MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY THE ASSISTANCE OF THE WEB SYSTEM IN TEACHING LISTENING SKILLS AT SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE AN GIANG UNIVERSITY A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) Submitted by PHAN THỊ THÙY DUNG Supervisor: Dr LÊ XUÂN TRƯỜNG HO CHI MINH, March 2011 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify that this thesis entitled: “THE ASSISTANT OF THE WEB SYSTEM IN TEACHING LISTENING SKILL AT SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE – AN GIANG UNIVERSITY” is my own work Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contain material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of the thesis This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution HO CHI MINH, 2011 PHAN THI THÙY DUNG ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest thanks to my thesis supervisor, Dr Le Xuan Truong, who provided valuable comments and supports for my thesis improvements and completion I could not have finished my study without his great patience and dedication Although his schedule was always full, he was always to read my drafts, and give me constant guidance He has been really my great help to complete the thesis successfully I am greatly indebted to all my teachers for their dedication and helpful instruction during the course My special thanks go to those who help me greatly in this study, in particular, Mrs Nga , Mr.Ngo Ngoc Hoa, Mr Phan Minh Trung for their help with the data collection for my study; all teacher and students of School of Educational Practice participating in the study for their cooperation; all my colleagues and friends for their support Last, I would like to send special thanks to my parents, to my husband, who always listens to me and give me good advice Thanks for his immense support, understanding, and sacrifices ABSTRACT This thesis was designed to investigate the aid of web system in teaching listening skills, to save time on class, to evoking students’ positive attitudes and motivation toward learning listening skills, and to increase students’ basic knowledge at School of Educational Practice – An Giang University Website: http://staff.agu.edu.vn/pttdung The research was conducted in the tenth grade at School of Educational PracticeAn Giang University Both quality and quantity were used in this survey to explore the advantages of the system to learners and teachers at SEP SEP has four tenth grade classes and the data was collected from these classes Data was collected in the course of the class sessions before, and after the application of the system Questionnaires and the pre-test and post-test were given to the students to analyzed to progress in the students’ performance and listening skills as they continued using the web system The result demonstrated that having an improvement in the experimental The web system assisted to change students’ attitudes and motivation positively, to facilitate the teaching of listening skill, to the progress among the students at SEP From this possible effectiveness of the web system through the evidence that was showed by classes using the web system, this research suggests that the website “English 10” is not only useful for teaching listening skills at the tenth grade but also the other grades TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate of originality……………………………………………… Acknowledgements…………………………………………………… Abstract……………………………………………………………… Table of contents……………………………………………………… List of figures………………………………………………………… List of tables………………………………………………………… Abbreviations………………………………………………………… Page i ii iii iv V vi vii Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………… 1.1 Background……………………………………………………… 1.2 Statement of purpose…………………………………………… 1.3 Research questions……………………………………………… 1.4 Significance of the study………………………………………… 1.4 Delimitations………………………………………………… … 1.5 Overview of thesis chapters……………………………………… 1 6 7 Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW………………………… … 2.1 Theoretical background to listening skill…………………….… 2.2 Synthesis of Web System Literature…………………………… 2.3 Listening and Cognition…………………………………… 2.4 English Language Learners, Academic Performance, And Web System Technology………………………………… 2.5 Universal Design for Learning Listening Skills…………… … 2.6 Text to Listening Technology………………………………… 2.7 Relationship of the Literature to the Study…………………… 8 12 15 Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY…………………………………… 3.1 Research Questions…………………………………………… 3.2 Research Design……………………………………………… 3.2.1 Time and Setting………………………… 3.2.2 Sample Description…………………………………… 3.2.3 Instrument…………………………………………………… 3.2.3.1 The Web System Application ………………………… 3.2.3.2 The Test …………………… 3.2.3.2.1 The format of test…………………………………… 3.2.3.2.2.Scoring……………………………………………… 3.2.3.3 Questionnaires …………………………………………… 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 33 33 33 33 17 18 19 22 3.2.3.3.1 Questionnaire for students…………………………… 3.2.3.3.2 Questionnaire for