Critical Reading Journal
Critical Reading Journal
Critical Reading Journal
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Md Habibur Rahman
Bangladesh Army International University of Science and Technology
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Abstract
In order to ensure a comprehensive development of students"
communication skills, teaching EFL listening, speaking, reading and
writing are equaly important to be emphasized. The present study was
designed to determine the relative importance ofteaching EFL listening
and speaking skills to the secondary level students in Bangladesh. To
carry out the study, data were collected from 50 students learning EFL
at the secondary level and from 6 teachers teaching EFL at the
secondary level. Then the data were analyzed by employing the
descriptive method as well as the SPSS programme module. The
analysis of data revealed the present nature of the teaching EFL
listening and speaking skills at the secondary level. 1The teachers
expressed their concern over some specific problems regarding EFL
teaching materials and technology usage facilities in the secondary
level classroom. The students admitted some specific language
problems they were facing in absence of teaching it. Almost all the
teachers and the students believed that the inclusion of Classroom-
Based Assessment ofEFL listening and speaking at the secondary level
willfacilitate the teaching and learning ofit.
Keywords: Importance, Teaching, EFL, Listening, Speaking
1. Introduetion
The teaching of the basic language skills such as reading, writing, listening.
speaking are equally important for a comprehensive development of students
communication skills. The secondary curriculum, according to National Education
Policy (2010), emphasizes learning English as an international language for
communicating locally and globally. In order to successfully attain these goals
regarding competency in all four language skills, the teaching of the basic language
skills bears paramount significance. The teaching of EFL reading and writing are
generally practiced at the secondary level but it is observed that still the teaching of
*Md. Habibur Rahman, Lecturer, Department of English, Bangladesh Army lnternational University Science
and Technology (BAIUST), Cumilla.
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EFL listening and speaking skills are neglected in the secondary level. Listening and
speaking are considered as the major skills of language learning. Without effective
listening and speaking skills, learners will never learn to communicate effectively.
This study aims to state the relative importance of the inclusion of teaching explicit
listening and speaking to the secondary level. The study also sheds light on the
extent to which the teachers and learners think about the significance of teaching
EFL listening and speaking. The present study tends to locate problems or
limitations of the present situation and to adjudge the relative importance of
assessing EFL listening and speaking skills at the secondary level with a view to
solving the existing problem.
This study is an endeavor to determine the relative importance of including the
teaching of explicit EFL listening and speaking to the secondary level students in
Bangladesh.
The study encompasses the following objectives:
i) To explore the extent to which the teachers and learners think about the
2. Literature Review
Maniruzzaman (2015) conducted a study on the relations of washback to the
learning of English as a loreign language (EFL) at the undergraduate level in
Bangladesh. The study was conductled on 60 undergraduate students of EFL and
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investigated the relations of washback to the EFL leamers in terms of, a) the
syllabus, b) tasks and activities, c) materials, and d) teaching methods and
techniques. Item related to the syllabus (ltem Nos. 3 and 4, p. 58-59), the data
analyses revealed that the activities in their classroom were test oriented, and they
concentrate on the lessons and contents relevant to the examinations. Items related
tasks and activities (Item Nos. 7 and 8, p. 61), the data analyses revealed that the
students did not consider the importance of attaining competence, rather they
considered whether they learned the items that would be tested. Items relating to
materials (Item Nos. 9 and 10, p. 63), the data analysis revealed that 67% students
studied supplementary materials than those the teachers suggest to succeed in the
examination and 68% students practiced the questions of the previous examinations
for relatively better preparations for the examinations. Items related to teaching
methods and techniques (Item Nos. 13 and 14, p. 66) exhibited that 88% students
liked the EFL teaching methods and techniques so as to succeed in the examinations
examination
and 60% students preferred leaning test-taking strategies when the
was near. The results revealed that the examinations had influenced the EFL
teaching methods and techniques to a substantial extent. That is, the teachers were
compelled to change and modify their teaching methods and techniques with a
view
to helping their students get prepared for the examinations. The study revealed that
the students at the undergraduate level were more concerned with scoring good
grades in the examinations than acquiring communicative skills. In the study most
but cannot
of the students are found to have scored good grades in the examinations,
efficiently and effectively use their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of
EFL for communication in their real-life situations. The study revealed the negative
washback of examinations and the recommendations were made so as to reduce
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themes in current L2 pedagogy' and they were:(a) the decline of methods, (b) a
growing emphasis on both bottom-up and top-down skills, (c) new knowledge about
English, and (d) integrated and multiple skills taught in context. He gave emphasis
on integrated and multiple skills teaching of English language. The findings of the
study revealed that the current purpose of learning EFL/ESL was evolved from
cultural and cducational enterprise to that of international communication.
