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DECLARATION OF THESIS / UNDERGRADUATE PROJECT PAPER AND COPYRIGHT
Author’s full name: Elmira Daneshpour
Date of birth: 22.06.1985
Title: Iranian Mechanical Engineering Master Student’s
Listening Comprehension Problems with lectures in ESL context
Academic Session: 2012/2013(1) I declare that this thesis is classified as:
I acknowledged that UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia reserves the right as follows:
1. The thesis is the property of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. 2. The Library of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia has the right to make copies for the purpose of research only. 3. The Library has the right to make copies of the thesis for academic exchange.
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CONFIDENTIAL (Contains confidential information under the Official Secret Act 1972)*
RESTRICTED (Contains restricted information as specified by the organization where research was
OPEN ACCESS I agree that my thesis to be published as online open access (full text)
SUPERVISOR DECLARATION
“I hereby declare that I have read this project report and in my opinion this project report is sufficient in terms of scope and quality for the award of the degree of Master of Education (Teaching English as Second Language)
Signature : ...................................................
Name of Supervisor :
Date :
IRANIAN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MASTER STUDENT’S
LISTENING COMPREHENSION PROBLEMS WITH LECTURES IN ESL CONTEXT
ELMIRA DANESHPOUR
A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Education (Teaching English as Second Language)
Faculty of Education Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
DECEMBER 2012
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DECLARATION
I declare that this project report entitled “Iranian Mechanical Engineering
Master Student’s Listening Comprehension Problems with lectures in ESL context
“is the result of my own research except as cited in the references. The project report has
not been accepted for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature of any
other degree.
Signature: Name: Date:
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my thesis supervisor, Associate
Professor Dr. Abidah, for encouragement, guidance, critics and friendship. Without his
continued support and interest, this thesis would not have been the same as presented
here.
My fellow postgraduate students should also be recognized for their support. My
sincere appreciation also extends to all my colleagues and others who have provided
assistance at various occasions. Their views and tips are useful indeed. Unfortunately, it
is not possible to list all of them in this limited space. I am grateful to all my family
members especially my mother and father.
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ABSTRACT
Listening comprehension is the most important skill in language learning and it is
also categorized into three different contents which are listening, informative listening
and full listening. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is an international university which is
included of so many international postgraduate students. Since, they are doing their study
in English which is their second language; they face so many problems in listening
comprehension especially in their first semester. There is a large number of Iranian
students in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia as postgraduate students and those who were
master students in Mechanical Engineering were chosen due to having the sample of
majority of Iranian student community. The methodology of the study was mixed method
and it was included of quantitative and qualitative research method. The quantitative
research method was three-part questionnaire while qualitative method was semi-
structured interview. Meanwhile the quantitative method itself was classified into three
different questionnaires which were personal information, listening comprehension
factors and strategies. Twenty five of the first semester students were chosen to collect
the data. Microsoft Excel (2007) licensed software was used to analyse the data and the
results indicated that among the factors that affecting the students’ listening
comprehension, the environment factor was most significant parameter in listening
comprehension problems of the student with the mean value of 4.4 which clearly means
that 88% of the student were agreed and strongly agreed with it. In the case of strategies
leading the students to overcome their listening comprehension problems, indirect social
strategy was ranked with the mean value of 3.16. As a matter of fact, the high mean
values obtained in this research was indicated that Iranian students face difficulties in
listening comprehension and hopefully this study will raise the awareness of their
listening comprehension problems to employ the effective strategy to cope their
difficulties in understanding lecture in English.
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ABSTRAK
Kefahaman mendengar adalah kemahiran yang paling penting dalam
pembelajaran bahasa dan ia juga dikategorikan kepada tiga kandungan yang berbeza
yang mendengar, mendengar bermaklumat dan mendengar penuh. Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia adalah sebuah universiti antarabangsa yang termasuk pelajar pascasiswazah
antarabangsa yang begitu banyak. Sejak itu, mereka melakukan kajian mereka dalam
bahasa Inggeris yang merupakan bahasa kedua mereka, mereka menghadapi begitu
banyak masalah dalam kefahaman mendengar terutama dalam semester pertama mereka.
Terdapat sebilangan besar pelajar Iran di Universiti Teknologi Malaysia sebagai pelajar
pasca siswazah dan mereka yang merupakan pelajar sarjana dalam bidang Kejuruteraan
Mekanikal telah dipilih kerana mempunyai sampel majoriti masyarakat pelajar Iran.
