THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 1
RECEPTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE SKILLS AMONG FRESHMAN
STUDENTS IN THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM : BASIS
FOR LISTENING AND SPEAKING ACTIVITIES

A Dissertation Proposal
Presented to
The Faculty of Graduate School
Batangas State University
Batangas City, Philippines

Page
TABLE OF CONTENT i
LIST OF TABLE iii
CHAPTER
I. THE PROBLEM 4
Introduction 4
Statement of the Problem 10
Scope, Delimitation and Limitation of the Study 12
Significance of the Study 13
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 15
Conceptual Literature 15
Research Literature 34
Synthesis 40
Theoretical Framework 43
Conceptual Framework 46
Hypothesis 48
Definition of Terms 48
III. RESEARCH METHOD AND PROCEDURE 51
Research Environment 51
Research Design 53
Subjects of the Study 53
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

3
LIST OF TABLES

Table Title Page
1 Distribution of Sample Respondents 54
2 Gender Profile of the Student Respondents 59
3. Residence Profile of the Student Respondents 62
4. Parent's Education Profile of the Student Respondents 63
5. Years of Exposure to English Media of the Student RespondentsError! Bookmark not defined.
6. Type of English Media Exposure of the Student Respondents 65
7. Level of student's performance in the listening skill test. 66
8 Ranking of student's performance in the listening skill test
according to degree of difficulty 78
9. Ranking of student's performance in the speaking skill test
according to degree of difficulty 79
10. List of 8 listening and speaking skills validated to be employedError! Bookmark not defined.
in teaching the Basic English course by the respondents.Error! Bookmark not defined.
11. List of 8 listening and speaking skills and their frequency of use
by the respondents. Error! Bookmark not defined.
12. List of 8 listening and speaking skills and their degree of
importance. Error! Bookmark not defined.
13. Parameters used as basis for the design of remedial learning
and speaking activities. 80
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 5
In the 1980‟s, listening had a very important role in second language
learning. This notion resulted to a corresponding drop in the importance of
speaking in the early stages of learning and that even in a course it is
discouraged to speak early. Based on the insight on what it means to learn
a language support the contention of giving emphasis to listening and delay
speaking.
One way of learning the language is attributed to listening. There are
approaches to language teaching that gave importance to listening. Nord‟s
(1980) view was clearly expressed when he stated that some people now
believe that learning a language is building a map of meaning in the mind
and these people believe that talking may indicate that the language was
learned, but they do not believe that practice in talking is the best way to
build up this cognitive map in the mind and in doing this, they feel that the
best method is to practice listening. Through listening, the learner is given
information from which the knowledge necessary for using the language is
built up. The learner can start speaking when knowledge is built up.
There are many benefits if learners concentrate to listening and delay
speaking. One of these is cognitive benefit wherein there will be no
overloading relative to focus of the learner on two or more skills. Another is
the speed of coverage, wherein, since receptive knowledge grows faster

listening. Directed attention to perceptual processing and parsing skills
enriched these experiences. Finding an appropriate balance between
providing opportunities for listening skill development through meaning –
focused listening and through language learning focused listening which
focuses on bottom-up listening practice is needed by teachers.
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 7
In listening comprehension, there are problems of learners identified.
These include problems in recognizing word forms, and keeping up with
what is coming in. Learners do not have enough time to turn perceived form
into an appropriate message. Goh (2000) stated that listening problems can
occur at the levels of perception, parsing and utilization and that they can
benefit from training in listening strategies which include communication
strategies to assist comprehension, like making predictions before listening,
listening selectively, and knowing how to interrupt politely. Other problems
of learners identified in listening are not being able to discriminate or
distinguish English sounds or learners lack of phonological awareness; not
knowing the meaning of English words or lack of vocabulary; and their lack
of pacing or speed in understanding spoken language.

