Book Review (Understanding the Teaching of Listening and Speaking)

Name : Fakhri Muhammad Rabbani

NIM    : 14111330140

Method of teaching

PBI-B / V

Book Review (Understanding the Teaching of Listening and Speaking)

Summary of the book

Part I Understanding the Teaching of Listening Comprehension

Listening is a difficult skill in second language learning, the difficulties is caused by many factor varying from the different of sound between the second language learner’s first language and the second language he or she is learning, his or her lack vocabulary, his or her grammatical unawareness, to pragmatic differences between the two language. As we know that listening is tested in many proficiency test, such as TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC, AND ALSO National Final Examination. There are three approaches in listening comprehension : first is bottom up: point of view looks the process of listening as the way to get information from the (listening) text, second is top-down approach, the schemata or background knowledge plays an important role in the listening process, and the last is interactive approach, based on this approach, the listening process consist of eight steps. Listening is not easy, understanding language is not simple, the process of acquiring that skill normally takes a lot of time. So that the  first chapter of the book present idea how to improve listening skill.

The book provide some suggestion to prepare student to face listening tests. However when the student face listening tests, they do not only depend on their skill, but they should also have a strategy in order to understand the test question. The book present strategies for facing listening test, and the strategies is divided two categories: the first one is before-test strategies. Before-test strategies refer to what teacher should do before student do the test. The teacher has to remain  the important of building student background knowledge of the test the issue of extensive listening, means that make the student realize and believe that practice makes perfect. They themselves should practice their listening skill not only in the class room, but also outside class room. segmentation in teaching listening, is aimed to identify words in connected speech in order to train student to use their knowledge of phonetics, and reading transcripts in listening practice. student may re-ride the transcripts and check unfamiliar words, so that students’ vocabulary will also increase. This will help student comprehend the text being learned or other text. And the second one is the while-test strategies, include using pictures, using multiple inputs, catching main idea, paying attention to voice changes, remembering specific information, interpreting, finding hidden meaning. Academic conversation, class discussion, academic talk, and lecturer. These while-test strategies can be effective if the learners apply the three approach he of listening comprehension.

The second chapter of the book is talk about diverging tasks in listening activities.  Teacher assuming that repeat playing listening materials again and again in listening activities will make student understand the whole content of a text after listening to it several time. But it will make student feel bored if it plays just for the same text. So the solution for this problem is the teacher should provide various task with the same text. One of the most common and popular techniques in listening of English as a foreign language (EFL) is perhaps by asking student to translate the text they are listening. Guided and assisted by the teacher, student listen to the text, and then they translate what they hear at word level, phrase level, clause level, or sentence level. This is partly correct but might also be wrong because when people converse, they seldom translate their sentences. They may understand the text after the translation process, but it is not clear, whether they understand it because of listening or because of the translation. Whether it is one way listening or two way listening, teacher can vary the task to avoid boredom on the part of student when doing the same task repeatedly.  There are at least four approaches in the field of listening instruction: an environmentalist approach, an innatist approach, an interactionist approach, and a communicative competence framework. By understanding these four approaches, teacher can find the principles underlying listening activities in language learning class rooms.  Knowing the approaches of listening instruction will probably help teacher to understand what aspects should be considered  when listening classes take place. Brown provides micro- and macro skills of listening comprehension. Micro- skills are relevant to what can be done at a sentence level, while macro- skills refer to what can be done at a discourse level. What kind of  task which are to be given to the student is decided by using the micro and macro- skill as the target of language learning in a particular listening lesson. By diverging task, teacher not only can avoid their student’s boredom, but also can help them to master different micro- or macro- skill that student need to have for the success of listening comprehension.  And one thing that needs to be kept in mind is that different tasks should be given to aim at different purposes.

