Steps to teach an effective listening skill at Thuong Xuan 2 High School

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Reason for choosing the topic. 	2
1.2 Aim of the research.	3
1.3 The subject of study.	3
1.4 Research methodology.	3
2. CONTENT
2.1 Theoretical background	3
2.2 Practical background: The reality of quality of English at Thuong Xuan 2 High School	4
2.3 The initiative is being applied 
to teach listening English in my school	5
2.4 The effect of the initiative from experience	11
3. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
3.1 Conclusion	12
3.2 Suggestion	12
4. REFERENCES	14
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Reason for choosing the topic:
	The goal of English in high school is to reinforce and develop students' basic knowledge of: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. These are the skills that children have learned in secondary school. Therefore, when they go to upper secondary level, they want to perform these skills well. They need to have basic knowledge, and this knowledge must be accumulated in the process from the lower secondary. The textbooks that we are using are compiled from the point of view of the subject and highlight the positive and active learning methods of the students.
	Our high school is a high school in Thanh Hoa province in general and mountainous Thanh Hoa in particular. Students in the school are the gathering of nearly one thousand children who are children of ethnic minority in Thuong Xuan district. Of these, up to two thirds of ethnic minority students, many of whom speak Kinh language, are not yet qualified, so they have to adopt another language namely English. Therefore, the transmission of foreign language knowledge of teachers is difficult. In addition, all four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are important, so teachers are not allowed to overlook any skill. So English is the most difficultskill for both teachers and students. In fact, to acquire English listening skills, learners must have a regular, long-term listening practice with different forms and content. Teaching and learning English Listening is not new, but difficult for most teachers as well as for the acquisition of students. This is even more difficult when students are in mountainous. As we know in the junior high school there are many schools that do not have tapes or radios for learning, so teachers only focus on teaching words and structures and forget getting them acquainted with the voice of native speakers. At Thuong Xuan 2 high school from the school year 2007-2008 back to the previous 3 years, learning English books have no listening skills. English language instruction has only been included in the 7-year textbook from the 2008-2009 school year so far.
In the process of teaching, to be in touch with the student's level and other specific objective reasons: less material, students are not properly learned, I constantly improve the method of teaching listening to suit practical conditions. After many years of accumulation, I see that the steps I am going to introduce in this initiation are really useful for the students of the school. I would like to present the topic for teachers to refer to: “Steps to teach an effective listening skill at Thuong Xuan 2 High School”.
1.2 Aim of the research:
	With this topic, I would like to partly help teachers overcome difficulties gradually to conduct more effective teaching of specific subjects: Extreme, active in the acquisition of knowledge of the lesson.
1.3 The subject of study:
The subject of this study is the students in class 12A2 and 12A7 at Thuong Xuan 2 High school. The number of students consists of 74.
1.4 Research methodology:
	- Observing.
	- Listening.
	- Analysis.
2. CONTENT
2.1 Theoretical background
	The purpose of language teaching is not to provide students with knowledge of the language, but the ultimate purpose of teaching a foreign language in general and English in particular is to teach students the abilities to communicate in English. . These abilities are demonstrated through the skills of: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. All four of them are very important. In that listening skill requires the listener to have a long and regular practicing. Good communication requires learners to hear what they are communicating and how to respond. Thus, the learners must be trained in language environment. 
 This means that, to studying in the classroom, students have to learn by themselves and practice their listening skills through different forms and methods. For example: listen to English news on TV, radio, listen to English songs, watch movies with English subtitles, make friends with foreigners who speak English. Self-created listening environment will help English become familiar, friendly with us, and listening skills will be improved. Listening skills are the abilities to use language knowledge for the purpose of listening comprehension in English.
	Like reading skills, listening skills are a receptive skill, but listening is often more difficult than reading because the language spoken through speech is different from writing. Thus, in my opinion, there are requirements for the fundamental factors directly affecting the effectiveness of a listening lesson, as follows.
