1CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION 1.1. Rationale
Listening has long been considered a difficult and boring subject by many second
language learners. It takes much time and energy to make progress in this skill. For
listening teachers, correspondingly, it is a difficult task to get students involved in listening
lessons. Nonetheless, just as other teachers do, listening teachers should create an
interesting and motivating learning environment on one hand; and on the other hand, they
must become aware of difficulties and problems facing their students, then, select the best
techniques to help them.
At my upper secondary school, teaching and learning listening is a really new
challenging job. In addition to the lack of well-equipped facilities, teaching listening
methods are quite new and unfamiliar to teachers. Since the new English textbook was in
use, they have been inexperienced in teaching listening methodology and approaches.
Another problem is students’ low levels of proficiency in term of vocabulary, grammar,
pronunciation, skills and so forth. It is the reason why students find it difficult and tough to
listen to and they are not confident enough to do listening tasks successfully. Moreover,
learning habits do not help much to improve their listening in classroom. The students
often get bored, tired and indifferent in listening lessons because of the quality of teacher’s
voice and pronunciation, uncreative tasks and activities, topics, and so on. In my opinion,
there is a must to work out current and potential problems, then, create better suitable
teaching methods and strategies that can facilitate the effectiveness of listening lessons.
In literature so far, there have been so few studies on the difficulties in teaching and
learning listening in a foreign language. Moreover, most of researchers have come to an

This minor thesis is conducted at Que Vo II upper-secondary school in order to
perceive difficulties in teaching and learning listening skills of both teachers and 10
th
form
students. The study focuses on describing the problems and factors causing such
challenges, for instance, facilities, students’ English listening proficiency, and teachers’
methodology. To go ahead, the thesis also offers some appropriate suggestions to better the
current context.
1.4. Methodology
The research is done by both quantitative and qualitative methods; it is carried out
on the basic of situation analysis, material collection, survey questionnaires, class
observations and follow-up interviews.
In the first place, situation analysis has a look at the background to the study
including the description of the current context at Que Vo II upper-secondary school and
listening skill in the new textbook “Ting Anh 10”. Secondly, for the theoretical basis, a lot
of reference materials on listening teaching methodology and problems have been 3gathered, analyzed and synthesized thoroughly with the due consideration for teacher’s
teaching and students’ learning situations.
Eventually, for the practical basis, questionnaires, class observations, follow-up
interviews were carried out with the teachers and students to gather the most reliable data
for analysis to find answers to the research questions mentioned above.
1.5. Design of the study
This study is divided into four main chapters in order to get better insights into
different aspects of the problems.
Chapter 1 presents reasons for choosing the topic, aims, scopes, methodology and


2.1. The current upper-secondary school context
2.1.1. The general context in Vietnam
English has become a part of upper-secondary school curriculum since 1980s when
Vietnam carried out its economic policy reformation emphasizing the open market
economy, integration, and globalization. However, a more than two-decade history of
English teaching and studying seems not to make much progress in using English to
communicate practically and efficiently. The effectiveness of English language learning is
very low with the outcome that the students are unable to use English for communicative
purposes.
For the last few years, English has been taught and studied more intensively and
extensively. The situation, reported by Ministry of Education and Training, Secondary
Division (2006: 95) is quite optimistic that the ratio of upper-secondary students learning
English counts for 98.5%. Actually, this figure only shows the increasing needs of English
in our society, not the levels of real teaching and learning qualities at schools. It is a matter
of fact to discuss herein some controversial problems of the upper-secondary school
context in Vietnam concerned with English learning and teaching conditions.

2.1.1.1. Teachers
To start with, the teachers’ qualification and proficiency are unequal. According to
the researches of Ministry of Education and Training (2006: 97, 98), the ratio of regular
teachers who officially graduated from Universities of Education, English Department is
very low. A small number of those graduated from Vietnam National University, College
of Foreign Languages, English Department. Many others received in-service training or
regular training at other local or provincial universities and colleges. This can be an excuse
for shortage of a skillful and professional staff in terms of language knowledge and
methodology.
Moreover, the researches of Ministry of Education and Training (2006: 98) also
point out that the percentage of teachers experiencing in teaching English for 15 years or


