1 Vietnam national university, Hanoi
University of Languages and international studies
Faculty of Post-graduate Studies

NGUYỄN THỊ THU THỦY USING A RECORD SOFTWARE TO PROMOTE HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS

(Sử dụng phần mềm ghi âm để phát triển kỹ năng nghe và nói
tiếng Anh của học sinh trung học phổ thông)
MA. MINOR THESIS
Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60 14 10
Supervisor: Trần Thị Thu Hiền, M.A.

Hanoi, 2010 2
Vietnam national university, Hanoi

Acknowledgement
ii
Abstract
iii
List of abbreviation
iv
PART A: Introduction
1
1. Rationale
1
2. Aims of study
2
3. Scope of the study
2
4. Hypothesis
3
5. Methods of the study
3
6. Organizations of the study
4
PART B: DEVELOPMENT
5
Chapter 1. Literature Review
5
1.1 Theoretical background of application technology in language teaching
5
1.2 Adobe Audition software: A description
11
1.2.1 Origin and evolution of Adobe Audition software
11

25
2.6.2 Speaking test
25
2.6.3 Marking
27
2.6.4 Questionnaire
27
2.7 Data analysis procedure
27
2.8 Chapter summary
27
Chapter 3: Results and Discussion
28
3.1. Speaking test results
28
3.1.1. Pre - speaking test
29
3.1.2. Post - speaking test
30
3.2. Listening test results
31
3.2.1. Pre - listening test
31
3.2.2. Post - listening test
32
3.3. Students‟ interest in English speaking and listening lessons
33
3.3.1. Speaking
33
3.3.2. Listening

7

Tables and charts Table 1.1
Listening test procedures and tasks
25
Table 1.2
Speaking test procedures and tasks
26
Table 3.1
Students‟ English speaking
28
Table 3.2
Students‟ English listening
31
Table 3.3
Speaking survey results
33
Table 3.4
Listening survey results
34
Chart 3.1
12D1 and 12D2 Pre- speaking level
29
Chart 3.2
12D1 and 12D2 Post- speaking level
30
Chart 3.3

applying record software named Adobe Audition in enhancing the high students
English speaking and listening as well as in changing their interest in listening and
speaking lessons.
To fulfill this objective, a quasi - experiment research method in which pre-
post tests and brief questionnaire survey were used as research tools in this study.
The results obtained from the study are as follow: both English speaking and
listening increased when using record function in Adobe Audition software.
However, the promotion in students speaking was not as good as that in listening.
Both students‟ interest in English speaking and listening was raised after using Adobe
Audition.
Hopefully, the results of the study can be used as referential material for
teachers and students to enhance the effectiveness of using technology in teaching
and learning English speaking and listening skills, and it will be the topic for other
further studies in the future in reading and writing skills.

. 9
10
PART A: Introduction
1. Rationale
English becomes very important in the time of globalization and as a result,
communicative ability in English becomes necessary, and in many cases essential, to
people of various professions. This is true of Vietnam, too, where great efforts have been
made to promote the quality of teaching and learning English. At this time in Vietnam, the
students who can speak English fluently are not many, which may be due to the fact that
students are not tested orally. Another factor accounting for students‟ low oral proficiency
is that they do not have adequate opportunities to produce the language. In order to address
the problem of inadequate exposure to the input of the target language and the
opportunities for linguistic output, technology seems to be a workable solution.

enhancement of high school students‟ speaking and listening profiency as well as their
interest in the speaking and listening lessons. The study was conducted in a school in
Hanoi where the researcher herself was teaching.
2. Aims of the study
The study aims to reach the following targets:
 To examine the benefits of using Adobe Audition in teaching listening and
speaking English for high school students.
 To find out whether, and to what extent, Adobe Audition enhances the
students‟ interest in speaking and listening lessons.
3. Scope of the study
The study limits itself to the testing of the effectiveness of Adobe Audition on grade 12
students‟ two communicative skills, i.e., listening and speaking only.
The reasons for limiting the study to these two language skills are more practical than
pedagogical. Firstly, these skills are most important to students‟ English communicative
ability because students cannot communicate well in English unless they are sufficiently
good at speaking and listening. Moreover, Adobe Audition is designed for teaching
listening and speaking in the language classroom, not for other language skills such as
reading and writing.
12
The language input used for this study is mostly based on the textbook and some other
supplementary materials, which were selected from authentic sources such as English
newspapers or self - making video clips.
4. Hypothesis
In this study, the following hypothesis was tested:
 The use of Adobe Audition enhances students‟ interest in listening and
speaking English, thereby helping to improve their listening and speaking
proficiency.
5. Methods of the study
Since the purpose of the study is to test the impact of Adobe Audition on students‟
interest in listening and speaking English as well as their listening and speaking