Metodologi kajian adalah kaedah campuran dan ia telah dimasukkan kaedah penyelidikan
kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Kaedah penyelidikan kuantitatif adalah tiga bahagian soal
selidik manakala kaedah kualitatif adalah temu bual separa berstruktur. Sementara itu,
kaedah kuantitatif sendiri telah dikelaskan kepada tiga soal selidik yang berbeza yang
maklumat peribadi, faktor kefahaman mendengar dan strategi. Dua puluh lima pelajar
semester pertama telah dipilih untuk mengumpul data. Microsoft Excel (2007) perisian
berlesen telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data dan keputusan menunjukkan bahawa
antara faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kefahaman pelajar mendengar, faktor
persekitaran adalah parameter yang paling penting dalam masalah kefahaman mendengar
pelajar dengan nilai min 4.4 yang jelas bermaksud bahawa 88% pelajar telah bersetuju
dan sangat bersetuju dengannya. Dalam kes strategi yang memimpin pelajar untuk
mengatasi masalah kefahaman mereka mendengar, strategi sosial tidak langsung telah
disenaraikan dengan nilai min 3.16. Sebagai hakikatnya, nilai min yang tinggi yang
diperolehi dalam kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa pelajar Iran menghadapi kesukaran
dalam kefahaman mendengar dan diharapkan kajian ini akan meningkatkan kesedaran
masalah kefahaman mendengar mereka untuk menggunakan strategi yang berkesan untuk
menangani masalah mereka dalam syarahan pemahaman dalam Bahasa Inggeris.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER TITLE PAGE
DECLARATION ii
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv
ABSTRACT v
ABSTRAK vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
LIST OF FIGURES xi
LIST OF TABLES xii
LIST OF APPENDICES xiv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xv
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Background of the Study 2
1.3 Problem Statement 4
1.4 Purpose of the Study 4
1.5 Research Objectives 5
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1.6 Research Questions 5
1.7 Scope of the study 6
1.8 Significance of Research 6
1.9 Limitations 7
2 LITERATURE REVIEW 9
2.1 Introduction 9
2.2 Definition of Listening 10
2.3 Comprehensible Input 12
2.4 Listening Comprehension 12
2.5 Academic Listening 14
2.6 Listening in EFL Context 15
2.7 Common Problems in Listening Comprehension 16
2.7.1 Problems Among EFL learners 17
2.8 Strategies of Listening Comprehension 18
2.9 Factors of Listening Comprehension 21
3 METHODOLOGY 25
3.1 Introduction 25
3.2 Research Approach 25
3.3 Research Design 26
3.4 Participants and Sampling 27
3.5 Research Instruments 29
3.5.1 Three-part Questionnaire 30
3.5.2 Semi-Structured Interview 31
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3.6 Data Collection Procedure 31
3.7 Reliability and Validity 32
3.8 Data Analysis 32
4 DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 34
4.1 Introduction 34
4.2 Qualitative and Quantitative Data 35
4.2.1 Questionnaire: Part One; Demographic
Information 35
4.2.2 Questionnaire: Part Two; Factors 36
4.2.3 Questionnaire: Part Three; Strategies 42
4.2.3.1 Direct Strategies (Memory) 43
4.2.3.2 Direct Strategies( Compensate) 45
4.3 Data from Semi-Structured interview 50
4.3.1 Interview Question No.1; students’
understanding of the lecture 51
4.3.2 Interview Question No.2; students’ common
listening comprehension problems 51
4.3.3 Interview Question No.3; factors affecting on
students’ listening comprehension 53
4.3.4 Interview Question No.4; students’ interesting in
topic 54
4.3.5 Interview Question No.5; the importance of
content knowledge and second language proficiency 54
4.3.6 Interview Question No.6; students’ using of the
strategies 55
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4.3.7 Interview Question No.7; students’
understanding of the lecture before, during and after class 56
4.3.8 Interview Question No.8; students’ difficulty of
listening comprehension 57
5 CONCLUSIONS 59
5.1 Introduction 59
5.2 Conclusion 59
5.3 Implications 61
. 5.4 Recommendations 61
REFERENCES 63
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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE NO TITLE
PAGE
Figure 3.1 Design of the study 27
Figure 4.1 Summary of Result of the Factors
Affecting Listening Comprehension 42
Figure 4.2 Summary of Result of the Language
Learning Strategies 49
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE NO TITLE PAGE
Table 2.1: Goh’s Task Factor of Listening Comprehension Affecting Factors 21
Table 2.2: Goh’s Environment Factor of Listening Comprehension
Affecting Factors 21
Table 2.3: Goh’s Text Factor of Listening Comprehension Affecting Factors 22
Table 2.4: Goh’s Listener Factor of Listening Comprehension Affecting Factors 23
Table 2.5: Goh’s Speaker Factor of Listening Comprehension Affecting Factors 24
Table 3.1: Applying condition for studying at UTM 29
Table 3.2 Data collection procedure 32
Table 4.1 Participants’ responses of Text Factor Affecting Listening
Comprehension 37
Table 4.2 Participants’ responses of Task Factor Affecting Listening
Comprehension 38
Table 4.3 Participants’ responses of Speaker Factor Affecting Listening
Comprehension 39
Table 4.4 Participants’ responses of Listener Factor Affecting Listening
Comprehension 40
Table 4.5 Participants’ responses of Environment Factor Affecting
Listening Comprehension 41
Table 4.6 Summary of Result of the Factors Affecting Listening
Comprehension 41
Table 4.7 Respondents’ Use of Direct Strategies (Memory) 44
