IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING

Improve the English listening skill by playing with the students of “La Asociacion Eduactiva”

Julián Patiño Martínez.

Corporación Universitaria del Caribe.

Asociación Educativa

Práctica profesional dirigida

Martha Johanna Moreno

July 15, 2018

 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 2

Abstract

Developing English listening skills might be the hardest part of learning the language. There are

several reasons why pupils say listening is the hardest skill to improve. Some listeners think it is

hard to hear the sounds and understanding the meaning at the same time.

This exploratory study aims to investigate how can be improved the English listening skill of the

students of “La Asociacion Educativa” who are very interested for the English Class, but have a

great difficulty for listening and comprehending the language.

By using in-depth interviews, field research surveys and a short analysis of the teacher's

experience, present study is focused on the students’ perception of the English listening skill.

It can be concluded that English Listening ability is the most difficult one, but there are many

important tools that can be useful for improving this skill.

 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 3

Table of contents

Problem description 4

Research question 4

Background 5

General Objective 6

Impact 6

Aims 7

Justification 7

Literature Review 7

Theoretical framework 20

Hypothesis 23

Variables and categories 24

Research design 24

Data collection 25

Data analysis and results 28

Findings and conclusion 29

References 30
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 4

Problem description

The work conducted with students of “La Asociacion Educativa” has indicated that they are

very interested for the English Class; however, they have a great difficulty for listening and

comprehending the language. Here it arises some important questions. Is the English listening

skill the hardest part of learning the language? If the answer is positive, it springs other

questions. Is there any solution for that problem? If the solution would exist, what would be the

solution? How can it be implemented?

The true about this topic is that many investigations agreed with the opinion that the listening

skill is the most difficult, and the difficulty resides in many causes, namely; contractions,

assimilation, reduced forms, and dialect. All this accidents of the language affect the

comprehension, one way or another. The solution has to face those features of the language.

Research question.

What are the effects of ludic activities in the improvement of the English listening skill of a

group of young people between the ages of 18 and 24?

 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 5

Background

The English listening skill is the most difficult of the four skills. That is not a simple opinion,

it is a reality and many investigations conducted by experts have concluded the same results.

“Second language listening is regarded as one of the most challenging language skills for

students to acquire and for teachers to teach.” (Ngo, 2016, pág. 1)

According to the investigation there are many reasons for thinking that the listening skill is so

difficult. There are some factors that can affect the student's ability to hear well. For example

contractions, assimilation, reduced forms, and dialect can be considered as some causes of the

difficulty for developing the listening skill.

Other important investigation comes to the same conclusion. This study delves into the

question. (Gerencser, 2008) According to that investigation, conducted by Gerencsér Mária,

“Listening to the speech of native speakers, or listening to an authentic listening text can

be very difficult for L2 learners, and can cause comprehension problems. If the teacher

does not put enough emphasise on a proper preparing of a listening comprehension task,

children can be unable to complete it, and what is much worse, they can develop a

negative attitude toward listening and in the long run, toward language learning as well.”

(p.1)

The listening skill is so important that it is fundamental for the communication. That process

began in the childhood. Before speaking, the human being listens. And that listening is the

starting point of other processes and for that reason the listening ability has to be very well
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 6

developed. With poor listening ability, you cannot participate or continue a conversation. You

cannot follow instructions correctly if at all. (Cotter, 2014)

Despise of the difficulty for comprehending English there are some important advices and

tools that can be very useful for improving the English listening skill. ( Khan, 2014)

Listening and solving Problems: Various activities, belonging to this category, can be performed

by a teacher. These activities include: word games in which the answer is derived from verbal

clues, “twenty questions”, “animal, “Vegetable” or “Animal”, a jigsaw mystery (...) Interactive

Listening-and-Speaking (...) Listening for Enjoyment, Pleasure, and Sociability. (p.39)

General objective

To investigate the causes of the difficulty for comprehending the English listening and the
possible solutions

Impact

Although it is true that English listening skill is the most difficult one to learn, there are some

solutions to the problem. One of them is the use of multimedia resources combined with games.

The use of podcasts and the amusement can awaken interest in the student. When there is interest

it is easier to take ownership of the matter.