background of Adobe Audition software, and the benefits
of using record software in listening and speaking.
CHAPTER 2:
METHODOLOGY
This chapter not only presents setting of the study,
participants, measurement instruments and making scales,
but also provides the data collection and data analysis
procedures.
CHAPTER 3:
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
Not only the findings of the research in listening,
speaking pre - post tests and surveys, but also the
discussions are presented in this chapter.

CONCLUSION
This final part gives the overall answers for hypotheses of
the study, limitation of the study, implications for
teaching and learning, and the author‟s recommendations. 14
PART B: DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1: Literature review
1.1. Application of technology in language teaching

pitch and intensity from the speech signal and presents the information on a video screen in
real time, providing instantaneous visual feedback on stress, rhythm, and intonation. A
dual display allows native speakers‟ target to be presented on the upper half of the screen
and learner's attempts and target to be replicated on the lower half. The effectiveness of
such equipment has been justified experimentally. It has been shown that visual feedback
combined with the auditory feedback available to normal-hearing individuals through the
demonstration of the place of the articulatory organ is more effective than auditory
feedback alone. In language teaching methodology, suprasegmentals (stress, rhythm, and
intonation) are given a very high priority in the pronunciation curriculum (Dickerson,
1989; Gilbert 1984, 1987; McNerney and Mendelson, 1987; Pennington and Richards,
1986; Wong, 1987). That is because suprasegmentals provide the backbone of utterances,
highlight the information speakers regard as important while at the same time revealing
their feelings (Bolinger 1986), and they are important in communicating discourse
meaning (Brazil, Coulthard, and Johns 1980).
Some authors have suggested that having children use computers as tools for
learning increases motivation in children who are less likely to be motivated by school
(Sharp et al., 1995; Burns, Griffin and Snow, 1999). Technologies represent potential
contexts where active participation of learners, in conjunction with caring teachers, can be
well orchestrated and promoted (Heath, 1990; Johnson, 1991; Meskill, Mossop and Bates,
2000a; Palumbo and Bermudez, 1994). In the field of learning and teaching EFL, Meskill
(2005) makes use of computer technology to draw and maintain learners‟ focus, stimulate
problem-solving, anchor discourse, and encourage learner-directed talk and action in her
research. Indeed, she reported that children who otherwise "removed" themselves from the
school community by keeping their heads down on their desks, crying, acting out, and
behaving in ways that revealed strong disconnections with school, became more active
when the screen is turned on. Meskill (2005) has stated that using computer in teaching
language for children brought many a benefits, especially with the children of low
motivation. The author reflects that:

16

CMC in language teaching and learning seems the main trend in the process of applying IT
in English FL education. Chen (2009) has suggested that the integration of CMC into EFL
17
learning can increase both input (exposure) and output (use) of the target language that is
needed for learners to promote both their linguistic and pragmatic competence. What is
more, Neri and Mich (2008), in their study on the impact of computer-assisted
pronunciation training, showed that young learners improve their word-level pronunciation
skills in English as a foreign language at a level comparable to that achieved through
traditional teacher-led training. In their research, the pronunciation improvement of a
group of 11-year-old learners receiving teacher-fronted instruction was compared to that of
a group receiving computer assisted pronunciation training by means of a system including
an automatic speech recognition component. Results showed that the pronunciation quality
of isolated words improved significantly for both groups of subjects and both groups of
words that were considered particularly difficult to be pronounced and that were likely to
have been unknown to them prior to the training. Training with a computer-assisted
pronunciation training system with a simple automatic speech recognition component can
lead to short - term improvements in pronunciation that are comparable to those achieved
by means of more traditional, teacher - led pronunciation training (Neri et al., 2008). This
study further evidences the significance of technology to the teaching of pronunciation.
As products of computer technologies, language teaching softwares, which are
currently available on CD-ROMs, respond well to the demand of learners at variable levels
of proficiency and with diversified learning purposes These software packages give
students opportunities to practice many learning activities at the same time, such as
practicing conversations, working with texts, doing grammar and vocabulary exercises,
listening to the texts and recording their own voices for progress monitoring. Many CD-
ROMs are now accompanied with the printed course books, providing a lot of extra input
English material and exercises. Recently, software for microcomputers has been developed
so that visual feedback as a tool for teaching FL is more accessible to language teachers.
This software is available and can be downloadable from the internet for free.
The trend of using technology in teaching and instructing student‟s increases more