studying at normal and gifted schools, is at elementary level after graduation.
In general, Vietnamese upper-secondary students’ motivation is not highly
appreciated. There is a big gap between urban and rural students in terms of ambition to
acquire English language. Although many students are aware of the importance and
necessity of learning English, they hesitate to speak English in real-life communication or
even at school. This can be influenced by their introvert characteristics. 6Methodologically, traditional grammar-translation approach is dominant at schools
rather than communicative language teaching approach. In other words, it emphasizes
students’ language competence; meanwhile CLT approach is interested in developing
students’ communicative ability. Thus, it has bad impact on students’ passive and
dependent learning method and awareness. They are confused and strange to new
communicative activities such as pair work, group work, discussion, and so on.
Another disadvantage facing students at almost upper-secondary schools is the lack
of actual native learning environment. Students have no chance to interact with English
foreigners at schools, except for some urban schools. Understandably, they have neither
motivation nor experience in communicating or using English in actual situation
2.1.1.3. Facilities
Obviously, facilities are in urgent need to adapt with new language teaching
approaches. In other words, physical settings of the current upper-secondary schools come
up for discussion. First of all, an average class size of forty-five to fifty students is too big
to carry out communicative language teaching approaches. Consequently, teachers get in
troubles with class management and organization if they want to apply group work or pair
work activities, for example. Secondly, traditional desk arrangement does not encourage
communicative interaction between teacher and students as well as among students. It
constrains students’ motivation, comfort and creativeness and dynamic to master language

Hoàn, Lê c Nhun, and Hoàng Vn Sít, was introduced since 1980s. The seven-year
English student’s book, “B sách h 7 nm (from grade 6 to grade 12), was compiled by
T Anh, Phan Hà and May Vi Phng.
In the first place, though the two series of textbooks are designed based on different
approaches they share several similarities Firstly, those textbooks are dominated by
integrate approach between language knowledge, especially grammar and vocabulary, and
language skills, i.e. speaking, listening, writing, and reading. It is a matter of fact that there
no distinctive focus on certain language knowledge or language skills. Secondly, they
attempt to teach only target upper-secondary students. Finally, there is no English
pronunciation or phonetics or intonation section which is very important to practice the
real language.
In the second place, the two textbooks differ distinctively. In terms of target
students’ levels of proficiency, the three-year English student’s book, “B sách h 3 nm”,
is appropriate to those who start learning English at grade 10. Meanwhile, the seven-year
English one, “B sách h 7 nm”, is used by students experiencing in English from grade
6. Therefore, the contents and the levels of difficulties are completely differential. In
respect of methodology, the three-year English student’s book is dominated by Situational
approach which focuses on pieces of situational communication language, especially
speaking skills. In contrast, the seven-year English student’s book is influenced by 8Traditional Grammar-Translation approach. In other words, this series of textbook focuses
on teaching reading skills, vocabulary and grammar structures.
Although, the two series of textbooks have had remarkable contributions to English
teaching and learning at Vietnam upper-secondary schools over more than two decades,
they have become outdated as the modern language teaching requires more communicative
approaches.


General speaking, the class size of an average of 45 students is big and
inconvenient enough. The desks are arranged traditionally with rows of four desks. There
is a narrow isle in the middle and two narrower on the sides. There is no other empty space
left where teachers and students move to and fro if they conduct different interaction and
activities. In addition, noise in a big class is inevitable which badly affect student
concentration and sound quality. Moreover, the class is not equipped with any necessary
facilities such as tapes, cassette players, speakers, television, CDs and over head
projectors, except for a board, chalks, pictures or other visual aids designed by teachers
themselves.
The teachers all graduated form Vietnam National University, college of foreign
languages, English department. A majority of them are young and novice teachers. In
general, these teachers are well-qualified in terms of their proficiency in English and
knowledge; however, they lack teaching experience, particularly teaching English skills.
Some of them have had opportunities to attend some short in-service workshops run by
either local or expatriate trainers.
Since the new textbook was introduced, few of them have been lucky enough to
attend the national or provincial textbook introduction workshops or training programmes
to get the ideas about the textbook and new teaching methodology. Unfortunately, facility
condition at Que Vo II upper-secondary school can not employ a cascade training model
for those who did not have opportunities to attend the national or provincial workshops.
Such teachers have to do observation at some classes and improve themselves
theoretically.
2.2. Overview of the new “English 10” textbook
2.2.1. General description
The new “Ting Anh 10” is the fifth volume which succeeds a new series of
English textbook for grade 6 to grade 9. Unlike the old textbooks where language input
was presented in terms of linguistic structures which were then mechanically practiced
through a series of rule-focused exercises, the new “Ting Anh 10” is underpinned by a
theme-based approach to the introduction of language input. Lessons are arranged

