Warming up listening lesson by listening short stories

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. BACKGROUND
1.1. Reasons for choosing the theme.
In the context of deeper integration, English has become an essential tool not only bring success in business, education, but also in life. As English has affirmed the role and the importance of improving their quality of teaching is the most important issue. Thus the task of every teacher is to innovate teaching methods, improving the quality of teaching and learning in their respective classes schools.
Learning each of any a different language requires learners to study four skills: listening, reading, writing,speaking and use them smoothly and fluently.
Through practice at high schools in Trieu Son district in general and at particular high school in my province, especially in mountainous areas, I see that almost teachers only focus on teaching grammar and ignore the studying of English skills, which is the reason why all of the students leaving the school can’t speak and listen English or communicate with foreigners by simple statements. Because of these problems, I have been an English teacher for 10 years, I have thought about them so much and made decision to change the methods helping my students to focus on studying English skills and grammar simultaneously. 
Listening is one of the most difficult skills for all students at high school. I am teaching the 10th grade this year. Whenever I give them listening lesson on textbook, they feel bored, tired and don’t have motivation to study because they can’t hear anything and can’t do exercises. To solve this problem, I decide to warm up them in listening part by letting them listen a brief of English story. At first,I had a lot of difficulties because each unit on textbook has one listening lesson and I have to finish it within 45 minutes. There are three periods per week for English subject, which is not enough time for me to focus only listening skill and to incorporate English stories. Then I find a number of methods for positive, simple, easy to understand practical ensure science to develop thinking ability; speculation and creativity of students .I choose a warm up for the listening lesson which is a short English stories from easy to difficulty.The students like this way and they feel excited and enthusiastic with the lesson. In the process of teaching 10th grade English in the past year as well as during the school year I have studied the textbook program, instruction manuals and have related documents office, internet,discuss with experienced colleagues in professional meetings, summer training to find a way to overcome difficulties, to help them learn better, apply the knowledge learned to do the exercises as required.
Based on the collected experience by myself and the knowledge gained through the references, I wrote this little theme to contribute to improving the quality of teaching of the subject, innovative teaching methods and learning. With this small range of initiatives I boldly go into a problem “Warming up listening lesson by listening short stories” 
1.2. The purpose of studying. 
The use of “Warming up listening lesson by listening short stories” that I give to help students be primarily interested in learning a foreign language and reduce the maximum inhibition in studying foreign language at high school. Moreover, I wanted to stimulate learners to listen English, the active form of communication.
In addition, I want to enhance my professional work on my own, and to exchange experiences with my colleagues.
1.3. Studying scope
 For foreign language lessons in grade 10 elementary.
1.4. Methods of studying
1.4.1. Method of theoretical studies.
- Base on the documentation and innovation of high school education methods in English by the Department of Secondary Education - Ministry of Education and Training issued.
- Collect songs on the theoretical journal, the presentation on the Internet.
1.4.2. Studying Methodologies include: observation, investigation, analysis, exchange, statistics, aggregation, comparison, summarization.
1.4.3. Method specialists.
- Refer to the experience of a number of teachers who have a passion and experience in the use of modern methods in teaching subjects in English.
2. Contents of theme.
2.1. Theoretical basis of the problem:
 English, which is an international language is communicated all over the world. One-fourth of the world population speaks English. So teaching English is the most important issue in Viet Nam. Actually, We haven’t had suitable methods to teach and study English, which results all of students in Viet Nam can’t communicate in English and always of talking with foreigners. They are not confident enough to talk. Because we often focus on teaching grammar and ignore teaching the skills and vocabulary. Both teachers and students haven’t had motivation to develop the lessons. To help students have amenities of studying, the teacher should change the different methods to inspire for students. Listening, which is one of the most difficult skills to learners and teachers is easy to make students tired when studying. Therefore, before starting listening unit, I motivate them by listening a short English story. I think that an interesting English story will make them have amenities of lessons.
There are many ways to enhance the listening skill for students such as watching English films, talking with the foreigners, listening to music, listening the English tape lessons . Besides that, nowadays, there are also many kinds of books introducing the methods to improve listening skills : Tactics for listening – basic ( author- Jack C . Richards), Listen carefully (Jack C . Richards), Listen in ( David Nunan),Big Step Toeic (Kim Soyeong và Park Won)..
I chose the English stories to stimulate my students to study listening skill.
 2.2. The reality of studying listening skill before applying to the theme 
 2.2.1 To the students
English has become one of core subjects such as different subjects, but this subject is difficult, only a few students who can absord it easily. Especially,
those students in rural and moutainous areas learn English badly.
In recent years, according to program of new textbooks, new methods of teaching and learning, many students are interested in studying English, but some students ignore to study it and they don’t have inspiration in learning English. Many weaker students don't understand the knowledge, they don’t have active learning methods, learn passively, wait for the results of his friend made. In adddition, many children are afraid of speaking in class practices, afraid of saying before the class because they think it would be wrong. Some of them have not read the written proficiency, not even record the material in class, do homework .... This fact shows that this object is not a favorite subject of many students.
