CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

This chapter presents theories related to listening and audio visual aid in

teaching listening. It discusses nature of listening, importance of teaching

listening, and instructional media (audio visual aid), and related study to listening

research.

2.1 The Nature of Listening

Listening is one of receptive skills. Harmer (2004) stateds listening is one of the

receptive skills because people understand the message from what they hear.

Some people consider listening has the same meaning as hearing. Actually, they

have different meanings.

Hearing is an accepting message by hearing system. Heinich et. al (1982:

146) states that hearing is a physiological process where the sound is accepted by

the ears and transferred it into the brain through the hearings system. Meanwhile,

listening is psychological process where the sound is taken by listeners attention

to get meaning and understand it by using his/her knowledge. It shows that

listening and hearing are not the same although they are interrelated.

Based on the theories, hearing is only one aspect of listening whereas

listening has more general meaning than hearing. Listening is not only receiving

sound waves but also constructing meaning from and responding to verbal or non-

verbal messages.

6
2.2 The Process of Listening

There are processes required a person to listen to sound source through waves.

Harmer (2001:201) divides the process of listening into two processes: top down

and bottom-up processes. The top-down process is a procedure in which a listener

acquires a general view of the passage and receives the description entirely.

Meanwhile, the bottom-up process is a procedure in which a listener pays

particular attention to single words and phrases and gets an understanding by

arranging detailed elements together to construct the result of the message.

In line with both processes of listening, the bottom-up process obtains the

message by using linguistic competence, whereas the top-down is the process gets

the actual discourse by applying prior knowledge.

Understanding the process of listening will help listener to know the

message. The listeners can use this process to be a strategy to develop their skill in

listening ability.

2.3 The Importance of Teaching Listening

Listening is one of the major aspects in teaching and learning foreign language.

According to Celce (1991), listening is used more than any other single language

skills in normal daily life. The fact that listening is the most frequently used skill

thus makes it a very important skill to teach. Brown also considers listening

(2001:247) has an important aspect in language learning process and cannot be

underestimated. Another statement is also assumed by Littlewood (1988). He

states:

7
 Most learners will spend considerably more time in listening to the foreign
language than in producing it themselves. It is not only that they must
understand what is said to them during face-face interaction. There is also
a vast range of situations where they will be the silent receivers of
message directed at them, from the radio, television, announcements and a
multitude of other sources (P. 65)

Considering listening as an important skill in language learning, English

instruction has to pay more attention to and give priority to the listening skill. The

teacher also needs to assist students to increase their listening ability. He/she also

should help students ensure their experiences in developing listening ability.

In instructional activity, the teacher should not only focus on practicing

listening and its material but also create meaningful teaching listening. According

to Rubin (1983:20) a teacher should have appropriate strategies in teaching

listening to help students improve their listening ability.

2.4 The Problems of Listening in Foreign Language

Teacher usually considers listening is a receptive skill that is developed naturally

so they sometimes, did not pay attention to their problems. Landry (1969 cited in

Wolvin 1983 cited in Rubin 1983:14) investigated many teachers thought

listening skill can be developed naturally so they (teachers) did not pay particular

attention to this skill while, on the contrary, students usually found difficulties in

listening to a second or foreign language. According to Ur (1984) there are several

problems found by the students during teaching listening. The problems are

explained as follows:

8
 The Hearing of Sounds

Problem usually found is the way to listen to English sound. The students do not

understand certain English sound. They do not perceive it correctly because the

word sounds do not exist in their first language, for example the sound (), as in

three, does not exist in Bahasa. Consequently, the students are often confused to

distinct the word three and tree. In addition to that, Ur (1984) states many

students have problem with the sequence and juxtaposition of sound of English

words for example when they know the written form of handle but the sound

is handel. Another problem is to understand stress and intonation pattern of

English, for example the word develop has the stress in divelop.

Coping with Redundancy and Noise

There are three reasons these problems happen to English language learners.

Firstly, the learners cannot understand many words because they do not know the

words not even their pronunciation. Secondly, the learners are not familiar enough

with word pattern such as sound-combination, lexis, and collocation. Thirdly, the

learners try to understand everything in the message though the words are totally

unimportant and are disturbed. Thus, they faced some difficulties to understand

the words and join them together in a message.

Predicting

Prediction is difficult for language learners in listening to a foreign language. The

learners cannot predict the language meaning because they are not familiar with

the word pattern. In addition, they do not understand the word, grammar, stress,

9
and intonation correctly. Furthermore, Ur (1984) states that to predict the

message properly, the listener should be familiar with the clear words and

grammar.

Understanding Colloquial Vocabulary

Many words are used in colloquial speech. The learners may already know the

words but it does not mean that they are familiar with the words when they are put

in colloquial forms. The learners listen to the spoken discourse in the foreign

language will probably not understand the word they have not learnt yet or

probably they are not familiar with the words that occur in the speaking context.

Fatigue

The foreign language is tiring for learners to listen to and to interpret unfamiliar

sound lexis and syntax for long time. They have run out of the energy necessary to

absorb and interpret unfamiliar sounds.

Understanding Different Accent

Many foreign language learners who usually use to an accent of their own teacher

are surprised when they find another different accent. For example, the learners

who often listen to the American accent will be surprised when they hear the

British accent. It happens because they do not get enough experiences in listening

to and understanding number of different accents.

Using Visual and Aural Environmental Clues

Many learners almost never use environmental clues to get a meaning. Ur (1984)

said that the learners cannot analyze the words into the context. The problems

10
mentioned previously show that the learners find some difficulties in listening to

the foreign language. Thus, they need some techniques and strategies to solve

these difficulties.