 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 7

Aims

To study the best strategies for improving English listening skills of the students of “La

Asociación Educativa”

To evaluate the impact of games in the improvement of the English listening ability of the pupils

of “La Asociación Eduacativa”

To obtain new knowledge through socialization with the students of “La Asosciación

Educativa”

Justification

This investigation is important and valuable because it recognizes a problem and finds a good

solution for that. It is not a secret that games play an important role in the learning process. In

this point is important to mention the stimulus-response theory of Pavlov and Skinner, thinkers

of the behaviorism. The mention fits in because the learning by game involves amusement.

Naturally people like the diversion. If the learning process is seen by student as a play and not as

a stressful activity, is more likely that they assimilate the topics. Games lower the students’ level

of stress and anxiety, thereby improving the acquisition of language. Indeed, it is proven that

students remember things easier and faster when they learn in a relaxed environment. Games

help create such an atmosphere. (English, 2018)

Literature review

Name of the book, scientific journal English listening Rocks

article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading. Developing English listening skills might be
the hardest part of learning the language. There
are several reasons why students say listening
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 8
Main categories and concepts which will
support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which will
support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
is the hardest skill to improve. A report in the
Harvard Business Review suggests the average
speed speech for American is 124 words per
minute.
For students learning a language, those speeds
seem fast. It is hard to hear the sounds and
understanding the meaning at the same time.
Speed is one part of the problem for language
learners. There are four factors that can affect
the student's ability to hear well. Contractions,
assimilation, reduced forms, and dialect.
- It is hard to hear the sounds and
understanding the meaning at the same time.
- Developing English listening skills might be
the hardest part of learning the language.
English Listening: Why It's So Hard.
…..(n.d.). Retrieved from
…..https://www.englishlistening.rocks/english-
…..listening-why-its-so-hard/
- In order to improve listening skills, students
need to find a way to understand what they are
hearing.
- Have a picture of the words in their mind and
know the meaning of the words and phrases.
ITU Journal
ICT Discoveries
ISSUE NO.2
Data for Good.
It can be stated, with practically no
qualification, that people in general do not
know how to listen. They have ears that hear
very well, but seldom have they acquired the
necessary aural skills which would allow those
ears to be used effectively for what is called
listening.
-People in general do not know how to listen.
-Reading, is the primary medium by which we
learn.
Stevens, R. G. (2014, August 01). Listening to
…..People. Retrieved from
…..https://hbr.org/1957/09/listening-to-people
-Build the kind of aural experience that can
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 9
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which will
support my research.
produce good listening habits.
-A major task in helping people to listen better
is teaching them to use their spare thinking
time efficiently as they listen.
Listening: What Makes It Difficult?
Communication and language acquisition
heavily depend on listening skills. Just think:
With poor listening ability, you cannot
participate or continue a conversation. You
cannot follow instructions correctly if at all.
Success at work, in a classroom, and elsewhere
would be significantly more difficult to achieve.
-Colloquialisms and reduced forms.
Cotter, C. (2014, July 09). Listening: What
Makes ….It Difficult? Retrieved from
…..https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2014070921
…..2858-…..26665973-listening-what-makes-it-
…..difficult
-Design activities that provide real, relevant
content that improve the awareness of and
ability to deal with colloquialisms, accent and
intonation.
Why listening is so difficult ... and what to do
about it
Speaking is easy; listening is difficult. Experts
say that that the average person actually
remembers a fraction of what is said to them.
Listening is an essential interpersonal skill that
needs to be developed. Psychotherapists say
that we have trouble listening because we
focus on body language 55 per cent on the
time, and on vocal intonation 38 per cent of the
time.
-communication skills.
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 10
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which will
support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Weinstein, B. (2010, June 15). Why listening
is …..so difficult ... and what to do about it.
…..Retrieved from
…..https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/25082
…../Why.listening-is-so-difficult
-To repeat back to listener what speaker is saying,
so that the thought is understood and
remembered.
Why Listening Is Difficult
At times, listeners have difficulty staying
completely focused during a presentation. We
can sometimes have difficulty listening to even
relatively brief messages. Some of the factors
that interfere with good listening might exist
beyond our control, but others are manageable.
It’s helpful to be aware of these factors so that
they interfere as little as possible with
understanding the message.
- Physical Noise
-Psychological Noise
(n.d.). doi:10.1075/ps.5.3.02chi.audio.2f
-Make a list of biases you might have as a listener
A 5-Step Method to Improve Your Listening
Skills
There are two ways for listening; namely, passive
listening and active one. The first is when the
listener listens something without giving full
attention. The second is when the listener gives
full attention. Active listening is the most
important because the brain needs to bring
attention to things to remember them.
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 11
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
- Language learning skill.
- Passively listening.
- Active listening
Granahan, J. (2017, September 04). A 5-Step
…..Method to Improve Your Listening Skills.
…..Retrieved from
…..https://www.fluentin3months.com/improve-
…..your-listening-skills/
-To improve your listening skills, you have to
implement methods for active listening.
- Passive Listening Doesn’t Work.
A 5-Step Method to Improve Your Listening
Skills
There are two ways for listening; namely, passive
listening and active one. The first is when the
listener listens something without giving full
attention. The second is when the listener gives
full attention. Active listening is the most
important because the brain needs to bring
attention to things to remember them.
- Language learning skill.
- Passively listening.
- Active listening
Granahan, J. (2017, September 04). A 5-Step
…..Method to Improve Your Listening Skills.
…..Retrieved from
