Listening skills in English as a foreign language

Actuality of the course work. Learning a new language facilitates understanding among people from different countries and backgrounds and helps conserve linguistic and cultural diversity. Many scholars believe that bilingualism has become dynamically essential as the world is shifting to a global paradigm, where societies, economies and cultures are integrating and connecting in ways that were not possible before. Thus, learning different languages has become a must in order not to be left behind.
Aim of the work: The framework conditions governing early foreign language learning are determined to a significant extent by educational and language policy decisions originating outside the learning and teaching institutions of nursery, pre-primary and primary education.
Task of the work: Provision made for language learning depends very largely on the country’s political, economic, cultural and societal profile, its international links and its degree of involvement in regional and global networks
Theorotical and methological basic of the work: Teaching a foreign language means teaching its skills and competences. The traditional four language skills, which are the receptive skills (listening, reading) and productive skills (speaking, writing) must be learned in addition to various competences such as the capability of expressing oneself in interpersonal exchange and understanding written and spoken language in different contexts.


CHAPTER I Developing foreign language skills through songs

1. 
   Listening skills in English as a foreign language
   

The field of English as a foreign language teaching research covers disciplines from general education and pedagogy to psychology, linguistics, as well as the teaching of literature and culture. Teaching languages does not only include the actual language structure but a whole range of other competences, which includes a huge array of methodological options for the foreign language teacher as well as the researcher (Eisenmann & Summer, 2012). These competences represent a multiple challenge to the teachers of English today who are forced to face them and deal with as well. According to the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) International (1999) the four basic skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) are related to each other by two parameters: the mode of communication - oral or written - and the direction of communication: receiving or producing the message. Most teachers try to incorporate all four skill areas into their planning, though some classes may focus more on one set of skills or the other, due to the course and learner objectives (Oxford, 2001). When learning new language material, the order of acquisition is generally the following, for both second language learners and children learning their first language: Listening: The learner hears a new item (sound, word, grammar feature, etc.); speaking: the learner tries to repeat the new item; reading: the learner sees the new item in written form, and writing: the learner reproduces the written form of the item. When teachers are planning to present a new teaching item (sound, grammar point, vocabulary word, etc.,) they should keep the order of acquisition in mind. It is best to expose the learners to the item in that same order, so that they are exposed to it as a listener before they are called on to use it as a speaker, and that they hear it before they see it in text. The learner will be able to understand the new item for quite a while before he/she is able to produce it and use it in communication
Most of the studies related to the topic have shown that songs and games play a crucial role in teaching and learning a foreign language. Based on the gathered information, it seems clear that songs and games can and should be used besides traditional teaching methods. Here is a review of available literature. A study by Fonda Keskin (2011) about using songs to teach Turkish as a foreign language in Istanbul University shows that songs are an important part of language culture. Keskin (2011) explained that in foreign language teaching, which are created by using songs contribute to the development of a lot of language skills from grammar to pronunciation. Therefore, these activities can be carried out in all classes ranging from very basic levels to advanced ones. Similarly, a study by Mustafa Sevik (2011) with the title “Teacher views about using songs in teaching English to young learners” proves that teachers believe that teaching Turkish students English by using songs is very effective. Similarly, a study by Beatriz Becerra Vera and Rosa Muñoz Luna (2013) with the title “Teaching English Through Music: A Proposal of Multimodal Learning Activities for Primary School Children” explores the use of music and songs in the teaching of English as a second language to primary school children in Spain. Results show that music enhances linguistic intelligence when multiple ways of learning are practiced in the classroom. Students’ communicative competence and learning autonomy are improved as they are provided with strategies and techniques to continue learning out of school
In Tokyo, another study by Maggie Lieb (2008) with the title “Listening Activities Using Popular Music” highlights the value of music as a pedagogical tool in English Language Teaching (ELT). The researcher explains that popular music in particular offers promising opportunities to address the issues of second language (L2) listening anxiety and relevancy of listening activities. The study also explains how the use of music in the language classroom could help facilitate effortless processing of prosodic features of language by capitalizing on the well-documented interconnectivity between music and language. Also, she suggests that if more ELT teachers in Japan appreciate the benefits of this “non-traditional approach,” the result could be a more holistic language learning experience. A study by Luqman Baehaqi (2014) with the title “Improving the Listening Skills through the Discovery Listening Technique Using Podcast in Indonesia” found that students of the English Department of Kanjuruhan University, Malang, lack language proficiency concering vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. To overcome these classroom problems, Baehaqi employed the process-based approach underlying the Discovery Listening Technique combined with podcasts to test whether it would improve the listening skills of the students or not. The technique used requires the students to realize causes of their listening problems in order to find out appropriate ways of improving listening comprehension. The results indicate that the listening skill that was specifically improved was the ability of recognizing words and their meaning in contextual use because it touched the basis of listening comprehension skill in general. Another study in Indonesia by Lidiyatul Izzah (2014) with the title “Implementing Song in Teaching Listening Comprehension” at Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta found similar results. The paper aims to find the factors influencing English listening comprehension and the strategies to be taken that might improve students’ listening comprehension.
