Some applications to teaching listening skill for the 12th form students

PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
The more our society develops, the more quickly the process of
integration and globalization takes place. It can’t be denied that today English is the
most widely used language in the world. It has been used in all spheres such as
external activities, world trade, and science, etc. In 2007 Vietnam became the 150 th
member of Workld Trade Organization (WTO), it creates both good opportunities
and challenges to our country. English plays an important role in developing
economy, politics, science and technology, etc. It is therefore necessary to learn
English language. However, to master a language is not easy at all. Of the four
language skills -Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing-that all language
learners are supposed to acquire, listening is believed to be the most challenging
due to the complex and subtle nature of listening comprehension in L2 or foreign
language. It takes much time and effort to make progress in this skill.
At my school, Yen Dinh 1 upper- secondary school, students are often afraid
of learning listening lessons for some reasons such as the dull lectures, the
unsuitable level lessons, irrelevant strategy listening, unclear sounds in tapes…This
leads to their nervousness during listening lessons and they can hardly listen to
anything which causes the bad result in learning the listening skill. From my
experience in teaching English at Yen Dinh 1 school I realized that the well –
prepared lesson plans in which teacher simplify the tasks and use strategies helps
the students have better results in listening lessons.
For above-mentioned reasons, I have decided to choose the topic “Some
applications to teaching listening skill for the 12 th form students”. I hope this will
help both teachers and Sts to realize the factors obstacling the students in learning
the English listening skill, then find out solutions to this problem.

1


2. Aims and objectives of the study

The objectives of this research is to simplify the tasks and use activites in
listening lessons in English textbook 12 to have effective lectures, more interested
in learning them and develop student’s listening skills
3. The scope of the study
In this paper, beacause of our limited time and knowledge, I mention to
the theoretical background of listening skill and suggest some applications to
teaching listening skills for upper- secondary school students. This study is
conducted among the 12th form students at Yen Dinh 1 high school during the
school year 2018- 2019
4. Method of the study
I use a combination of different methods
- Collecting materials: Data are taken from various reference books, which related
to listening skill. Information sources are also accessed from Internet.
- Analyzing and synthesizing:
Data are analyzed to choose important information about listening skill. After that,
synthesize them.
- Consulting our supervisor and other experienced teachers.
5. Significance of the study
This study may provide insights into the process of learning the listening
skill for the students. It motivates the students’ desire for learning English, and
make them more confident and active in listening activities. It also gives some
suggestions for other teachers for teaching listening lessons.

2


PART B: CONTENTS
Chapter I. Theoretical background of the listening skill
1.1. What is the listening skill?
So far, there have been a number of definitions of listening by different

linguists such as Howatt and Dakin (1974); Wolvin and Coakley (1982); Pearson
(1983);
Howatt and Dakin (1974) defined listening as the ability 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.
Wolvin and Coakley (1982) regarded listening "the process of receiving,
attending to and assigning meaning to aural stimuli".
Pearson (1983) stated “Listening involves the simultaneous organization and
combination of skills in Phonology, Syntax, Semantics, and knowledge of the text
structure, all of which seem to be controlled by the cognitive process. Thus it can
be said that though not fully realized, the listening skill is essential in acquiring
language proficiency”.
1.2 The importance of listening
Language skills are often integrated with each other in language use. This is
true with listening and speaking, so in conversations, two or more people alternate
speaking and listening. Like reading, listening is a receptive skill where the
purpose is to comprehend or understand what someone might be saying or writing.
It is an important, active skill of spoken language as it involves various kinds of the
listener's knowledge: knowledge of phonology, vocabulary, semantics of the
language in use, culture of its people, his life, experience in the topic, his ability to
predict and respond, etc. It decides his comprehension, content and attitude in
response to the speaker's speech as well.
In learning English as a foreign language, students cannot develop speaking
3


listening skills unless they develop listening skills. To have a successful
conversation, they must understand what is said to them. Later on, the ability to
understand the native speaker in direct conversations, on the radio or tape may be
very important for them to further study the language and communicate in it.

Finally, listening to spoken language is an important way of acquiring the language
or "picking up" vocabulary and structures.
1.3. Phases in the listening learning process
A listening text may be a short story, dialogue, piece of news, etc. Teaching a
listening text can be divided into three main stages: pre-listening, while listening,
and post-listening. Each stage has its own aims and activities.
1.3.1 Pre-listening
This stage is aimed at preparing students with everything necessary for listening
and understanding the listening text. Some activities are:
Warming up the class: The teacher may motivate the class, gradually setting up
a context for the listening text to be presented by asking questions to elicit students'
experience, or ideas concerning the coming text or by using some sort of visual aids
or their imagination.
Introducing the topic of the listening text. Tile teacher briefly introduces the
topic of the listening text so that the students may get their mind ready for it.
Presenting key words. The teacher only presents any word that is necessary
for students to understand the text.
Giving guiding questions: These guiding questions will help focus the students'
attention on the main points of the text. They will guide the students to the
better understanding of the text. Students should be allowed to make guesses at
the answer to the questions before listening.
1.3.2 While-listening
The aim of this stage is to facilitate students' listening and check their
4


