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146THE NATURE OF LISTENING AS AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS AND ITS
APPLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM
Nargiza Ravshanovna Hikmatova Halimaxon Hamzayevna Hakimova
Teacher assistant at Bukhara state Teacher assistant at Bukhara state
university university
mega.hikmatova@gmail .com halimakhonh@gmail .com
ABSTRACT
Noteworthily, it is claimed that listening is a two-way process, which means a listener is not passive but active as he works at combining the sounds heard into meaningful pieces of information. Therefore, this article attempts to explore how this knowledge of listening processes can be used to optimize listening comprehension in the classroom. This is especially important since effective real-life communication demands developing efficient receptive skills. This article is entirely based on document analysis method, a major component of qualitative research design. The results of the analysis revealed that integrated teaching of language skills focuses on mastery of meaning, fluency and communication through involving learners in different activities encouraging interaction.
Key words: interactive listening, intensive, extensive, comprehension
INTRODUCTION
In the modern world, there are numerous fields where the knowledge of a foreign language is crucial. Therefore, nowadays more and more young people are trying to learn a foreign language since they consider it the key to success. As noted by our esteemed President Shavkat Miromonovich "raising physically healthy, mentally and intellectually developed, independent- minded young people, loyal to the motherland, increasing their social activity in the process of developing civil society and deepening democratic reforms is important in the development of the Republic of Uzbekistan".
The given article puts forward achieving the following aims:
a) Defining the nature of interactive listening
b) Exploring benefits of extensive listening practice
c) Examining principles of intensive listening practice
d) Observing the role of a teacher in organizing effective classroom practice
Prior to indulging ourselves into understanding "interactive listening", it is
reasonable to get an insight of what constitutes interactive process. Firstly, according to Oxford dictionary "interactive is an adjective, which means influencing each other (of two people or things)". This implies that any interactive process involves at least two
constituents that excerpt certain amount of influence on each other. The exchange of information orally, via mails or phone calls, the influence of a user actions on the development of the plot and settings in computer games, quizzes on a company's website allowing a user to select their own path to receive information are some of the examples of daily interactive processes.
Now let's look at some definitions of an interactive listening process: Listening comprehension is not either top-down or bottom-up processing, but an interactive, interpretive process where listeners use both prior knowledge and linguistic knowledge in understanding messages.1( Vandergrift, L)
....A significant proportion of real world listening performance is interactive. With the exception of media input, speeches, and eavesdropping, many of our listening efforts are directed towards a two-way process of speaking and listening in face-to-face conversations. (Brown)
So, why do we need listening? Primarily, that is because exposure to the language via listening to native speech is a fundamental step towards foreign language mastery. "In L2 development, listening constitutes not only a skill area in performance, but also a primary means of acquiring a second language."
LITERATURE REVIYEW
It is laid down by Brown and Yule (1983), any spoken language possesses both interactional (to build and maintain relationships) and transactional (normally conveying a message to get things done) functions. In the former case, the speaker wants to establish social relationships. Hence, it is mainly listener-oriented. When the latter function is dominant, the speaker aims at the transference of information. Therefore, it is message-oriented. Since listening comprehension occurs in interactive situations, this means not only understanding the oral message but understanding it in the context is also important. This interactive and transactional modes of listening have been adopted by quite a number of researchers (e.g., Galvin, 1985; Rost, 1990; Richards, 1990; Vandergrift, 1992, 1997, 2002). Galvin was one of the pioneers to expend the term interactional listening. Richards (1990) wrote about the difference between interactional and transactional functions and purposes in comprehending language in a thorough manner.
1 Vandergrift, L. (n.d.). Listening: theory and practice in modern foreign language competence. Available at: http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/67 (Accessed 10 December 2010)
2 Brown, H. D. 2004. Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices. NY: Pearson Education,Inc. pp 138.
3 Rost, M. 2002. Teaching and Researching Listening. London: Longman. Pp 503
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this paper, a document analysis research method is employed as a part of study. Document analysis research is a method where a researcher can use an abundant number of texts to conduct a thorough analysis and come to a conclusion. Bowen (2009) suggests that a wide range of documents is better although the issue of the quality of the document should dominate over the quantity. It is an effective and efficient way of collecting data since such documents are easy to use and practical to identify various scholars' authentic ideas. They provide a very accessible and reliable source of data. Furthermore, documents are stable, "non-reactive" data sources in that they can be read and reviewed several times and remain unaltered by the researcher's influence or research process (Bowen, 2009, p. 31). As with other analytical methods in qualitative research, document analysis requires that data be examined and interpreted in order to elicit meaning, gain understanding, and develop empirical knowledge (Corbin & Strauss, 2008, as cited in Harmer, 2007).
