable; then, they are better motivated to learn.
Thank to employment of learner-centered approach, teachers and students’ roles in
the language classroom change dramatically. Teachers play roles as instructors,
consultants, assistants and organizer to motivate students’ activities more effective and
naturally.
As far as concerned, the new standard textbook designs all activities underpinned
by task-based approach with clear instruction. This brings a lot of advantages to both
teachers and students. First, task-based method helps to create native-like communicative


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situations; then, students make use of their linguistic knowledge and skills in practice.
Second, it eases teachers of methodological burden; especially those are in rural or remote
areas and in deficient in necessary facilities and modern methodology in language
teaching. The new “Ti ng Anh 10” focus on students’ interaction and improve language
skills such as writing, listening, speaking and reading. Therefore, students are involved in
diversified and flexible activities: individuals, pair works, group works, and interaction
with teachers, or the class on the whole. Methodologists believe multiform learnercentered activities, together with convenient learning conditions and students’ strong
motivation are the decisive factors affecting the success in language learning.
2.3. Listening skills in the textbook
Listening is the abilities to identify and understand what others are saying. This
involves understanding a speaker’s accent or pronunciation, his grammar and his
vocabulary, and grasping his meaning (Goh, 2002). An able listener is capable of doing
these four things simultaneously. Hence, listening is an important skill and probably the
most difficult one.
Traditionally, listening passages and methodology was not the matter of universal
interest in English curriculum at upper-secondary school. Listening did not make up any
part of a unit procedure and testing as well. The only means of listening was that the
teacher or students read the texts, questions and answered. Even through this language skill
was mentions teachers seemed to ignore and made no effort to improve it.
In contrast, the new “Ti ng Anh 10” fosters to develop language skills, including
listening comprehension. Indeed, listening lessons make up 20 % of 86 periods of the
English syllabus. Noticeably, each lesson is divided into stages: pre-listening, whilelistening and post-listening in order to obtain certain languages comprehension or skills.
2.3.1. Stages of teaching listening skills
Listening lessons attempt to develop students listening skills such as intensive and
extensive listening. Procedure of a listening lesson consists of three stages: pre-listening,
while-listening and post-listening.
Pre-listening stage prepares students by getting them to think about the topic or
situation before they listen to the texts. In other words, it gives students a purpose to listen.
It also gets students to relate to what they already know about the topic and not least

important arouse their interests in listening.


15

There are certain goals that should be achieved before students attempt to listen to
any text. They are motivation, contextualization, and preparation. Regarding students’
motivation, the teachers should select a text and tasks arousing students’ interest and
curiosity. Contextualization, in addition, is concerned with natural environment that gives
us a huge amount of information about the linguistic content we are likely to hear.
Listening to a tape recording in a classroom is very unnatural process. Therefore, the
teachers need to design tasks that will help students to contextualization the listening and
access their existing knowledge and expectations to help them understand the text which
has been taken from its original environment. Moreover, preparation is one of necessary
process in pre-listening stage. It is vital to cover specific vocabulary or expression that
student will need before they start listening as we challenge within the lesson to be act of
listening not of understanding what they have to do.
While-listening stage gives students a guide or framework to practice listening. In
other words, it helps students to listen better, more accurately, thoroughly through
carefully designed comprehension tasks. When we listen to something in our everyday
lives we do so for a reason. Students too need a reason to listen that will focus their
attention. Ideally, the listening tasks that are designed should guide them through the text.
It is a must that teachers provide useful techniques to facilitate students’ comprehension.
The following techniques include giving clear instructions, playing tapes on purposes,
classifying levels of difficulty of task form easier to more complicated, and so on.
Post-listening stage is like the follow-up stage. After students have practiced the
target skill in the while-listening stage, they do an extension. This helps them take the
information or whatever they have produced in the previous stage, and do other meaningful
activities
There are two common forms that post-listening tasks can take. They are reactions

to the content of the text, and analysis of the linguistic features. Therefore, the students can
use language naturally in target situations. Also, they acquire more deeply the language
knowledge (words, forms, and structures) and develop an understanding of the text much
easier
2.3.2. Listening skills, tasks and activities
In an analytic approach to teaching, the teacher systematically spends time on the
component skill that make up the overall ability. In teaching listening, the teacher will