Manjarres (2005) conducted a study to examine washback in high-stakes tests. The
study was carried out in order to investigate the washback effect of the English
national examination in the teaching of English in a 10th-grade classroom held in
public schools in Columbia. The study disclosed a positive relationship between the
examination and the teachers. The study demonstrated that the teachers were not
familiar with how to develop the students' communicative competence and one of
the teachers admitted that listening and speaking skills were not evaluated in the
examination.
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3. Research Methodology
3.1 Respondents
is entirely from primary sources. Six EFL
The data collected for this research
teachers from two secondary level
schools (namely, Saint Louis High School,
and fifty students from
Natore; Jahangimagar School and College, Savar, Dhaka)
Dhaka city in Bangladesh are the
three secondary schools of Dhaka and outside of
Dhaka Residential Model College, Dhaka;
respondents of the research (namely,
Pabna Zilla School, Pabna and Saint Louis High School, Natore) who provide
The students who take part in the
primary data by responding to the questionnaires.
data collection process have the same mother tongue, Bangla, and they have already
level.
studied EFL compulsory subject at their primary and junior secondary
as a
as a sampling method for
Stratified random sampling (Brown, 1999) was employed
this study.
3.2 Instrument and Data Collection
The researcher has employed a questionnaire as the only data collection instrument.
and another for the
Two versions ofclose-ended questionnaires-one for the teachers
students were developed for the study.
The questionnaire, for the teachers, was comprised of 16 items relevant to the
research objectives on which the teachers have the choice to agree or disagree
and
through five options- 'Strongly Agree', 'Agree', 'No Opinion', 'Disagree'
the
Strongly Disagree'. The items of the questionnaire were concerned with
Nos.
importance of including the teaching of explicit listening and speaking (Item
1,2,3, and 4), the current practices of teaching listening and speaking in the
classroom (Item Nos. 5,6,7, and 8), difficulties faced by the teachers in teaching
listening and speaking (Item Nos. 9,10,11, and 12), and the importance of testing
listening & Speaking skills (Item Nos. 13,14,15, and 16). That is, they were
designed to uncover the importance of teaching explicit EFL listening and speaking
to the secondary level students.
The questionnaire designed for the students was comprised of 19 items relevant to
the research objectives on which the students are given the alternatives to agree or
disagree through five options- "Strongly Agree', 'Agree', 'No Opinion', 'Disagree'
and 'Strongly Disagree'. The items of the questionnaire were concerned with the
importance ofincluding the teaching ofexplicit listening and speaking (ltem Nos.
and 2), the current practices of teaching listening and speaking in the classroom
(Item Nos. 3,4,5 and 6), difficulties faced by the teachers in teaching listening and
speaking (Item Nos. 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 and 15), and the importance of testing
listening & Speaking skills (ltem Nos. 16,17,18, and 19). That is, they were
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designed to uncover the importance of teaching explicit EFL listening and speaking
to the secondary level students.
The statements assessing the expected responses of the participants were adopted
On thescale, the statements coded 1
through a five-point Likert Scale.
were as
The present study investigated the importance of teaching EFL listening and
speaking to the secondary level students in Bangladesh. The study employs the
SPSS programme module to analyze the data collected through the questionnaires.
Along with the statistical package, the descriptive method was used for data
analysis. In the questionnaire for the teachers, the first issue dealt with the
importance of including the teaching of EFL listening and speaking; the second
issue was related to the current practices of teaching EFL listening and speaking in
the classroom; the third issue was concerned with the difficulties faced by the
teachers in teaching EFL listening and speaking; and the fourth issue was linked to
the importance of testing EFL listening and Speaking skills to the secondary level
students. Again, in the questionnaire for the students, the first issue dealt with the
importance of including the teaching of EFL listening and speaking; the sccond
issue was related to the current practices of teaching EFL listening and speaking in
the classroom; the third issue was concerned with the difficulties faced by the
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ARTS 04 (June 2019)
items of thequestionnaire.
3.00 1.10
4. I Approach)
think CLTA (Communicative Language Teaching
gives partial importance to the
teaching/learning ofListening and speaking skills.
1.67 0.52
I use both Bangla and English as a medium of
classroom instruction.
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ARTS 04 (June 2019)
No.
Item Mean Standard
13.| Tbelieve the testing of listening skill will smooth the 1.67
Deviation
0.52
progress ofteaching it.