…..https://www.fluentin3months.com/improve-
…..your-listening-skills/
-To improve your listening skills, you have to
implement methods for active listening.
- Passive Listening Doesn’t Work.
-Your brain needs you to bring attention to things
to remember them.
How can the listening skills be improved?
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 12
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
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research based in the reading.
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article or web page
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will support my research.
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research based in the reading.
Improve the listening skill can be difficult but one
approach that can be suggested is to collect
authentic listening material. People need focus on
topics important for them. Source material might be
anything from favorite films or music; thus
listening will become so much easier.
- Listening skill.
- Authentic material.
- Grasp the topics.
Learning English | BBC World Service. (n.d.).
…..Retrieved from
…..http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learning…..
english/youmeus/learnit/learnitv39.shtml
- Source material might be anything from favorite
films or music.
- Using authentic listening material.
Why your students have problems with
listening comprehension
Developing the listening skill is very difficult
because students are trying to understand every
word. The progress is a slow one. Learners get
left behind trying to solve what a previous word
meant. On the other hand students ignore the
most import words. Moreover, they do not
recognize the words that they know. One of the
most important problems is the correct
accentuation. Finally it can be evidenced a lack
of listening stamina.
- Listening comprehension
- Developing the listening skill.
- Understanding the whole message.
Why your students have problems with
…..listening comprehension. (n.d.). Retrieved
…..from
…..https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/why-
….your-students-have-problems-with-listening-
….comprehension.html
- One method of facing this is to suggest them
to identify the important words that they need
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 13
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
to listen out for.
Why your students have problems with
listening comprehension
Developing listening skills requires a long
period of time. For that reason it can produce
either an experience of depression and
frustration or one of pride in the students; thus
teaching listening skills is one of the most
difficult tasks that a teacher faces. This article
evaluates contemporary research with the aim
of dividing and discussing the reasons why the
teaching of listening skills are so complex and
in consequence to suggest methods for
improving listening competence in the second
language teaching.
- Listening comprehension
- Teaching culture to enrich background
knowledge.
- Top-down processing skills.
- Bottom-up processing skills
Natasha Walker.(2014). Listening: the most
…..difficult skill to teach (1ed). [PDF File].
…..Manchester. Author. Retrieved from:
…..https://ebuah.uah.es/dspace/handle/10017/2
…..1619.
- Developing top-down listening activities.
- Developing bottom-up listening activities.
How to Really Improve Your English Listening
Skills
Improving the English listening skills is
difficult because people do not listen to English
enough. If people spent one thousand hours
listening to English, their listening will
definitely improve. Unfortunately the actions
for improving this skill are weak. They are not
significant enough to make a difference. On the
other hand, people are inconstant; at first, they
are enthusiastic to improve their listening, but
after a while, they find it difficult to force
themselves to practice. Finally, they lose
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 14
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
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research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
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Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
motivation and quit.
- Listening Podcasts.
- Teaching culture to enrich background
knowledge.
How to Really Improve Your English Listening
…..Skills. (2018, June 21). Retrieved from
…..https://engfluent.com/how-to-improve-
…..english-listening-skills/
- Turn boring time into listening time.
- Using Podcast for improve the listening.
These are easier to understand than movies.
Five essential listening skills for English
learners
Listening occupies approximately forty five per
cent of the time people spend in
communication. However, students often fail to
give this skill the attention it needs and speak
about it as the most challenging of all the skills
in English. There are many difficulties and
people may face in comprehending a talk or
lecture in a second language. There are many
reasons that turn so difficult the understanding
of the language; namely, the speaker talking
quickly, the listener's limited vocabulary and
the lack of knowledge of the subject.
Nevertheless, there are a few skills or strategies
that English learners can use for improving
their listening.
- Listening comprehension
- Developing the listening skill.
Five essential listening skills for English …..
…...learners. (n.d.). Retrieved from
….https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-
….magazine/five-essential-listening-skills-
…..english-…..learners
-Listening for details
-Practise detecting signpost language
The Importance of Learning English by
Listening.
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 15
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
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research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
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Main categories and concepts which
Studies indicate that listening is the most
frequently used language skill by pupils.
Listening is important not only in
communication, but it also plays an important
role in how people learn.
According to these studies, listening is
basically how people obtain, and learn, new
information. In other words, listening involves
more daily communication time than other
forms of verbal communication.
In the efforts to improve the English, working
on the listening abilities must be at the core of
the learning practice.
But before students can start learning English
by listening, they have to make sure how to
listen effectively.
- Listening comprehension
- Listening effectively.
Goyo, G. (2018, February 16). Got Your
…..Headphones On? Good! Now Learn English
…..by Listening! Retrieved from
…..https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/learn-
…..english-by-listening/
-Choose diverse listening materials
-Focus on the Big Ideas
The importance of teaching listening and
speaking skills.
The main objective of this writing is to
emphasize the importance of listening and
speaking skills in order to obtain a full
acquisition of the second language. It is
important to keep in mind that both skills are