16

identify the component skills of discriminating sounds, recognizing words and so on, and
design specific tasks and activites that include the use of such skills.
In the new “Ti ng Anh 10”, different listening skills are utilized depending on what
to listen for. Listening for general understanding, listening for specific or detailed
information, predicting, guessing and interpreting are several typical examples. Listening
tasks are various and flexible based on linguistic difficulty level, topics and students’
interest. For example, with topic ‘Daily activities’, the writers first provide lively pictures
in an incorrect order so that student have an overview about what they tangibly listen to
and how to do. Next, though task two requires more detailed information: true or false,
they get little trouble in getting the answers thank to previous task. Differently, as
“Undersea world” (“Ti ng Anh 10”, unit 9, 2006: 98) is a difficulty topic with complicated
words, the tasks do not focus on specific information or linguistic items. On the contrary,
they help to develop predicting and guessing skills via true or false sentences. In other
words, students do not concentrate on every sounds or word but general information only.
It is important to note that these skills do not represent a sequence. Learners do not
master one skill and then move on to the next one. Rather, all of these skills develop
simultaneously as the learner becomes more proficient at listening. Therefore, it is
important to provide learners with practice in all skills at all levels. Therefore, the language
teachers have to choose one that is a particular problem for their students and design an

activity that will help students develop that listening skill.
2.3.3. Approaches and methods of teaching listening
Researches on listening comprehension come up for discussion about two different
approaches: the bottom-up and the top-down.
The bottom-up approach to listening is to segment the stream of speech into its
constituent sounds, then link these together to form words, clauses and sentences and so
on. Nevertheless, its inadequacy can be easily demonstrated. Take listening part in Unit 8
(“Ti ng Anh 10”, 2006:86) as an illustration. Task 1 asks students to listen and decide true
and false information given. Students had better find out the key words in each sentence
then note down or compare familiar sounds or words because they have no idea about
Popffere, a town in English, and its changes. This approach also suggests that if students
are asked to listen and write down as much of the text as they can recall, they generally


17

remember some bits of the text and forget others. By and large, they can not fulfill the
tasks if they focus on linguistic items rather than the message or the information.
The top-down view of listening is the use of inside the head knowledge, that is,
knowledge which is not directly encoded in words. While few English learners would have
little trouble in comprehending the sounds, words and clauses in the given messages, it is
unlikely that they would able to demonstrate comprehension by listening to the text and
writing a précis or providing a verbal account. However if they are provided with a context
for making sense of the text then the task becomes relative simple. For example, if students
are told that the text is about V n Cao’ life and works (“Ti ng Anh 10”, unit 12, 2006:
126), then the individual constituents are much more readily interpretable, and the task of
recalling the information in it is much easier.
In effect, the title “Listening to V n Cao’s songs” enables students to bring
knowledge form outside the text to the task of interpreting and comprehending the text
itself. This illustrates an important point: that meaning does not reside exclusively within

the words on the tape recorder or on the page. It also exists in the head of students or
listeners. Successful listeners and readers are those who can utilize both “in side the head”
knowledge and “outside the head” knowledge to interpret what they hear.
In their book on listening, Anderson and Lynch (1988) contrast the bottom-up view
of ‘listener as tape recorder’ with the top-down view of ‘listener as model builder’. The
view of listener as recorder suggests that the listener takes in and stores aural message in
much the same way as a tape recorder. However, research shows that this is not the way
that listening words. It seems that when we comprehend messages, we store the meaning
but not the linguistic forms. The alternative to the listener as tape recorder view, that of
listener as active model builder, accords a much more active role to listeners as they
construct an interpretation of a message by utilizing both bottom-up and top-down
knowledge.


