Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

TITLE:

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The problem of teaching listening
A new series of English textbooks for students have been used in schools in
VietNam for some years and there has been a lot of feedback from teachers who
have used them. One of the problems they face is that they are not satisfied with
their teaching of listening. Although they have been trying to find ways to make
their listening activities more effective, the results they obtain are not as good as
what they want.
Some conclusions have been made to explain the situation. Many teachers stated
that the new textbooks which contain a large amount of knowledge, hinder the
students’ learning. Others stated that they have many weak students who lack
vocabulary, grammatical knowledge and have poor pronunciation, reduce
classroom learning potential learning environment. Sometimes the problem

- Visual/Spatial Intelligence: ability to perceive the visual.
- Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence: ability to use words and language.
- Logical/Mathematical Intelligence: ability to use reason, logic and numbers.
- Bodily/Kinaesthetic Intelligence: ability to control body movements and handle
objects skilfully.
- Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence: ability to produce and appreciate music.
- Interpersonal Intelligence: ability to relate and understand others.
- Intrapersonal Intelligence: ability to self-reflect and be aware of one’s inner state
of being.
It is believed that each person has at least 3 or 4 types of intelligence. So we
cannot think that weak learners are unintelligent people.
5. Weak students
Weak students are the students who usually lack basic knowledge or skills, have
difficulty in comprehension. Some teachers say that in the classroom the weak
students often lack concentration. They are easily confused so in the classroom the
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Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

teacher should give clear, step by step, instructions. The teacher should anticipate
that weak students may need extra help, extra explanations.
B. What we do to help weak students in Listening.
1. At the pre-listening stage: have more time at the pre-listening stage by
shortening the post-listening stage.
At this stage, we carefully prepare the lesson reading the tapescripts and using The
Teaching Listening Checklist. The following activities can be used based on the
content of each lesson:

players, and grasp nothing. Sometimes they feel happy in listening activities,
because they just pretend to do some activities the teacher asks them to do, pretend
to listen to the tape carefully, finish one or two tasks in the textbook and wait for
the answers to the tasks the teacher tell them or someone of their classmates who is
lucky to get the teacher’s book.
- So as to teach weak students effectively, I have designed some units of the 11 th
from textbook such as : Unit 1, unit 2, unit 6, unit 9 and unit 10
A. Unit 1: FRIENDSHIP
I. Warm-up
Alternative: Bingo (for class of lower level)
- Ask Ss to list the characteristics that they expect in their best friends.
- Let Ss down all their vocabulary on the board.
- Let Ss take out a piece of paper and copy down 5 characteristics that they
like best.
- Read out 5 characteristics that T like best.
- Any Ss who have 3 or more choices the same as the T will shout “Bingo”
and they are the winners.
- Expected answers: caring, supportive, helpful, honest, good-nature, quickwitted, humourous, friendly.
II. Pre- listening
Pre-teaching vocabulary:
Help the students to find out the Vietnamese equivalence of other English words
given in the task:
1. apartment building (n) (picture): chung cư
2. guitarist (n) (picture): người chơi đàn ghi ta
3. sense of humor (n, phr) (explaination): tính/óc hài hước
Explaination: A person who can make you laugh easily is a person who has
…..
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a. she rode to Ha’s house to meet her
b. she and her family came to Ha’s house first
c. Ha rode to Do Son right after Lan gave her a ring
4. Long is good at:
a. painting
b. singing
c. playing guitar
5. a. Minh is not only a good listener but also a helpful frienf
b. Minh doesn’t really like to listen to Long’s problem but he always helps
Long
c. Ming is a good listener, but he doesn’t always help Long
- Go over the answer with the class
- Keys: 1. c

2. b

3. c

4. b

5. a
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Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

Task 2: Taking notes
- Ask Ss to listen again and note the ideas in the table in task 2 p. 18.

and she introduced
Lan around.

-Minh has a sense of
humour.
-Minh likes to go to
plays and movies.
-Ming is a good
listener.
-Minh is friendly
and helpful.
- For the second or third, or fourth listening the teacher should help the students to
finish the listening task in the textbook.
IV. After listening
Speaking: Interviewing
- Have Ss interview their partners about their best friends.
- Suggested questions:
1. How long have you know your best friends for a good friends ?
2. How did you meet this friend ?
3. What do you remember about the first time you meet ?
- Move around to control and give help if necessary.
- Call some Ss to report what they have known from their parners’ friends.
- Ask for Ss’ comments.
- Give comments on what Ss have reported.
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Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

- Before listening and completing the task, Ss should be given more explanation
Be + PP

Passive

Can be + PP

Note: After the above activities, students can obtain more words needed for
listening to do the task.
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Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

II.
While listening
I have made a little alter to have students prepare the lesson plans carefully
in class, exploit the transcript and develop further their language skills
Task 1: Gap-fill (task 2 p. 28)
- Tell Ss to read through the passage and guess the world in each gap.
- Ask Ss to listen to the resordings and fill in the gaps.
- Go around to control and give help if needed.
- Give feedback.
Expected answer:
1. small
2. everything
3. family
4. replaced


Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

- Give feedback.
Suggested ideas: (deliver handouts)
Family is more important than things because it can’t be replaced. It gives
you mutual love, support and sincere understsanding. It brings the individual
place and happiness.
Nothing is more precious than the sweet moment when every member of the
family finds themselves among their dear ones, taking a good meal and getting
through a peaceful night.
C. UNIT 6: AN EXCURSION
I. Warm – up:
Game: Picture guessing (pictures of a marathon race)
- Divide the class into 2 groups.
- Let Ss guess the picture sticked on the board by listening to the information
the T says or looking at the pictures the T shows.
In order to guess the picture, Ss have to connect the information they have
received.
- The group that can give the correct answer first will win the game.
- Check Ss understanding of instructions.
- Have Ss start the game
Hints: 1. Show the picture of an Olympic game.
2. Show the picture of Boston
3. Write on the board: 42 km.
4. Say: Do Thi Bong
- Declare the winner.
II. Pre- listening:
- Elecit the meanings from Ss, let Ss listen and repeat the difficult words.
- Notice the stress.


