A study on the effectiveness of the application of information technology in the teaching and learning of the grade 10 English listenning skill at Hermann Gmein

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES





TÔN ANH ĐÀO



A STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY IN THE TEACHING AND
LEARNING OF GRADE 10 ENGLISH LISTENING
SKILL AT HERMANN GMEINER SCHOOL-VINH


(Nghiên cứu tính hiệu quả ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin trong
việc dạy häc kỹ năng nghe tiếng Anh 10 tại trường phổ thông
Hermann Gmeiner -Vinh)


M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field : English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10


HANOI – 2011

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

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FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES





TÔN ANH ĐÀO


A STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY IN THE TEACHING AND
LEARNING OF GRADE 10 ENGLISH LISTENING
SKILL AT HERMANN GMEINER SCHOOL-VINH


(Nghiên cứu tính hiệu quả ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin trong
việc dạy häc kỹ năng nghe tiếng Anh 10 tại trường phổ thông
Hermann Gmeiner -Vinh )

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS




Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10
Supervisor: Dr. Đỗ Tuấn Minh



HANOI – 2011





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TABLE OF CONTENTS


Pages
Declaration
i
Acknowledgements
ii
Abstract
iii
Table of contents

iv
List of abbreviations
vii
List of tables
viii
List of figures
ix
List of pictures
ix


PART I – INTRODUCTION
1
1.
Rationale
1
2.
Aims of the study
2
3.
Research questions
2
4.
Scope of the study
3
5.
Method of the study
3
6.
Significance of the study

3
7.
Design of the study
4
PART II – DEVELOPMENT
5
CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
5
1.1.
How is technology intergrated into education?
5
1.1.1.
What is educational technology?
5
1.1.2.
How is computer intergrated into education?
5
1.2.
Computer-Assisted Language Learning
6
1.2.1.
Definition of Call
6
1.2.2.
The development of Call
7
1.3.
CALL and language teaching and learning
8
1.4.

Computer as an IT tool in language teaching and learning
9
1.5.
CALL and listening skill
12

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CHAPTER II: THE APPLICATION OF THE SOFTWARES IN TEACHING
LISTENING TIENG ANH 10
14
2.1.
Procedure of a listening lesson
14
2.1.1.
Pre-listening
14
2.1.2.
While-listening
15
2.1.3.
Post-listening
15
2.2
The application of the softwares in designing activities
16
2.2.1.
Pre-listening
16
2.2.2.
While-listening

18
2.2.3.
Post-listening
19
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY
21
3.1.
The context of teaching listening skill to 10
th
form students at
Hermann Gmeiner School – Vinh
21
3.2.
Participants
21
3.2.1.
Students
22
3.2.2
Teachers
22
3.3.
Instruments
23
3.4.
Procedure
23
3.4.1.
Data collection procedure
23

3.4.2.
Data analysis procedure
23
CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS
24
4.1.
Findings
24
4.1.1.
Teachers and students’ background
24
4.1.1.1.
Students‘ listening habit relating to computers
24
4.1.1.2.
Teachers‘ background of using computers in teaching English
24
4.1.2.
Research question 1
25
4.1.2.1.
Students‘ assessment on the effectiveness of using the softwares in
learning listening skill
25
4.1.2.2.
Teachers‘ assessment on the effectiveness of the softwares in teaching
listening skill
29
4.1.3.
Research question 2

33
4.1.3.1.
Teachers‘ opinions about using the softwares
33

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4.1.3.2.
Students‘ opinions about using the softwares
34
4.1.4.
Research question 3
35
4.1.4.1.
As for administrators
35
4.1.4.2.
As for teachers
36
4.1.4.3.
As for students
36
4.2.
Implications
37
PART III – CONCLUSION
40
1.
Conclusion
40
2.

