Improving students’ listening Ability英语专业毕业论文.doc

Improving students listening AbilityAbstract The present study presents a detailed report of a project implemented to solve the problem that most of my students learn deaf English in and out of class. It is hypothesized that improving their listening ability will be greatly increased by varied error-correction techniques in this respect. This hypothesis is verified by a four-week practice of varied error-correction techniques. Among the methods of scientific investigation used are analytic method, cause analysis, questionnaire survey and brainstorming activation.Main Headings of the Project Report.1 Introduction2 summary of the preliminary Research 2.1 Problem 2.2 Problem analysis 2.3 Project objective 2.4 Project hypothesis 2.5 Possible solution3 Full-Scaled Implementation of the solution 3.1 Encourage their self-confidence3.2 Provide materials 3.3 Perform in and out of class3.4 Listen to the tape3.5 Have competition4 varied error-correction techniques design5 Data Analysis6 Problem Unsolved 7 Conclusion.Appendix A Questionnaire survey AAppendix B Questionnaire survey BAppendix C Teaching notesAppendix D Teaching diariesAppendix E 1 Introduction:I have been teaching the students who are in their second year of Xiao Beihe junior Middle School, Ive found some problems in my teaching. Now Ill finish my study in Liaoyang TV university. I hope I can solve the problems that have troubled me through the action research. So that I can apply my knowledge and theory into practice.2 Summary of the preliminary Research. This part of my study was conducted during March 1, 2004 April 11, 2004.2.1 Problem The problem I have in my teaching is that “ My students learn English, They dont like listening to the tape in and out of class. They dont know how to improve their listening ability.2.2 Problem analysis In my teaching, the problem was really a serious problem. My preliminary research confirmed that there were four reasons to train the students listening ability.First: Some students just want to improve their marks in writing , not listening.Second: Some students are weak in English. They often fail the exam, so they lost their self-confidences. They dont study English at all. So they dont train their listening ability. Third: some students are very shy, They are afraid to make mistakes in front of class, In order to not lose face, They keep silence in and out of class.Fourth: Some students have some difficulties in doing listening practice, Most teachers in our school give class without tape-recorder. So they cant do listening practice well. The problem had been troubled me for a long time and now I was determined to find a solution to the problem, In my study, I used 4 methods of analysis.2.2.1 Analytic method Through careful analysis. I was led to a serious of question, Most of my students dont know how to improve their listening in and out of class. They learn deaf English . Even I give them the chances. So their listening ability is very poor. I want to know whether they thought how to improve their listening ability or not. If they say yes. The problem was caused by myself. Probably the listening work I organized was not successful.2.2.2 Cause analysis I asked my students many questions and try to answer them. Most students dont do listening practice in and out of class. I designed a cause exploration like this Questions Answer Do you like listening? Yes Are teaching steps poorly designed Maybe Is listening important or not? ProbablyIs time limited? Yes Do you think listening ability is useless? Maybe Are you good at listening? NoDo you have good listening techniques? NoOf all the reasons. I believe that the teacher is mainly responsible for the failure.2.2.3 Questionnaire survey I made a pilot investigation in this respect to know more about the situation. I designed a research procedure like the follows.I ask them to listen Lesson 79 and make a similar dialogue “Make telephone conversation”. The next day. I got the following feed back. Only 9 students listen the text Only 4 students make similar dialogues. The rest didnt do the listening taskI asked them some questions. The first is why some of them had done the listening task. The students responses. The students who did the homework said they like English very much and they often do listening practice. Most students who didnt did listening practice said they dont know how to improve their listening ability. Since most of my students didnt know how to improve their listening ability. I designed a questionnaire to find out the details. I try to make it scientific and effective. So I read many English bibliographies in order to find the right and effective methods to train the students listening ability. 2.2.4 Brain storming activationAfter I have read many books, I pay my attention to a book “Li Yang Clize Mad English” I gained a lot of advice and methods. So that I determined to launch a project to overcome this problem.2.3 Project objectiveMy research objective is how to improve the students listening ability.2.4 Project hypothesis It is hypothesis that improve the students listening ability is carried out “varied error-correction techniques. 2.5 Possible solutions I provided some possible solutions as follows: 2.5.1 Build their self-confidence and encourage them to overcome the difficulties. 2.5.2 Let them listen to the primary English tape and sing primary English songs. Even watch English films.2.5.3 Give them chance to act out dialogues in and out of class.2.5.4 Correct their mistakes while doing listening materials. 3. Full-scaled implementation of the solutionsThis part of my study was conducted during March 1, 2004 July 15, 20043.1 Encourage their self-confidence and overcome the difficultiesIn order to guarantee that most of the students would be highly involved into the practices, I implemented the first steps. Because most of the students are shy or be afraid of making mistakes when they speak English, I encouraged them and design occasions for them to improve their oral English. Help them form self-confidence and make up their mind to overcome the difficulties.3.1.1 Help them not be afraid of losing face3.1.2 Help them show off themselves.3.1.3 Tell them interesting stories and form positive charactors.3.2 Provide materials. In order to make it sure that all the students could master the methods, I use the primary English tape in class. Then let them imitate and act. The students of 15 or 14 years old are curious. They have strong desire of seeking knowledge and novelty. They have strong desire to express themselves. So I provide them with English songs. Even primary English videos. They listen English more smoothly and confidently than before.3.3 Perform in and out of classI created chances for the students to act out their dialogues. Every lesson, I give them enough time to listen English with “Varied error-correction techniques”. I encourage them to show off themselves in order to increase their interests in learning English, So they have strong desire to improve their listening ability. At the same time, I encourage them to listen to the tape as often as possible. 