listening, reading and writing. Of which, phonetics, vocabulary and grammatical structures
are the essential instruments. Also, the combination of textbook, reference books and
teaching facility (tapes and recorder, CDs, television, computer, projector and so forth)
play an important and oriented role in language teaching and learning
The objectives of the new “Ting Anh 10” are specified as follows:
General objectives:
• Using English as a communicative tool to speak, listen, write and read in target
contexts at basic level;
• Acquiring fundamental and systematic target English knowledge 11• Getting an overview of English speaking countries, people, and cultures,
conserving and developing our national traditions and cultural identity.
Specific objectives: 10
th
form students have to achieve certain goals of each language skills
underpinning in the textbook.
• Listening: comprehending main and specific information of the text or dialogue;
improving basic listening skills
• Speaking: asking-answering, presenting the topics given; using daily
communication species: asking and giving opinions, instructions, asking directions,
and so on.
• Reading: comprehending texts via practicing different reading skills: skimming,
scanning,…; enriching vocabulary and structures
• Writing: writing short compositions and forms
Form my perspective, the objectives of the new “Ting Anh 10” are concret,
relevant, practical and appropriate to the upper-secondary school context in Vietnam.

involve oral communicative, carrying out meaning tasks and the needs of the learners.
Objectives reflect the needs of the learners; they include functional skill as well as
linguistic objectives. The learners’ role is as a negotiator and integrator. The teachers’ role
is as a facilitator of the communicative process. Materials promote communicative
language use; they are task-based and authentic.
Frankly speaking, although communicative language teaching is by no means new
to Vietnamese language teachers, this approach to language teaching has been
controversial and teachers were not sufficiently trained to use the approach. Teaching
communicative English requires teachers to have corresponding language-using and
language-teaching skills.
In a student-centered approach to teaching, teacher and student roles are redefined.
The teacher becomes a facilitator of learning instead of a dispenser of knowledge, and the
students take more responsibility for their own learning. Teachers center their planning,
their teaching, and their assessment on the needs and abilities of our students. The main
idea behind the practice is that learning is most meaningful when topics are relevant to the
students’ lives, needs, and interests and when the students themselves are actively engaged
in creating, understanding, and connecting to knowledge (McCombs and Whistler, 1997).
Students will have a higher motivation to learn when they feel they have a real stake in
their own learning. Instead of the teacher being the sole, infallible source of information,
then, the teacher shares control of the classroom and students are allowed to explore,
experiment, and discover on their own. The students are not just memorizing information,
but they are allowed to work with and use the information alone or with peers. Their
diverse thoughts and perspectives are a necessary input to every class. The students are
given choices and are included in the decision-making processes of the classroom. The 13focus in these classrooms is on options, rather than uniformity. Essentially, "learners are

teachers and students. First, task-based method helps to create native-like communicative 14situations; then, students make use of their linguistic knowledge and skills in practice.
Second, it eases teachers of methodological burden; especially those are in rural or remote
areas and in deficient in necessary facilities and modern methodology in language
teaching. The new “Ting Anh 10” focus on students’ interaction and improve language
skills such as writing, listening, speaking and reading. Therefore, students are involved in
diversified and flexible activities: individuals, pair works, group works, and interaction
with teachers, or the class on the whole. Methodologists believe multiform learner-
centered activities, together with convenient learning conditions and students’ strong
motivation are the decisive factors affecting the success in language learning.
2.3. Listening skills in the textbook
Listening is the abilities to identify and understand what others are saying. This
involves understanding a speaker’s accent or pronunciation, his grammar and his
vocabulary, and grasping his meaning (Goh, 2002). An able listener is capable of doing
these four things simultaneously. Hence, listening is an important skill and probably the
most difficult one.
Traditionally, listening passages and methodology was not the matter of universal
interest in English curriculum at upper-secondary school. Listening did not make up any
part of a unit procedure and testing as well. The only means of listening was that the
teacher or students read the texts, questions and answered. Even through this language skill
was mentions teachers seemed to ignore and made no effort to improve it.
In contrast, the new “Ting Anh 10” fosters to develop language skills, including
listening comprehension. Indeed, listening lessons make up 20 % of 86 periods of the
English syllabus. Noticeably, each lesson is divided into stages: pre-listening, while-
listening and post-listening in order to obtain certain languages comprehension or skills.