Limitations
40
3.
Suggestions
41
References
42
Appendix
I
1.
Questionnaire for teachers
I
2.
Questionnaire for students
V
3.
Screenshots of main teaching listening activities in unit 9 – English 10
XII

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AECT
Association for Educational Communications and Technology
CALI
Computer Assisted Language Instruction
CALL
Computer Assisted Language Learning
CMC
Computer Mediated Communication
EFL
English As Foreign Language
ELT
English Language Teaching
ESL
English As Second Language
IT
Information Technology
MPS
Multimedia Presentation Software
PDA
Personal Digital Assistant

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LIST OF TABLES
Pages
Table 1:
Students‘ marks in the previous listening test
22
Table 2:
Students‘ learning English experience
22
Table 3:
Teacher‘s teaching experience
23
Table 4:
Students‘ listening habit relating to computers
24

Table 5:
Teachers‘ ability of computer skill
24
Table 6:
Teachers‘ teaching listening habit relating to computer
25
Table 7:
Students‘ general assessment on the effectiveness of the softwares in
learning listening skill
25
Table 8:
The usefulness of the softwares in listening stages
28
Table 9:
Uses of the softwares in Pre-listening stage
28
Table 10:
Uses of the softwares in While-listening
29
Table 11:
Uses of the softwares in Post-listening
29
Table 12:
Teachers‘ general assessment on the effectiveness of the softwares in
teaching listening skill
29
Table 13:
The usefulness of the softwares in teaching listening stages
31
Table 14:

Uses of the softwares in Pre-teaching listening
32
Table 15:
Uses of the softwares in While-teaching listening
32
Table 16:
Uses of the softwares in post-teaching listening
32
Table 17:
Teachers‘ opinions about the advantages of the softwares in teaching
listening skill
33
Table 18:
Teachers‘ opinions about the disadvantages of the softwares in teaching
listening skill
34
Table 19:
Students‘ opinions about the advantages of the softwares in teaching
listening skill
34
Table 20:
Students‘ opinions about the disadvantages of the softwares in teaching
listening skill
35

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1:
Students‘ assessment of the effectiveness of the softwares in sub-

skills of listening ( from sub-skill 1 to sub-skill 5)
26
Figure 2:
Teachers‘ assessment of the effectiveness of the softwares in sub-
skills of listening ( from sub-skill 1 to sub-skill 5)
30



LISTS OF PICTURES

Picture 1:
Screenshot of the pre-listening crossword designed with
HotPotatoes – unit 9
17
Picture 2:
Screenshot of pre-listening picture matching designed with
HotPotatoes – unit 14
17
Picture 3:
Screenshot of pre-listening picture matching designed with
Question Tools Editor – unit 16
18
Picture 4:
Screenshot of while-listening gap fill designed with HotPotatoes –
unit 7
19
Picture 5:
Screenshot of while-listening gap fill designed with Question Tools
Editor – unit 4

19
Picture 6:
Screenshot of post-listening sentence building designed with
Hotpotatoes–unit 15
20
Picture 7:
Screenshot of post-listening sentence building designed with
Question Tools Editor- unit 2
20






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PART I: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale
Information technology (IT) has brought about many revolutional changes in the
development of the global society. Education is considered the foundation for the
development, however, IT is used as powerful tools in every subject, especially, in
teaching and learning foreign languages.
It is obvious that English has been taught in Vietnam as an important foreign
language for a long time but due to grammar - translation method of teaching, Vietnamese
students seem to be better at grammar than communicative competence. Therefore,
according to a large project to investigate the English teaching reform in northern parts of
Vietnam, only 5% of students are able to communicate in English after graduation (Hoang
et all, 2005). This fact gives rises to the need for nationwide innovation in the teaching
methodology, as a result, three new textbooks for 10

th
, 11
th
and 12
th
form students were
designed and used in the light of communicative approach.
However, to use the new textbooks effectively, teachers and students need
approach various types of IT tools such as some popular softwares in teaching like: Power
point, Word processor, Window media The powerful tools, which can help teachers to
expand the four walls of the tradditional classroom and rebuild the class with many useful
controlled and free activities for communicative competence, are increasing in both quality
and quantity.
Many articles have discussed the effectiveness of IT tools in SLT in the world. In
Vietnam, the application of IT tools in ESL was set forth by Nguyen Lan Trung and Ngo
Van Nghiem (1997) who suggested the use of CD-ROM. The recent focus on technology
in language study has been on the use of MPS ( Multimedia Presentation softwares),
emails, Internet, Class websites ( Nguyen Thi Lan Huong (2004), Nguyen Thu Hoai
(2005), Pham Thi Ngoc Phuong (2006), Nguyen Thi Anh Nguyet (2008), Nong Thi Khanh
Van (2008), Duong Thi Hong An (2009)). Despite many useful studies on IT tools in
teaching and learning English, there are a limited number of studies on the authoring
softwares which help teachers to design activities in their classroom.