regional English FL teaching. Under the view of technology used in teaching and learning
FL in Vietnam, there has been a significant research in this matter. In using video in FL
teaching listening and speaking, Tuan (2005) stated that when the teachers of language use
some means of technology such as video, the students‟ eyes are caught because video
excites interests in the meaning of the words and images or sounds. In his study, Tuan
19
(2005) designed a syllabus for teaching listening and speaking using video with better
results and attitude of participants in his research.
Communicative skills are the goal of any foreign language programs or courses.
They are the evidence of successful language learning. The poor quality of teaching
speaking skill at university level in Vietnam results in a number of graduates who have
difficulties in communicating in English (Bui, 2004). There are four main skills: speaking,
listening, reading and writing in learning and assessing English. However, at the end of
each semester, students are only scored on a written test of reading and writing. As a result,
many students and even teachers are learning and teaching just for examination. They
spend almost their time improving reading and writing skills while „ignoring‟ listening and
speaking skills (Hong, 2006). To solve this problem, a suggestion of using CMC (computer
mediated communication) like some authors in the world mentioned above in teaching
pronunciation and conversation was put forward to improve students‟ oral skills in Hong
(2006). The author further stated that using CMC in teaching could improve learners‟
speaking and listening skills, and make them more confident to communicate in English.
Moreover, with CMC, students can not only promote their English communication, but
also open their minds to the world.
Regarding the use of technology in solving the poor FL communication skill,
another study was conducted to find out the roles of computer mediated collaborative
learning (CMCL) in a communication-oriented EFL classroom. The discussion moved
from an overview of the principal domains of socio-cultural theory applicable to
collaborative second/foreign language learning to the review of the current CLT approach
(Long, 2010), the main focus of the research was the context of Vietnamese language
education. CMCL was then analyzed in terms of how it was able to support and enhance

present study.
1.2. Adobe Audition software: A description
1.2.1. Origin and evolution of Adobe Audition software
Adobe Audition, which was known as Cool Edit Pro, is very useful software that
allows you to record voice, mix music, clean the sound for movie, edit audio or video and
more.
At the first time of the Adobe Audition, the Syntrillium Software was founded in the
early 1990s by Robert Ellison and David Johnston, former Microsoft employees.
21
Originally developed by Syntrillium and named as Cool Edit, the program that had some
functions as the Adobe Audition does now but it was not convenient enough. The full
version was useful and flexible, particularly for its time. Syntrillium later released Cool
Edit Pro and added the capability to work with multiple tracks, as well as other features.
Audio processing, however, was done in a destructive manner because at that time, most
computers were not powerful enough in terms of processor‟s performance and memory
capacity to perform those functions in real time. From time to time, other versions of Cool
Edit were issued and renewed, such as: Cool Edit version 1, version 2 and to the version
2.1, it was added supporting for surround sound mixing and unlimited simultaneous tracks
which was up to the limit imposed by the actual computer hardware. Cool Edit also
included upgrading such as noise reduction and some others effective functions.
Adobe purchased the latest, non-shareware version, Cool Edit Pro v2.1, from
Syntrilium Software in May 2003 for $16.5 million in cash. Adobe then changed the name
of Cool Edit Pro to "Adobe Audition", which is maintained to the time being.
1.2.2. Available versions of Adobe Audition software
Up to now, the Adobe Audition has been non stop upgraded with new useful
functions. There have been 3 main versions of the software for the sound and movie.
Version1 (v1)

The Adobe Audition v1 was released on August 18
th23

Version 3(v3)
Now in version 3, there is much to say that Audition has come to age as an Adobe
application and a host of new features brought it right into contention as every bit a viable
contender with other useful systems. Adobe Audition v3 was released on November 8
th,

2007. Besides such basic functions as professional audio, mixing, editing and mastering,
new features include virtual instrument support, enhanced spectral editing, a redesigned
multi-track interface, new effects and a collection of royalty-free loops. Adobe Audition v3
is designed for audio specialists in music, radio, video, and the web. It provides a flexible
production toolkit for a broad range of audio engineering tasks.

