MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY TRẦN THÙY LINH ENHANCING LISTENING SKILLS FOR SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS: A STUDY ON NOTE-TAKING TECHNIQUES MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LINGUISTIC HANOI, 2024 MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY TRẦN THÙY LINH ENHANCING LISTENING SKILLS FOR SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS: A STUDY ON NOTE-TAKING TECHNIQUES Major: English Linguistics Code: 8220201 MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LINGUISTICS SUPERVISOR : Dr. Le Mai Van Hanoi – 2024 iii DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR I, the undersigned, affirm that I am the exclusive author of this thesis. To the best of my understanding, this thesis does not contain any content previously published by any other individual, except where proper acknowledgment has been provided. Signature: ……………………………………………………… iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I express everlasting gratitude to those who motivated and supported me throughout the research process.
Firstly, I am appreciative of the administrators at Ministry Of Industry And Trade, Hanoi University Of Industry for granting approval for the study. Secondly, I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Le Mai Van, my research supervisor, for allowing me the chance to do research and for her essential advice during this process. I have been greatly inspired by her dynamism, vision, genuineness, and motivation.
She has taught me how to conduct research and how to present the research work as clearly as possible. Being able to work and study under her direction was a huge honor. I am incredibly appreciative of everything she has done for me. She has a terrific sense of humor, empathy, and friendship, for which I am very grateful.
Thirdly, I genuinely acknowledge second-year English major students and teachers who willingly participated in my study. Lastly, I am incredibly grateful for my parents' love, guidance, and sacrifices since they have given me the education I need for the future. I am extremely thankful of my friends and colleagues for their love, patience, and support in helping me finish this research project. v Table of contents DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR.
iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. Rationale for the study. Aims and objectives of the study.
Scope of the study. Significance of the study. 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. English listening skills.
Definition of listening skills. Difficulties and challenges learners face when learning English listening skills. Note-taking techniques. Definitions of note-taking techniques.
Types of note-taking techniques. Role and challenges of note-taking techniques. Review of previous studies. 27 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.
Research setting and participants. Data collection instruments. Data collection procedures. Self-report surveys.
Data analysis method. 39 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS & DISCUSSION. Benefits of note-taking techniques. Benefits of note-taking techniques via students’ perspectives 40 4.
Benefits of note-taking techniques via teachers’ perspectives 51 4. Challenges of note-taking techniques. Challenges of note-taking techniques via students’ perspectives. Challenges of note-taking techniques via teachers’ perspectives.
Limitations and suggestions for future research. 82 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4. The importance of the note-taking in listening classes ……………40 Figure 4. Better remembrance of information.
Understanding the information from the audio. The ability to answer the questions compared to not being able to take notes. Getting better grades. Getting more success in listening courses.
Gaining more knowledge on the subject matter. Gaining information from the audio better. Remembering the information from the audio. Analyzing the information.
Answering the question better. Impact on students’ concentration. Hindrance of giving the answers. Hindrance of information analysis from the audio.
Distraction from paying attention to the information from the audio. Confusion of understanding the information from the audio. 61 ix LIST OF TABLES Table 2. Data collection instruments correspond with two research questions.
4 x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL English as a Foreign Language ESL English as a Second Language MMR Mix-Method Research BL Blended Learning L1 Native language L2 Foreign language xi ABSTRACT Listening plays a crucial role in daily communication as a fundamental English skill. Obviously, in listening lessons, academic listening tasks necessitate students to employ practical and efficient listening strategies to enhance their listening competency. Using note-taking techniques to promote students’ listening ability has been paid much attention these days. There has been some research conducted in this field dealing with students’ views or teachers’ views on the effectiveness of this listening technique.
However, there have been few studies on how teachers perceive and how students experience note-taking techniques, especially at tertiary level in Vietnam. In order to occupy this research space, this study explores teachers’ perceptions and students’ perceptions of note-taking techniques in a Vietnamese higher education context. With the aim of exploring teachers’ and students’ perspectives of note-taking techniques in listening classes, this mix- method research was conducted in a public university in Vietnam with four English as foreign language (EFL) teachers and 100 second- year English major students as the research participants. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with EFL teachers and survey questionnaires with second-year English major students.
Findings show strong support of both teachers and students for this listening technique as it could facilitate students to remember and understand the information of the listening texts better, thus developing students’ listening ability. Research results also explore the challenges of note-taking technique that might affect the effectiveness of note-taking technique in listening tasks. Understanding the difficulties and the underpinning reasons may potentially xii improve the effectiveness of note-taking techniques and thus improving students’ listening proficiency. Rationale for the study As a comprehension skill, listening constitutes a pivotal yet often underestimated facet of language proficiency.
The ability to comprehend spoken language is integral not only to academic achievements but also to effective communication in a broader context. Learning listening skills is crucial for effective communication, language acquisition, academic success, and personal growth. Listening is “a bridge to learn a language” (Nation & Jonathan, 2009, p. It enhances critical thinking, fosters empathy, and is indispensable in both professional and personal interactions.