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As a teacher of English in a small high school in Vinh, Nghe An, the author would
like to carry out this research called ―A study on the effectiveness of application of
information technology in the teaching and learning of grade 10 English listening skill at
Hermann Gmeiner school - Vinh‖ to help herself and her colleagues in foreign language
teaching.
IT tools, which are mentioned in this study, are two softwares: HotPotatoes and

Question Tools Editor. The author was introduced the way of using and applying these
softwares in the course of applying IT in foreign language teaching.

2. Aims of the study
This study aims to measure the effectiveness of the utilization of two authoring
softwares: Hotpotatoes and Question Tools Editor in teaching listening skill in English 10
at Hermann Gmeiner school in Vinh.
Firstly, the author would like to investigate the influence of utilizing those
softwares in teaching and learning listening skill in Hermann Gmeiner School - Vinh.
Secondly, the teachers and learners‘ opinions about advantages and disadvantages
of those softwares in teaching and learning listening skill will be collected and analysed.
Thirdly, the author wants to find out the difficulties that teachers and students meet
during the course and the solutions to advance the effectiveness of the authoring softwares
in teaching listening skill Tieng Anh 10 at Hermann Gmeiner School - Vinh .

3. Research questions
In order to achieve the aims of the study, the following research questions were raised:
1. To what extent does the employment of the authoring softwares have influence on the
effectiveness of teaching and learning listening skill in Tieng Anh 10?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the utilization of the two authoring
softwares: HotPotatoes and Question Tools Editor in teaching and learning listening
skill?
3. What should be done to raise the effectiveness of the authoring softwares: Hotpotatoes
and Question Tools Editors in teaching and learning listening skill at Hermann
Gmeiner School ?

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4. Scope of the study
The present study operates within the following scope:
(1). A study on the application of IT tool in ELT is a broad topic, therefore, in this

research, the author decides to choose one of specific IT tools, that is applying two
authoring softwares in teaching listening skill in Tieng Anh 10. From this study, we can
apply the softwares in teaching all skills in Tieng Anh 11, Tieng Anh 12.
(2). By the time constraint, making a research with a large number of participants was out
of the author‘s reach, the participants for the study was 50 students from 248 students in
class 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E and 5 teachers of English at Hermann Gmeiner Vinh.

5. Method of the study
The subjects for this study are two authoring softwares: HotPotatoes and Question
Tools Editor. The writer together with 5 teachers, who created activities using the
softwares to teach listening skill and then, collected the data for the study from survey
questionnaires.
The method used in this study is survey research with closed and open-ended
questionnaires.

6. Significance of the study
The first significance of the study is for the author herself and for the other ESL
teachers at Hermann Gmeiner school since the data collected from the study can be
analyzed and interpreted in terms of using softwares to promote the effectiveness of
teaching and learning listening skill at Hermann Gmeiner school Vinh.
The results of the study are also expected to all teachers who have interest in
applying new technology in their classroom for higher teaching quality. They can apply it
in their teaching with their own purposes.
The last but not least, this study can lay grounds for further researches on using
new technology in teaching language and renovating the methods of teaching language.




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7. Design of the study
The study consists of three main parts:
The first is ― Introduction‖ that introduces the rationale, the aims, the research
questions, the scope, the methods and the significance of the study.
The second is ― Development‖ consists of four chapters:
Chapter one provides the literature review including the overview of educational
technology, CALL & listening skill and the introduction of the two authoring softwares
Hotpotatoes and Question Tools Editor.
Chapter two presents the context of teaching and learning listening in Hermann
Gmeiner School and discusses the application of the softwares in three stages of teaching
listening skill in Tieng Anh 10.
Chapter three details a survey research as the method of the study, the participants
and the instruments to collect data.
Chapter four presents results of the study, the findings in which research questions
are addressed and discussions are also presented in this chapter.
The third part is ― Conclusion‖ summarizes the main issues touched upon so far in
the study. Limitation and suggestion for further study are also discussed in this chapter.

