MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M. THESIS USING PODCASTS TO ENHANCE LISTENING COMPREHENSION OF 8TH GRADERS AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN HANOI (Sử dụng podcast nhằm nâng cao năng lực nghe hiểu của học sinh lớp 8 tại một trường THCS ở Hà Nội) CAN THI HUONG Field: English Language Code: 8220201 Hanoi – 2024 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M. THESIS USING PODCASTS TO ENHANCE LISTENING COMPREHENSION OF 8TH GRADERS AT A SECONDARY SCHOOL IN HANOI (Sử dụng podcast nhằm nâng cao năng lực nghe hiểu của học sinh lớp 8 tại một trường THCS ở Hà Nội) CAN THI HUONG Field: English Language Code: 8220201 Supervisor: Assoc. Phan Van Que Hanoi – 2024 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled “Using podcasts to enhance listening comprehension of 8th graders at a secondary school in Hanoi” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in English Language.
Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis. Hanoi, 2023 Can Thị Huong Approved by SUPERVISOR Assoc. Phan Van Que (Signature and full name) Date: /12/ 2023 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this thesis was reliant on the invaluable assistance and support provided by numerous individuals. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc.
Phan Van Que, for his unwavering support and guidance throughout my study. His stimulating ideas, expertise, and suggestions have greatly inspired my growth as an academic researcher. I would like to express my gratitude to the teachers at the Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University, as well as other individuals, for their invaluable assistance and encouragement, without which the completion of my thesis would not have been possible. I am grateful to my friends and coworkers who generously provide time from their packed schedules to assist me in completing my thesis.
Despite being occupied with their own theses, they readily offer their support whenever I require it. Lastly, I am profoundly grateful to my family, both my parents and my son, for the significant sacrifices they have made to support the completion of this academic endeavor. ii ABSTRACT Active listening is crucial for effective daily communication and the educational process. Recently, there has been an increased focus on the significance of listening comprehension in language learning and teaching.
This study aims to investigate the efficacy of utilizing podcasts to improve English listening skills among 8th grade students. It seeks to address three key inquiries: (1) What are the students' attitudes towards listening?, (2) What are the factors contributing to the challenges encountered by these 8th graders?, and (3) How do podcasts facilitate the enhancement of listening abilities in students? In order to accomplish the stated objectives, the researcher carried out an 8-week action research. The study included 37 eighth grade students who attended a secondary school in Hanoi during the 2022 - 2023 academic year. This study employed a mixed-methods approach, gathering both qualitative and quantitative data through interviews, questionnaires, and pre- and post-tests.
Evidence from study indicates that podcasts have a positive impact on students' listening skills, as demonstrated by the exam scores. The test findings clearly indicate that the mean score of the pre-test increased by 5.6% by the end of the intervention session. Two students received a score of 9, while another participant received a score of 8.5 points higher than the maximum result in the pre-test. Furthermore, the study's qualitative data revealed that most participants exhibited a favorable disposition towards the integration of podcasts in the classroom.
Based on the researcher's findings, podcasts have been shown to be a highly successful tool for enhancing listening abilities in English language classrooms. They not only improve students' ability to listen, but also foster a greater interest in the learning process. iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AR: Action research N: Number of students M: Mean SD: Standard deviation S: Student MOET: Ministry of Education and Training GEEC: General English Education Curriculum CEFR: The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages VNFLPF: Vietnam Foreign. Language Proficiency Framework SPSS: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences iv LIST OF TABLES Table 4.
The pre-test scores of 37 students in listening comprehension. Mean, standard deviation, range with minimum and maximum values for the pre-test. Frequency in numbers and per cent for the pre-test. The pre-test scores of 37 students in listening comprehension.
36 in pre-test and post-test. Mean, standard deviation, range with minimum and maximum values for the post-test. Frequency in numbers and percent for the pre-test. The students’ attitude towards listening comprehension.
Descriptive statistics of the students’ difficulties rated to the content of the listening text. Descriptive statistics of the students’ difficulties rated to lingustic features. Descriptive statistics of the students’ difficulties rated to their psychological fueatures. The students’ attitude towards podcasts use.
46 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. The action research spiral according to Kemmis and McTaggart (1988). The results of pre-listening and post-listening test. 39 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY .iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.
iv LIST OF TABLES. v LIST OF FIGURES. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS. Rationale for the research.
Aims and objectives of the research. Scope of the study. Significance of the study. Structure of Thesis.
General concepts of listening.1 Definition of listening. Approaches to develop listening comprehension in TEFL. Strategies to develop listening comprehension in TEFL. Listening skills in English curriculum at a lower secondary school level .6 Definition of podcasts.
General concepts of podcasts.1 Definition of podcasts .2 Types of podcasts. Advantages of Podcast in Teaching Listening. Review of previous studies .2 Research population and sample. Data Collection Instruments.
Data Collection Procedures. Quantitative Data Analysis. Qualitative Data Analysis. INFLUENCES OF PODCAST USAGE IN PROMOTING STUDENTS’ LISTENING COMPREHENSION.