18

CHAPTER 3
THE STUDY OF LISTENING DIFFICULTIES IN USING NEW ENGLISH
TEXTBOOK FOR GRADE 10 AT QUE VO II UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL

3. 1. Research methodology
3. 1.1. Research questions
Given the purposes stated in chapter 1, the thesis is intended to seek out
information based on the two research questions as follows:
(1) What are listening difficulties perceived by 10th grade students and teachers at
Que Vo II upper-secondary school in using new English textbook?
(2) What are the factors which have impacts on teaching and learning listening
skill?
3.1.2. Subjects of the study
The sample was drawn from two sources: 86 students in classes 10A3, 10A1, 10A8,

and 10A10, and 9 teachers in English teaching staff.
The first group involves non-English majors at different classes. They are also at
different levels of English proficiency. All of those have experienced in English for seven
years and in listening for 5 years at lower-secondary schools. The textbook in use is The
new “Ti ng Anh 10”, which is first introduced at my school. Also, these subjects are
completely taught by Vietnamese teachers of English.
The other group includes all 9 teachers of English aged from 24 to 37 years old. All
of them have more or fewer opportunities to learn new teaching techniques in English
Language Teacher Training Project methodology course. Again, it is the first time they
work with this new textbook.
3.1.3. Data collection instruments
This study employed both the quantitative and qualitative methods which help to
provide qualified background data for discovering non-English majors’ motivation to learn
English. In order to obtain in-depth and rich data, the study used a variety of research
instruments and sources of data: questionnaires, interviews and observation.


19

To gain data for the study, two survey questionnaires were administered to the
subjects. One was designed for non-English majors and the other for the teachers. Some
open-ended questions were provided so that the respondents had opportunities to share
their opinions about items raised in the questionnaires. The first questionnaire, consisting
of 14 questions, was delivered to 86 selected students. It aimed to elicit the students’
opinion about difficulties in learning listening skills with the focus of their background
knowledge, experience, attitudes, interests, and expectations in learning English vs.
teachers’ teaching methods. All the questions were written in Vietnamese to enable the
students to understand and to allow their full expression of ideas. The second questionnaire
of 16 questions was delivered to the teachers. It aimed to draw their perspectives on
unsolved problems in teaching listening skills in the new textbook. All the questions were

written in English. Both of two survey questionnaires consisted of three major aspects:
facilities, students’ and teachers’ factors which have challenged the success in teaching and
learning listening at Que Vo II upper-secondary school for the time being.
The interviews help to get better insights into the research question. The interview
questions, including 14 items, were sorted out based on the survey questionnaires to get
more information in details. One third of the subjects (both teachers and students) were
invited to discuss for further information about the items raised in the questionnaires. Their
answers were taken down and translated into English.
Class observation is specifically constituted to bring about learning, hence, “it is
not unreasonable to collect data about what goes on there” (Nunan, 1992:91). In addition to
survey questionnaires and interviews, class observation was also applied to clarify and test
the validity of information about actual teaching and learning listening context; the
challenges in presenting and acquiring English knowledge and skills and communicative
activities in listening lessons. The observations was carried out in four listening lesson in
different classes at Que Vo II upper-secondary school.
3.1.4. Procedures
I conducted my study within 6 weeks at the end of the second term in the class
10A3 10A3, 10A1, 10A8, and 10A10 at Que Vo II upper-secondary school, Bac Ninh
province where I have been teaching for more than two years. Firstly, I designed survey
questionnaires and collected all ideas from 100 selected students and 10 teachers in my