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PART II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
This chapter introduces a brief theoretical background relevant to the study and is
divided into five sections. The first is the relation between technology and education, the
second is an overview of CALL, the third briefs the benefit of CALL in language teaching
and learning, the forth introduces two authoring softwares used in the study and the last
looks at CALL and listening skills.
1.1. How is technology intergrated into education?
1.1.1. What is educational technology?
There are many definitions of educational technology. Some educators use the term
to refer to any media that the teacher can use for classroom instruction, such as visual,
audio, or digital media. Other educators use it to refer to the use of a computer or other
mechanical or electronic device for teaching and learning (Muffoletto, 1994). The most
general one, used by the Association for Education Communications and Technology
(AECT): ―Educational Technology is the theory and practice of design, development,
utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning‖. In this
definition, we can include a wide array of technology including computers, softwares,
slides, photographs, e-mails, CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs, the Internet, videotapes, and
instructional television.
1.1.2. How is computer intergrated into education?
Technology pervades all of our lives. People arround us are using cell phones,
surfing the Net, and storing data in PDAs Even 15 years ago, it was rare for people to
have computers in their homes, however, today, if you do not have a computer, you are at
somewhat of a disadvantage. Computers have emerged as fascinating technological tools in
the educational arena.
The computer has become an indispensable tool for science simulations. Computers
can motivate students to learn and help build math skills. Students can use the Internet as a

library source, investigating everything from a lot of materials. Computers can link
students at schools arround the world. Students can use computers to write research
reports, conduct experiments and creat electronic portfolios for job applications.

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Using the computer, a teacher can provide students with different kinds of learning.
Teachers can visit websites to access lessons plans and activities to enhance learning in any
subject area. Teachers can use Powerpoint to create presentations to help explain different
topics. They can have students visit specific Websites and answer questions. They can use
drill and practice software programs to help students who are having problems in a
particular academic area. Teachers can consult technical chat rooms for help or
information about pertinent topics. They can use the computers to create certificates for
students and class newsletters.
Administrators can use the computers to create presentations for their planning
meetings. They can then display these presentations on a school‘s Websites for teacher
viewing and comments. Administrators can create their own Websites, to provide
information to students, teachers and parents. They can send teachers email messages
about meeting and school programs. Administrators can store important information in
electronic databases such as students absenteeism data, current school supply inventories,
substitute teacher name and contact information, and access electronic school resources
such as CD-ROMs, books, and videotapes. They can create newsletters for teachers,
parents and staff.
1.2. Computer-Assisted language learning (CALL)
1.2.1. Definition of CALL:
CALL is the acronym for Computer Assisted Language Learning and it is related
to the use of computers for language teaching and learning.
CALL may be defined as "the search for and study of applications of the computer
in language teaching and learning". CALL is a term that came into favour in the early
1980s, replacing the older term CALI (Computer Assisted Language Instruction).
The term CALI fell out of favour because it became associated with programmed

learning, i.e. a teacher-centred rather than a learner-centred approach that drew heavily on
behaviourism. Throughout the 1980s CALL widened its scope, embracing the
communicative approach and a range of new technologies. CALL now includes highly
interactive and communicative support for listening, speaking, reading and writing,
including extensive use of multimedia CD-ROMs and the Internet.


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1.2.2. The development of CALL
Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is not a new development in
language teaching, as it has been used since the 1960s and 70s. However, it still lacks
research methods and a clear theoretical foundation (Chapelle, 1997).We can divide the
development of CALL into three distinct phases (Warschauer, 1996): behaviourist,
communicative and integrative.
Behaviourist CALL was implemented in the 1960‘s and 70‘s, when the Audio-
lingual method was mostly used, and provided students with drills and practice. It is the
first phase of CALL, which was based on the then-dominant behaviorist theories of
learning. Programs of this phase entailed repetitive language drills and can be referred to as
"drill and practice" (or, more pejoratively, as "drill and kill"). Drill and practice courseware
is based on the model of computer as tutor (Taylor, 1980). In other words the computer
serves as a vehicle for delivering instructional materials to the student. The rationale
behind drill and practice was not totally spurious, which explains in part the fact that
CALL drills are still used today. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, behavioristic CALL
was undermined by two important factors. First, behavioristic approaches to language
learning had been rejected at both the theoretical and the pedagogical level. Secondly, the
introduction of the microcomputer allowed a whole new range of possibilities. The stage
was set for a new phase of CALL.
Based on the communicative approach, communicative CALL focuses more on
using forms rather than on the forms themselves. The communicative CALL programmes
provide skill practice in a non-drill format, through language games, reading and text