Listening is a complex process of interpretation in which listeners compare what they hear with their existing knowledge (Rost, 2002). During the act of listening, learners acquire knowledge and subsequently retrieve it from memory as needed. Listening is not solely about acquiring spoken language. Instead, it is a complex cognitive process in which learners rely on their linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge to comprehend the intended meaning of the communication.
It is essential for learners to acquire fundamental language knowledge, including grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other linguistic elements. Obviously, if the learners do not understand the input relevantly, their learning outcomes cannot be developed. Note-taking is one of various listening techniques which are applied to address this issue. Note-taking is an advantageous technique that enables learners to document significant knowledge for future use.
Various advantages of note-taking in the process have been confirmed as it helped learners to enhance their listening 2 comprehension, assists them to develop their listening competence and learning motivation as well. “A good reason to take notes is that you can never re-listen to speech or a presentation” (Hayati, 2009 p. In other words, note-taking is used “to avoid the absence of content information” (Khair, 2018 p. Note-taking is regarded as a crucial skill for pursuing academic education.
However, the act of taking notes while listening is a significant challenge for English learners as it has the potential to divert students' attention from the listening process and necessitates the completion of additional tasks. Along with the importance and necessity of note-taking techniques in listening comprehension, it is worth exploring teachers’ and students’ perceptions toward note-taking techniques and how these influence the effectiveness of note- taking techniques implementation in listening classrooms. Understanding how teachers and students perceive note-taking techniques is of great importance to enhance teaching and learning quality, especially promote learners’ listening competency. Several studies have examined the perceptions of teachers and students in ESL and EFL situations regarding note-taking strategies, however, limited research on this topic has been conducted in the context of teaching and learning English in Vietnam, especially in Vietnamese higher education.
By gathering insights from both lecturers and students regarding their perspectives, this study seeks to bridge the pedagogical gap that often exists in listening instruction and provide educators with evidence-based insights that can inform and enhance their teaching practices. Ultimately, through its exploration of note- taking techniques to enhance listening skills, the purpose of this project is to advance the broader discourse on language pedagogy, offering a comprehensive 3 understanding of how best to nurture this critical aspect of language acquisition and facilitate students' holistic linguistic development. Aims and objectives of the study The primary aim of this thesis is to comprehensively explore and analyze note-taking techniques to enhance the listening skills of second-year English major students at Hanoi University of Industry. By investigating both teacher and student perspectives, experiences and expectations of this listening technique, this study seeks to provide a deep understanding of effective pedagogical approaches for improving listening proficiency, contributing to the advancement of language education strategies.
This overall aim was specified into the following objectives: (1) To explore EFL teachers’ perceptions towards the use of note-taking techniques in listening classes. (2) To explore second-year English major students’ perceptions towards the use of note-taking techniques in listening classes. Research questions In an attempt to achieve the aims and objectives of the study stated above, the following research questions are addressed: (1) What are teachers’ perspectives towards note-taking techniques in the improvement of students’ listening skills? (2) What are students’ perspectives towards note-taking techniques in listening classes? 4 Table 1. Data collection instruments correspond with two research questions Data Data Research questions collection Research purposes sources methods 1.
What are teachers’ Examine teachers' perspectives towards viewpoints about note- note-taking techniques in - Interviews Teachers taking techniques in the improvement of listening classes students’ listening skills? 2. What are students’ Examine students' perspectives towards viewpoints about note- - Questionnaire Students note-taking techniques in taking techniques in listening classes? listening classes 1. Scope of the study This study aims to explore the effectiveness of note-taking techniques as well as the challenges when using this listening technique in listening classes. More specifically, it investigates the EFL teachers’ and second – year English major students’ perceptions at HAUI.
The scope focuses on an in-depth analysis of how teacher and student perceive note-taking techniques that shape its effectiveness as a pedagogical strategy. Teacher interviews, and student survey questionnaires provide insights into beliefs, and experiences related to note-taking for listening proficiency development. Significance of the study This study was carried out to examine teacher’s and student’s perceptions of note-taking techniques, which is a key role in promoting the effectiveness of applying these techniques for developing students’ listening skills. Note-taking is regarded as a learning strategy which is essential to facilitate active listening, organize key information, and aid recall and application of concepts from aural input (Piolat et al.
However, research indicates that note-taking practices are often not explicitly taught or optimized, resulting in passive and ineffective note-taking approaches among students (Boch & Piolat, 2005). This study will help identify specific note-taking techniques utilized in listening classes. The findings can guide improvements in instructional methodology to better equip students with active note-taking strategies aligned with listening comprehension objectives. An in-depth understanding of teachers’ and students’ attitudes and experiences is vital, as these are strong determinants of the successful adoption of new pedagogical techniques (Zohrabi, 2013).
This study will gather insights into how teachers currently incorporate note-taking, their views on challenges and benefits, and their receptiveness to enhancing note-taking instruction. Capturing student perspectives is crucial for determining gaps between their actual versus perceived note-taking abilities, their specific difficulties with lecture note-taking, and their openness to developing stronger note-taking competency. By examining note-taking through the lens of key participants, this study aims to explore useful ways to enhance listening pedagogy.