B

a. 1987

1. The year when thousands of runners from many different
countries ran in the Boston Marathon.
2. The year when women were accepted to take part in the
Boston races.
3. The year the Boston Marathon began.
4. The year when 8 women started the race and they all
finished.
5. The number of towns that runners have to go through during
the Boston Marathon race.
6. The number of runners who took part in the 1st Boston
Marathon.
7. The length of the Boston race.
8. The number of countries who took part in the Marathon race
in 1984

b. 1961
c. 1975
d. 1984
e. 15
f. 34
g. 42
h. 13

Keys:



Thousands of
runners

1967

34 countries

1984

The Boston Race

42 kilomatres

runners

13 towns

end

The centre of Boston

D. UNIT 9: THE POST OFFICE
I. Warm-up
- T has the students guess:
Guessing game: What is it ?
- T gives cues and Ss guess what the thing is by raising Yes/No questions.
Cues:
1. It was invented in the 1870.
2. It was invented by Alexander Graham.

network)
3. capacity (n) (translation): công xuất, năng xuất.
4. subscriber (n) (definition): thuê bao
Definition: What do you call a person who pays a fixed sum of money every
month for telephone service ?
Checking: R.O.R:
Prediction: (handouts)
- Ask Ss to read through the statements in the Multiple Choice section and
predict the answers.
- Ask to compare their prediction with their partners.
- Write Ss’ prediction on yhe board:

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Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

Statements

Predict

Check

1. According to the passage, Vietnam ranks for grown in
telephone numbers.
2. Vietnam is among the countries in the world that have
more than 2 million telephones
3. In 1996, Vietnam began upgrading its … networks

Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

VI. After- listening
Game: Lucky boxes

1
5

2
6

3

4
7

- Prepare 7 small boxes, in which there are small pieces of papers with
questions on them (these questions are about the content if the listeing task
above). Not all boxes have questions. There are some lucky boxes. (Mark
these boxes with red pieces of papers inside)
- Get Ss to play this game in 2 teams.
- Let Ss choose a box.
- Open it and give 5 marks for a correct answer.
If Ss choose a lucky box, they get 10 marks and have the right to choose
another box.
The game goes on until all boxes are opened.
The team with more marks will win the game.
Box 1: Lucky box !

P4: Bach Ma national park
Lead-in:
-To know what danger these national parks can face with, to day we are listening
to a text about national parks in the United State
II.
Pre - listening
Pre-teaching vocabulary:
1.
scenic feature (n) (translation)
Eliciting question: How do you say đặc trưng về thiên nhiên xinh đẹp in
English ?
2.
devastating (adj): tàn phá (definition)
Eliciting question: An adjective that means causing a lot of damage.
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Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

3.

approximately (adv): xấp xỉ (synonym)
Eliciting question: another word of nearly or about.
4.
vehicles (n): xe cộ (example)
Eliciting question: something like cars, bicycles, lorries, buses, …
5.
maintenance (n): sự duy trì.

F
T
T


Some ways to improve the weak students’ listening skill - Grade 11 h

Teacher :Ly Thi Thanh Tam

Task 2: Multiple choice:
- Prepare the multiple choice beforehand for Ss to choose. (see the Appendix)
- Deliver the handouts.
- Ask Ss to read the questions and guess the answers before listening.
- Play the recording. Have Ss listen and choose the correct answers.
- Compare their answer together.
APPENDIX: Unit 10 – Listening – Task 2
1. How many national parks are there in the United States ?
a. 50
b. 52
c. 53
d. 55
2. How many people visit national parks every year ?
a. five thousand
b. three thousand
c. millions of visitors
d. billions of visitors
3. Can you name some of the problems which national parks are currently
facing ?
a. Rare animals are killed or hunted for fur, skin or other parts.
b. Trees are cut down for wood.

Feedback: One representative of each group comes to the front of the class and
presents their ideas.
- Ask otther Ss to share ideas.
Give comments on each group.
- Based on the information in task 1 and task 2, Ss write a summary of the
test.
 After having applied the reseach, I have the students do some 20 minute
tests and I get the specific results
RESEARCH RESULT
Class quantity
THE FIRST TEST
11A10
45
5hs Good students – 11,1 %
25 Average students–55,6%
15 Poor students – 33,3%
10 Good students - 22,2%
11A8
45
30 Average students – 66,7%
5 Poor students – 11,1%

THE THIRD TEST
10 Good students-22,2%
27 Average students-60 %
8 Poor students - 17,8%
15 Good students-33,3%
30 Average students 66,7%

Conclusion

References
- In – service teacher training materials by MOET of Viet Nam.
- Introduction to TESOL – Teaching Listening.htm.
- A Profile of the Slow Learner – Teacher Education Project (U.S.A).
- English Now – Issue 9, November 2004.
- Listening in Action, Michael Rost, Prentice - Hall, 1991.
- Mac Yin Mee (University of Malaysia) – Teaching Listening: An overview. The
English Teacher. Vol XIX July, 1990.
- Adrian Tennant – Listening matters: Process Listening. OnestopEnglish.
- Miriam Greif - “Weak Learners” in High School – Must they read?
- Designing English Lesson Plan 11 (Tran Thi Ai Thanh, Ho Thi Tan Hoa, Huynh
Thanh, Tran Thi Dieu Hoa)- Hanoi Publisher

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