Some students, especially poor students, lack of sense of learning, lack of patience in learning, have not kept pace with new learning methods, they become confused with the acceptance and adoption of knowledge on practical skills. Many are unaware on this matter, do not fully understand the meaning of the subject during the international integration. Some of them learned is due to their curiosity, relaxation. Therefore, they are not really serious about learning and trying.
I also have language lessons students feel depressed, tired, hard to acquire knowledge, even for those who are students with good and excellent. Whenever I teach listening part, my students feel bored with it and they don’t like studying because they can’t hear anything and can’t do the task. They don’t know more new words and don’t focus on pronunciation, which is a reason makes them listen badly. To improve their listening lesson. Firstly, I inspire to them, stimulate them in each listening part by using the short English stories to warm them up. Secondly, I teach them from easy to difficult.
 School year 2018 – 2019 I was assigned to teach two classes 10A and 10B. Through practical investigation in the early year I obtained the following results:
Total students
Percentages of Students likes studying listening
Very much
Much
Normal
Hate/Scared
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
95
15
16%
20
22%
30
31%
30
31%
Learning capacity of students
Advanced
Proficient
Developing
Beginning
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
5
5%
15
16%
45
48%
30
31%
2.2.2 To the teachers
     Through practical projects at the time, there are a lot of teachers don’t renew their methods, change perceptions and teaching habits although they know that their students don’t like studying listening, even some teachers don’t teach listening part, only teach grammar, writing, reading, speaking.They think that their students can’t have the ability to listen. When I gave my theme, some teachers strongly supported ,but others didn’t like. They thought that it was a waste of time using this way and it made noise, which affected other classes. They want to spend more time to focus on grammar because it serves their tests.
Through the exchange and survey from my colleagues I get the results.
Total teachers
Using English stories in warm up listening part
Often
Sometimes
A little
Never
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
6
1
17%
1
17%
2
33%
2
33%
2.2.3 To the school
Facilities not really full. The outstanding teaching aids, reference books which serve lessons are limited. This is an disadvantage for teachers and students.
2.3. Solution and implementation
2.3.1  Solution: 
Before beginning each part of unit in the textbook, the teachers warm up the students by playing a game or ask some questions about things related to the lesson. To listening skill, I often warm up my students by listening a short English story. At first, some students don’t like because they can’t hear and can’t do the task asked by me. Gradually, I am still patient step by step ,I give them some stories from easy to difficult, which inspire them. At the end of first term they are exciting about my listening strategy. Each part of unit has to finish within 45 minutes. So there are a lot of activities for it. I try my best to plan and distribute suitably for each section:
- Warm up: 10 minutes : listen the English story and do a small task. I give them the story on a sheet of paper with gap, they have to listen and fill the gap.
- Pre-listening: 7 minutes: I often supply new words and phrases relating to the listening lesson, which helps them to listen and do the task better .
- While-listening:21 minutes : I play the tape and conduct the student to listen and do the tasks.
- Post-listening:7 minutes: ask students to review the lesson or do the task, summarise the main points of the lesson and assign the homework.
2.3.2  Implementation
Within a short time in warm-up, It is difficult for me to choose the short and interesting English stories, which is suitable with their tastes and can inspire them.With the new method, I only give them a task while listening is filling the easy gap.The most important thing is to make them enhance their listening skill.There are 40 students in my class and the classroom is very large, I ask my headmaster for two good speakers and laptop to serve my teaching. I also choose the easy stories with familiar words. I hope that from my point of view, my students will like and improve listening skill.
Some methods of organizing the implementation of enhancing listening skill.
- Inspire for the students by using variety of English songs.
- Ask them to listen at home many times everyday because “ Practice makes perfect”.
- Watch English films, listen to music, talk with foreigner and listen to the tape from text book regularly, which also help them improve the listening skill.
- Ask them to remember the 10 principles of listening:
+ Stop talking.
+ Prepare yourself for listening. 
+ Put the speaker at ease
+ Remove distractions.
+ Empathise
+ Be patient
+ Avoid personal prejudice
+ Listen to the tone
+ Listen for ideas – not just for words
+ wait and watch for non-verbal communications.
I gave my students each story sheet with 10 or 15 blanks in in every listening part of the textbook 10 and let them listen twice. Each story included From 3 to 4 minutes. While listening they had to fill the words into the gaps. After that I would give them keys to check. It was a new way to study with students in my school and in a year implementation, I realised that my students were interested in listening.
Within a short time I only give some stories as examples, which I use them to warm up my students in listening part. 
Going into detail each Unit as follows:
Unit 1: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___	
Belling the cat
Long ago, the mice ...1.... a general council to consider what measures they could take ..2.. outwit their common enemy, the Cat.Some ...3... this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got up and said he had a proposal to make, ...4.... he thought would meet the case."You ...5.... all agree," said he, "that our chief danger consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us. Now, if we could ...6... some signal of her approach, we could easily escape from her."
"IT IS EASY TO PROPOSE IMPOSSIBLE REMEDIES."