reconstruction. This approach still uses the computer as a tutor, although it gives students
choices, control and interaction. Another CALL model used for communicative activities
involves the computer as stimulus, as in programmes that stimulate writing or discussions,
and which may not be specifically designed for language learners. Finally, communicative
CALL also uses the computer as a tool, in programmes that do not provide language
material, but enable the learner to understand and use the language, such as word
processors, desk–top publishing, spelling and grammar checks programmes, as used for
instance in process writing.
The current approach is integrative CALL, which is based on multimedia
computers and the Internet. These technological developments have brought text, graphics,

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sound, animation and video to be accessed on a single inexpensive computer. These
resources are all linked and called ‗hypermedia‘, enabling learners to navigate through CD-
ROMS and the Internet at their own pace and path, using a variety of media.
Multimedia technology as it currently exists thus only partially contributes to
integrative CALL. Using multimedia may involve an integration of skills (e.g. listening
with reading), but it too seldom involves a more important type of integration - integrating
meaningful and authentic communication into all aspects of the language learning
curriculum. Fortunately, though, another technological breakthrough is helping make that
possible - electronic communication and the Internet.
In summary, the history of CALL suggests that the computer can serve a variety of
uses for language teaching. It can be a tutor which offers language drills or skill practice; a
stimulus for discussion and interaction; or a tool for writing and research. With the advent
of the Internet, it can also be a medium of global communication and a source of limitless
authentic materials. But as pointed out by Garrett (1991), "the use of the computer does not
constitute a method". Rather, it is a "medium in which a variety of methods, approaches,
and pedagogical philosophies may be implemented" (p. 75). The effectiveness of CALL
cannot reside in the medium itself but only in how it is put to use.
1.3. CALL & language teaching and learning

CALL has much to offer English language teachers and will have more to offer in
the future. One of the advantages of CALL is that, in Philip‘s words (1986), it offers a
powerful self-access facility. That is, it helps to generate autonomous learners who will
experience freedom of choice. The tools that learners find in computers allow them to
assume mastery of their own learning experience. Students can call up the programs held
by computers whenever they want; besides, computers are sensitive to the learner‘s level of
proficiency. This advantage, though, can also be seen as a disadvantage, since many
teachers may consider that computers are undertaking functions that should be performed
by trained teachers. In fact, computers should be used by teachers as a complementary tool
in the teaching process.
Another advantage of CALL is that it gives a new role to teaching materials. Out of
the context of CALL, teaching materials are passive. In CALL, materials adapt themselves
to the requirements of the individual student; that is, they become interactive. CALL, like

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other new technologies, brings about changes in the teaching methodologies of English.
However, there are cases, though, in which computers are just used to give old materials a
new aspect. This is the case of teachers who put students in front of the computer just to
make fill-in-the-gap exercises.
The advantages and disadvantages mentioned up to the present moment make us
aware of an important fact in relation to CALL. In fact, the technology that computers
offer should be integrated with pedagogic programs that guarantee a real evolution of the
teaching methodologies and procedures.
One final aspect that we should analyse in relation to the implementation of
computers in English language teaching is the studying environment that is going to be
created by means of the computer. The CALL classroom should not be conceived as a
room in which every learner is studying in isolation in front of the computer. Teachers
must think of activities that enable group work interaction and computers to be compatible.
Otherwise, men as social beings will be replaced by men as alienated computer slaves.
1.4. Computer as an IT tool in language teaching and learning.

The main uses of computers in language teaching and learning can be generated as
follow (Hammer, 2001):
- Reference tool: through CD, DVD-ROMS or Internet, teachers and students can search
for all sources of information related to their language teaching and learning. Especially,
Internet is considered the most convenient reference tool.
- CMC ( Computer mediated communication): This is the process of using computers to
facilitate authentic communication between two or more people such as email, electronic
bulletin board, real internet chat or instant message
- Websites: Almost websites have great potential for students of English in getting in touch
with the authentic language. They can search for any information in various forms such as
text, audio, video There are also many websites designed for EFL students to do
exercises, play games and for teachers download activities and make lesson plans
- Word processor: has been mainly used in writing skill, including personal and group
writing. It can also be used to create an endless number of exercises in English. Doing
exercises in a word processor implies giving traditional exercises a new format. However,

