Randall’s Esl Listening Lab in Language Teaching

School of Post Graduate UHAMKA, Jakarta, Monday, July 22nd , 2013

Rifki Amin

Introduction

Language is the way to communicate used by people to make easier their activities and

their works. To make easier communication in their activities and their works, they have to learn

a Foreign Language. One of the Foreign Languages is English. Richards (2006, 3) adds

“Whereas today English is the World’s most widely studied foreign language.”

English is also one of the International Language, used by most of countries in the world.

One of the countries is Indonesia. In Indonesian Education, English is also used as a target

language in many schools. Harmer (1991, 1) says, “Probably the greatest number of Language

students in the world do it because it is on the student curriculum whether they like it or not!”

According to Harmer’s statement, students learn the language because it has been stated in

curriculum so English as a target language is important to be mastered by the students.

From this situation, the students have problems in learning English. English is different

from Bahasa Indonesia. English learns language outside of students’ mother tongue. The students

can find the difficulties in learning activities, especially in comprehending the four skills, they

are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. That is way evaluation has to relate to the learning

teaching activities. English is very unique language, because it is very challenge our skills. In

fact, if we can improve it regularly, we can easy to understand with English language. I am as a

students feel that all of the subjects at school can be interesting if the teacher can explain them

clearly, especially to learn English.

I share my experience in using the Randall’s ESL Listening Lab environment for

teaching language courses in English with different levels, for learning terminology, and ESP

(English for Specific Purposes). My focus will be on how the web-based environment can be

used for supporting student-centered learning, increasing student motivation, individualization

and cooperation in creating the study-materials, at the same time developing a feeling of “me”

and of belonging together. Taking a look at my different past and current courses, I will view

different ways of motivating students by engaging them in building the learning materials. I

analyze how the ICT solutions can be used as a support for different classroom activities, group-

work and pair-work assignments; for independent work; for enforcing student-centered learning

and the principles of individualization; forming one´s personal opinion, and being able to express

it on topical issues.

ICT is generally defined as technology functioning to support the process of conveying

information and communication. With the development of ICT, the communicator and

communicant can communicate through telephone, internet, email, satellite, television, video

conference, and the like. According to Hartoyo, M.A., Ph.D., There are some advantages of

utilizing ICT-computer in language learning. For example, (1) ICT serves as the ‘media’

bridging and enabling the learning process or event direct communicator between students and

teacher although they are not present in the same room or place; (2) ICT can be created to enable

students to learn the lessons with the guidance, instruction, information, or further explanation

for specific terms merged on the program such as ‘tutorial’; (3) ICT-computer in language

learning is that it can be an inseparable; (4) ICT-computer can serve as a peer for students in

playing educational games, or as source of learning material, which can give illustration for

verbally difficult to explain concepts as well as other interactive and attractive illustration If

combined with other media, such as video. Moreover, ICT as a medium for teaching is becoming

more and more acknowledged. In this article I wish to share some aspects of using ICT that have

proved the topic from two points of view: (1) strengths and weaknesses, and (2) advantages and

disadvantages both for students and the teacher.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Nowadays, there are the ways of teachers try to teach English in improving listening

comprehension, one of them is Randall’s Esl Listening Lab. As my experiences, firstly I think

listening is very difficult to learn because of less of vocabularies. In this website, it gives me

motivation to learn listening. Therefore, we have to know the strengths and the weakness media

of its.

The Strengths of Randall’s Esl Listening Lab

In this website, there are six sections containing more than one hundred conversations

and interactive lessons which can give a very fast response and also having different function of

each.

1. General Listening Quizzes.

In general listening quizzes, students are able to hear the daily conversations with

adult and children's voices, so the activities of the conversation making students are

interesting to learn. In this part, there are three sections of the difficulties like easy, medium,

and difficult. For example, the teacher can use the easy conversation to teach the elementary

students. From each conversation there are some parts of assignment and the material, there

are pre listening exercise (to show the general material to the students about what the speaker

shows), the listening exercises (there is the quiz script that can improve students to answer

the multiple choice while listening the conversation), vocabulary (in this case there are three

parts: mixed up sentence, sentence and vocabulary matching, text completion quiz. From

those parts students can increase their vocabulary, for example in the text completion quiz

can improve the students to write fill in the blank while listening the conversation), post

listening exercise (the students try to summarize about the conversation), and the last about

online investigation.