comprehension. While the students are listening to the text for the first time, they
can check their guess at and give the correct answer to the guiding questions. The
teacher then gives the students some tasks to do while they are listening for the
second time. They can do some of the activities such as: gap-filling, true or false

statements, answering comprehension questions, matching, multiple choice,
reordering, etc. The students may need to listen to the text more than once so that
they can finish their while-listening activities. After checking the students'
answers, the teacher should emphasize the key points of the text and explain the
difficulties in vocabulary or structures that the students encounter while listening.
Be sure while listening, students are not allowed to look at the tape script of the
listening text.
1.3.3 Post-listening
At this stage, students can have opportunities to practise using what they have
got from the listening text. Students can do such activities as:

'

 Summarizing the text orally or in written form.
 Re-telling the content of the listening text.
 Role play: Students play the roles of the characters in the text.


Discussion: Students can discuss the points in the listening text or giving

their comments about the information in the text.
The teacher should make up and vary the activities for students to do at this
stage depending on their level of English.

5


Chapter II
Applications to teaching listening skill for the 12th form students
Listening skills play an important role in using English to communicate.

Listening skilss are one of the most difficult skills that an EST/EFT teacher will
have to deal with. Moreover, the studying of these skills is not of learner’s interests.
In this chapter, I suggest some activities to make teaching and learning Listening
skills more attractive. I mention to the use of pictures, games in teaching and
learning Listening skills
2.1. Pictures
Pictures are illustrations that are cut from magazines, newspapers or other
sources. They’re mostly photographs, but drawings, collages, maps, or other
illustrations can be used for certain activities.
We can use pictures in three stages of the lesson: presentation, practice, and
production. They make the lesson more meaningful and interesting. When students
learn with pictures, they are more creative.
2.2. Games
Games are highly motivating and competitive because they are amusing and
interesting. They can be used to give practice in all language skills and be used to
practice many types of communication.
2.3. Applying suggestions in teaching for 12th form sts
I myself have applied these suggestions in teaching . Below is one of my
lessons in which I have applied some ways to improve the listening ability.
In the English 12 textbook, most of the listening lessons have pictures to
exploit the related contents, some tasks in“ While you listen” are quite relevant,
however, there are some lessons have no pictures but have quite difficult tasks, For

6


the limit of my theme I only focus on unit 6, unit 8 as examples and give some
suggestions which I find them effective
2.3.1 WARM UP. ( 5 minutes)
Besides using the pictures, handouts, I prepare some games for this parts

(Hangman, brainstorming, who am I …) to save time to lead students to new
lessons easily from the start
- For example:
Unit 6: FUTURE JOBS
PERIOD 33: LESSON 3 – LISTENING
The purposes of this lesson is to provide listening comprehension about the
American work force, the distribution and change of chosen jobs from the past to
the future, the topic of this lesson is not easy because the vocabulary is difficult. So
I do “Warm up” as following
Game: Puzzles
-T divides the class into two groups.
-T sticks 8 leaves (prepared in advance) on the board.
-Ss from each group take turns to pick a leaf on the board at random. There is a
puzzle at the back of each leaf.
-T lets Ss read out the puzzle to their groups and they have to guess what the job is.
If the group can’t give the correct answer, the chance is given to the other group.
-The group with more points is the winner of the game.
* Expected puzzles:
1. I play music. Who am I (musician)
2. I direct traffic at the crossroads. (policeman / traffic warden)
3. I fly a plane. (pilot)
4. I protect the country. (soldier)
5. I travel a lot and show tourists around interesting places. (tour guide)
6. I help people when they are sick. (doctor)
7. I advise people about the law. (lawyer)
8. I keep or check financial accounts. (accountants)
Lead-in:
-Teacher ask students to list some more
7

1. Beside these jobs, Can you make a list of some other jobs?
- Teacher lead students to 2 group jobs
+ Manufacturing jobs : tailors/ car makers ….
+ Service jobs : seller/ accounting/ transportation ….
2. In your opinion, Which is the most popular job in Vietnam?
From the answers of students .Teacher lead in the topic ►listening lesson today is
about the job market in the US.
Unit 8: LIFE IN THE FUTURE
PERIOD 45: LESSON 3 – LISTENING
The purposes of this lesson is to provide the listening comprehension about
people’s life expectancy in the future. The topic is very popular however, students
will have difficulties in listening because the vocabulary is unfamiliar and two
voices in tapes are similar. So I combine pictures and some open questions to lead
to the topic
-Teacher ask students to answer the question and show some pictures
Which of the following factors do you think might help people have a long and
healthy life?
1) eat vegetables & fruits
2) drink enough water
3) do exercises
4) do not drink beer or wine
5) do not smoke
- From the answers of students, teacher lead in the topic ►listening lesson today
is about people’s life expectancy in the future.