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this way of working in the English language classroom results in a quite successful
experience, since students enjoy the mere fact of being manipulating computers.
- MPS ( Multimedia presentation softwares): ―Multimedia is the exciting combination
of computer hardware and software that allows you to integrate video, animation, audio,
graphics and test resources to develop effective presetations on an affordable desktop
computer‖ Fenrich (1997). MPS is defined as the use of computer software to create slides
similar to those used on an overhead projector, except that the display can include text,
sound, still and moving images. Slides are prepared in advance, can be edited and are
stored in the correct sequence.
- Teaching and learning programs: There are two types of programs: tutorial and
authoring programs.
Tutorial programs with short introductory notes are followed by a series of
questions, to which the students respond at the keyboard. Discrete comments can be built

in, and error, review routines are automatic. If required, a set of help notes can also be
called up during the question – answer sequence in order to understand the student who has
not fully understood the point of the exercise. The result of students‘ attempts at each
exercise are stored on the computer. Language teaching software is currently much
available on CD-ROM to meet the demand of learners at different levels and various
learning purposes.
Authoring programs allow teachers to create their own different exercises or units
unlike as in ready-made ―dedicated‖ programs, where the contents, questions and texts
come with the program and cannot be changed. The applications of authoring softwares in
EFL teaching and learning are various; however, we should choose the most suitable to
apply in our language teaching. Below are two popular CALL authoring packages:
Hot potatoes
Hot Potatoes is a suite of programs published by Victoria University and Half-
Baked Software. Teachers use the Hot Potatoes programs to create educational materials,
especially exercises and tests. All these materials can be produced in the form of web
pages, and the web pages can be uploaded to hotpotatoes.net very simply, from within the
Hot Potatoes programs.
The Hot Potatoes suite includes six applications, enabling you to create interactive
multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-

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fill exercises for the World Wide Web. On September 1, 2009, Hot Potatoes was released
as freeware. The purpose of the Hot Potatoes is to enable us to create interactive Web-
based teaching exercises which can be delivered to any Internet-connected computer
equipped with a browser. The exercises use HTML and JavaScript to implement their
interactivity. There are five basic programs in the Hot Potatoes suite:
The JQuiz program creates question-based quizzes. Questions can be of four
different types, including multiple-choice and short-answer. Specific feedback can be
provided both for right answers and predicted wrong answers or distractors. In short-
answer questions, the student's guess is intelligently parsed and helpful feedback to show

what part of a guess is right and what part is wrong. The student can ask for a hint in the
form of a "free letter" from the answer.
The JCloze program creates gap-fill exercises. Unlimited correct answers can be
specified for each gap, and the student can ask for a hint and see a letter of the correct
answer. A specific clue can also be included for each gap. Automatic scoring is also
included. The program allows gapping of selected words, or the automatic gapping of
every word in a text.
The JCross program creates crossword puzzles which can be completed online.
You can use a grid of virtually any size. As in JQuiz and JCloze, a hint button allows the
student to request a free letter if help is needed.
The JMix program creates jumbled-sentence exercises. You can specify as many
different correct answers as you want, based on the words and punctuation in the base
sentence, and a hint button prompts the student with the next correct word or segment of
the sentence if needed.
The JMatch program creates matching or ordering exercises. A list of fixed items
appears on the left (these can be pictures or text), with jumbled items on the right. This can
be used for matching vocabulary to pictures or translations, or for ordering sentences to
form a sequence or a conversation.
In addition, there is a sixth program called the Masher. This is designed to create
complete units of material in one simple operation.
Question Tools Editor
Question Tools Editor is a fully-functional, free, integrated suite of e-learning tools
used in 121 countries. Programming, scripting and HTML skills are not required. If you