conversation partner through facial expressions and body language.
Recording a speech for radio broadcast is a form of a non-interactive
speaking situation.
A number of situational factors to help convey meaning and intention
rely on speaking. There are some characteristics that speaker must carry
out in order to become successful speaker. These include giving much time
or opportunity to the students to speak as often as possible. Allocating as
much time as possible to students talking can create the best environment
for engaging in oral activities.
The following features are considered for successful speaking
activities. These are making sure that students participation is not
dominated by a few talkative students; that students want to speak because
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 9
they are interested in the topic; that students have something relevant to
say; that students can be understood by anyone; and that there aren‟t
frequent interruptions while student is speaking.
There are also several factors to consider when planning for a variety
of speaking tasks to push learner‟s output. First is that learners should be

to be spoken and the use of the mother tongue. Manifestations of students
having inhibitions is stage fright whenever a student is made to speak in
front of an audience, nothing to say where students need not say anything
because they feel bored knowing that the topic is unrelated to anything they
know; low participation where students are prevented to speak due to the
dominance of students who are good English speakers and mother tongue
where students insist on using their mother tongue instead of English
language for fear of criticism. Speaking in class can be a lot of fun, raise
general learner motivation and making English language classroom a
dynamic place if the language activities are taught in a right way.
So that the researcher as a college instructor teaching Basic English
course, she is prompted to conduct a study on receptive and productive
skills of freshman students with the end view of proposing English speaking
and listening activities to enhance the students‟ receptive skills.
Statement of the Problem
This research is designed to assess receptive and productive skills
among the freshman students at Thai Nguyen University. Specifically, it
sought answers to the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents with reference to:
1.1 gender
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 12
5.2. speaking
6. What listening and speaking activities may be suggested for
classroom purposes?
Scope, Delimitation and Limitation of the Study
This study focused on the assessment of the speaking and listening
skills of the freshman students at Thai Nguyen University.
It covers the profile of the respondents including gender, high school
graduated from, residence, parents‟ education, family income and exposure
to English media. The respondents listening skills in terms of accuracy,
comprehension, vocabulary and spelling were assessed. Part of the study
also includes the level of student‟s speaking skills in terms of pronunciation,
fluency, comprehension and vocabulary with the end view of proposing
English listening and speaking activities to enhance the receptive skills of
the students.
The study covered the four (4) Thai Nguyen Universities in Thai
Nguyen City. Fifty eight (58) teachers and three hundred and eighty (380)
freshman students were used as respondents of the study during the
Academic Year 2013-2014. The study does not include those students in
the higher levels and those who come from other colleges of TNU system
not mentioned in the study.
This study is limited on the results of the data gathered from students
and teacher respondents involved.

English performance of their children which will make them more supportive
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 14
and cooperative in school activities especially on the improvement of the
performance in Basic English skills of their children.
Future Researchers. This study will serve as reference for their
undertaking, the similar study can be conducted along this line to other
universities.
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

part of the business world, especially in the information age and that the
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 16
ability to communicate effectively through speaking as well as in writing is
highly valued, and demanded in business. Further, in effective
communication, it is also important to know the content, the functional
areas that give life to those ideas either in meeting or presentation. The
following are the criteria for effective communication: clear, relevant, tactful,
in phraseology and tone, concise and informative.
Oral communication means to communicate by talking, since this
implies a two-way interaction that emphasizes the communication aspect
rather than the simple act of articulation. It is effective when it is clear,
relevant, appropriate to the intended audience in phraseology and tone,
concise and informative (www.use.my ability.org uk/skills/oral-commu-
nication.html). All forms of oral communication include speeches,
presentations, and discussions. When communication matter is temporary,
a kind where direct interaction is required, it is generally recommended to
have oral communication as it implies communication through the mouth
and includes individuals conversing with each other be it direct or