8


2.3.2. BEFORE YOU LISTEN. ( 10 minutes )

This is an important step so as to provide students with some vocabulary and
related background and I do as follow
Unit 6: FUTURE JOBS
PERIOD 33: LESSON 3 – LISTENING
- From “Warm up” part I have introduced:
+ Manufacturing jobs : tailors/ car makers ….
+ Service jobs : seller/ accounting/ transportation ….

9


I lead students to understanding that manufacturing and service jobs make “
workforce”
- I provide the vocabulary vendor/ seller (n) from here I lead students to
the words “wholesale” and “retail”
Unit 8: LIFE IN THE FUTURE
PERIOD 45: LESSON 3 – LISTENING
- Activity 1: Pre-teaching vocabulary
-T elicits some new words that Ss will hear in the listening exercise.
+ incredible (a) (synonym): fantastic, unbelievable, surprising
+centenarian (n) (definition)
+ fatal (a) (context) Many cures for fatal diseases have been found.
+ eradicate (v) (synonym): eliminate, get rid of
+ life expectancy (n) (synonym): life span
+ eternal (a) (synonym): everlasting, never-ending
+ mushroom (v): (translation)
- Activity 2: Checking – Matching
-T asks Ss to match the words/phrases with their Vietnamese meaning.
2.3.3. WHILE YOU LISTEN ( 25 minutes )
Unit 6: FUTURE JOBS

PERIOD 33: LESSON 3 – LISTENING
Task in textbook
Simplify the task
Task 2: Listen again and decide Task 2: Listen again and choose the best
whether the statements are true (T) answer
or false (F).
Statements
1. American workers have

1.
T F

American

worker

have

changed

__________________
A. from manufacturing jobs to service
10


changed from

jobs.

manufacturing jobs to

B. from service jobs to manufacturing

service jobs.

jobs.

2. Manufacturing jobs are

C. Into manufacturing jobs.

jobs in which workers make

2. ____________are jobs in which people

something.

make something or produce things

3. Personal services are one

A. Service jobs

of the five service jobs.

B. Manufacturing jobs

4. 70% of workers produced

C. personal services

goods one hundred years

3. Generally, service jobs are grouped into

ago.

______categories

5. 80% of workers will

A. four

work in the service sector

4. One hundred years ago, _____ of

by the year 2020.

workers produced goods
A. 18 %

B. three

C. five

B. 80%

C. 30%

5. By the year 2020, __________ workers
will work in service jobs.
A. Five out of every ten
B. Eight out of every ten
C. Nine out of every ten
Expected answers:
1A

2B

3C

4B

5D

Unit 8: LIFE IN THE FUTURE
PERIOD 45: LESSON 3 – LISTENING
Task in textbook
Simplify the task
Task 2 - Listen again answer the Task 2 - Listen again and choose the best

11


questions.

answer for the following questions.

1. What are factors that help people 1. What are factors that help people have

have

longer

life

according to Dr. Davis?

expectancy longer life expectancy according to Dr.
Davis?

1. What are factors that help people A. eating more meat and vegetables
have

longer

life

according to Dr. Davis?

expectancy B. eating more healthily, cutting down on
things like butter, alcohol, and cigarettes.

3. What does Dr. Davis mean when C. doing exercise regularly
he says the development in medical 2. Which factor is the most important one?
science is the most important factor A. the development in medical science.
of all?

B. the development in technology
C. the development in food production

3. What does Dr. Davis mean when he says
the development in medical science is the
most important factor of all?
A. nobody dies from old age
B. nobody dies from disease
C. a and b are correct
4. What will we have been able to do about
AIDS in ten years’ time?
A. eradicate AIDS
B. cure AIDS patients
C. bring AIDS under control
AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Expected answers:
12


1.B 2. A 3. C 4. C

2.3.4 AFTER YOU LISTEN ( 5 minutes)
The aim of this part is to check students’ listening comprehension via the
speaking skill or writing skill. It depends on the lessons and the learners to give
suitable tasks
In this part, I often give questions to cover the gist of the lesson or make
use of the questions in previous tasks for class’ discussion and presentation in front
of class
Examples:
Unit 6: FUTURE JOBS
PERIOD 33: LESSON 3 – LISTENING

Questions:
1. Which is the main workforce in America?
2. How many categories are grouped in service jobs?
3. As following the prediction, how many percents of workers will work in
service jobs?
4. In the future, what kind of job do you want to do, manufacturing or
service jobs? Give some reasons?
Unit 8: LIFE IN THE FUTURE
PERIOD 45: LESSON 3 – LISTENING
- Work in groups to answer the question:
1. How long will we be able to live in the 21st century according to scientists?
2. How many percent of cancers are curable within 30 years?
Expected answers: 1. 130 years old
13