20

teaching staff. In fact, only 86 students and 9 teachers supported their feedback when I
collected the data. Secondly, I interviewed about one third of the subjects (both teachers
and students) randomly to collect more data about listening difficulties, factors causing
such problems and how to help to motivate listening learning better in the classroom.
Finally, class observations were employed to reflex the current context at Que Vo II uppersecondary school. The data were tape-recorded and transcripted.
3.2. Data analysis and findings

This part of the thesis presents and discusses the findings that arise from the
specific questions in order to answer the research questions. The findings resulted from the
analysis of the three sources of collected data: questionnaire, interview and classroom
observation.
The comments and perceptions made by teachers and students in response to the
questionnaires were consolidated and categorized by the researcher. The results were
subsequently tabulated and converted to percentages for the convenience of analysis.
Along with interviews, information gained via classroom observations helped to assist
interpretation.
3.2.1. Questionnaires
3.2.1.1. Teachers and students’ attitudes to listening teaching and learning
The very beginning part of the questionnaire focused on finding all information
about teachers and students’ viewpoints in listening skill and its importance compared to
other skills
First, have a look at the table referring importance of listening skill perceived by
teachers

Question 1: Importance of listening skill in comparison with other skills
more

equally important

less important

not necessary

don’t know

important

78%

22%

Table 1: teachers’ opinion about the importance of listening


21

The data is quite interesting. The majority of respondents support that listening
and other communicative language skills are equally important. This number makes up
78%, meanwhile other 22% agree that listening is less important in school curriculum.
They explained in their interview that their is no evaluation standard or examination on
such skill, therefore, most of the teachers do not take much effort to facilitate their
listening lessons like reading, writing or grammar lessons.

Question 2: Do your students like listening lessons and learning listening skills?
1. Strongly agree 2. Agree 3. Disagree 4. Strongly disagree 5. Don’t know
Teacher’ opinions

1

2

3

4

They like listening to and do the tasks in textbook

78%

11%

11%

They like listening to songs, game or free activities 33%

56%

5

11%

(without doing tasks)
They are afraid of listening because they don’t know how 22%

67%

11%

22%

56%

67%

22%

and what to do with listening task

They hate listening because it is too difficult
They are interested because they want to self-listen to

22%

11%

others: news, songs, and so on
Table 2: students’ motivation in teachers’ viewpoints
According to the table, the teachers have good understanding about their students.
Throughout all the listed items, agreements account for from 67% to 89%

regarding

students’ interest in doing tasks in the textbook and listening for entertainment. Teachers
also claim that students are afraid of listening because they don’t know how and what to do
with listening task (89%). However, a lower percentage of choices agree that their students
hate listening because it is too difficult (44%) compared to 56% have opposite idea.
Secondly, in students’ opinions, listening is very necessary in school curriculum.
Although their response for question 3 shows that listening is more difficult than other
aspects of English. This fact may blames for their limited background knowledge and
listening strategies.
According to chart 1, their reasons for learning listening is various and surprising.


22

100%

100%

80%
60%

To improve your English listening
ability

78%

To get good listening marks in the
exams

65%

60%

Listen to English news, songs,
and films

47%
40%
20%

29%

Understand and communicate
with the foreigners
English is a compulsory subject
To get good job in the future

0%

Chart 1: Students’ motivation of learning listening
The results of the chart 1 show that the subjects are found to possess such kinds
of motivation: instrumental and integrative. In theory, integrative motivation is considered
a key component in assisting language students to develop proficiency in a second
language when they become residents in a community where the target language is used in
social interactions. In contrast, with instrumental motivation, the reasons motivate study a
language because it opens up educational and economic opportunities for them.
Obviously, the highest percentage refers to the most important reason which is to
get good job in the future (100%). However, percentage of the subject possesses
instrumental motivation is lower than integrative one in total. In details, getting good
marks in examination makes up 47%, a compulsory subject 29% and job opportunities in
the future 100%. Meanwhile, improving listening ability to understand and communicate
in real situations and listening for entertainment account for 60%, 78%, 65% respectively