It is a must that teachers provide useful techniques to facilitate students’ comprehension.
The following techniques include giving clear instructions, playing tapes on purposes,
classifying levels of difficulty of task form easier to more complicated, and so on.
Post-listening stage is like the follow-up stage. After students have practiced the
target skill in the while-listening stage, they do an extension. This helps them take the
information or whatever they have produced in the previous stage, and do other meaningful
activities
There are two common forms that post-listening tasks can take. They are reactions
to the content of the text, and analysis of the linguistic features. Therefore, the students can
use language naturally in target situations. Also, they acquire more deeply the language
knowledge (words, forms, and structures) and develop an understanding of the text much
easier
2.3.2. Listening skills, tasks and activities
In an analytic approach to teaching, the teacher systematically spends time on the
component skill that make up the overall ability. In teaching listening, the teacher will 16identify the component skills of discriminating sounds, recognizing words and so on, and
design specific tasks and activites that include the use of such skills.
In the new “Ting Anh 10”, different listening skills are utilized depending on what
to listen for. Listening for general understanding, listening for specific or detailed
information, predicting, guessing and interpreting are several typical examples. Listening
tasks are various and flexible based on linguistic difficulty level, topics and students’
interest. For example, with topic ‘Daily activities’, the writers first provide lively pictures
in an incorrect order so that student have an overview about what they tangibly listen to
and how to do. Next, though task two requires more detailed information: true or false,
they get little trouble in getting the answers thank to previous task. Differently, as

little trouble in comprehending the sounds, words and clauses in the given messages, it is
unlikely that they would able to demonstrate comprehension by listening to the text and
writing a précis or providing a verbal account. However if they are provided with a context
for making sense of the text then the task becomes relative simple. For example, if students
are told that the text is about Vn Cao’ life and works (“Ting Anh 10”, unit 12, 2006:
126), then the individual constituents are much more readily interpretable, and the task of
recalling the information in it is much easier.
In effect, the title “Listening to Vn Cao’s songs” enables students to bring
knowledge form outside the text to the task of interpreting and comprehending the text
itself. This illustrates an important point: that meaning does not reside exclusively within
the words on the tape recorder or on the page. It also exists in the head of students or
listeners. Successful listeners and readers are those who can utilize both “in side the head”
knowledge and “outside the head” knowledge to interpret what they hear.
In their book on listening, Anderson and Lynch (1988) contrast the bottom-up view
of ‘listener as tape recorder’ with the top-down view of ‘listener as model builder’. The
view of listener as recorder suggests that the listener takes in and stores aural message in
much the same way as a tape recorder. However, research shows that this is not the way
that listening words. It seems that when we comprehend messages, we store the meaning
but not the linguistic forms. The alternative to the listener as tape recorder view, that of
listener as active model builder, accords a much more active role to listeners as they
construct an interpretation of a message by utilizing both bottom-up and top-down
knowledge.
and 10A
10,
and 9 teachers in English teaching staff.
The first group involves non-English majors at different classes. They are also at
different levels of English proficiency. All of those have experienced in English for seven
years and in listening for 5 years at lower-secondary schools. The textbook in use is The
new “Ting Anh 10”, which is first introduced at my school. Also, these subjects are
completely taught by Vietnamese teachers of English.
The other group includes all 9 teachers of English aged from 24 to 37 years old. All
of them have more or fewer opportunities to learn new teaching techniques in English
Language Teacher Training Project methodology course. Again, it is the first time they
work with this new textbook.
3.1.3. Data collection instruments
This study employed both the quantitative and qualitative methods which help to
provide qualified background data for discovering non-English majors’ motivation to learn
English. In order to obtain in-depth and rich data, the study used a variety of research
instruments and sources of data: questionnaires, interviews and observation. 19To gain data for the study, two survey questionnaires were administered to the
subjects. One was designed for non-English majors and the other for the teachers. Some
open-ended questions were provided so that the respondents had opportunities to share
their opinions about items raised in the questionnaires. The first questionnaire, consisting
of 14 questions, was delivered to 86 selected students. It aimed to elicit the students’
opinion about difficulties in learning listening skills with the focus of their background
knowledge, experience, attitudes, interests, and expectations in learning English vs.
teachers’ teaching methods. All the questions were written in Vietnamese to enable the

