VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE — CS eee PHAM THI THU TRANG THE IMPACT OF BLENDED LEARNING ON LEARNING TOEIC LISTENING SKILLS OF NON-ENGLISH MAJOR FRESHMEN AT A UNIVERSITY IN HANOI sinh viên năm nhất không chuyên ngành tiếng Anh tại một trường Đại học ở Hà Nội) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01 Hanoi, 2024 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE — CS eee PHAM THI THU TRANG THE IMPACT OF BLENDED LEARNING ON LEARNING TOEIC LISTENING SKILLS OF NON-ENGLISH MAJOR FRESHMEN AT A UNIVERSITY IN HANOI sinh viên năm nhất không chuyên ngành tiếng Anh tại một trường Đại học ở Hà Nội) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231. Mai Thi Loan Hanoi, 2024 DECLARATION I would like to declare that the thesis I submitted at the University of Languages and International Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in TESOL, entitled “The Impact of Blended Learning on Learning TOEIC Listening Skills of Non-English Major Freshmen at a University in Hanoi” is entirely my own work.
This thesis, in whole or in part, has not been published or applied for a degree from another university or organization. Hanoi, 2024 Student Pham Thi Thu Trang Approved by SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) Dr. Mai Thi Loan ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my sincere thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Mai Thi Loan, for all the essential advice she has given me throughout this project.
Her energy, vision, genuineness, and drive have really motivated me. This paper would not have been completed without her incredibly helpful advice and perceptive comments in each step of the study. For allowing me to conduct this research, I would also like to thank all my lecturers of the Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies. My stay at this university has been really fruitful, and having the opportunity to learn from all the lecturers was a remarkable experience that I will never forget.
Besides, my colleagues at my university have delivered their support to me personally and professionally throughout my time at the university. Without their support, it is impossible for me to complete my study smoothly. The most essential thing to remember is that none of this would have been possible without my family’s support, especially my husband and kids who have been grateful and supportive to me with their own tolerance and sympathy. They prevented me from giving up each time, for which I will always be grateful.
This thesis serves as evidence of their unwavering support and devotion. Hanoi, 2024 1 ABSTRACT Today, the use of blended learning is considered a practical, interesting and useful method in teaching English listening skills for students, especially in TOEIC listening competence. This research was set out to investigate the effectiveness of blended learning to develop TOEIC listening comprehension for non-English major students at a university in Hanoi. Data instruments such as tests, teaching diaries, questionnaires, and interviews were used with the participation of forty-six non- English major freshmen.
Findings indicated the effectiveness of blended learning in students’ improvement in their TOEIC listening performance and students showed their good attitudes towards blended learning and considered it as an efficient method to help them improve their TOEIC listening competence. However, students also encountered some problems when doing blended learning, in which their low- level listening ability is the biggest hindering to them in doing TOEIC listening tasks. From that, some recommendations for better using blended learning in TOEIC listening lessons were given for teachers in their classes. lil ABBREVIATIONS BL : Blended Learning ESL : English as Second Language EFL : English as Foreign Language ETS : Educational Testing Service ICT : Information and Communications Technology IELTS : International English Language Testing System IIG Vietnam : IHG Vietnam Jsc TESOL : Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages TOEIC : Test of English for International Communication L2 : Second Language N : Number iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARA TION.
HH HH HH HH TT HH HH TT ng 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.- HH HH TH ng HH ng gi ii. iii ABBREYVIA TIONS. LH HH HH TH HH HH Hư 1V LIST OF EIGURES. - LH HH HH TH HH Hệ ix LIST OF TABLES 11177.- Đà HH TH HH HH nhiệt 1 1.
Aims and objectives of the Study. Gà 1x SH ng Hy 2 1. Research QU€SfIOTNS. Scope of the Study .-- Ác HH HH TH HH HH HH nh 2 1.
Method of the Study. Significance of the S{UCỈy. 11H TT HH ng 3 1. Definitions of ÏISf€nINE.-- -- c2 SH nh HH HH ng 5 2.
Definitions of listening comprehenS1OIn. The importance of listening comprehension in language learning. Listening comprehension problems .- --- --- -- + k* vn HH TT HH HH HT nhờ 9 2. Definitions of Blended Learning.
Types of Blended Learn1nng. Benefits of Blended Learning. Students’ challenges in learning English language through BL. Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).
What is TOEIC? 00. Structure of the TOEIC test. TOEIC Listening Comprehension Section. Previous studies on Blended earn1nng.
Restatement of research qU€SfIOTS. -- Ác 2191 0111191119111 1H TH ng re 24 3. Definitions of action T€S€arCHh.- -- c c1 1v TH HH ng ng rệt 24 3. Reasons for choosing an action research.
Steps tO COTUCL. -- 2G 1H HH HT HH KH HH rry 26 3. Data collection 1nSfTUI€TIES. 5 5 19119311911 9119 1 91 ng ng ng ệt 33 3.- óc c1 HH HT Thun HH Hà Hà HH nh 33 3.
TOEIC listening comprehension f€SS. Data collection pTOC€dUIT©S. Data analysis method na. 38 KT oa0,dddididt.
DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Data analysis of teacher’s CÏ14T1©S.- - - c1 11v vn ng ng rvrg 40 4. Data analysis Of the tests 00. Data analysis of the QUeStiONNAITES.
Students’ opinions about learning TOEIC listening comprehension through BL. Students’ improvement on other listening components when applying blended listening 0 T1. Students’ reaction to BL application in TOEIC listening lessons. Students’ opinion about preference of techniques to motivate students in doing both online and offline tasks 00.