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can use Microsoft Word you can use Question Tools Editor. Question Tools Editor Suite
comprises Editor — for visually laying out and testing your screens, SimpleSet — for
quick text editing and converting existing materials, and the Exam application — a secure
alternative to a web browser. We can create exciting, interactive e-learing, exercises, tests
and lessons for delivery using the free Question Tools Exam software, or any modern web

browser.
 Question Types: Select (multiple choice), true/false, hotspot, menus, text answer,
long-answer, and drag.
 Ready-to-use templates, effective styles feature.
 Create interactive lessons, exercises and tests.
 Open & test multiple screens within the editor.
 Handles pictures, sounds & video in a variety of formats including MP3 and
MPEG.
 Multiple feedbacks can be included in screens
 Wide variety of test and lesson options.
 Multiple undo facility, comprehensive help.
 Support for a wide variety of charactersets, and available in English, Spanish,
Portuguese and Dutch.
 Spell-checking as well as Find and Replace.
 Pasteboard for quickly dragging text into place.
 Built-in facilities for packaging and zipping source files.
In the scope of this study, I would like to apply these two authoring softwares in
teaching and learning listening skill Tieng Anh 10.
1.5. CALL & listening skill
As multimedia technology (interactive videodisc, CD-ROM, CD-I, etc.) becomes
more accessible to teachers and learners, its potential as a tool to enhance listening skills
becomes a practical option. Multimedia allows integration of text, graphics, audio, and
motion video in a range of combinations. The result is that learners can now interact with
textual, aural, and visual media in a wide range of formats.
The enormous amount of specific softwares that have been created for learning
English includes the possibility of teaching and training the skills of listening. However,

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the problem is that, rather than being truly interactive, the activities designed for improving
listening are mainly based on drills. Thus, learners have the possibility of enacting

dialogues but these are indeed closed dialogues; that is, learners cannot ask or answer
whatever they want, but they have to limit themselves to predetermined texts.
Nevertheless, despite the lack of real interaction, this experience has been proved to be
highly motivating, since many of the graphic environments that programs offer turn out to
be quite realistic. Thus, if learners concentrate on the activity, they may feel -up to a
certain extent- just as if they were really in that context.
As a medium for learning language, multimedia represents a myriad of instructional
possibilities. As a tool for listening skills development, there is a logical match of system
characteristics (combining text, audio and video) and the goal of listening skills
development in a second or foreign language. Careful consideration on the part of teachers
and software developers of the range of possibilities for combining input modalities and
tools that empower student manipulation of them is essential.
There are a lot of listening subskills from many sources of materials, however,
according to English Now (VTTN), Issue 9, November 2004, there are 5 main subskills of
listening that the author mentioned in the study:
Prediction: Guessing ahead what students are going to listen to will help have a
better understanding of the listening text.This can be done with open prediction, thinking
about the story based on its title, or a series of T/F statements which can give an idea of
what the text is about. This skill is practised in pre-listening stage.
Extracting specific information: The recognition of isolated words, for example,
when you listen for dates in a personal history, or for numbers or any other small but
significant detail in a listening text.
Getting the gist: Having a general understanding of the text. Eg. when you want to
know what a speech or a lecture is mainly about.
Extracting detailed information: This will help students gain a deeper
understanding of the text or speaker's attitudes and feeling. Here you have to understand
every detail and their relationship. Eg. when you have to listen to a recipe or instructions.
Guessing meaning from content: Eg. unfamiliar words from the contextual
background and scenario can be guessed at. This is a skill we do in our own language too.

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CHAPTER II: THE APPLICATION OF THE SOFTWARES IN
TEACHING LISTENING TIENG ANH 10

2.1. Procedure of a listening lesson
Listening plays an important role in second-language instruction for several reasons
(Rost, 1994). First, listening provides comprehensible input for the learner which is
essential for any learning to occur. Second, listeners need to interact with speakers to
achieve understanding. Third, listening exercises help learners draw their attention to new
forms (vocabulary, grammar, interaction patterns) in the language. Thus listening
comprehension provides the right conditions for language acquisition and development of
other language skills (Krashen, 1995). A listening lesson consists of 3 stages: Pre-listening,
while-listening and post-listening.
2.1.1. Pre-listening
Pre-listening activities, in particular, facilitate second-language listening
comprehension (Herron, 1994; Berne, 1995). They help students develop background
knowledge and improve their understanding of the spoken text.
Students will be able to generate ideas about the topic and such information will
help them activate relevant schema for the listening text. Students become able to connect
new information with prior knowledge schema. In this way processing the new language
becomes feasible as it becomes connected with concepts and words students have already
used.
In this stage, teachers often introduce general content of the listening passage,
practise designed warming-up activities in the textbook, make use of pictures (if any) to
present new vocabulary, presenting more words/phrases from tapescripts, get students to
pronounce words/phrases carefully, review already-presented grammatical patterns,
present new grammatical patterns (if any), ask students to predict content of the listening.
Below are some main activities in the stages:
. Discussion: Discussions to elicit information about the topic. Select certain words,

difficult grammatical structures and expressions to be explained through the discussion.