connected. Students know the importance of
the learning of both abilities, and they know
that these skills need to be developed. Majority
of the textbooks include the typical listening
with the corresponding exercises, but pupils
think they need to know how to be good
listeners.
- Listening comprehension
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 16
will support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
- Teaching and learning
Segura Alonso Rocio.(2012). The importance
…..of teaching listening and speaking skills.
….. (1ed). [PDF File]. …..Madrid. Author.
…..Retrieved from: …..
…..https://www.ucm.es/data/cont/docs/119-
…..2015-03-17-
…..12.RocioSeguraAlonso2013.pdf
-Introduce new vocabulary before a listening
activity.
-Developing activities in which students share
ideas, opinions and experiences with each
other.
English Listening Skills: Solutions to Fix Poor
Listening Comprehension.
Maybe listening skill is the most difficult one in
the process of learning English. This process
involves a series of steps. In the first one the
listener hears a sound; next, comes a step of
recognizing the sound as part of a word,
connecting the word to its meaning, after that
the listener remember what each word means.
As a result, comes the understanding of the
concept of the whole sentence.
Recognizing the Sounds.
Listening Training.
English Listening Skills: How to fix Poor
…..Listening Comprehension. (2017,
…..September 01). Retrieved from
…..https://realenglishconversations.com/englis
…..h-listening-skills/
-Start by listening to some audio that is not too
hard to understand
-Read the transcription to see what is being
said.
-Write the listened word.
3 Fun Ways to Practice English Listening for
All Levels
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 17
Summary or abstract of the reading.
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will support my research.
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Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii
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article or web page
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Improving the listening skill can be fun and not
so tedious like many people can think. When an
activity is fun, it is natural to want to do it
again. If people enjoy their practice, easily can
improve their comprehension skills.
Having fun while studying can support the
learning process itself. It has to do with
dopamine; the chemical that is release in the
brain when people are expecting a reward or
enjoyable experience.
-Fun Ways to Practice English.
Q. (2018, February 16). 3 Fun Ways to Practice
…..English Listening for All Levels. Retrieved
…..from
…..https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/engli
…..sh-listening-practice/
-Watch Authentic English Videos Online.
The best Podcasts to improve the listening
skills anytime, anywhere
Many people think that it is impossible to
understand native speakers. The reason is
because native speakers talk too fast and
sometimes break the grammar rules using slang
and difficult vocabulary. Nevertheless, there
are different strategies that can be applied for
destroying the barriers and improving the
English learning skill. The main strategy is the
use of podcast.
-Podcast
The 11 Best Podcasts to Improve Your
…..Listening Skills. (2017, December 18).
…..Retrieved from
…..https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/po
…..dcasts-improve-listening/
-Use Podcasts to Improve the Listening Skills.
-Effective and convenient way to improve the
English listening skills.
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 18
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
A study of English Listening problems and
listening proficiency of business students at
Bangkok University
Un study conducted with students at Bangkok
University with the aim of investigating their
English listening problems and listening
proficiency. The result of the study revealed
that the main reason that caused listening
problems is the listening text. Nevertheless the
most relevant problem was lack of practicing
listening skill and lack of exposure to different
contexts.
-Background knowledge.
-Significance of listening
-The messages, the speaker, the listener
and the physical
Suradej Anandapong.(2011). A study of
…..English Listening problems and listening
…..proficiency of business students at Bangkok
…..University. (1ed). [PDF File]. Bangkok.
…..Author. …..Retrieved from:
…..http://digi.library.tu.ac.th/thesis/lg/0641/titl
…..e-appendices.pdf
-Effective and convenient material to improve
the English listening skills.
The Difficulties in Learning Listening Skill of
Non-English Major Learners at University of
Industry and How to Deal with These
Difficulties”
Many English language students think listening
ability is the measure of knowing a language.
They consider listening as the most relevant
skill in the process of learning the new
language. For that reason, if learners do not
learn to listen effectively, they may soon get
deflated. One difficult that students face when
listening the new language comes from their
scarce vocabulary. They have to stop to think
as they meet new words, so they miss the whole
message.
-Difficulties in learning listening skill.
- Listening Skill
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References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
Name of the book, scientific journal
article or web page
Summary or abstract of the reading.
Main categories and concepts which
will support my research.
References IN APA Style
Ideas which will be presented in my
research based in the reading.
"The Difficulties in Learning Listening Skill of
…..Non-English Major Learners at University
…..of Industry and How to Deal with These
…..Difficulties". (n.d.). Retrieved from
…..https://www.bartleby.com/essay/the-
…..Difficulties-in-Learning-Listening-Skill-of-
…..PK7ZJY4KRZZS
Integrating Listening and Speaking Skills.
Learners’ Listening Comprehension
Difficulties in English Language Learning: A
Literature Review
Many English textbooks emphasize in the
writing, reading and speaking skills, but do not
give enough importance to the listening one.
Maybe because this skill causes many problems
in students. Actually, they face a lot of listening
difficulties. It is important to emphasize in
listening comprehension, and listening
deficiencies. The pupils have to be aware of
the listening difficulties and the teacher needs
to find methodologies aimed to solve the
obstacles and improve their listening
comprehension abilities.
- Listening comprehension strategies.
- Listening difficulties
Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani & Narjes Banou
…..Sabouri.(2016). Learners’ Listening
…..Comprehension Difficulties in English
…..Language Learning: A Literature Review.
….. (1ed). [PDF File]. Lahijan. Author.
…..Retrieved from:
…..https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1101226.
…..pdf
-Quality of Recorded Materials
-Listening activities should be provided based
on the students’ needs.
-Teachers should create listening tasks that
stimulate students’ interest.
- Listening activities must be presented
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 20