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Table 4.8 Respondents’ Use of Direct Strategies (Compensate) 45
Table 4.9 Respondents’ Use of Indirect Strategies (Meta-cognitive) 46
Table 4.10 Respondents’ Use of Indirect Strategies (Social) 47
Table 4.11 Summary of Results of Language Learning Strategies 48
Table 4.12 Interview assessment based on question No.2 52
Table 4.13 Interview assessment based on question No.3 53
Table 4.14 Interview assessment based on question No.4 54
Table 4.15 Interview assessment based on question No.5 55
Table 4.16 Interview assessment based on question No.6 56
Table 4.17 Interview assessment based on question No.7 56
Table 4.18 Interview assessment based on question No.8 57
xiv
LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX TITLE PAGE
APPENDIX (A) DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE 66
APPENDIX (B) LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES’
QUESTIONNAIRE 68
APPENDIX (C) INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 70
APPENDIX (D) RESPONDED INTERVIEW 71
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LIST OF ABBREVIATION
SD - Strongly Disagree
D - Disagree
N - Neutral
A - Agree
SA - Strongly Agree
NT - Never or almost never true of me
UNT - Usually not true of me
ST - Somewhat true of me
UT - Usually true of me
AT - Always or almost always true of
me
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
Listening is one of the most important skills among all language skills.
Listening is considered as a skill because learners need practice to be a good listener.
Listening is a demanding process and most of the time learners can understand and
comprehend listening if they are interested in listening topic or has background
knowledge about the topic. Listening comprehension is the most important skill in
language learning and the least researched one. Listening comprehension is also
categorized into content listening, informative listening and full listening.
Listening among all language learners is a controversial skill (Lund, 1990).
Learners in EFL (English as a foreign language) context and ESL context always
have lots of problems with different aspects of this skill and look for new strategies
to learn listening in better ways. ESL context refers to the learning English in some
countries which speak English as a second language that speaking English takes a
place more in public environment. EFL context refers to the learning English in non
English-speaking countries that speaking English is limited in their educational
systems and in their English private institutes. (Michieka, 2011)
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This research looks into the possible listening comprehension problems
which Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) master students might face with their
lectures in English and investigate the strategies they need to overcome their
problems.
EFL learner in a new context might have the same or different problems and
also use different strategies to handle these problems. In this paper the researcher
studies on Iranian mechanical engineering master students in ESL context as a
sample of master students in EFL context.
1.2 Background study
There are so many researches in the past decade concerning listening
comprehension problems. This study focuses on listening comprehension problems
and strategies regarding to the changing in contexts from EFL to ESL. Learners learn
English language in ESL/EFL context in different countries. For example learners
learn English language as a second language (ESL) in Malaysia, in Iran English
language is as a foreign language.
According to Iran ministry of education syllabus, Iranian students have
studied English based on GTM (Grammar Translation Method) method in university,
so all Iranian students just learnt English language theoretically instead of
practically. In order to control variables and have the same setting and situations
among Iranian learners toward ESL English lectures, Iranian mechanical master
students has been selected as a sample of the Iranian students.
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According to GTM methodology grammar and translation are two
remarkable factors which learners are asked to focus more on them. There is no place
for listening or other language skills so learners are not familiar with listening
strategies. They did not practice enough to listening comprehension and their EFL
teachers have taught them in their first language at their undergraduate and
postgraduate levels even at universities. They just passed some courses in English
which they just focused on reading, writing and translation in L2 in L1. According to
Iran ministry of education syllabus these English courses are around 4 credits in
bachelor; courses are based on students’ major, they did not have any practical using
of listening and speaking.
Though all students must have IELTS score band above 6 or they must pass
IEC (intensive English courses) based on UTM regulations to join their faculties,
Iranian master students are not professional in different language skills specially
listening skill due to the differences in their EFL and ESL contexts. When Iranian
master students start their postgraduate education in UTM, they might face to some
problems in listening with lectures regarding to they never have English base class in
Iran. All the lecturers have taught all the courses in L1 (Persian language).