14. I believe the testing of speaking skill will smooth
progress ofteaching it.
the 1.67 0.52
15.I think the teachers will be more enthusiastic to teach 1.17 0.41
listening ifit is tested in the examinations.
16. I think the
teachers will be more enthusiastic to teach .17 0.41
speakingifit is tested in the examinations.
4.
Teachers give lectures in both Bangla and English
because we understand and feel comfortable with it.
1.34 0.63
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4.3 Analysis
There are four research questions of this
paper. The first research question is "What
do the teachers and learners think about the
importance of including the teaching of
explicit EFL listening and speaking in the secondary level classroom?" The study
revealed that both the teachers and the students admitted
the importance oft
including the teaching of EFL listening and speaking skills at the secondary level.
That is, the teaching of EFL
listening and speaking skills is equally important like
the teaching of EFL reading and
writing. They opined that the explicit teaching ot
EFL listening and speaking skills should be
incorporated at the secondary level.
Majority of the teachers thought about a balanced distribution time to
basic skills of English language was of teach the
necessary to enhance the progress of teaching
it. Teachers expressed their concern over the
CLTA (Communicative
Teaching Approach) practiced in Bangladesh and they opined that it Language
gave partial
importance to the teaching of EFL lstening and speaking skills.
The second research question is, "What are the
current practices of
listening and speaking skills in the secondary level classroom?" The teaching EFL
study thus
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revealed a mixed response from the teachers and the students. Most of the students
admitted that the teachers took some classes on listening and speaking skills but the
teachers also expressed their concern over the inadequacy of teaching materials
regarding EFL listening and speaking skills. Majority of the teachers used both
Bangla and English language as a medium of classroom instruction. This at the same
time indicates the amount of classroom listening.
The third research question is, "What are the difficulties faced by the teachers in
teaching and by the leamers in absence of teaching explicit EFL listening and
speaking skills?" The study revealed secondary level teachers' concem over the
time given for EFL teaching. They marked it completely inadequate and at the same
time, they talked about the secondary level syllabus and the number of subjects each
of the students had to read. This huge workload works as a barrier to EFL
teaching
and also unmotivated them. The teachers also expressed their concern over the
poorly equipped classroom to use the technology again some of the teachers
expressed their gratitude over the well-equipped classroom with the opportunity of
technology usage in EFL teaching. This is because some government-financed
schools already have multimedia classroom facilities but semI-government and
non-government schools still are not having multimedia classroom facilities. The
students suffered a lot in absence of teaching EFL listening and speaking skills and
they expressed their concern about the lack of proficiency in the English language
according to their level.
The fourth research question is "How much important is the testing (i.e. Classroom-
Based Assessment) of EFL listening and speaking skills to facilitate the teaching of
these skills?" Both the teachers and the students spontaneously opined in favor o
the inclusion of EFL listening and speaking skills as a test item at the secondary
level. They think it will facilitate the teaching and learning of EFL listening and
speaking skills to a greatextent.
To sum up, this chapter has presented and discussed the data on the basis ot
quantitative analysis. The two sections presented data respectively collected from
teachers and from the students. Based on the responses of the participants the data
were analyzed and exposed in the tables.
5. Conclusion
The present study was designed to determine the relative importance of teaching
EFL listening and speaking skills to the secondary level students in Bangladesh, to
explore the extent to which the teachers and learners think about the necessity of the
teaching of explicit EFL listening and speaking skills, to discover the natureot
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may create an opportunity for the graduates to work further to address the problems
they have encountered and which will make the researches in this field more
practical.
Secondly, the course-book materials should be consistent with the goals and the
objectives of the syllabus. The course-book should be provided with adequate
materials to teach the basic EFL skills, i.e. listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Again, the materials selected for teaching should meet the students' needs and
interests. It should reflect real-life situations in terms of subject matters, tasks,
culure, gender, linguistics elements, linguistics level, test format and so forth.
Thirdly, the secondary level classroom should be equipped with technological
support according to the materials provided for teaching, i.e. a well-equipped sound
system in the classroom is necessary to teach EFL listening skill. Besides, the
teachers should be trained well in using technology before going to the classroom
implementation.
Finally, the testing of EFL listening and speaking skills should be incorporated at the
secondary level examinations. Simultaneously, all the basic skills encompassing
listening, speaking, reading and writing should receive equal importance in the
assessment system. Following this, the examination system should reflect the
purpose and principles of communicative testing. That is, tests should measure
students' communicative competence, e.g. grammatical competence,
sociolinguistic competence, strategic competence, and discourse competence.
Again, the test should measure how much the students are able to use what they have
learned in their real-life situations.
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