2. Basic Listening Quiz.

In basic listening, there is no conversation, but the speaker just gives a question for

learners. For example, the speaker just gives short listening activities for beginning and

intermediate students with two sections of the difficulties such as easy and medium. For each

material, there are three parts are given like pre listening exercise (to show the general

material to the students about what the speaker shows), listening exercise (there is a quiz that

the students have to be done by completing the question and answer the multiple choice

while listening), and the last is post listening exercise (the students try to make and practice

the real situation in conversation)

3. Listening Quizzes for Academic Purposes.

In listening quizzes for academic purpose is usually used to prepare for

TOEFL/TOEIC. There are three sections of the difficulties like medium, difficult, and very

difficult. In each material, there are four parts like pre listening exercise (to show the general

material to the students about the speaker shows), listening exercise (there is a quiz that the

students have to listen the long statements and after that they have to answer the multiple

choices, the purpose of this quiz to help students improving the TOEFL/TOEIC skills),

vocabulary activities (there are three parts of this section, there are mixed up sentence,

sentence and vocabulary matching, and text completion quiz(the students have to complete

fill in the blank)), and the last is post listening exercise online investigation (students try to

give some opinion about the material),

4. 20 Minute ESL Vocabulary Lessons.

In 20 minute ESL vocabulary lesson, the speakers try to help students to build their

vocabulary and the correct pronunciation of key vocabulary. In this case, it is just a medium

level of difficulties, but there are three sections of each material. They are introduction (in

this section, the speakers try to teach a new vocabularies and mention the correct

pronunciation), practice (the students try to complete the sentences below with the best

answer), and the last is follow up (in this sections the students can give and opinion about the

material or they can gives some the summaries from the material).

5. Learning and Life Tips.

In learning and life tips, the students not only improve their listening skills but also

they are given some tips to improve our English language. So the students can find some

information which is useful for their knowledge. Nevertheless, it is different ways from the

speaker; they try to give some questions to the learner to know the general information about

the topic, and if we can to look the language learning tips, we just click the top bottom of the

slide.

6. Long conversations with Real Video.

In long conversation with real video, the speakers try to help students to improve their

listening skill both an audio and video. In this case, there are three of the difficulties; for

example, pre listening exercise (to show the general material to the students about the

speaker shows), listening exercise (there are quiz script (the students have to hear and to

watch the material and then they have to answer some of question) and completion quiz (the

students have to make a complete sentences fill in the blank), post listening exercise (the

students can practice or discusses that related with the material).

In this website, the strengths of the website are more than one hundred conversation, and

learning through Randall’s Esl Listening Lab is accompanied by multiple choices quizzes which

is interactive and can give a very fast response because there are six sections in esl_lab such as

General Listening Quizzes, Basic Listening Quiz, Listening Quizzes for Academic Purposes,

Listening Quizzes for Academic Purposes, 20 Minute ESL Vocabulary Lessons, Learning and

Life Tips, and Long conversations with Real Video.

The Weakness of Randall’s Esl Listening Lab

Randall’s esl Listening Lab has a little bit disadvantages in teaching learning activities.

Because of using Randall’s esl Listening Lab, we need the media and facilitation to support it

such as connection internet and available place.

First, I need the connection internet to support my activity in using Randall’s esl

Listening Lab. If we have bad connection, it is difficult for us to learn because Randall’s esl

Listening Lab should be connected to the internet. We can download the audio, but in Randall’s

esl Listening Lab does not provide listening scripts. Therefore, we need to copy paste directly

from the screen.

Second, after choosing the material we need to play the audio in the class, but it is better

if I can practice it in the language laboratory because the teaching and learning activities can be

more effectively. All of the section in Randall’s esl Listening Lab need a clear pronunciation, so

it is better providing it with a good media like a good visual and audio visual.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Randall’s Esl Listening Lab

Nowadays, there are the ways of teachers try to teach English in improving listening

comprehension, one of them is Randall’s Esl Listening Lab. In this website, it gives me

advantages and disadvantages in learning teaching activities.

