A Case Study on the Effects of Applying Authentic Materials as Listening Comprehension Supplements for Senior High School Students

Abstract

國立政治大學英國語文學系在職碩士班\r\n碩士論文提要\r\n\r\n論文名稱：使用真實語料做為高中生英語聽力輔助教材之個案研究\r\n\r\n指導教授：彭欽清\r\n研究生：林宜如\r\n\r\n論文提要內容：\r\n本研究旨在分析探討以廣播真實語料 (authentic broadcast materials) 做為台灣高中生英語聽力輔助教材之可能性，並兼論不同題型設計 (task types) 對不同程度學生聽力表現上的影響，以期能夠提供高中英語教師在英聽教學教材上的另一選擇及英聽測驗的方針。\r\n實驗對象為41位高一學生。學生在學期初以全民英檢聽力測驗結果分為高、中、低三種程度，並接受為期十週的廣播英聽訓練。實驗過程中搭配以不同測驗題型來協助並檢視學生英聽理解力。學期結束前再以同樣之英檢試題做為後測。\r\n本研究採用質與量的分析方法。質的分析涵蓋：（一）實驗對象的英文學習背景；（二）學生英聽困難的分析；（三）學生對選材及不同題型的看法。量的分析則以SPSS統計法，包括（一）前後測統計數值的差異；（二）取材（text types）與後測英聽成效的關係；（三）題型（task types）與後測英聽成效的關係。\r\n研究結果發現：受試者在收聽廣播真實語料上最大的困難在於速度及連音。但經過廣播真實語料的英聽訓練後，高程度組不但在後測表現上有明顯進步，且較習慣於外國人的速度及連音，並能接受更長篇的真實語料。至於題型設計對英聽成效影響不大，但是，從學生問卷發現，高程度者認為克漏字題型較有助於英聽訓練，而中、低程度者則都認為選擇題較有助於英聽訓練。最後，本研究提出一些英語聽力教學上的建議：（一）教學初期只要求學生達到重要但簡單的基本目標；（二）教導學生分辨中英文語言的差異以及口說與書寫英文的不同特性；（三）設計多樣化的題型。最後，希望本研究能對台灣的高中英語聽力教學有所助益。

ABSTRACT\r\n\r\nThis study aims chiefly at the feasibility of using authentic English broadcast programs as supplementary materials in listening comprehension training for EFL senior high school students. It also discusses the effect of different task types on different proficiency levels in English listening comprehension performance, in the hope that the research would provide other alternative of supplementary listening materials and test designs as a reference for senior high school teachers.\r\nThe research is conducted among 41first-year senior high school students. In the beginning of the first semester in fall, 2002, the subjects were divided into three proficiency levels (high, middle and low) according to the results of their performance on the GEPT listening comprehension as a pretest. Then they were given a ten-week authentic English broadcast listening training. During the course of training, different task types were provided to evaluate students’ listening proficiency and to help them to the focus of the test. At the end of the semester, the same GEPT listening task was administered as a posttest.\r\nThe research adopts both qualitative and quantitative data analyses. Qualitative analyses consist of (1) the subjects’ English learning background, (2) the English listening comprehension difficulties encountered by the subjects, and (3) students’ views on different test and task types. By using SPSS, the quantitative analyses incorporate (1) the difference of statistical values between the pretest and posttest, (2) the correlation between text types and proficiency performance on the posttest, and (3) the correlation between task types and proficiency performance on the posttest.\r\nThe research has found out that in listening to authentic English broadcast, the major difficulties encountered by the subjects are speed and linkage. Nevertheless, after the ten-week systematic training, the high-achievers are found to have improved obviously in their posttest performance. Little by little the subjects, especially the high-achievers, are not only adapted to the speed and linkage in authentic speech but also used to longer utterance by native speakers. Furthermore, it is also found in the research that the task types have little effect on the subjects’ listening performance. However, from the analysis of the subjects’ feedback questionnaire, the research has found that high-proficiency students reveal that cloze test types are helpful for the training of listening comprehension, while the middle- and low-achievers prefer the multiple choices.\r\nIt is suggested that in teaching English listening comprehension teachers should (1) start with requiring students to achieve the basic goals the teacher considers essential in comprehension certain types of tasks, (2) teach students to differentiate the features between English and Chinese as well as those between spoken English and written English, and (3) design diverged types of tasks for students to practice listening skills. It is hoped that this research would make some contribution to English listening comprehension teaching in senior high schools in Taiwan.