	* On the teacher side
- To play the role of directing and supervising pupils during lesson time.
- Select and use flexible teaching techniques appropriate to each lesson content.
- Organization, control of class, distribution of reasonable time.
- Proficiency in teaching materials and teaching aids.
- Creation of teaching aids suitable for teaching.
- During teaching hours, teachers must have a charismatic, attractive and inspirational way of communicating with students in order to attract the students' attention during class.
	* On the student side
In the relationship between teaching and learning, the teacher is the organizer, the student is the person who dominates the knowledge by his own actions and actions. For effective listening instruction, students need to have the necessary skills in listening comprehension in English.
- Students play a central role in acquiring knowledge. Therefore, students need to be prepared for the best results.
	* Equipment for listening instruction
- Transceivers, cassettes.
- Pictures illustrating lesson contents in textbooks.
- Self-created pictures and teacher's utensils.
	* Listening Techniques
	The teaching technique is regulated by the content of listening instruction, in other words, the contents of the lesson are governed by the selection and use of the combination of methods and techniques of listening. Each teaching technique is suitable for a particular unit of instruction. Good using of the methods will help the listening lesson is highly effective.
2.2 Practical background: The reality of quality of English at Thuong Xuan 2 High School.
	Thuong Xuan 2 High School is a young school located in Thuong Xuan mountain district. The school has a total of five English teachers, all teachers are qualified, one teacher is studying to master, others are devoted to the job, take work responsibility, they are loved by students and people there. Most teachers initially approached using relatively good teaching techniques, familiar and active with the way to organize a listening lesson. In addition, the teachers created many teaching aids to suit the content of teaching, while also combined with modern teaching equipments, so more listening lessons. Become lively, charismatic and highly appreciation. However, teachers still have difficulties in choosing the teaching techniques to suit each lesson, each stage in the lesson. Apart from that, many teachers also hesitate to use visual aids to serve the lessons.
	School students are mostly ethnic minority children of communes in the district, so it is very difficult for them to achieve one foreign language. Many students at lower level are not familiar with listening. I have few opportunities to listen to and access to the mass media, so the motivation of listening in English is limited, and they are familiar with listening and reading speed in the tapes of English speakers. Moreover, many students are afraid of listening and speaking English for fear or making mistakes. However, when entering the school, with the approach of the teacher's teaching method, the majority of students have become familiar with the subject, many have recognized the voice of the native speaker. Most of the students listen to the lectures with simple content, moderation, implement all the requirements and exercises of the teacher after listening for a third time. And there are students who develop skills, skills in learning.
	Although many teaching aids are made by teachers, this does not mean that there are enough and some of the items are reduced in quality, so it leads to the lacking of those aids. . Teachers mainly use the projector room for the listening lesson, and the textbook is the main teaching tool, tape, cassette. However, if there are two hours of listening in a session teachers have to read to students. Due to the limited number of tapes and stations, this method of teaching is also used in case of power failure.
2.3 The initiative is being applied to teach listening English in my school
	In order to conduct an effective listening lesson, I use two main listening styles in my daily life: listening and concentrating. From then on we divided into two types of hearing: listening to the main idea and hearing the details. Listening to the main meaning means listening to focus, listening only to the main idea, listening to find the necessary information, listening to confirm the previous conjecture, listening to serve communication is set. Listening to details means listening comprehensively, this includes both content and language structure.
* Definition of Listening Skills
Listening is the act of hearing attentively. Research shows that 45% of our time is spent on listening. We listen more than speak. If this listening skill is used in a proper way we can master the tools of communicative skills. Listening is difficult, as human mind tends to distract easily. A person who controls his mind and listens attentively acquires various other Skills and is benefited.
Listening skill can be defined as, “Listening is the act of hearing attentively”. It is also a process similar to reading which should possess knowledge of phonology, syntax, semantics and text understanding. Thomlison (1984) defines listening as, “Active listening, which is very important for effective communication”. Listening can be also defined as, “More than just hearing and to understand and interpret the meaning of a conversation”.