at Que Vo II upper-secondary school, Bac Ninh
province where I have been teaching for more than two years. Firstly, I designed survey
questionnaires and collected all ideas from 100 selected students and 10 teachers in my 20teaching staff. In fact, only 86 students and 9 teachers supported their feedback when I
collected the data. Secondly, I interviewed about one third of the subjects (both teachers
and students) randomly to collect more data about listening difficulties, factors causing
such problems and how to help to motivate listening learning better in the classroom.
Finally, class observations were employed to reflex the current context at Que Vo II upper-
secondary school. The data were tape-recorded and transcripted.
3.2. Data analysis and findings

This part of the thesis presents and discusses the findings that arise from the
specific questions in order to answer the research questions. The findings resulted from the
analysis of the three sources of collected data: questionnaire, interview and classroom
observation.
The comments and perceptions made by teachers and students in response to the
questionnaires were consolidated and categorized by the researcher. The results were
subsequently tabulated and converted to percentages for the convenience of analysis.
Along with interviews, information gained via classroom observations helped to assist
interpretation.
3.2.1. Questionnaires
3.2.1.1. Teachers and students’ attitudes to listening teaching and learning
The very beginning part of the questionnaire focused on finding all information
about teachers and students’ viewpoints in listening skill and its importance compared to
other skills

1. Strongly agree 2. Agree 3. Disagree 4. Strongly disagree 5. Don’t know
Teacher’ opinions 1 2 3 4 5
They like listening to and do the tasks in textbook 78% 11% 11%
They like listening to songs, game or free activities
(without doing tasks)
33% 56% 11%
They are afraid of listening because they don’t know how
and what to do with listening task
22% 67% 11%
They hate listening because it is too difficult 22% 22% 56%
They are interested because they want to self-listen to
others: news, songs, and so on
67% 22% 11%
Table 2: students’ motivation in teachers’ viewpoints
According to the table, the teachers have good understanding about their students.
Throughout all the listed items, agreements account for from 67% to 89% regarding
students’ interest in doing tasks in the textbook and listening for entertainment. Teachers
also claim that students are afraid of listening because they don’t know how and what to do
with listening task (89%). However, a lower percentage of choices agree that their students
hate listening because it is too difficult (44%) compared to 56% have opposite idea.
Secondly, in students’ opinions, listening is very necessary in school curriculum.
Although their response for question 3 shows that listening is more difficult than other
aspects of English. This fact may blames for their limited background knowledge and
listening strategies.
According to chart 1, their reasons for learning listening is various and surprising.

2260%
47%
65%
78%
29%
100%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
To improve your English listening
ability
To get good listening marks in the
exams
Listen to English news, songs,
and films
Understand and communicate
with the foreigners
English is a compulsory subject
To get good job in the future23

24challenging to work with listening tasks and available materials. In contrast, only 44% can
get the main ideas after listening but have no idea about listening focuses and
requirements.
Apart from that, a number of students do not know how and what to do with
listening lessons in deed. The most impressive example is that qualification of tasks
attracts 44% who did not know whether it is boring or interesting.
Question 6: In your opinion, which factors have influenced in students’ motivation and
interest in listening lessons?
Table 5: Factors affecting students’ motivations and interests in listening lessons
Table 5 reveals a fact that there are many factor can affect students’ motivation and
interest. In their opinion, listening is very difficult, therefore making progress in this skill
demands many aspects of teaching and learning process. The most important factor is
classroom condition and facilities (100%).
The second is teachers’ methods which provide them instruction or guidance to
listen. It is the fact that students mostly rely on teachers’ performance in classroom.
The third reason is blamed for knowledge of English which directly affects their
confidence and activeness in listening lesson. Another high percent of students involved is
requirement of examinations. It is universal and true to any subjects. They find less
Agree Disagree Don’t
know
Classroom condition and facilities 100%
Teachers’ teaching methods: interesting, attractive, easy to
understand
95% 5%
Listening topic and level of difficulties of listening tasks 44% 24% 32%

     
Visual aids: pictures, board, chart, chalk
54% 46%
Textbook and supplementary books
100%
Handouts
32% 51% 17%
Computers, speakers
100%
television
100%
Tapes, recorders
56% 44%
CD/VCD
100%
projectors
100%