Findings from the tests. Findings from the pre-test. Findings from the post-test. Comparison of the pre-test and the post-test scores.
Findings from the questionnaires and interviews. Students’ attitude towards listening comprehension. Difficulties faced by students in listening comprehension. Students’ attitude towards podcast use.
The effectiveness of podcast use in improving 8th-graders’listening comprehension. The students’ attitudes towards the application of podcasts in listening comprehension lessons. Limitation of the research. Recommendations for podcast implementation.
INTRODUCTION The chapter presents the context of the research study to explain why the research should be conducted. It starts with the rationale of the study, followed by the research aims and objectives. Then, the research questions, subjects, scope, and significance are mentioned. Finally, the research structure is given for the readers to follow the content of the study.
Rationale for the research Listening is vital to daily communication and the educational process. Despite its significance, listening has been the most neglected talent in second language acquisition, research, instruction, and evaluation for decades. In recent years, however, there has been a greater emphasis on listening comprehension due to its perceived importance in language acquisition and instruction. The process of human communication is involved in the act of hearing.
According to Rest (2011) and Ahour & Bargool (2005), listening is an essential talent that must be mastered. In the process of learning a second language such as English, students must listen to English audio and comprehend the message or information conveyed in the conversation. This activity facilitates language learning. According to Nunan (1999), listening is a skill as esteemed as Cinderella.
(Oxford, 1993; Scarella & Oxford, 1992) Listening is a talent that enables the second language learner to master the other three skills, such as reading and speaking. As listening is regarded as an essential talent, it is essential that it be taught to all language learners. Students of higher education are examples of English language learners who should acquire listening skills when learning English as a foreign language. Bottom-up processing and top-down processing are the two methods in which listeners process their listening.
Bottom up, according to (Buck, 2001; Linse, 2005; Nunan, 1991), is when listeners receive input and transform sounds into words, words into clauses, clauses into sentences, and so on. In contrast to bottom up, top down is a means for listeners to perceive that knowledge exists beyond the words or sentences. This demonstrates that listeners utilize distinct methods for processing the information they hear. The students may wish to use whichever is most convenient for them.
However, it is essential that top-down be an effective 1 method for eliciting accurate information because it encourages learners to analyze statements beyond their literal meaning. With the advancement of technology, language acquisition became more appealing. On a number of websites, internet-based resources are provided without charge. Podcasts are one of the materials available for free on the internet.
(Holtz in Li, 2010:78) A podcast is an internet-based method of broadcasting information. In addition to being computer-based, podcasts also utilize mobile-based technology. The iPod, mobile phone, mp3 player, and other mobile devices can be used to access podcasts. It is portable and can be enjoyed everywhere and at all times.
It can also be used as authentic auditory comprehension material. Jobbings in Man (2007:116) alleged that podcasts correspond to specific teaching objectives of the United Kingdom's (UK) National Curriculum. Numerous researchers have investigated the efficacy of podcasts. Furthermore, according to Li (2012:78), the majority of students reported that podcasts have value as a supplement to their learning experience.
Especially in Hanoi, Vietnam, where the majority of students have their own mobile devices, it will be simple for them to use this medium to enhance their listening comprehension because they can exercise their listening skill outside of school by listening to podcasts whenever they want. Clearly, numerous variables can interfere with the listening process and influence students' listening skills. According to informal observations, the lack of listening materials and the amount of time devoted to teaching hearing are the factors affecting students’ listening comprehension. Utilization of audio and video podcasts will be an alternative means of enhancing the listening material, particularly for the purpose of enhancing their listening comprehension.
On account of all the aforementioned reasons, the author has decided on the topic for her thesis as “Using podcasts to enhancing listening comprehension of 8th graders at a secondary school in Hanoi”. This current study is to explore the effectiveness of using podcasts in accomplishing English listening skills used by students in 8th grade. The current study is conducted among students of a secondary in Hanoi in which no previous studies have been conducted. Also, this study is extended to see specific strategies used by each student.
Aims and objectives of the research 1.1 The aims The study is expected to help 8th grade students enhance their listening comprehension by using podcasts as authentic materials.2 The objectives To achieve the aforementioned aim, this study focuses on the following objectives: • To assess the situation of students’ listening comprehension. • To identify the problems faced by 8th graders in the thesis. • To give some suggestions in using podcasts to improve listening skills for students in the 8th grade in a secondary school in Hanoi. Scope of the study Due to time constraints, the author was unable to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
Therefore, the purpose of this M. thesis is to investigate the efficacy of using podcasts to improve the listening skills of grade 8 students (37 students) at Phung Thuong Lower secondary school, Phuc Tho District, Hanoi. For the purposes of convenience, an investigation with one of 6 8th grade classes at the school were conducted. Furthermore, the focus of the study was on the effectiveness of Audio Podcast in enhancing the ability to comprehend the content of listening material, locate the main idea of narrative and exhortatory exposition text, as well as the supporting ideas.