23

3.2.1.2. Listening difficulties perceived by students
3.2.1.2.1 Difficulties in general and influent factors
Question 4: Which are the difficulties that you often get when studying listening skill in
your class?
Items

agree

disagree

don’t
know

Cannot understand the listening text and tasks due to lack of 87%

13%

English background knowledge and ability
Get the main

ideas but cannot do the tasks or needed 44%

18%

38%

information
Boring listening tasks

56%

44%

Can not listen to the text because the sound is too soft or noise

90%

10%

Have no habit or technique to practice and improve listening 72%

20%

8%

31%

13%

skills
Lack of listening materials (tapes or CDs)

56%

Table 3: Students’ difficulties in general
As can be seen from table 3, most of the subjects cope up with such above
difficulties. The most important problem involves 90% of the respondents is hardly to
listen to the text because the sound is too soft or because of noise. This fact results from
too big class size of 45 to 50 students and poor-equipped condition. According to
interviewed students, their teachers’ voice is not loud and attractive enough to listen to in
distance. They do not hear clear anything, then understand nothing either. Coming next is
87% of the subjects who can not understand the listening text and tasks due to lack of
English background knowledge and ability. Another 72% are aware of importance of
listening habits and techniques which help to learn more effectively. This figure is
optimistic to improve students’ motivation. Moreover, a same rate of students (56%) find


24

challenging to work with listening tasks and available materials. In contrast, only 44% can
get the main ideas after listening but have no idea about listening focuses and
requirements.

Apart from that, a number of students do not know how and what to do with
listening lessons in deed. The most impressive example is that qualification of tasks
attracts 44% who did not know whether it is boring or interesting.
Question 6: In your opinion, which factors have influenced in students’ motivation and
interest in listening lessons?
Agree

Disagree

Don’t
know

Classroom condition and facilities

100%

Teachers’ teaching methods: interesting, attractive, easy to 95%

5%

understand
Listening topic and level of difficulties of listening tasks

44%

24%

32%

Students’ awareness, interests

16%

44%

40%

Basic background knowledge of English

90%

10%

Self study at home

76%

24%

The design of the listening lessons, tasks and the clarity of 12%

32%

56%

tasks instructions
Activities for entertainment

24%

25%

41%

Requirements of examinations

79%

16%

5%

Table 5: Factors affecting students’ motivations and interests in listening lessons
Table 5 reveals a fact that there are many factor can affect students’ motivation and
interest. In their opinion, listening is very difficult, therefore making progress in this skill
demands many aspects of teaching and learning process. The most important factor is
classroom condition and facilities (100%).
The second is teachers’ methods which provide them instruction or guidance to
listen. It is the fact that students mostly rely on teachers’ performance in classroom.
The third reason is blamed for knowledge of English which directly affects their
confidence and activeness in listening lesson. Another high percent of students involved is
requirement of examinations. It is universal and true to any subjects. They find less


25

interested in the design of the textbook because they have no experience in evaluating such
issue.

3.2.1.2.2. Facilities and classroom conditions

Question 7: In your opinion, is your class suitable for listening lesson?
Agree
The class is well-equipped with modern technology or facilities

disagree
100%

The class size is too large, the students cannot listen well

86%

14%

The class is large enough, students can listen well from every place

24%

76%

Table 6: Classroom conditions
Question 9. How often does your teachers use these teaching aids?
1 – always

2 - often

3-sometimes

4 – rarely

5 - never

54%

Visual aids: pictures, board, chart, chalk
Textbook and supplementary books

32%

51%

17%

100%

Handouts

46%

100%

Computers, speakers

100%

television
56%

Tapes, recorders

44%

100%

CD/VCD

100%

projectors
Table 7: The use of teaching aids

According to tables 6 and table 7, in addition to poor-equipped conditions, using
technology into language teaching and learning is a time-saving and helpful ways to make
progress. However, the results from table 7 show a dull situation at Vo II school.