KEY: 1.had	4. which
 2. to	5. will
	3. said	6. receive
Unit 2: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___
The rat and the elephant
A Rat was ...1... along the King's highway. He was a very ..2.... Rat, considering his small size and the bad reputation all Rats have. As Mr. Rat walked along—he kept mostly to the ditch—he ...3.... a great commotion up the road, and soon a grand procession came in view. It was the King and ..4.. retinue.The King rode on a huge Elephant adorned with the most gorgeous trappings. With the King in his luxurious howdah were the royal Dog and Cat. A great ...5... of people followed the procession. They were so taken up with ...6.... of the Elephant, that the Rat was not noticed. His pride was hurt.
A resemblance to the great in some things does not make us great.
KEYS: 
1.traveling	2. proud	3. Noticed
 4. his	5. Crowd 6. admiration
Unit 3: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___
The jay and the peacock
A Jay venturing ..1... a yard where Peacocks used to ...2..., found there a number of feathers which had fallen ..3... the Peacocks when they were moulting.He tied them all to his tail and strutted down towards the Peacocks. When he ...4... near them they soon discovered the cheat, and strid-ing up to him pecked at him and plucked away his borrowed plumes.So the Jay ..5... do no better than go back to the other Jays, who had watched his behaviour from a distance; but they ...6.... equally annoyed with him, and told him:
'It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.'
KEYS:
into	2. walk 	3. From
4. came	5. could 6. were
Unit 4: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___
COST OF THE BELL
Everyday, a shepherd used to ..1.. his cows for grazing. He had tied a bell to each of the ..2... he had so that he could know where they were grazing. The best cow had a costly bell tied around her neck.
One day, a stranger was going ..3... the pasture. Seeing the costly bell around the cow's neck, he went to the shepherd and asked if he would sell the bell.
Out of greed, the shepherd sold the bell. But now he could not ..4... where his best cow was grazing.
On getting an opportunity, the ...5.... stole the cow. Thus, the shepherd lost his best cow just because of his ....6.....
Keys:
1.take	2. cows	3. through 
4. know	5. stranger	6. greed	
Unit 5: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.	
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___
THE MISCHIEVOUS DOG
There was ..1... a Dog who was so ill-natured and mischievous that his Master had to fasten a heavy wooden clog about his neck to ...2... him from annoying visitors and neighbors.
But the Dog ..3.. to be very proud of the clog and dragged it about noisily as if he wished to attract everybody's attention. He was not able to ...4.... anyone.
"You would be wiser," said an ...5... acquaintance, "to keep quietly out of sight with that clog. Do you want everybody to know ..6.. a disgraceful and ill-natured Dog you are?"
Notoriety is not fame.
Keys:
once	 2. keep	3. seemed 
 4. impress	 5. old	6. what	
Unit 6: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___
NEVER TELL A LIE
On his deathbed, a father ..1...his son to always speak truth. The son ...2...that he would never ..3.. a lie.
One day, while going to the city through a forest, he got ....4.....by some robbers. One of them asked, "What do you have?"
The boy answered, "I have fifty rupees."
They searched him but couldn't ....5....anything. When they were about to go, the boy called out, "I am not telling a lie. See this fifty rupee note which I had hidden in my shirt."
The leader of the robbers felt ...6.... at the truthfulness of the boy, gave him hundred rupees as reward and went away.
KEYS:
1. advised	2. promised	3. promised
4. surrounded 	5. find	6. pleased
Unit 7: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.	
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___
The crow and the pitcher
In a spell of dry...1..., when the Birds could find very little to drink, a ...2....Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it.
But the pitcher was high and had a ...3....neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The ...4...thing felt as if he must die of thirst.
Then an idea came to him. Picking up some ...5....pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble the water ...6...a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.
"In a pinch a good use of our wits may help us out."
KEYS:
1. weather	2. thirsty	3. narrow
4. poor 	5. small	6. rose
Unit 8: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.	
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___
The two crabs
One fine day two Crabs ...1...out from their home to take a stroll on the sand.
"Child," said the mother, "you are ...2...very ungracefully. You should accustom yourself to walking straight forward ....3...twisting from side to ..4....."
"Pray, mother," said the ..5....one, "do but set the ....6....yourself, and I will follow you."
"Examples is the best precept"
KEYS:
1. came	2. walking	3. without
4. side	5. young	6. example
RESULTS
Unit 9: Part C: Listening - TextBook 10
I.Warm- up: 10 minutes.	
NAME:_____________________	DATE:___
The Goose with the Golden Egg
One day a ....1.....going to the nest of his Goose found ...2.... an egg all yellow and glittering.
When he took it up it was as ...3....as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought a trick had been played upon him.
But he took it home on ....4.....thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg of pure gold.
Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon ..5...rich by selling his eggs.
As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it and ...6.....it only to find, nothing.
Greed often overreaches itself.
KEYS:
1. countryman	2. there 	3. heavy
4. second	5. became	6. opened
3. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1. Results
Through the practical lessons ,poll the ideas of students and compare the quality of the class. During training I noticed they no longer have to worry when I give them listening lesson, they were excited and always expected the listening part. It is different from these old days.English stories stimulated them to study with listening part of text book 10. My colleagues saw the advant