 Listening skill makes you successful in workplace, family and in the society. Good listening skill is mandatory to get into a profession in communications, management, planning, sales, etc. Listening skills involve a different set of etiquettes, questioning for explanation, showing empathy and providing a suitable response. Good listening skills include the understanding ability. Body language is also a part of listening skill. Eye contact with the speaker, sitting straight and alert are the good gestures of a good listener 
.
* Plan for listening lessons
a. On the teacher side
	For effective listening instruction, the teacher should follow the following steps well.
- Study the content of lessons from textbooks, teacher books and other reference books. From there, the teachers have a way to organize and control teaching and listening to the right focus, time distribution for each steps, activities in a scientific way.
- Study the purpose and requirements of the lesson.
- Select and coordinate teaching techniques in a flexible and appropriate way.
- Make good use of teaching aids and teaching aids.
- Prepare a rational, scientific lesson plan.
- Give lectures, discuss teaching methods with colleagues to select a method which suitable with the content of the Unit.
	The choice of listening techniques must be based on the content of the lessons, the characteristics of the class, and the importance of relying on the three stages of the listening process. In stages, specific and appropriate listening techniques are required.
b. On the student side
	The teacher asks students to prepare well for the listening lesson by the following ways.
- Prepare a system of open questions about the lesson which they are going to learn to help them have time to think, to read materials, and to prepare in advance.
- Ask students to do some exercises related to listening content.
Encourage students to be confident, active and creative in raising issues and questions related to the content of the unit.
c. Use visual aids
	When conducting listening activities, the use of illustratable pictures will have a very good support in clarifying the context, suggesting the content which is going to hear. Pictures are also the means to check students' listening comprehension.
d. Insure qualities of listening samples
	If listening activities are carried out through tape, cassette, TV, etc., these means must always be of sound quality, enabling students to hear standard sounds, not distorted sounds because of the pure technology. If the teacher reads to the students, they should read at medium speed, not too slow even for new students at the beginning to avoid influencing the content of the semantics.
	* How to conduct different listening activities
	In fact, listening is still a difficult skill for high school students today. To overcome difficulties while listening, teachers can use the following measures.
- Introduce topic, content which related to listening
- Ask questions to guide students predict the tapes content which they will listen.
- Introduce new words if possible or reinforce vocabulary if necessary.
- Asking questions when students are listening.
- Divide the listening process into steps such as: first listening to the main idea, answering the questions; second listen to more detail
- If the long piece, divided into short sections for students to hear, have different specific listening requirements.
	Before listening, one should grasp the requirements of the exercise in order to orientate on how to listen, for example: When listening to a conversation, the teacher may stop following a character's speech in the conversation and ask to learn. see how the character will respond, how to behave, whether to agree or not ........
- Listen to confirm your guesses about the content of the list (For example: Defining true-false questions ........)
- Listen for detailed information (Example: Checking the correct answer / information ..................)
- Listen to the main idea (Example: Matching; Filling in the gap / chart .......)
- Listen to the next communication steps (Example: Answering comprehensive questions .................)
* Sample lesson plan
Grade 12
Unit: 3 Ways of socialising
Part: C- Listening
Time: 45 minutes
I. Objectives:
1. Knowledge: By the end of the lesson, students will:
- Develop extensive listening skills.
- Use the information they have listened to for other communicative tasks..
- How to give information after listening
- New words: Words related to ways of socialising
2. Educational aim: Students should know to develop such listening micro-skills as intensive listening for specific information
3. Skills: 
- Listening for general or specific information
- Comprehension questions
II.PREPARATIONS: 
1. Teacher: Teacher’s books, textbooks, some pictures, tape, cassette player
2. Students: Students ‘book, Students ‘workbook 
III.PROCEDURES 
1. Organizations: (1 minute)	
2. Oral test: Nothing
3. New lesson:
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
I. WARM UP: (3 minutes) Jumbled words:
Write the words whose letters are in a random order on the board. 