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. Prediction:Ask students to predict the content or what speakers are going to say, based on
the information they have already got through the preliminary discussion.
. Questions: Pre-setting questions to be answered upon listening to the text.
2.1.2. While-listening
While-listening acivities help students to have deeper understanding about the
spoken text. However, in this stage, teachers should give clear instructions for the listening
task (rephrasing textbook instructions if necessary), play the tape once (non-stop) for
students to get general content of the listening, providing other activities from textbook for
slower classes, moving from simpler tasks (listening for getting key words/phrases,
listening for main ideas, matching, deciding on true/false information, numbering pictures,
sequencing events…) to more complicated ones (answering MCQs, gap-filling, table/graph
completing, answering information questions…). Some times, teachers should play the
tape several times (non-stop or with pauses if students need help) and break long
tapescripts into sections to facilitate the listening. And here are some activities in this
stage:
. Identifying the gist: Students note down main points and key words to work out the gist of
the talk.
. Identifying features of natural input: Students listen to natural spoken discourse. They are
asked to identify stress patterns, stress contrasts,weak forms, etc.
. Dictation: Teacher dictates sentences which include features of natural discourse,
contractions, weak forms, elision, assimilation, etc.
. Prediction:Teacher plays half a sentence, learners try to predict the rest of it.
. Classification: Students listen to the text, select specific information and classify it using
the table provided with the text.
. Written Support: After their initial listening, students are provided with the transcript of
the spoken text to make sure that they have listened to everything on the tape. They look at
the transcript as they listen to the spoken text.

. Questions: Students answer comprehension questions while listening to the
text.
2.1.3. Post-listening
Post-listening is the time students can apply what they have learnt to practise
communicating. The aim of this stage is practising designed post-listening activities in

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textbook, summarising listening passages in spoken or written form, relating to students‘
own experience and extending the topic to oral or written presentations. Therefore, what
students should do in this stage are:
. Evaluation: Students answer true–false questions or multiple-choice questions as an
evaluation of their understanding.
. Speaking: Students act out a dialogue, interview or discussion on topics related to the
text.
. Writing: Students write messages, postcards, letters, etc. on topics related to the text.
2.2. The application of the softwares in designing activities
As a high school teacher, the author always tries to exploit the functions of the new
softwares in teaching English, expecially in teaching listening skill. Not only the author, all
teachers in Hermann Gmeiner School try to learn to design listening activities with these
two softwares. Below are some activities used in three stages of listening lesson: Pre-
listening, while-listening and post-listening.
2.2.1. Pre-listening:
The aim of this stage is to help students to get familliar with the topic of the spoken
text, understand the background knowledge and stimulate students‘ interest by setting the
scene.
Teachers can give them a context by pre-teaching some of the most difficult language
(new words/difficult grammar points/ structures), encourage them to make predictions
about the content of the text by using games, crossword, or matching activity. Below are
some activities used to pre-teach listening skill with HotPotatoes and Question Tools
Editor.

― Undersea world‖ is the theme of unit 9 and the topic of listening lesson here is ― the
blue whale‖. To draw students‘ attention, a crossword game about the blue whale is
designed with the software Hotpotatoes. It is very easy, simple and time-saving. Students
guess words down or across and think about what are related to these words. Students can
know some main features of ― the blue whale‖:




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Picture 1: Screenshot of the pre-listening crossword designed with HotPotatoes – unit 9


In unit 14, with the theme ―The world cup‖, the topic of listening lesson is about a
famous football player – Pele. We can use Hotpotatoes to create matching activities to
motivate students to talk about Pele – his life, talent and sucessful career. This helps
students understand much about Pele. It is much easier for them to listen to the tape.

Picture 2: Screenshot of pre-listening matching designed with HotPotatoes – unit 14


In unit 16 ― Historical Places‖ with the listening lesson about ― Hoi An‖, we can use
Question Tools Editor to design pre-listening activities to draw students‘ attention to this