A study by Veronika Jeřábková (2016) with the title “Using Songs in English Language Teaching at Lower Secondary Schools” in the Czech Republic also proves that songs can be a very suitable tool in language learning and can be very useful in language acquisition. Moreover, the researcher points out the enjoyment appreciated by most of the students and the motivation they get, which is simply much more effective than the motivation ordinary exercises in their textbooks can offer. As for the use of games is concerned, the literature found supports their effective use in classrooms where foreign languages are taught. A study by Deguang Zhu (2012) with the title “Using Games to Improve Students' Communicative Ability” in China found that the communicative language teaching approach (CLTA) is one of the most effective methods to keep away from the weaknesses of the traditional English teaching method in developing students’ communicative abilities. Using games was proven an effective and efficient methods in improving the students’ English communicative abilities.
Along the same lines, a study by Vivian Fabiola Payan Rivera and Robinson Restrepo Montoya (2009) with the title “Games for the Development of the Listening Skill” examines the effectiveness of games and activities in the development of the listening skill in second graders of Canceles school in Pereira, Colombia. The study covered essential factors of the learning process, such as, cooperative learning, motivation and how to give good instructions to children, among others. The findings revealed that students were more confident during the implementation of games, which gave them motivation to use the language, and to listen to the game’s instructions carefully. A study by Mania Moayad Mubaslat (2011/2012) with the title “The Effect of Using Educational Games on the Students’ Achievement in English Language for the Primary Stage” in Jordan recommended the use of games since they are very effective especially for the primary stages in teaching a second language and games are helpful for the teacher as an approach to language acquisition. Another study by Sigríður Dögg Sigurðardóttir (2010) with the title “The Use of games in the Language Classroom” in Iceland focused on the use of games inside the classroom and argued that games can be a good teaching method when teaching foreign languages. It looks at why games should be used as a teaching method and how to maximize the positive result on language learning. However, some of the studies indicated that songs and games could not replace traditional methods of teaching as their use has its disadvantages, as some of the studies under discussion next explain. A study by Alicia Borraz Fabón (2012/2013) with the title “Take It Easy”: Use Songs to Teach English as a Second Language in Primary School” in de La Rioja University, Spain, found that the use of untraditional methods of learning such as songs and music should be accompanied by traditional lessons to help learn a new language. The study maintains that rhythm and musicality are powerful tools in class to improve the memorization of a new language, but they must be accompanied by regular teaching. Fabon concluded that songs should become an instrument to practice listening, speaking, reading and writing, and that they can be instrumental when it comes to teaching vocabulary, grammatical structures and pronunciation. Sevik (2012), however, suggests that fun activities like using songs in class might not yield positive results. He believes that a teacher’s main responsibility is to teach a language and not to teach a song (Sevik, 2012). He explains, “songs […]can easily become mere entertainment and pleasurable interruptions in the school day which, in the long term, results in pupils being bored and losing interest” (Sevik, 2012, p. 334). Sevik (2012) suggests there should be a clear reason why a teacher uses songs in class. Murphey (1992) also criticizes the use of songs, saying that teachers may not be able to keep proper discipline in the classroom as some students may just want to listen to music or sing rather than work. Another issue he mentions is the fact that students may disagree over musical pieces, which may result in a chaotic class. Moreover, many songs may prove difficult for students to understand since they mostly use colloquial expressions and their pace is too fast (Murphey, 1992). Siek-Piskozub and Wach (2006, pp. 91-97) add that there are songs which present taboo topics. These topics may confuse the learners or embarrass them.