advantages for oral communication (www.management study.
guide.com.oral communication.htm). These are: as it is interpersonal, there
is high level of understanding and transparency; there is no element of
rigidity, thus, decision can be made quickly; and it is not only time saving
but it also saves money and efforts. In case of problem resolution, oral
communication is best as it can put end to conflicts, disputes, issues and
differences. In team work, oral communication is essential aside from
promoting receptive and encouraging morale among organizational
employees. Oral communication is also effective in transferring private and
confidential matters.
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 18
There are also chief principles or characteristics of effective
communication which are considered keys to productive communication.
These are clearness and integrity of message to be conveyed; adequate
briefing of the recipient; accurate plan of objectives; reliability and uniformity
of the message; knowing of the main purpose of the message; proper
response of the message; correct timing; and the use of proper medium to
convey the message properly (https: sites: google.com.site/ communication

any type of interaction utilizing spoken words, and is essential part of the
business world dubbed as information age described students are aided in
improving their own academic performance, increasing their employment
options, enhancing their subsequent professional competence and
improving their own personal effectiveness through effective oral
communication.
Oral communication skills include mix of verbal, interpersonal, and
physical strategies needed to interact confidently and effectively with a
range of audience (www.griffith.educ.au/-data/assets/pdf file/0018
/162720/oral.pdf/). When the desired effect is the result of intentional and
unintentional information sharing, which is interpreted between multiple
entities and acted on in a desired way effective communication occurs.
During communication process, the desired effect ensures that messages
are not distorted. The following should be generated through effective
communication: desired effect, maintained effect, and the potential to
increase the effect of the message.
Hymes (1972) on the other hand stated that the teaching of oral
communication skills as a contextualized sociocultural activity has become
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 21
cannot be directly observed (Morley, 1984). In addition, listening as a skill
was perceived to be the lowest in terms of its impact on the learner. In
second language instruction, this lack of attention is due to several factors.
These include focus on speaking a language where the primary explicit
concentration was on teaching learners to speak the second language as it
is believed that if one learned to speak the language, listening
comprehension would occur simultaneously; listening was used as a tool to
teach speaking but not as instructional goal in itself; and the passive
assumption that listening was a passive skill.
Yagang (1993) defined listening as the ability to identify and
understand what others are saying and further stated the it involves
understanding of the speaker‟s accent or pronunciation, his grammar and
his vocabulary, and grasping his meaning. Willis (2001) identified the
following micro-skills of listening or enabling skills: predicting what people
are doing to talk about; guessing at unknown words or phrases without
panicking; using one‟s knowledge of the subject to help one understand;
identifying relevant points, rejecting irrelevant information; retaining relevant
points; recognizing discourse markers; recognizing cohesion devices;
understanding different intonation patterns and uses of stress, as well as
understanding inferred information like speaker‟s attitude or intention.
Good listening according to Nicholas (1988) relates itself to the
following characteristics of spoken language: redundancy which is

(1983) the category of interest includes listening for enjoyment, pleasure,
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines 23
and intellectual stimulation. Burt et al (1981) on the other hand included a
focus on the roles of listening when they characterized one-way
communication as taking place when a learner would listen to or read in a
second language with the communication targeted toward the learner but
not issuing from the learner.
The importance of listening in the processes of comprehension,
retention of information in memory and acquisition of second language
competence is recognized by proponents of comprehension approaches.
Nida (1957) stated that learning to speak a language is very largely a task
of learning to hear it. Reception should precede production because
reception enables production and while it is possible to learn to understand
without speaking, it is not possible to learn to speak without understanding
(Nord, 1981). There are several effects if there is premature production.
Students are forced to go back on first language (L1) production and make
many transfer errors if they lack competence in the second language (L2).
The ability to comprehend the language completely might be interfered

who are listened to in terms of their experiences. Further, there are five
ways to improve listening, these are to forget outdated advice, to interpret
whatever is heard, to clarify what is heard from other person, to ask open-
ended questions, and to validate what is heard.
To listen attentively to one another has also some importance. These
include to make eye contact when introduced to other person; listen
actively; listen reflectively; do not judge; and create the right work
environment (www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/the-art-of-listening).
According to Sheryl Conelley, a futurist who works in Ford Motor Co.,
there are ways on how to listen well. First is to focus on the person