The Advantages of Randall’s Esl Listening Lab

Nowadays, teachers can easy teach students at the school, and one of the easy ways is

through using website, especially Randall’s esl Listening Lab. It is my ideas for teaching; we

have to understand to open this website connecting to the lesson plan and choosing the

appropriate material listening in this web. In my experience, these are the advantages of

Randall’s esl Listening Lab.

My first experience, when I get a material about enjoying the zoo, it is very interesting to

learn because there is a children’s voice, so it makes enjoy listening. This conversation helps me

to improve in listening skills. Firstly, I do a text completion quiz, I hear a conversation and then I

write fill in the blanks of the text after that I can get a score directly because in this web we can

get score automatically. After I have completed the text, I try to answer some questions to make

sure that I understand about the conversation. And then, I practice the conversation to improve

my pronunciation.

My second experience, I get a material about emergency call. In my opinion it is difficult

material because the conversation not clears although it’s the medium level. Firstly, I try to hear

the conversation more than one, but I still confuse because I think the voice of the transportation

in this conversation disturb the concentration and too crowded. Nevertheless, it is a difficult

conversation; I try to do fill in the blank until I can finish all of them. In fact, a half of my answer

is wrong because I get less understands with this conversation, so I reopen the complete

conversation to make sure that my answer is wrong. Then, I try to make more understand by

answering some questions. This conversation makes me have to work hard because the speakers

speak fast. Therefore, the solution in finishing, I have to play the conversation more than one.

The advantages of Randall’s esl Listening Lab is I can reopen the material directly after I know

my ability, and in this web, it provides by listening scripts to make me understand each section.

My third experience is listening about conversation starters in basic listening quiz part.

This conversation not demanding me to listen the conversation, but I have to heard the speaker

that give a question and I have to write it to make complete question. In this part we don’t give a

specific material, so to answer the question I have to know the appropriate answer. Firstly, I

listen what the speaker said and after that I write the correct question. Then, I try to answer the

question. The advantages of Randall’s esl Listening Lab is enlarge my vocabulary to complete it

each section.

The forth experience in Randall’s esl Listening, I am able to explain to my students about

the material what my students listen, so they don’t feel confused. Probably, before I want to play

the audio, I want to give them music to make them relax. After that, I distribute a work sheet to

the students containing listening exercise of that paper. They fill in the blank, answer the

multiple choice questions, and practice the conversation. Then, I start to play the audio to my

students and they have to hear carefully. For the first time, I play the audio two times, but if my

students still confused to answer about fill in the blank, I want to give the tune of the audio

sentence by sentence. After that, I give 10 minutes for my students to answer the multiple

choices. I will know that my students understand or not about the material that I have given.

Then, I have given the instruction for them to correct and discussion, so they know the correct

answer and I can get the direct score to them. Then, some of students practice the conversation

with the partner, so it can make the interesting class.

Based on my experience of Randall’s esl Listening Lab, there are some advantages I can

get in learning teaching process. For example, I am able to practice the conversation to improve

my pronunciation, I can reopen the material directly after I know my ability, and in this web, it

provides by listening scripts to make me understand each section, I am able to enlarge my

vocabulary to complete it each section, and I am able to be facilitator of my students like

facilitating them in teaching learning activities.

The disadvantages of Randall’s Esl Listening Lab

There are so many advantages, but Randall’s esl Listening Lab also has a disadvantages.

For example, Randall’s esl Listening Lab is one of the on line server having the answer in each

section. It means that students are able to know the answer if the teacher makes the Randall’s esl

Listening Lab as a test.

References

Davis, Randall. Randall’s Esl Listening Lab. http://www.esl-lab.com/. Accessed July

22nd, 2013.

Hartoyo. 2012. ICT in language learning. Semarang: Pelita Insani Semarang.

Harmer, Jeremy (1991). The Practice of English Language Teaching New

York: Longman

Richard, Jack C and Rogers, Theodore (2006). Approaches and Methods in

Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press