2.5 Principles of Designing Listening Performance

Principles in teaching listening help teacher deliver listening material effectively.

Celce (1991) suggests six principles in teaching listening: increasing the time of

listening in the class, using listening as the first activity before other activities,

involving global and selective listening, activating to the level skills, and working

toward in processing, increasing conscious listening strategies.

The first principle is increasing the time of listening in the class. Students

should be given more opportunities to listen to a foreign language. These

activities will build their experience in learning listening. Teacher also should try

to make listening as an interesting activity for the students.

The second principle is using listening as the first activity before other

activities. Students should listen to the material before they speak, read, or write.

This activity is a good habit for them to listen to a foreign language as much as

possible.

The third principle is involving global and selective listening. Global

listening is an activity to make students understand and try to interest them to

obtain main idea, topic, situation, or setting by employing their knowledge.

Meanwhile, the selective listening is an activity to invite them to pay more

attention to the detailed message.

11
 The fourth principle is activating to the students level skills. This

principle is to give them advanced organizers, script activator, or discussions

which build up their background knowledge or prior knowledge based on their

levels before they listen to something in the foreign language.

The fifth principle is working toward in processing. In this activity

teacher gives students some exercises which build both recognition and

comprehension of the material. The teacher should use material in recombination

to teach them in listening ability.

The sixth principle is increasing conscious listening strategies. In this

activity the teacher tries to raise students awareness of the text features and their

own comprehension processes. The teacher also encourages them to notice how

their processing operations interact with the text.

In accordance with the principles of listening, teaching listening should

employ appropriate ways and influenced factors in motivating and encouraging

students to improve their listening skill. One of supporting factors to build

students listening skill is using instructional media.

2.6 The Importance of Media Usage

Medium or media are derived from Latin which means carrying information

among sources and receivers. Media are useful in the process of language

teaching. Heinich et.al (1985 p.5) claims instructional media as medium that is

used in instruction to deliver material to the learners. The media include film,

television, radio, audio recording and photograph, projected visual and printed

material, and so on.

12
 Instructional media are needed to conduct teaching and learning process

effectively. It plays an important aspect to help teacher convey his/her material to

students. The students obtain experience and entertainment when teacher uses the

media in his/her instruction. Heinich and friends (1985: 7) assumed, instructional

media gives students required experiences to build their prior knowledge.

Using media in the instructional activity can support students to

understand the material. Reiser and Dick (1996) supposed the benefits of using

media in instructional activities. They are showed as follows:

1. Motivating students. Instructional media are used to assist teacher develop the

material. It also attracts students attention by presenting them with the interesting

media such as colorful pictures, motion pictures, and so on. It will motivate them

in studying

2. Informing students of objectives. Teacher presents instructional objective orally

or writing through media. The media can convey the purpose of the instruction.

3. Helping students recall prerequisites. Media can remind students the activities

before starting the lesson. The media are presented via the chalkboard, an

overhead transparency or a written handout. These media can build their prior

knowledge.

4. Presenting information and example. The media can deliver information and

examples to the students. They depend on the nature of the learning outcomes

which are expected. It helps teacher to teach effectively.

5. Providing practice and feedback. The media show the activities to be practiced

and feedback to the students.

13
 Therefore, the instructional media are useful in the instructional activity.

They will help teacher teach material and interest students motivation efficiency.

2.7 Audio Visual Aid in Delivering Listening Materials.

Instructional media has an important role in process of developing listening

material. The material, including listening, can be delivered effectively to the

students if the teacher uses suitable media.

The media depend on how the teacher designs them to support him/her to

make enjoyable and meaningful instruction. The media usage is not only helping

teacher to create a meaningful instruction but also motivating students to improve

their listening skill.

One of the instructional media used to develop listening material is audio

visual aid (AVA). Meskill (1996) assumes that AVA can be an optional tool to

improve students listening ability. The students can integrate the audio and

motion video in one media. For instance, the probable audio visual aid used in

delivering listening material is movie. According to Sands (1956: 347) movie

carries its reality and enjoyment into the classroom. Moreover, the students will

have good response if the material i.e. movie relates to their interest and

background.

On the contrary, audio visual aid usage also has several problems. One of

the simple problems relate to teachers skill in operating this medium. The

problem in using audio visual aid comes from teachers motivation. Many

teachers have been teaching for years without using audio visual aid and it makes

them unfamiliar to use it in the classroom (Sands: 1956). As a result, the teacher is

14
not interested in using audio visual aid in their instruction.

Therefore, the teacher can use audio visual aid effectively can help

students to deliver listening material even though the problem such as operating

the media is possible to happen.

2.8 Related Research

Previous research in improving listening ability had been carried out by

Kusmayanti. The research conducted was to find out how teacher and students

developed prototype software of interactive multimedia in improving listening

skill. Respondents who are participated are thirty five first graders of junior high

and two English teachers. The research attempted to explore development of

multimedia learning materials for listening skills in the context of learners need.

Furthermore, the research aims at analyzing the process of preparation and the

production of listening materials in prototype software and proving whether the

prototype software is effective or not for learners in improving listening skill than

cassette version. In addition to that, it also attempted to find out the students

various responses.

In line with this, Kusmayanti (2006) states that the research had findings.

The prototype software is more effective than the cassette version in improving

listening skills and the learners and the teacher showed good perception toward

the prototype software.

This chapter has been discussing listening theory and the important

teaching listening. Furthermore, it discusses the importance of instructional media

and audio visual aid in delivering to listening material.

15