In this study, I looked through quite a few documents connected the title and analyzed them to examine integrated language teaching principle with particular focus on listening comprehension.
ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
It is through listening that students learn pronunciation, rhythm, intonation, pitch and stress of the language. However, since students mostly do not have the opportunity to interact with native speakers, a combination of extensive and intensive listening procedures would help.
Extensive listening occurs when a teacher encourages students to choose for themselves what they listen to and to do so for pleasure and general language improvement4. This type of listening is usually done outside the classroom, and listening materials are chosen by the student himself. Therefore, such listening is considered to be highly motivating. Though, to make this practice even more effective, having tapes sorted out by level, topic and genre and making them available for students is advised.
As regards intensive listening, it is a series of short listening exercises aimed at practicing a certain language aspect such as reviewing vocabulary, learning functional language like accepting or declining invitations, giving suggestions, advice, etc. Intensive listening can be conducted in two ways: through taped material or live listening. So, in the former practice the recording is played once or several times by the teacher while students are offered a practice exercise to work out. As is suggested by Jeremy Harmer, though, such practice is not always positive:
4 Harmer Jeremy "The practice of English language teaching" Third edition. Longman. Pp 228
www.scientificprogress.uz
Advantages of using taped material Disadvantages of using taped material
Ss listen to different accents If the room is rather big, not all students can clearly hear the recording
They offer extensive diversity of situations Speed of the listening may be hard to catch up for some students
Such materials are widely available This is not natural process in terms of real-life communication
Most coursebooks offer such exercises Students do not interact
When it comes to live listening, it can be accomplished in several ways:
a) Teacher reading a piece of written material aloud. It can be an engaging extract from a book, magazine or any other source, either a dialogue with elements of a play. Advantage: Students can interrupt, ask for clarification, customize the speed of speech.
b) Teacher telling a story. Advantage: Interaction can be maintained by asking students to predict the coming text.
c) Students interviewing the teacher or a guest invited. Advantage: students are motivated to listen as they expect to hear the answer to the questions, they themselves came up with.
d) Teacher organizing conversations. Advantage: Students not only listen but watch live interaction.
Hearing certain sounds, a listener processes them as a stream of noise on a number of levels, which taken together make up the concept of comprehension5. These stages include differentiating sounds, understanding the meaning of individual words, phrases or the syntax of sentences, perceiving the listener's intonation.
According to Field6, while processing a foreign language the listener accomplishes the following:
• Recognizes separate words in a continuous flow of sounds. This process is difficult for English language learners as in this language, especially British dialect, the end sound of the previous word runs into the first sound of the next. For example, "Would you like to drink? /wsdjolaik tdriqk/"
• Understands shortened forms such as "I'd like to../ I'd have done/ She's gone.."
• Perceives the meaning of words.
• Understands syntax, that is sentences, clauses and etc.
• Understands word stress, sentence stress, rhythm.
5 Jo McDonough, Christopher Shaw, Hitomi Masuhara "Materials and methods in ELT" Third editionJohn Wiley&Sons,Inc. 2013.Pp 141
6 Field, J: Listening in the Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008
«SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS» Scientific Journal ISSN: 2181-1601 ///// \\\\\ Volume: 1, ISSUE: 6
• Differentiates patterns and purpose of varying intonation. For example, falling intonation means the end of a statement, while rising tone means the sentence is not finished and the speaker is supposed to continue. Furthermore, notes of approval, disapproval, hesitation and others affect the meaning of the utterance.
Apart from the sounds, grammar and intonation, a listener also processes the overall meaning of a piece of listening. What is special about this process is that, as is stated by
n
Richards, memory works with propositions, not with sentences ,which means after listening to a piece of information, the listener is unlikely to remember grammar or vocabulary, but can recall most of the meaning. Furthermore, the way a massage is conveyed has a large influence on how well it is understood. For example, the use of discourse markers such as "next, for example, now, turning to...", repetition of certain words are some of the means that improve listening comprehension.
Turning to the next point, what should not be overlooked is a context of listening. For example, a sentence like "I saw you there" may indicate disappointment, anger, mockery or affirmation, which is not clear without a context. A context, in its turn, can be "pragmatic"( adj. dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations ), that is include location(street, home, school),the number of speakers, their roles and relationships9. These cues help listeners imagine the scene of listening, predict its content and think of key words, if the listening is being done for testing purposes.
Finally, the knowledge and experience that a listener has influence listening comprehension greatly. To illustrate, if a student receiving a course in linguistics is put a lecture on microbiology, he is highly likely to demonstrate a lower level of comprehension. This happens because such student cannot imagine most of the processes, reactions and items described as he has not seen or heard them before. What is more, when members of one culture listen to the speech of a foreigner, they do not usually reach full comprehension, though the language can be quite easy.