teachers………………………… 3.3 Data collection Procedures……………………………………… 3.4 Summary………………………………………………………… 34 36 37 39 Chapter 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDING………………… 4.1 Response to Survey………………………………………………… 4.1.1 Student’s Response…………………………………………… 4.1.1.1 Analyzing Questionnaires……………………………… 4.1.1.2 Analyzing Tests………………………………………… 4.1.2 Teacher’s Response…………………………………………… 4.1.3 Comparison of the Teachers’ and Students’ Responses……………………………………… 4.2 Finding……………………………………………………………… 4.2.1 Student’s Questionnaire………………………………………… 4.2.2 Student’s tests………………………………………………… 4.2.3 Teacher’s response……………………………………………… 4.3 Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 34 40 40 40 44 49 Chapter 5: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS…………… 5.1 Conclusion…………………………………………………………… 5.2 Implications………………………………………………………… 5.3 Suggestions on using the web system……………………………… 5.3.1 Equipments…………………………………………………… 5.3.2 Requirements…………………………………………………… 69 69 73 74 74 74 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………… 75 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………… 80 APPENDIX I Statistics Description of students Questionnaire………… APPENDIX II The reliability analysis of Student’s Questionnaire……… APPENDIX III Statistics Description of Dip and Sep teachers ………… APPENDIX IV Pre-Test 1……………………………………………… APPENDIX V Post-Test 2……………………………………………… APPENDIX VI Questionnaire for students……………………………… APPENDIX VII Questionnaire for Teachers…………………………… APPENDIX VIII How many times students online……………………… APPENDIX IX The Web System………………………………………… APPENDIX X The way to up load a lesson……………………………… 58 60 60 62 65 68 80 86 87 91 92 93 101 105 106 110 LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 3.1 The web System………………………………… 27 Figure 3.2 The basic story……………………………………………… 28 Figure 3.3 Learn new Word Feature………………………………… …… 29 Figure 3.4 Spell A Word Feature…………………………………… …… 30 Figure 3.5 Task Feature……………………………………………………… 31 Figure 3.6 Homework Feature……………………………………………… 32 Figure 4.1 teaching aid of SEP teacher and DIP teacher …………………… 52 Figure 4.2 the useful of web system in teaching listening skills …………… 53 Figure 4.3 the effectiveness of saving time in class ……………………… 53 Figure 4.4 the aid of the web system in evoking listening studying ……… 54 Figure 4.5 the convenience of the web system in teaching listening skills … 54 Figure 4.6 Audio playback feature ………………………………………… 55 Figure 4.7 Learn new word feature ………………………………………… 56 Figure 4.8 spell a new word feature………………………………………… 56 Figure 4.9 the usefulness of Task feature…………………………………… 57 Figure 4.10 the usefulness of homework feature…………………………… 57 LIST OF TABLES Page Table 4.1 Descriptive Statistics of SEP students……………… 41 Table 4.2 Pre-test of the control group ……………………… 44 Table 4.3 post-test of control group …………………………… 45 Table 4.4 Pre-test of experimental group ……………………… 45 Table 4.5 Paired Samples Statistics …………………………… 46 Table 4.6 Paired Samples Correlations ………………………… 47 Table 4.7: Paired Samples Test………………………………… 48 Table 4.8: Descriptive Questions of SEP teachers……………… 50 Table 4.9: Descriptive Questions of DIP teachers…………… 51 ABBRIVIATIONS CAST : Center for Applied Special Technology EFL : English as a Foreign Language ELLS : English Language Learners FLLD : Foreign Language Learning Disability IMI : Interactive Multimedia Instruction SEP : School of Educational Practice TLS : Text to Listening UDL : Universal Design for Learning CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Listening basically is a learning activity that may take different forms for diverse people The way a person listens is always different from the way another person listens; this therefore implies that the behaviors and tools that a person employs in a listening situation are always different from the ones used by another listener in the same listening situation When teaching listening skills, it is therefore important to keep this in mind Although there are a variety of listening skills that learners may be taught, each has his own way of understanding and different people listen differently in attempt to accomplish the same goal (Downs, 2008) In the High School context, listening skills is an important learning concept because a student can not read and write without listening first Listening therefore is the first basic learning skill that a student should effectively learn and make good use during a learning environment It is therefore the responsibility of the learning skills tutor to establish new learning skills strategies that are tailored to meet the students listening requirements This is not an easy task and requires an in depth understanding of the factors that come to play during the listening process (Graeme & Jean, 2003) The acquisition of listening skills does not only depend on the tutor, but also the listener‟s perspective and perception This is the most challenging task to those teaching listening skills- to alter the mind and perception of the listener in order to