according to their level of difficulty.

Theoretical framework

Developing English listening skills might be the hardest part of learning the language. There are

several reasons why students say listening is the hardest skill to improve. Between the reasons it

can be mention the contractions, assimilation, reduced forms, and dialect.

When learners face those grammar accidents they often become discouraged. Some of them

think it is hard to hear the sounds and understanding the meaning at the same time.

One of the causes of the problem is perhaps the lack of choosing the correct material and the

adequate methodology. (Anandapong, 2011) Even a study conducted by Anandapong thus

describes the problem

The result of the study revealed that students that the main reason that caused

listening problem for the students is the listening text. However, the factors that

mostly caused listening problems were lack of practicing listening skill and lack

of exposure to different kinds of listening materials. (p.ii)

Nevertheless the nowadays approaches of teaching and learning English can offer some

important solution for the problem. It is not a secret that the modern technologies can give a hand

in the developing English listening skill process. That is the case of the multimedia resources.

Multimedia, the computer based delivery of video, audio, written text, graphics and the
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 21

integration of these media may prove to be a useful tool for second language learning. (Brett,

2000)

After putting in context the reality of the development of the listening skill, is important to

speak about the results obtained in the present investigation. The investigation was conducted

with the aim of finding a better alternative for studying and developing the skill in question. The

alternative suggested has to do with ludic activities and some audio files named podcast.

But first it is necessary to speak about the results of the data collection.

