VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************
VÕ THIÊN AN
AN INVESTIGATION INTO PHONOLOGY PROBLEMS
ENCOUNTERED BY BEGINNER STUDENTS IN TOEIC
LISTENING SECTION
Nghiên cứu những vấn đề về âm vị học mà học sinh trình độ sơ cấp gặp phải
trong phần nghe TOEIC

M.A MINOR THESIS
FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60140111

Hanoi, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************
VÕ THIÊN AN
AN INVESTIGATION INTO PHONOLOGY PROBLEMS
ENCOUNTERED BY BEGINNER STUDENTS IN TOEIC
LISTENING SECTION
Nghiên cứu những vấn đề về âm vị học mà học sinh trình độ sơ cấp gặp phải
trong phần nghe TOEIC

employees and all my students from class TOEIC 300.21 and TOEIC 300.22 of Go
Ahead center for their whole-hearted assistance in this study.
I also owe my sincere gratitude to Mr. Vũ Minh Ngọc, M.A, my uncle Mr.
Nguyễn Diệu and my cousin Ms. Nguyễn Diệu Minh who spent time to share their
useful ideas for my thesis.
Last my thanks would go to my beloved family, my friends and my boyfriend
for their loving consideration as well as their share in listening to me and helping me to
work out my problems during the difficult course of the minor thesis.
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ABSTRACT
The score of TOEIC test in listening and reading reflects the proficiency of
using English to communicate with native and non- native speakers of learners. In the
recent years, Vietnamese students have considered TOEIC as a key to find a good job,
get promotion or study abroad however they still find it difficult to be good at listening
section in TOEIC because of some linguistic obstacles. This study is conducted to
investigate some phonology problems that hinder students‟ success in TOEIC listening
section. The data was collected through the survey questionnaires of 30 students and
the interview of 2 teachers at a center in order to find out students‟ phonology
problems in TOEIC listening section as well as the solutions for these problems.

Key words: TOEIC listening section, phonology problems, beginner students,
solutions.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
ABSTRACT iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

1.4.5.3. Linking of words (liaison) 18
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 20
2.1. Setting of the study and participants 20
2.1.1. Setting of the study 20
2.1.2. Participants 20
2.2. Data Collection 20
2.2.1. Data Collection Instruments 20
2.2.2. Data collection procedures 21
2.2.3. Data analysis procedure 21
CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 23
3.1. Findings from the questionnaire: 23
3.1.1. Students‟ evaluation of their listening ability: 23
3.1.2. Students‟ evaluation of the importance of English listening skill 23
3.1.3. Students‟ evaluation of the difficulties of TOEIC listening section: 24
3.1.4. Students‟ frequency of having phonetic & phonology problems in TOEIC
listening section 25
3.1.4.1. Students‟ problem with same and similar sounds 26
3.1.4.2. Students‟ problem with variety of accents 26
3.1.4.3. Students‟ problem with stress 27
3.1.4.4. Students‟ problem with intonation of the speakers 27
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3.1.4.5. Students‟ problem with weak forms 28
3.1.4.6. Students‟ problem with reduced forms 28
3.1.4.7. Students‟ problem with linking of words 28
3.2. Findings from the interview: 29
3.2.1. Students‟ opinion about their reasons of problems 29
3.2.2 Teachers‟ interview 29
3.2.2.1. Teachers‟ opinion toward their students‟ problem with same and similar
sounds 30
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Listening: An ability to identify and understand others‟ speech
TOEIC test: An assessment of proficiency in English language which is used by both
native and non-native speakers in the global workplace.
Phonology: The study of sound systems
Accent: A distinctive way of pronouncing a language, especially one associated with a
particular country, area, or social class
Stress: Emphasis given to a particular syllable or word in speech, typically through a
combination of relatively greater loudness, higher pitch, and longer duration
Intonation: The rise and fall of the voice in speaking
Connected speech: Sandhi-variation or reduced forms
Weak forms: Unstressed syllables
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Reduced forms: The changes of pronunciation in adjacent words of sounds in spoken
language
Linking of words: The connection between the final sound of one word and the initial
sound of the next one
Phonology awareness: The ability to attend to the phonological or sound structure of
language as distinct from its meaning.
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
TOEIC: Test of English for International Communication
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
ESL: English as a Second Language
NAE: North American English

