The effect of listening skill on improving english eight grade students' writing performance

The effect of listening skill on improving english eight grade students' writing performance

Amineh Rasheed Mohammad Hamid The Effect of Listening Skill on Improving English Grade Students' Written Performance By Amineh Rasheed Mohammad Hamid Supervisor Dr. Fawaz Aqel 2001 The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of' listening comprehension on eighth grade students’ performance in writing. This study attempted to answer the following questions: -What is the effect of listening skill on the written performance of eighth grade pupils? -Is there any significant difference in the effect of listening on the written performance of eighth grade pupils due to dictation? -Is there any significant difference in the effect of' listening on the written performance of eighth grade pupils due to sounds? -Is there any significant difference in the effect of listening on the written performance of eighth grade pupils due to composition? In an attempt to answer these questions, the researcher conducted a ten week experimental investigation with a sample of 112 eighth grade students belonging to four government schools in Qalqilia district: Kufur Lagif Primary School, Habla Secondary School for Boys, Kufur Thulth Secondary School for Boys, and Saniria Secondary School for Boys. The students of the sample were randomly divided into two treatment groups, an experimental group with 45 students (11 females and 34 boys), and a control group with a total of 67 students (all were boys). Two pretests administered revealed that the two groups were equivalent in listening comprehension achievement. Then, both groups were taught by the English teachers the listening comprehension passages included in the second semester of the eighth grade syllabus of English by using two different methods of instruction. The experimental group was taught by the use of the communicative method, whereas the control group was taught by the use of the traditional method. Two classroom periods, 45 minutes each, for 10 weeks were allotted for each class during the second semester of the scholastic year 2000/2001. At the end of the 10-week treatment period, the subjects of the study were assessed by using a post-listening comprehension test developed by the researcher to measure the pupils' performance in writing. The results were analyzed using paired T-test, independent T-test, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient (P.C.C.). The results showed that listening did improve the pupils' performance in writing. In the light of these results, it is recommended that teachers be acquainted with all the new developments in the field of teaching listening comprehension texts. Teacher training sessions should be held for teachers to introduce them to the most recent techniques used in teaching students how to listen. Another important recommendation is to provide teachers of English, regularly, with printed materials which display techniques and teaching strategies used in teaching English as a second/foreign language. Lastly, the researcher recommends that further research be carried out to investigate the effect of listening on oral performance. Zajel / An-Najah National University