 - Divide the class into two teams. Ss from two teams go to the board and write the correct words.
 - The team which writes correct words first will be the winner.
 aniotuergl à regulation 
 oenetlehp à telephone
 lacl à call
 acidev à advice.
Pairs work
Rearrange
II.Before you listen: (15 minutes)
Work with a partner : Look at these pictures and answer the question : 
1: What are they doing? 
2: What do you think each of them would say to greet each other ? 
- set the scene: You are going to listen to Linda Cupple, a social worker, advises young people on how to use the telephone in her family. Listen to her talk and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
 - Elicit the new words by asking questions, using the techniques suggested above.
Vocabulary: 
- argument(n) ['a:gjumənt]: cuộc cãi vã 
- regulation(n) [,regju'lei∫n]: quy tắc 
- absolute(a) ['æbsəlu:t] : hoàn toàn
- maximum(n,a) ['mæksiməm] :tuyệt đối
- install(v): lắp đặt
 - chitchat(n) ['t∫itt∫æt]: chuyện phiếm
 - starling(a) ['sta:liη] : động vật học, trụ bảo vệ.
Listen and repeat:
-Help Ss to pronounce the words in their book correctly. 
-Play the tape and then ask Ss to repeat after the tape in chorus and individually.
- corrects errors, if any.
-Check that Ss know the meaning of these words.
 Whole class
 Listen to the teacher
look at the pictures and answer the questions.
 + They are greeting.
 + They are saying goodbye
 Listen
 Take notes
 Listen to the tape and read in chorus & individually
III. While you listen: (23 minutes)
Task 1:
 -Get Ss to read through the statements to understand them and underline the key words.
-Guide students the requests of the task.
- Let students listen twice time.
- Write on board from 1 to 6 and call some students to come and write their answers.
- Let them listen on again and correct.
- Correct.
Consolidation : 
Task 2: Gap- fill
T: Now listen to the rest of the listening text again and work in pairs to write the missing words. You will listen to the tape twice.
 Check if Ps can answer the questions in task 2 without listening again. Play the tape for them to listen again but before doing this, T should encourage Ps to read through all the questions, identify the information they need to look for in each question 
Play the tape again for Ps to listen & answer the questions
 Get Ps to check their answers with a partner. Then T checks with the whole class.
Play the tape twice.
Call on some pairs to give the answers.
Go over the answers with the class.
Individual work, pair work & whole class.
Read through all the questions, identify the information they need to look for in each question (question word: what, where, when, how)
listen and answer the questions
answers
1. T
2. F
3. T
4. F
5. F
 6. T
Listen 
Individual work, pair work & whole class. 
Check their answers with a partner
give the answers.
Answer:
1. agreed
5. waking
2. to avoid
6. heart
3.particular
7.kindness
4. adults
8. to stick
IV.After you listen: (8 minutes)
 -Before getting Ss to summarize Ms Linda Cupple’s talk, T reminds them of some useful languages Task 1,2.
Suggested ideas:
 - Length of time for each call
 - Time for calling
 - Calling late at night
 - Calling at weekend
-Divide the class into small groups of 3 or 4 & gets them to summaries the listening passage.
 -Go around checking and offering help.
 -After checking that all the groups have finished, call on the representative of each group to report their peer’ ideas. T checks if other groups would have the same or different ideas.
 -Listen & take note of their errors. Provide corrective feedback after that.
Summarize Ms Linda Cupple’s talk
Work in groups
Give comments
Take note
V- Consolidation : (3 minutes) Review the points that have been covered in the lesson and do the exercise in the exercise book
Listen carefully then write down
VI- Homework: (2 minutes)
- Learn the new words by heart.
- Prepare the next part.
Listen carefully 
Learn the new word
2. 4 The effect of the initiative from experience:
	Aft