Audition v3 is primarily divided into three views: waveform editing, multitrack and
CD. Firstly, waveform edit view uses a destructive method when editing files, for example,
if reverb effects are applied and saved, the file is permanently changed. Waveform edit
view is handy when recording a simple voice-over clip. Secondly, multitrack view on the
other hand, displays multiple tracks and file changes are non-destructive, allowing for
increased flexibility. Multitrack view is used to include music beds and sound effects, for
example, with a voice track. Sends and buses route effects and other processes in real-time
using Virtual Studio Technology and familiar multitracking techniques like punching are
also available. Audition v3's dockable panels, such as the time display, transport buttons
and zoom controls make all user-defined displays available on screen. Both edit view and
24
multitrack view have their own dockable panels, depending on which features the user

of FL competence. These learners define fluency as the ability to converse with others,
much more than the ability to read, write or comprehend oral language. They regard
speaking as the most important skill they can acquire and assess their progress in terms of
their accomplishments in spoken communication. However, if English learners want to be
good at communication, they have to be good at listening (reception skill), because of their
receiving information to respond the suitable language materials. As the importance of
speaking and listening integration in teaching and learning FL, there have been lots of
research carried out to find out more proper ways or steps to improve these oral skills.
Some of popularity teaching steps are mentioned here to find out the benefits of using
record software in FL teaching and learning.
In listening skill, Justine (2007) suggested some special techniques for effective
teaching:
 Motivating students to focus students on the learning
 Maintaining the same topic and objective or consecutive activities
 Applying appropriate teaching methods and techniques
 Selecting material for listening comprehension activities
 Using authentic materials
In speaking skill, Hung (2008) confirmed that the teacher should have good
preparation and presentation at:
 Topic
 Lexical unit
 Structure
 Function
 Teaching techniques
Speaking and listening skills are now teaching in the time of CLT approach, the
role of teacher is to facilitate and monitor learners without interruption, then to provide
26
feedback in the post language activity (Canh, 2004). To investigate the teaching points of
both skills, the record software function can be an effective means of teaching speaking
and listening in terms of students‟ motivation, good teaching techniques and updating

pronunciation, reported better results in listening and speaking teaching. According to him,
Streaming Speech was one of the best software packages that he has ever seen, commercial
or otherwise, for the purpose of teaching higher level listening and pronunciation. The
autonomy learners get more things and learn better than people who sit passively waiting
to be taught. Another FL teaching technique is recording the listening and speaking daily
to measure the students‟ FL progress. Walker (2005) stated in his research that
communication tasks provided learners with individualized peer feedback about the
effectiveness of each adjustment, and they avoided the anxiety or embarrassment many
learners feel when corrected by teachers in front of their peers. The recorded audio-files
can be either monologues or dialogues. The student‟s completed record audio-file is given
to the teacher, who marks it with appropriate, objective grading scheme. Each recording
should fulfill only a few features, and the pronunciation focus of the assignment must be
made clear. Doing so improves the effectiveness of the learner‟s effort and prevents
students with lower skill levels from feeling overwhelmed by the recording tasks. Being
asked to record their voices as a means of improving their pronunciation is completely new
to students. As a result, they need a clear framework in which to perform. Walker‟s (2005)
gave the students a chance to send their feedback to him after applying recording their
teacher‟s language tasks:
“I like recording cassettes to see if my pronunciation is correct and where I am wrong.
Very useful. I think I can learn a lot mainly in the pronunciation.
The recording is a very practical activity where you can measure your progress.”
(Walker, 2005)
Walker‟s (2005) study showed that the oral skill of students was improved
remarkably, the average mark for students‟ work during this period was higher than 7/10,
and the vast majority of students declared themselves to be “happy” or “very happy” with
their marks. To the record teaching technique, Justine (2007) mentioned an effective way
in his research that teacher could record the audiofile with pictures and play the recording
as many times as it was needed depending on the level of difficulty and the ability of the
students to enhance the student oral skill. Therefore, whatever using sort of record software