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Reasons for students’ belief that BL motivates them in learning TOEIC listening compreh€TnSIOH. Students’ responses about how difficult they access to online platform when learning TOEIC listening comprehension. Students’ responses about teachers’ roles in TOEIC BL classes. The effectiveness of BL in improving students’ TOEIC listening competence.
The students’ attitudes towards the application of blended learning in learning I9)5i00 i1. 0Q TH gọn TH HH hư 53 “XSam. LH HH HH ệt 56 5. Designing more interesting tasks for students .-- -ccS<sss<cssseres 58 5.
Limitations of the Study .--- <1 vn TH HH TH HH ng già 59 5. Suggestions for future Study. eee eeeeeceseecsseeeseceseeceeeceaeeesneeeseeseeeeseeesaeeeaees 60 REFERENCES 011. I APPENDIX 1: ONLINE PLATFORM IMAGES.- cày I APPENDIX 2: TEST SPECIFICATION .cccccecceccesceseeceeseeseeseesecaeceeeerseeeeaeeeeeaeeaes V APPENDIX 3A: TOEIC LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST 1 (PRETEST).
VII vii APPENDIX 3B: TOEIC LISTENING COMPREHENSION TEST 2 (POSTTEST) XXI APPENDIX 4: TEST RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS THROUGH SPSS .XXXV APPENDIX 5: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS. XXXVII APPENDIX 6A: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS. XLI APPENDIX 9: TOEIC LISTENING SYLLABUS (15 Sessions). LVII APPENDIX 10: LESSON PLAN .- ---- Là ng HH Hit LIX viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.
Blended learning environment, Graham (2006) .- -- 5 5s + £++E+vE+sEEeeeeseeseess 10 Figure 3. Kurt Lewin's Action Research Model (1946). Susman’s action research model (1983). The 4 Stages Action Research Cycle by Burns (20 10).---++-«++c<sx+xeseeserses 28 Figure 4.
Students’ other listening component Improvement. Students’ reaction to the online pÏafÍOrrm. - -- + +5 + **x St n gngnrnưệt 45 Figure 4. Students’ reaction to the offline €ÏaSS€§.-- + S3 2x vn HT ng ng nưkt 46 Figure 4.
Students’ opinion about preference of techniques to motivate students in doing both 0D1100190210195000))01xãr1) {c5. Students’ problems in learning TOEIC listening skills through BL (subjective issues) 47 Figure 4. Students’ problems in learning TOEIC listening skills through BL (objective issues). 48 LIST OF TABLES Table 4.
Group’s performance in the pre-test and posf-f€Sf. Results of the Paired-Sample T-tests. Students’ opinions about learning TOEIC listening skills through BL. INTRODUCTION This chapter includes rationale, research aims and objectives, research questions, scope, significance, methods and design of the thesis.
Rationale of the study Nowadays in Vietnam, most of technical universities have used the result of TOEIC score as the compulsory condition when students graduate. The minimum TOEIC score that is acceptable is 450 out of 990 for the two skills reading and listening comprehension. My university’s graduating condition is not an exception. In my university, TOEIC has been taught and studied for years to ensure all students are likely to adapt to this condition.
However, according to the researcher's own experience teaching English language in general and TOEIC listening skills in particular, students have a great deal of difficulties learning to listen so they are often discouraged from listening skills. Therefore, most students could not graduate from universities. Due to this significance of listening skills in learning a foreign language, educators and teachers have been trying to research and find out the effective teaching methods in order to improve students’ listening competence. One of these methods is called Blended Learning.
BL has been considered as an effective approach in educational system. It not only helps learners have the wide variety of learning materials but it also provides updated kinds of tests for them to practice. BL approach received learners’ positive attitude toward using it as presented by some studies. Husni Mubarok (2015) highlighted that BL approach may enhance students' listening comprehension in the classroom.
It was showed clearly with students' final listening scores being higher than the first one. The deployment of the BL model in the listening class was well welcomed by the students. Similarly, Heba Mustafa Abdullah (2015) stated the BL model made students’ listening comprehension be improved. The study also provided some evidence of the positive effects of BL on learning EFL generally and improving listening comprehension particularly.
Moreover, Mahendra Puji Permana Aji (2017) stated that using BL to teach listening skills to students provided teachers with a successful method in the teaching and learning process and it aslo improve students’ learning through favorable results. Though BL showed its positive effects on teaching and learning language skills and appeared on lots of research, in Vietnam it has not been studied much in the area of learning English listening skills, particularly in TOEIC listening competence. Therefore, as an English language teacher, I would like to choose the topic of the impact of BL on learning TOEIC listening skills of non-English major students to find out the effects of BL method to the students’ TOEIC listening performance and students’ attitude toward BL application in TOEIC listening lessons as my M.A thesis in TESOL. Aims and objectives of the study By conducting this study, the researcher aims at investigating whether BL could improve students’ TOEIC listening competence or not.
Following objectives were created from this overarching goal: eTo find out the improvement of the non-English major students’ TOEIC listening competence through blended learning. eTo find out the learners’ attitudes towards applying of blended learning in TOEIC listening lessons. Research questions In an attempt to achieve the aim stated above, the two research questions were addressed as below: 1. To what extent does the blended learning improve non-English major students’ TOEIC listening skills? 2.
What are non-English major students’ attitudes toward the application of blended learning in TOEIC listening lessons? 1.