Now, turning to the role of a teacher in this process, it should be noted that as the aim of practicing listening in the classroom is to prepare students for successful real-life communication, there are a number of factors that either add up to or deter effective listening. Since it is the teacher who organizes, presents and controls classroom listening, it is reasonable to examine their roles first. The primary ones are the following:
a) Organizing the whole process: choosing appropriate materials and tasks to match student level(too easy materials get students bored, while excessively complicated ones
7 Richards, J. C. The Context of Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985. Pp 191.
8 Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press. 2010
9 Rost, M. Listening in Language Learning. London: Longman. 1990. P 7.
discourage them from listening and create a feeling of disappointment which may last further through the whole course) the instructor introduces students to the listening (by asking general questions or conducting war-up activities), clearly defines the purpose of listening (ex. Are they listening to note down specific details such as dates, names, locations, time... etc? Are they listening for general information?), provides easy-to-understand instructions. Most importantly, teachers motivate and provide an incentive to listen, since most learners anticipate difficult content, confusing vocabulary and syntax.
b) Managing the recording: in the 21st century, there are abundant means to play a track in the classroom. To illustrate, a computer connected to loudspeakers, multifunction loudspeakers with USB or CD/DVD support, equipped language laboratory or tape recorders can be used. Irrespective of the choice, what is important is to prepare beforehand. This means a teacher should play the recording before the lesson to check if the right recording is prepared, if quality is good and the machine is working properly.
c) Providing feedback after the activity: when the listening is over it is not just enough to provide keys and mark students. It is more productive to organize a feedback session to check how successful students are, what was especially complicated, how motivated or unmotivated they fell by the end of listening. One way to do this is by asking students to compare and discuss their answers with groupmates. This information can then be used by the teacher to organize further classes, and for students this is a good chance to relive tension and avoid disappointment.
d) Promoting skills reinforcement: usually the material a teacher chooses for listening is rich in topic specific vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and thought-provoking ideas, which, if students work thoroughly, enhance their language skills. However, students usually skip this stage and consider listening exercise to be over once the task is accomplished. Thereby teacher's further guidance is necessary for learners to work with the material to the fullest.
CONCLUSION
To sum up, listening comprehension is not just interpreting words and sentences
but "an ability to use a combination of sub-skills( perception skills, language skills, knowledge of the world, dealing with information, interacting with a speaker) simultaneously when processing a spoken language; the skill one needs at a particular moment depends on the kind of text and the reasons for listening"10. There are the following benefits of integrated language teaching and learning that can be assumed from the analysis above:
10 White, G. Listening. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1998. Pp 8-9
a) Integrating the skills allows the learners to acquire all four language skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking) simultaneously in the process of communication inside and outside the classroom.
b) The synchronous use of skills is usually very rewarding to the students since they obtain a chance to develop all the four skill together.
c) Anxiety and self-concept which are not reported in L1 listening comprehension were found largely in listening comprehension in L2.
d) Students are found to be more motivated in integrated listening practice, as communication assists in releasing tension and anxiety that L2 listening creates
And the integration of language skills, hence, is proven to be more productive on the condition that the instructors are more dedicated and creative to adopt the new ways for effective classroom teaching.
REFERENCES
1. Brown, H. D. Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices. NY: Pearson Education. 2004. pp 138.
2. Field, J: Listening in the Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Pp 191.
3. Hakimova, Halimakhon. "THE CONCEPT OF KINDNESS IN JR TOLKIENS'S "THE LORD OF THE RINGS"." International Engineering Journal For Research & Development 6.2 (2021): 4-4.
4. Harmer Jeremy "The practice of English language teaching" Third edition. Longman. 1983. Pp 228
5. Jo McDonough, Christopher Shaw, Hitomi Masuhara "Materials and methods in ELT" Third edition.John Wiley&Sons,Inc. 2013. Pp 141
6. Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press. 2010
7. Ravshanovna, Hikmatova Nargiza. "Daniel defoe's "robinson crusoe" as the prototype of the english novel." ACADEMICIA: AN INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH JOURNAL 10.12 (2020): 644-647.
8. Richards, J. C. The Context of Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985.
9. Rost, M. Listening in Language Learning. London: Longman. 1990. P 7.
10. Rost, M. Teaching and Researching Listening. London: Longman. 2002. Pp 503
11. Vandergrift, L. (n.d.). Listening: theory and practice in modern foreign language competence. Available at: http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/67 (Accessed 10 December 2010)
12. White, G. Listening. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1998. Pp 8-9