duty includes teaching the TOEIC for students. After more than three years of teaching,
I have found that students here have to encounter with some difficulties in listening
such as the lack of vocabulary, the speakers‟ pronunciation, the linking of words, the
intonation and the speed of native speakers. The cause of these problems comes from
their habits of studying English at high school. Firstly, at high school, the English
studying curriculum focuses more on reading and grammar, and students rarely
2
approach to listening and speaking skills. Secondly, at young age, English in their
awareness is not as important as other subjects so they concern more on mathematic,
physics and chemistry. Lastly, the English they studied at high school primarily
concentrates on British English of which the pronunciation, accent, liaison, intonation,
vocabulary and grammar are sometimes different from what they learn and prepare for
TOEIC tests.
For these reasons, I would like to conduct my research “AN INVESTIGATION
INTO PHONOLOGY PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY BEGINNER STUDENTS
IN TOEIC LISTENING SECTION”. My thesis will seek the phonetic and
phonological difficulties that students meet in TOEIC listening process in order to find
out some techniques to improve their listening ability.
2. Aims and Objectives of the study:
My study is conducted with these main purposes:
- To explore the students‟ perceptions of the TOEIC listening test
- To investigate what phonology problems beginner students meet in the TOEIC
listening process.
- To suggest some suitable activities to help students overcome them.
3. Research questions:
The research is conducted to answer 2 following questions:
1. What are the students‟ attitudes and perceptions to TOEIC listening section?
2. What phonology problems do beginner students meet in the TOEIC listening
process?
3

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. English listening and its importance
1.1.1. Theoretical background of listening and listening comprehension
When discussing „Listening as comprehension‟ in his book, Richards (2008:3)
indicates that listening comprehension is the traditional thought of the listening nature.
He points out “in most methodology manuals listening and listening comprehension
are synonymous”. He explains this point of view based on “ the main function of
listening in second language learning is to facilitate understanding of spoken
discourse.”
There are many definitions of listening with variable viewpoints have been
suggested by scholars for years. Vygotsky (1962) as cited in Kuo (2009) states his own
ideas about listening that listening is considered as the first intake that “involves
thoughts delivered to human‟s mind through speech” in order to gain the language
output and listening comprehension. Lynch & Mendelsohn (2002) ensure that in the
past listening was considered as a passive process that our ears just received
information and the listener passively registered the massage. However, they also give
a new point of view of listening at present, they think that now listening is as an active
process and good listeners are active when listening like native speakers.
Bentley & Bacon (1996) also defined listening as an active process during
which the listener constructs meaning from oral input. Purdy (1997:8) has the same
idea as Bentley & Bacon by giving a definition of listening, "the active and dynamic
process of attending, perceiving, interpreting, remembering, and responding to the
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expressed (verbal and nonverbal), needs, concerns, and information offered by other
human beings". Having the same idea, Thomlison (1984) indicates that listening is an
ability to identify and understand others‟ speech. This process includes understanding
speakers‟ accent or pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and meaning comprehension.
An able listener has ability to do all four things simultaneously. Whereas, Underwood

language skill. It has a vital role in the language acquisition process". Vandergrift
(2007) emphasizes the importance of listening as the heart of language learning and the
important skill to develop second language acquisition Rost (2002) also indicates that
the ability of learners to use listening as a means of acquisition is a key difference
between more successful and less successful acquirers. Besides, Rost states that
progress in listening will provide a foundation for development of other language
skills. Harmer (2007) also shares the same opinion with Rost. According to Hammer,
listening is not alone in its process; it also contains and supports the other skills.
Moreover, he confirms that listening skill can help student to improve pronunciation,
intonation and the sounds of not only individual words but also those which go
together in connected speech.
1.2 TOEIC listening section:
TOEIC test is an assessment of proficiency in English language which is used
by both native and non-native speakers in the global workplace. TOEIC test is
considered as “a worldwide standard in assessment of international English use.”
(Schedl, 2010: 1)
In the English listening section of TOEIC test students will have the chance to
show how well they understand spoken English. This section of the TOEIC test
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includes 4 parts: Picture description, questions and responses, short conversation and
short talk. (Byrne & Taylor, 2007:1-7)
1.3. Phonetics & Phonology in English listening
1.3.1. Definition of phonetics & phonology
Phonetics and phonology are the abstract issues of linguistics. Many scholars
give different definition of phonology for ages, but in general, they have the same
opinion that “phonology is the study of sound systems” or “the study of how speech
sounds structure and function in languages”, (Hyman, 1975:2). Hyman also
distinguish clearly between phonetics and phonology. According to him, phonetics is
about how the sounds are made and their acoustic properties. Phonology is about how
these sounds convey the meaning. Forel & Puskás also agree with Hyman by citing the