3.4 Listen to the tape Give them the primary English tape, Teach them the methods to do the listening materials. Help them correction their mistakes when they listen to the tape.Carry out “varied error-correction techniques”. Design the real occasion for them. Help them use listening materials to make and act dialogues.3.5 Have competitions I decide to check their listening task. I organized some matches . Let each of them to take part in the competition. Check the “varied error-correction techniques” effect. While checking, I can find out their mistakes and go on emphasizing the main points of “varied error-correction techniques”. 4. Varied error-correction techniques design.My Hypothesis is that how to improve the students listening ability in and out of class by “Varied error-correction techniques”. However, my new assignment activities should have a real information value. So that students have a real purpose to communicate. I designed four activities to be tried in four weeks. Week 1 Activity 1. This activity is based as in Junior English for China, Book 2B, Unit 15, Lesson 60, At Anns house Purpose: To practise using the useful expression about food and master sentences about meals. Instructions: Collect some food names make new dialogues by themselves in class, Then acted it out. Procedure: I explain the text of lesson 60 . I help them to listen to the words, phrases and sentences on them. I allow them to rehearse their listening practise for one day. At last I arranged a whole class for them to check the methods. Have a match when they perform. First : Let them say the materials on tapes with “varied error-correction techniques”. Second: Let them listen to the materials by themselves. Act out the dialogues at the front.After performance. I asked all of the students to elect excellent students. For students: They had to work in groups, They could act Ann, Chen or mum . Each role had to say at least five sentences. Each group had to write down their play or dialogue and hand it in. Second: They had to practise in and out of class . They must use the tape with varied error-correction techniques.Week 2 Activity 2. This activity is based as in Junior English for China, Book 2B, Unit 16, Lesson 61“What a good kind girl”Purpose: To master ways of asking and pointing the way.Instruction: Make the students collect the names of the local places.Procedure: I taught text in class, Then I taught them how to retell a story and listen fto the tape. I led them to find out the main words and sentences, I told them that must listen to text carefully. Then answer questions according to the text. 1 What do you do when you dont know the way? 2 Where was the old woman? What did she want to do? 3 Did she know the way to the hospital? Why or why not? 4 How did the husband feel when he saw his wife?5 Why didnt liu Mei wait for their thanks?I let some students answered them in class. Then I told every students to listen the tapes and answered them in front of during the break instead of reciting originas text. After that I gave him a mark.Week 3 Activity 3. This activity is based as in Junior English for China, Book 2B, Unit 17, “The queue jumper” Purpose: To make students master several new words and phrases. To have a polite habit. Instructions: I got the students to retell the text alone or work in groups after class then I told everyone to retell the text in front of me.Procedure: In class, I taught the text, listen to the tape I asked the students to retell the lesson after class. The next day, I asked some student retell the lesson in class and then I gave some necessary advice. The students worked in groups after class. One of them played the part of a narrator, The others played doctor patients and an old woman. At last I asked three groups to give their performance in front of the class.Week 4, Activity4, “Where are from?”This activity is based as in Junior English for China, Book 2B, Unit 18, Lesson 69. “seeing the doctor” Purpose: To master the oral English of seeing a doctor.Instructions: Students worked in groups. They made new dialogue by themselves after class. Then they acted aut their dialogues in class. Procedure: I taught them the seeing doctor conversation and help them to recite dialogue. Help them to find out the main grammars in the dialogue. I provide them a lot of relative materials about seeing doctor conversation. Let them make similar dialogues. Have a match I give them marks when they perform. Sum up the methods of saying dialogues. At last listen to the tape and do exercises using varied error- correction techniques to listen to the materials.5 Data Analysis After four weeks action research, I designed Questionnaire, in the questionnaire I used feedback information from my solutions to the problems discussed so that their effectiveness could be reflected by the results. I hoped to know what my students had gained and whether they improved their listening ability with my “varied error-correction techniques”. Students general impression of the project, The project here consists three aspects. 25% of the students have improved their listening ability a lot, 90% of the students have improved their listening ability, While the percentage was only 5% before the implementation . 5% of the students hadnt improved their listening ability.From comparing the data, I draw some conclusions: The students who improved their listening ability a lot because they like English very much and they have not only done what I taught them, but also increased practice times and time. 9o% of the students can aware of the “varied error-correction techniques”, and they did just as what I told them. They can improve their listening ability. While, There are still 5% of the students cant improve because they dont like English at all. Even though they want to improve their listening ability, They can do nothing. From their responses and the analysis to the data. I should try my best to carry out the methods better. I think the improvement is mainly due to those factors, Firstly, Providing very effective help. Secondly, Carrying out effective methods. Thirdly, Taking right teaching approaches. Fourthly, Checking their listening tasks every time. 6. Problem Unsolved. After I thought seriously and had exchanges of views on the project with my students. I found out that the students listening ability improved, but there was still much that would need further improvement . I must make continuous reflection in my teaching. The problems like following. A: The problem of the text book. “The dialogues are too short. listening practice is too simple. B: The way of teaching. I should provide more listening materials. C: The way of learning. Some students have much homework to do. They dont have enough time to do “varied error-correction techniques”. D: In the country, some of the students drop English. 7. Conclusion The present study is chiefly based on the project that I preceded from Mar, 2004 to July 2004. Which aimed to improve my students listening ability. Six weeks ago I determined to work on the crucial problem that most of my students had learned deaf English. In my study I used the analytic method, cause analysis, questionnaire survey and brainstorming activation. I worked out five possi