eliminate a mental block Another key factor that affects the listening process is the learning environment Such external factors always have an effect on the listening behaviors of students (Graeme & Jean, 2003) The learning environment can be APPENDIX VII QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS (ENGLISH VERSION) Dear colleagues, This questionnaire aims to collect data for my research entitled:” THE ASSISTANT OF WEBSITE E LS 10 TEACHING LISTENING SKILL AT SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE – AN GIANG UNIVERSITY” Please read all the options carefully and circle the box provided For open-ended questions, please write your answer as specifically as you can I: Demographic Information: Name:……………………………………………… Place(s) of work:………………………… How long have you been teaching:……………………… The place where you live or work can connect to the Internet Yes No You have ever emailed to your friends or your family Yes 2.No Which of these you have been using for English listening teaching? Websites Computers 101 Cassettes, or CD, VCD, DVD players and 1, 2, and II: YOUR EVALUATION ABOUT THE WEBSITE FOR TEACHING LISTENING SKILLS In your opinion, how effective is the website for your English listening teaching? No idea It does not help It helps It helps much In your opinion, does the website helps to save time in class? No idea It does not help It helps It helps much In your opinion, can the website be useful for learners in their self-study to get basis knowledge in textbook? No idea It does not help 102 It helps It helps much 10 According to you, the website help to evoke students interested in studying listening skills No idea It does not help It helps It helps much 11 in comparing with the traditional method, according to you, the website is easier, and more convenient for your teaching or your learners‟ studying? No idea It does not help It helps It helps much 12 According to you, this website should be applied in the next semester? No idea It shouldn‟t apply It should apply It should apply much 103 III Software Features The following is a list of the major features of the website Using a scale from (low) to (high), please rate each feature‟s help in improving English language listening proficiency by circling the score that best applies 13 The basic story feature 4 16 Task 17 Homework (The audio playback feature) 14 The learn new word feature (The translating and transcribing phonetically feature) 15 The Spell a word feature (Listening first, after that rewriting) IV Based on your use of the website, please describe what features that you liked Please circle the number 18 The audio playback feature (The basic story feature) No idea Disliked 3.liked Most liked 19 The language translation and transcription feature (The learn new word feature) No idea Disliked 3.liked Most liked 20 The note taking feature (The Spell a word feature) No idea Disliked 3.liked Most liked Thanks you for your cooperation! 104 Appendix VIII PHI U H I V VI C THAM GIA BU I GI I THI U C NG C H TR VI C D Y V H C K N NG NGHE T n:…………………………………… L p: B n c tham gia bu i gi i thi u v c ng c h tr vi c h c nghe Ti ng Anh không? a không B n c l n m ng v o b i h c a không b c c kh ng? b c M t b i h c b n nghe bao nhi u l n? a d i 03 l n b 03 l n 105 c.tr n 03 l n APPENDIX IX THE WEB SYSTEM WEB SYSTEM Basic story 106 Learn new word Spell a word 107 Task1 Homework 108 Homework Task 109 APPENDIX X THE WAY TO UP LOAD A LESSON In order to upload one lesson, firstly creating a file Flash to upload server File flash has “.swf.” tail we use Wondershare QuizCreator program to create a file Flash swf Ex: making lesson one “basic story” and saving with the name “file u1_basic_story.swf” Stage 1: Click Blank page, we will see Picture 1: making Blank page in the program 110 Stage 2: Click OK picture 2: Stage 3: after that publishing file SWF -> Click Publish on menu, having the following picture 111 Stage 4: click WEB, having the following picture Stage 5: Click Publish to publishing file SWF, next, changing the name into u1_basic_story.swf 112 Stage 6: upload to server, go to http://staff.agu.edu.vn/pttdung Click “Qu n lý” Username: staff_pttdung Password: pttdung01012011 113 Stage 7: after put password and username, having the following picture Stage 8: click Upload file under left menu -> Click Browse… 114 Stage 9: Click file u1_basic_story.swf and press Open -> click Ok This finishes lesson “Basic Story” 115 ... Does the website facilitate the teaching of listening skill at School of Educational Practice? ii In what ways does the Website aid the teaching of listening skills at School of Educational Practice? ... following: i Does the web system facilitate the teaching of listening skill at School of Educational Practice? ii In what ways does the Web System aid the teaching of listening skills at School of. .. aid teaching listening skills at the High School (Battell, 2006) 1.2 Statement of purpose The main aim of the research study is to examine the use of the website in the teaching of listening skills