are often used interchangeably and phonology is a study of sounds which mostly
analyses the function of sounds in communication. They also suggest students focus on
individual sounds‟ pronunciation in order to distinguish individual words in listening
comprehension. Besides, understanding rhythm or intonation is really helpful for
students to perceive longer utterances and decide on the most essential information.
Brown, Currie & Kenworthy (1980) admit that the tone of the speakers can transmit
meaning that why they have researched a variety of aspects of intonation; the vocal
elements are the neutral patterns of basic stress, rhythm and intonation. The nuances of
meaning can be transmitted by changes in tone quality, rate, rhythm, stress and many
other features. Stahr (2009) also agrees that teachers should pay attention to the
rhythmic cues such as stress and intonation because they are very important even in
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fast speech where the phoneme may be missing. Therefore, he suggests students to
focus on the phonological features of the vocabulary in order to indentify the word or
the phrase in spoken form. Celce-Murica (1996) insists there should be a close link
between pronunciation and listening comprehension because communication
competence requires the knowledge of sounds, intonation, stress pattern and how
speech is organized. She also lists four crucial elements to decode speech of native
speakers that are „Discerning intonation units‟, „Recognizing stressed elements‟,
„Interpreting unstressed elements‟, „Determining the full forms underlying reduced
speech‟.
1.3.3. Listening Comprehension Obstacles regarding to Phonetics & Phonology
Chiang & Dunkel (1992) claim that phonological features and background
knowledge is the factor that affects listening comprehension process of students.
According to White (1998) as cited in Gonzalez &Vargas (2009), listening
requires some sub skills such as recognizing individual sound, discriminating between
sounds, identifying reduced forms in fast speech, identifying stressed syllables,
identifying stressed words in utterances, recognizing intonation patterns in listening
comprehension. Shelton (2008) states that in listening comprehension process, people
may encounter different accents or pronunciation, unfamiliar lexical items and


/ as in „thank‟, or /ð/ in „this‟. Besides, Goh (2000)
recognizes students have problems on distinguishing of familiar words. Although
students were familiar with some words, they could not remember the meaning of the
words immediately.
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The answer choices in TOEIC listening section often contain words or phrases
of which sounds are often the same or similar in the listening text. This phenomenon
makes students often feel a little confused during the listening process. For example,
“walking” and “working” are two words that Vietnamese students often confused with
because these two words sound quite similar with them. Besides, listening to
homophones like “two”, “to” or “too” is really a big challenge for beginners.
1.4.2. Accent
Derwing & Munro (2005:383) consider accent as a “normal consequence of
second language learning” in which listeners can know how different the accent of the
speaker from of the first language community is.
Schedl (2010) points out the Classic TOEIC listening included only standard
American accents. However, TOEIC test is a test of international English and the
design team proposed varying the accents used in the listening. Therefore, the TOEIC
listening test reflects the varieties of Standard English. Therefore, Trew (2007) advises
students to get familiar with the different native accents because the TOEIC listening
section often includes American, Canadian, British and Australian Speakers.
The problem that Vietnamese students often deal is dialect such as the American
accent or others because they rarely study all of them at high school. The English
which Vietnamese students often study at high school mainly concentrate on British
English in both vocabulary and pronunciation.
Gomez (2012) points out some main differences between British English and
American English in pronunciation in his study include: rhetoric accent, differences in
vowel pronunciation, for example, the changes of diphthong /əʊ/, vowels /ɔ/, /æ/, and
/ju:/ and differences in pronouncing consonant with the typical example is the flapping