The first tool used was an interview question guide applied to 10 students of Asociacion

Educativa. Everyone agreed that listening skill is the most difficult one. To the question ¿How

good are you at it on a scale of 1-10? Three students chose one; five students chose three and

two pupils chose five. None of them marked an option above five. Four students stated that the

most difficult thing for comprehending English has to do with the speaking’s speed. Two

students stated that it has to do with the use of slang, while three pupils said that the difficulty

has to do with the phonetic variations of the English language.

All students stated that traditional methods used by teachers failed. Six students think that for

improving the English listening skill it is important to use multimedia resources, while four

pupils think that it is a good idea to use some games. It is important to keep in mind that the four

students have experience with video games and practice English by this mean.
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 22

A couple of years ago the teaching of English language was not so sophisticated like in

modern times. Some important psychological and pedagogical theories have made great

contributions to the development of more effective strategies for teaching English language. For

example, Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning became a milestone in the

history of the learning process “people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the

world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences”.

With the coming of the TICs that paradigm is empowered. Student can construct their

knowledge and they count on many good tools for that purpose. One example of those tools is

the podcast, a digital recording of music, news or other media that can be downloaded from the

internet to a portable media player (Inc, 2018)

Learning by plying games has demonstrated to be a great strategy. One of the ideas of this

investigation is to combine podcasts with a board game. The idea is to throw the dices.

According to the number obtained the player must listen to the podcast. The player has 30

seconds for comprehend the most number of words. Every word comprehended has a value. The

player with more scores wins the game.

 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 23

Figure 1: the board game

Hypothesis

Students can reduce the difficulty in the developing of the English listening skill by practicing

with the combination between podcasts and games.

 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 24

Variables and categories

The hypothesis assumes that English listening skill is a difficult ability for learning. But next

it states that the difficulty can be reduced by practicing with podcast and games. This hypothesis

is composed of two variables:

VI: Practicing with podcast and games: Independent variable

VII: Reduction of the difficulty. Dependent variable

Students demonstrated more confidence and enthusiasm practicing their listening skill by

playing, and they had a great interest in winning the game because there was a pecuniary reward

for the winner. The interest for winning the game made that the students paid more attention to

the podcast.

Research design

This investigation can be considered like a Project-Based Learning because students tackle a

realistic problem. Moreover, in this investigation pupils control their learning while the teacher

serves as coach and facilitator of inquiry and reflection. Finally, it is important to keep in mind

that in this study students work in pairs or groups.

 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 25

Data collection

For the data collection it will be used some important technics like interviews. One-on-one

conversation with teachers of preschooler boys, who can help with the comprehension of the

issue. Other important technic that will be used is questionnaires and surveys; Pretest and

Posttest can be compared and analyzed. Finally the most important technic is the analysis of

documents and records.

 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 26

Key Informant Interview

Question Guide

Name: -------------------------------------------- Date: ------------------------

Sector: -------------------------------------------- Phone: ---------------------

Perceptions English listening skills.

1. English listening skill:

- Do you think it is difficult?

- How good are you at it on a scale of 1-10?

- What do you think is the most difficult thing for understanding English listening?

- Are effective the traditional methods used by teachers?

- What do you suggest for improving the English listening skill?

- What do you think about practicing English listening skill by playing

IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 27

Survey format
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 28

Data analysis and results

The first tool used was an interview question guide applied to 10 students of Asociacion

Educativa. Everyone agreed that listening skill is the most difficult one. To the question

¿How good are you at it on a scale of 1-10? Three students chose one; five students

chose three and two pupils chose five. None of them marked an option above five. Four

students stated that the most difficult thing for comprehending English has to do with the

speaking’s speed. Two students stated that it has to do with the use of slang, while three

pupils said that the difficulty has to do with the phonetic variations of the English

language.

All students stated that traditional methods used by teachers failed. Six students think

that for improving the English listening skill it is important to use multimedia resources,

while four pupils think that it is a good idea to use some games. It is important to keep in

mind that the four students have experience with video games and practice English by

this mean.
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 29

Findings and conclusions.

This research contributes with the education system, mainly with the teaching of English as

second language, because offers a new way for practicing listening.

It evidences that the combination between games and podcasts can be an effective tool for

improving the English listening skill.

After finishing this study, it is suggested to the teachers of English as a second or foreign

language that use podcast and games when teaching to their students.
 IMPROVE THE ENGLISH LISTENING SKILL BY PLAYING 30

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