2. 80%

2.4. Result after applying the research
Since I applied this research for my teaching at Yen Dinh 1 high school I
have got better results: Students increasingly desire listening lessons, they become
creative and active in developing their listening skills.
In the year 2017-2018, I taught 12A8. I didn’t use these applications. The
number of students who are good at this skill is very low. However, in the year
2018- 2019, when I taught 12A11 after using some applications to improve the
listening ability, I asked my sts to do a mini – listening test. The result is very high.
The result at the end of school year 2017- 2018
(not applied the research)
Number
Grad

e
12A

Mark (from Mark (from

of

8 to 10)

6.5 to 7.9)

Mark (from

Mark (from

Mark

5 to 6.4)

3.5 to 4.9)

(from 0 to

SL TL
9
22,5 %

3.4)
SL TL
5

12,5

Student
SL TL
3
7,5 %

45

SL TL
11 15 %

SL TL
17 42,5 %

8

%
The result at the end of school year 2018- 2019
(applied the research)
Number Mark (from Mark (from Mark (from

Grade

of

8 to 10)

6.5 to 7.9)

Mark

Mark

5 to 6.4)

(from 3.5

(from 0 to

SL TL

to 4.9)
SL TL

3.4)
SL TL

Student
SL TL

SL TL

14


12A11

43

7

15 %

13

17.5

16

37.5 %

4

10 %

3

7,5

%

%

Part C: CONCLUSION
Being one of the teachers of English at Yen Dinh 1 high school, I can see
clearly the current situation of learning English here. The listening skill is
considered the most difficult to achieve among the four skills. Therefore, I have
conducted this with a view to finding out difficulties encountered by the 12 th form
students and helping them have better listening skills.

Although I have tried best to offer some insightful findings through the study;
however, the limitations are unavoidable because of the limitation of our
knowledge, time and materials for my studying.
I hope that this study will benefit teachers and learners in teaching and
learning listening skills. I have also received much enthusiastic help and
encouragement from other teachers as well as my friends. Therefore any comments
and suggestions will be highly appreciated so that I can perfect my later study.
Xác nhận của thủ trưởng đơn vị

Thanh Hoá, ngày 24 tháng 05 năm 2019

Hiệu trưởng

CAM KẾT KHÔNG COPY
Người thực hiện

Nguyễn Đức Hải

Lê Thị Liễu

15


REFERENCES
1.

Anderson, A. & Lynch, T., Listening, OUP, 1998.

2.

Brown, G, & Yule, G., Teaching Spoken English, CUP, 1983a.

3.

Nunan, D., Language Teaching Methodology, Prentice Hall International
(UK) Ltd, 1991.

4.

Steil, L. et al, Effective Listening, Mc. Graw Hill, Inc. 1983.

5.

Underwood, M., Teaching Listening, Longman, 1989.

6.

Wardhaugh, R., An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, Basil Blackwell Ltd,
1986.

7.

Adler, R., Rosenfeld, L. and Proctor, R.(2001) Interplay: the process of

interpersonal communicating. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt.
8.

Anderson, A. & Lynch, T. (1988). Listening. Oxford University Press.

9.

Wolvin and Coakley. (1988). Interpersonal Communication Through the Life

Span. Wm. C. Brown Publishers.
10.

Bacon, S. M. (1989). Listening for real in the foreign-language classroom.

Foreign Language Annals, 22, 543-551.
11.

Bentley, S., & Bacon, S. E. (1996). The all new, state-of-the-art ILA

definition of listening: Now that we have it, what do we do with it? Listening Post.
12.

Burley-Allen, M. (1982). Listening: The forgotten skill. New York, John

Wiley and Sons.

16


13.

Bloomfield, A., Brecht, R., et al. (2011). Assessing Regional Proficiency.

(Report TTO81234 7.1) College Park, MD: University of Maryland Center for
Advanced Study of Language.
14.

Carrell, P. L., & Eisterhold, J. C. (1983). Schema theory and ESL reading.

TESOL Quarterly, 17, 218–232.
WEBSITES
/> /> />7. SGV, SGK mới của Bộ GD - ĐT.
8. Sách “ Một số vấn đề về đổi mới phương pháp dạy học bậc THPT môn tiếng Anh
của Bộ GD-ĐT
9. Tài liệu tập huấn đổi mới phương pháp môn tiếng Anh
10. Danh mục đề tài SKKN mà tác giả đã được hội đồng cấp Sở GD & ĐT đánh
giá loại C: “Modal Verbs in expressing advice, permission and offer and some
applications to teaching Modal Verbs” năm học 2016- 2017.

17