According to Underwood (1989), students in EFL context have so many
problems in listening comprehension, and they are not exposed to authentic materials
as well. Due to the EFL context and environment, students in EFL context do not
have any contact with real English world; they do not receive authentic, eligible well
organized comprehensible input.
Most Iranian Mechanical engineering master students as an EFL student in
ESL context have so many problems with listening comprehension. Iranian master
students who want to study in UTM might encounter some similar or different
problems in their listening comprehension in the new environment which is ESL
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context. Listening comprehension skill is significant to Iranian students because if
they could not comprehend the lectures in English, they won’t pass their courses.
1.3 Problem Statement
There are some Iranian students that they’ve had a different background of
listening comprehension in Iran as students in EFL context and they faced with some
problems in ESL context (UTM). Due to the differences between EFL and ESL
context and as these students have passed their undergraduate academic studies
based on their L1 (Persian) language in Iran and they do not know about English
listening strategies.
Based on Iran ministry of education all university lecturers speak in Persian
language. The possible problems might happen in order to the changing of EFL to
ESL context and based on English language. The students learn English language
just to get some technical words and information from the course lectures in Iran. So
they cannot understand their lectures in English and never pass their courses if they
could not comprehend listening during the class. However, the most significant
problem of Iranian students is the listening comprehension problems with lectures in
English.
1.4 Purpose of the Study
Aim of this study is to investigate more about Iranian Mechanical
engineering master students’ problems in listening comprehension in their English
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lectures. More over the study looks for strategies that these students use to overcome
their problems in listening comprehension and which factors have influence on it. All
data will be analysis based on qualitative and quantitative research method to find
out their listening comprehension problems.
1.5 Research Objectives
The objectives of this research are as follows:
i. To investigate problems of Iranian mechanical engineering master
students listening comprehension with their lecture in English in ESL
context.
ii. To find out the main strategies used by Iranian mechanical
engineering master students to overcome their listening
comprehension problems.
1.6 Research Questions
The following research questions will be investigated in the study:
1. What are the listening comprehension problems faced by Iranian
mechanical engineering master students with lectures in English in ESL
context?
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2. What are the common strategies used by Iranian mechanical engineering
master students in ESL context to overcome listening comprehension
problems with lectures in English?
1.7 Scope of the study
The study involved 25 mechanical engineering master students who enroll in
their first semester of academic year 2012-2013 at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
They have studied their bachelor in EFL context (Iran) and now they are studying in
ESL context (Malaysia). These students graduated from Iran (undergraduate degree)
and they study at UTM as a master student. All Iranian mechanical engineering
students passed IEC in previous semester.
The normal age of master students at UTM University ranged between 24 to
33 years old. The research area is on listening comprehension problems that
university students have with lectures in English and the strategies that they use to
overcome those problems.
1.8 Significance of Research
Master students in both ESL and EFL context have some problems in their
listening comprehension with lectures. The main emphasis of this study is on Iranian
master problems in ESL context. They need to understand their university lectures in
English to study their core credits (lectures are in English not English courses). Their
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problems are to comprehend listening of lectures to understand their university
courses which are different from English courses (they join to the faculty).
Based on the past studies (Lotfi, 2012; Hayati, 2010; Teng, 1998) there are
common problems which students in EFL contexts have and they might have them in
a new context which is ESL context. Master students who change their context form
EFL to ESL might face with problems in listening comprehension. There is a need to
have more research about problems that student encounter and some strategies they
used to overcome those problems.
These problems are not depending on the lecturers, because of their English
background, they will have some problems while listening to their lectures. The
students’ awareness of their problems in listening comprehension can help them to
solve these problems. It also improves students’ comprehension of their core subjects
better than before, therefore, they can be more successful in during their study.
1.9 Limitations
It is not possible to study listening comprehension problems of all university
students in EFL context who enter to ESL context. Sample of 25 Iranian mechanical
engineering master students to study UTM University as an ESL context is going to
be investigated. The researcher cannot study all university lecturers in English and
all Iranian population because of the limitation of time, so she studies two courses
and sample due to her limitation.
The result of this study is related to Iranian master students in UTM,
therefore it is not related to all EFL learners who study in UTM (just Iranian as EFL
learners), thus the problems and strategies might be different to all EFL learners.
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In this research the researcher can use pilot study, but because of the
limitation of time she did not design questionnaire and just adapts from the other
research. On the other hand, the researcher uses 20 minutes of recording the voice of
lecturers; otherwise she can use much more time if she expands the time from one
semester to two or more semester.
The limitation of time push the researcher to adapt the questionnaire from the
others, she does not have enough time to design a questioner based on her study. the
limitation of time also influence on the time of recording, the researcher uses 20
minutes of recording the voice of lecturers; otherwise she could use much more time
if she expands the time from one semester to two or more semester.
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