CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING LISTENING PRACTICES IN EFL CLASSROOM IN BANGLADESH

19th International Conference of NELTA

Kathmandu, Nepal

Presented By Mr. Rajib Ahmed Faisal, Researcher, EIA-DU-OU(UK) Research Collaboration Programme

Miss. Saira Hossain, Lecturer (part-time), IER, University of Dhaka

Md. Shahriar Shafiq, Researcher, EIA-DU-OU(UK) Research Collaboration Programme

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Listening is one of the four skills of language acquisition.

The first skill that human being starts absorb after birth and language development partly depends on development of listening practice.

Listening is closely embedded to speaking as well as help to increase the vocabulary, using words accurately and to pronounce the word in appropriate accent.

In Bangladesh, formal education system hardly look beyond reading-writing skill.

English in Action (EIA) first introduced listening practice using audio materials in association with the Government of Bangladesh.

The Government of Bangladesh has newly introduced listening practice in school.

It is an immense challenge to implementing this new initiative properly in 97755 schools having 16073351 students (BANBEIS, 2012).

A previous study conducted by EIA found some challenges regarding using audio materials such as lack of adequate infrastructural facilities, lack of teachers skills on ICT, technology phobia and unwillingness of teachers to use technology, lengthy syllabus and lack of necessary contact hour for practice etc. those are closely related to listening challenge. In Bangladesh there are a very few researches has conducted related to listening practice but at best of researchers knowledge there were no such study has conducted to find out the challenges of implementing listening practice in EFL classrooms in Bangladesh.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY General objective To determine the challenges of implementing listening practice in EFL classroom in Bangladesh

Specific objectives • To examine the readiness of the schools for implementing listening practice • To examine the readiness of the teachers for implementing listening practice• To identify the problems faced by the students and teachers regarding listening practice

METHODOLOGY Nature of the study

Methods of data collection and analysis of this study was both qualitative and quantitative by nature.

ParticipantsA group of 100 secondary level students and 20 English teachers from 10 different secondary schools of Bangladesh were selected conveniently as sample for this study.

Continue…Sampling technique

Research objectives

Study population

Sample size

Instrument & Remarks

Specific objective 1

Teachers and students

20+100=120

120 checklist

Specific objective 2

Teachers 20 20 Checklist &Interview

Specific objective 3

Teachers and students

20+100=120

20 Interviews & 10 FGDs

Specific objective 4

Teachers and students

20+100=120

20 Interviews & 10 FGDs

Data Collection techniques

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FINDINGS OF THE STUDY 14 teachers out of 20 stated that they have lack of infrastructural facilities for listening

practice. Among these schools some (60) have only computer and sound system but have no audio CD/DVD for practice. Others have none of them.

Only 6 teachers from EIA intervention schools recognized that they have listening practice facilities in their schools but these are not sufficient for students’ practice. In both cases, similar findings found from students’ FGDs.

Most of the teachers (17) stated that they have sufficient skills for listening practice but their training and professional background information does not support their statement. Only 9 teachers found who have English language related training and 6 of them are from EIA.

None of them have listening related training though EIA teachers have some sorts of initiation on listening practice.

Another finding is that all the teachers told that they try to do listening practice for their

students verbally though it is not possible regularly. However students’ opinion does not

support their claim.

The similar findings was found teachers and students were asked about assessment for

listening practice. Most of the teachers (13) claimed that despite infrastructural facilities

they try to assess students’ listening skills verbally but students except EIA intervention

schools disagreed with this opinion.

All the teachers and students stated that listening practice is inevitable for developing

their language skills and they liked to integrate the practice in their classrooms.

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Challenges Identified by the Teachers for Conducting Listening Practice in Classroom:

1. Class Duration

2. No extra time for listening practice.

3. No instruction from Government regarding the implementation and evaluation

4. Children are not acquaint with the method

5. No practice material for students

6. Slow learners could not understand the instruction

7. Lack of audio material

8. Drop out of trained teachers

9. No practice material for students

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Challenges Identified by the Students:

1. Lack of understanding of pronunciation

2. Lack of understanding of meaning of some words

3. Lack of understanding of instruction

4. Lack of motivation as no examination, no marks for listening practice

5. Difficult to hold the concentration for long

6. No practice material

7. Class duration is too short to practice

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SCOPE OF IMPLEMENTATION The study provides both theoretical and practical implications for teachers, educators, and policy-makers to implement listening practice in secondary schools in Bangladesh.

First and foremost, the study suggests a need to offer adequate in-service training for teachers on listening practice.

Second, the study suggests to arrange infrastructural facilities for the schools to create a scope of listening practice.

Third, form-based exams should be arranged in order to evaluate students’ listening competence.

Fourth, teachers and administrators should create an environment in the school to increase students’ opportunities for listening practice.

Finally, the policy makers should asses the existing situation and take necessary steps before implementing any program to face the challenges.

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REFERENCES • BANBEIS (2012), Secondary Education Statistics, Retrieved from

www.banbeis.gov.bd on 25th February, 2014

THANK YOU