Developing listening comprehension skills
Authors
Camacho, Adriana Amelia BuendÃa
Issue Date
2021
Educational Level
ISCED Level 6 Bachelor's or equivalent
Geographical Setting
Mexico
Abstract
Context: This study was conducted at Escuela Normal No. 1 de Toluca in Mexico, where the focus was on developing listening comprehension skills among a group of eight female third-year English language teaching trainees (LESI programme). The students, aged 20-22, had an average language proficiency level of B1, but their listening skills were notably weaker, often scoring at A2 level in mock exams. Given the students' need for B2 certification as future English teachers, improving listening comprehension was a priority.
Aims: The project aimed to identify strategies to improve students' listening comprehension skills and confidence. Specifically, it explored the impact of pre-teaching vocabulary and teaching inference strategies to help students approach listening tasks more effectively and prepare for certification exams.
Methods: Data were gathered using student questionnaires, reflective journal notes, peer observation, and student interviews. During the intervention, Mel pre-taught key vocabulary before listening tasks, introduced the strategy of inferring meaning using a structured chart, and provided practice with certification-style exercises. Participation was encouraged using a "Card-O-Matic" technique to ensure all learners were engaged.
Findings: Pre-teaching vocabulary significantly improved students' comprehension, as it activated prior knowledge and clarified meanings before listening. The inference strategy helped learners extract information by cross-referencing prior knowledge with details from the audio. Most students found the strategy straightforward after repetition and reported greater confidence in approaching listening tasks. Additionally, the structured exercises increased awareness of listening exam formats, and student performance improved on mock exams, with some learners achieving B2-level certification.
Implications: This study demonstrates that teaching listening strategies explicitly, such as pre-teaching vocabulary and practising inference, can help learners improve their comprehension and confidence. Teachers in similar contexts might explore these approaches, particularly in exam-focused environments, to provide students with tools for better performance.
Aims: The project aimed to identify strategies to improve students' listening comprehension skills and confidence. Specifically, it explored the impact of pre-teaching vocabulary and teaching inference strategies to help students approach listening tasks more effectively and prepare for certification exams.
Methods: Data were gathered using student questionnaires, reflective journal notes, peer observation, and student interviews. During the intervention, Mel pre-taught key vocabulary before listening tasks, introduced the strategy of inferring meaning using a structured chart, and provided practice with certification-style exercises. Participation was encouraged using a "Card-O-Matic" technique to ensure all learners were engaged.
Findings: Pre-teaching vocabulary significantly improved students' comprehension, as it activated prior knowledge and clarified meanings before listening. The inference strategy helped learners extract information by cross-referencing prior knowledge with details from the audio. Most students found the strategy straightforward after repetition and reported greater confidence in approaching listening tasks. Additionally, the structured exercises increased awareness of listening exam formats, and student performance improved on mock exams, with some learners achieving B2-level certification.
Implications: This study demonstrates that teaching listening strategies explicitly, such as pre-teaching vocabulary and practising inference, can help learners improve their comprehension and confidence. Teachers in similar contexts might explore these approaches, particularly in exam-focused environments, to provide students with tools for better performance.
Description
Keywords (free text)
english as a foreign language , listening comprehension , pre-teaching vocabulary , inference strategies , exam preparation , english teacher training , exploratory action research