Listening is an important element in the communication process and language learning. It is a bundle of related processes where the listener discriminates sounds, observes intonation patterns, comprehends what is being said (Lynch and Mendelsohn, 2002; Vandergrift, 1999), and retains what was understood in the process. Thus, the better the students comprehend a spoken language, the better will betheir ability to communicate.
However, among the four macro skills – reading, writing, listening, and speaking – listening seems to be the most neglected. Thus, as students advance in reading and writing proficiency, their listening comprehension falls behind (Alcantara, et. al., 2003). Teachers of listening, therefore, must be equipped in helping students improve their listening skills. There are varied types of strategies and techniques that they can utilize in the classroom to facilitate students’ listening abilities. The students’ interest in the listening process can be enhanced through proper instructions and propelled by engaging techniques implemented by the teacher.
The impact of instruction – strategies and techniques used in teaching – is a significant factor in the students’ learning process (i.e. learning how to listen). Thus, by discovering which of these strategies and techniques is most commonly utilized by teachers of English in their classrooms, teachers of listening may find this research as a helpful guide and reference on bettering their instruction.
Moreover, the poor retention of students towards lessons can be actually blamed to their poor listening skills. There are students who cannot even comprehend the spoken instructions given by their teachers only because they are not successful in understanding and decoding the statements given by the teacher..
The listening of the students may be affected by many factors that exist inside the classroom. One is the absence of conducive-to-learning physical factors of the classroom. Another is the physiological needs of the students, or sometimes, teacher-related factors such as failure to catch the attention of the learners.
The factors that affect the listening capabilities of the students always depend on the learners themselves. A teacher should always be patient in identifying these factors because listening is very important skill that is a prerequisite in a successful teaching-learning relationship.
By: MEE ANN MAE LORIA | T-I | Hermosa National High school