Another study by Carla Casé (2014) with the title “The Pedagogical Value of Games and Songs” propose that some teachers consider it difficult to find songs for each topic discussed in class, while other claim they cannot measure the pupils’ knowledge through songs. A study by Nova Pravita Rus Diana (2010) with the title “The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Games in Teaching Vocabulary to the Third Graders of Top Elementary School” describes the using of games in the process of teaching vocabulary and finds out the advantages and disadvantages of the method used. The first advantage it mentions is that students could be more interested in learning the material and the second advantage was that the teacher does not need to explain too many materials. On the other hand, the first disadvantage cited is the noisy condition in which the teacher may find it difficult to control the students. The second disadvantage was by doing games the teacher only has a little time to explain the material and present some new vocabularies items. So, there is no longer time for the teacher to explain more and help students them to memorize all the new vocabularies items
Considering the published current literature, there is a definite trend to advocate the use of songs and games in foreign language teaching as it is seen to have a positive impact on the learning process. Songs and games are usually perceived as fun activities, which encourage and motivate students to learn a new language. They are also considered soothers of anxieties and fear and thus create a happy, worry-free atmosphere for students to learn.
However, their use has some disadvantages, including the fact that lyrics and game instructions maybe difficult to understand and comprehend if a student is still not fluent in the 20 new language. And this brings up the subject of listening and the right method of listening. Also, it is criticized that not all topics and subjects are covered in songs and teachers cannot introduce all vocabulary related to these subjects through songs or games. Reviewing the related literature has been helpful in the attempt to formulate research questions and hypotheses for this study. Questions and hypotheses This study is centered on listening as a fundamental skill involved in a variety of activities performed by individuals on a daily basis. Listening has been described as being essential to inter-person communication and the acquisition of passive knowledge (Feyten, 1991). In a language-learning context, listening is also an essential skill, as it “takes on significant meaning as it is an essential source of language input in second language acquisition” (Chuang & Wang, 2015, p. 1). Based on the recognized significance of listening among language learners, this study raises the following questions: 1- How will the use of songs and educational games in EFL classrooms affect the learners’ listening skills? 2- How will the use of songs and educational games in EFL classrooms affect the learners’ motivation for learning English differently compared to when readers use just lyrics and educational games? In response to the above questions, several hypotheses are formulated, as follows: 1. Participants in the test and control groups will earn similar scores on the pre-test regarding listening skills. 2. Participants in the test group will score higher on the post-test than on the pre-test. 21 3. Participants in the test group will score higher on the post-test than those in the control group. 4. Participant in the control group will earn similar scores on the pre- & post-test regarding listening skills. 5. Participants in the test and control groups (see below, “Methodologies”) will obtain similar scores on the pre-motivational questionnaire. 6. Participants in the test group will score higher on the post-motivational questionnaire than on the pre-motivational questionnaire. 7. Participants in the test group will score higher than those in the control group on the post-motivational questionnaire. Methodologies The present research will be divided into two sections: The theoretical conceptual section and the empirical section. The first will reveal the effect of the research’s project for developing listening skills and increasing motivation through songs and educational gamesbased approaches in English as a foreign language. This section will also show and explain the relation between language, songs, educational games, listening skills and motivation.