And the last chapter of this part is Desperately listening, unfamiliarity of sound might lead to he successful aspect that hinders the comprehension of speech. It is probably because the way sound are represented in written from in English is different from the system that learner have already known in their first language. The presence of new technology has attracted teachers to use them in the classroom. The internet has been considered as a potential resources to get authentic materials as learning material. In relation to that, teaching English has been influenced by the internet. There are two way for teacher in making use of text for listening and reading the same material. Karlsson, Kjisik, and Nordlund (2003) as well as Obermeier (2000) suggest student to study the transcript before listening to it. For a long time, teacher of EFL have been trying to give their students listening activities in the class room. Many of them succeed in doing that, while many other fail. This is because one of the problems is, as what Lewis and Hill (1990: 63) say, that “listening to a tape is difficult”, mainly for the beginner. The writer agrees with Brown (1996: 147) that the teaching and learning of listening should be enjoyable, and teachers have to try to make it works. Hopefully, by having relaxed rather than stressful.

Part II Understanding the Teaching of Speaking

The fourth chapter of this book is talk about Helping EFL Learner pronounce Wh-Question. When the speakers of EFL fail producing good intonation close to native speakers, their speech will sound strange and will be difficult to understand, it caused Indonesian and English’s intonation and pitches are sometimes different in form, function, and meaning implied; since in two languages, intonations may lead to different intention. To be understood by people is a need in communication, either in a spoken or written language. In order to be able to communicate well, we need communication skill.  There are four major language skills which are needed in communication: Listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  Many kind of sentences produce different kind of these different intonation have their own intonation. This chapter analyze the importance of intonation of question using question word (wh- question). The discussion in this chapter will be divided into three part: wh-question, intonation, and wh-question intonation. Wh- question as the information seeking question introduced by interrogative word. The interrogative word of English include who, whom, whose, which, what, where, when, how and why. The construction of wh- question need helping verb. And the next is intonation, intonation is an important meaning carrier in a spoken language. Intonation can make the message of the utterances clearly. EFL students need to understand how to produce utterances using correct and acceptable intonation.  And the last is wh- question intonation, the importance of wh- question intonation, We use changes in pitch to convey meaning, to reflect the thematic structure of what we are saying, and to convey mood. It is very important to use correct intonation so that our message will not be misinterpreted.to overcome problem related to intonations, teachers need to find an appropriate method in solving the problem. The teaching of Wh- question intonation should not only focus on the patterns, but also on the function of them. Harmer (2001: 183) remainds teacher that the teaching of pronunciation should make student  know different sounds as well as improve the students; speaking and comprehension. EFL students should pay attention to intonation of their speech since it will affect the ideas or message they want to deliver.

The fifth chapter is talk about rehearsal, performance, debriefing: An investigation of speaking strategy in EAP. Speaking is, as a productive skill, a purpose of many language learners learning a new second language or foreign language. Want to be able to speak English is the answer from the question why many student learn English. The speaking skill is the first skill that learners want to master. It is the main concern of second or foreign language learners (Richards, 2006). There  are at least four approaches in the field of listening instruction: an environmentalist approach, an innatist approach, an interactionist approach, and a communicative competence framework. By understanding these four approaches, teacher can find the principles underlying listening activities in language learning class rooms.  According to an environmentalist, the ability of speaking is based on the environment, what happen in the environment, what kind of activities are in the environment, and what environment stimulates speaking. And an innatist will see speaking in a different way from an environmentalist. Rather than having repetition and making habits, this approach claim  that learner also have their own ability in thinking. And the third  is interactionist approach, learner need to construct their idea by following some steps. Without following the step, student will not master the language perfectly. And the latest approach is a communicative competence framework, under this framework, speaker should have communicative competence, they are : discourse competence, linguistic competence, pragmatic competence, intercultural competence, and strategic competence. This chapter identify the scenarios and the techniques to use them, there are eight scenarios they are : Language center, library, finding accommodation, deadline, for an essay, examination result, changing accommodation, project result, and research proposal. Every scenario has its own special characteristics, but generally involves negotiation between role A and role B. the steps of using scenario are taken from Anderson, Maclean, and Lynch (2006: 139-142). It has three stages: rehearsal, performance, and debriefing, with some modification in performance stage. Stage 1 rehearsal. In this step , student are grouped into two group in this stage, the first group reads the text for role A and the second group read the text role B. ask student to study carefully, and to discuss any question about the information or the language in their role text. Stage 2 performance. When the A and B groups have completed their preparation, get them to form up in A + B pairs with someone from the other group. All the pairs then plays the scenario “privately, simultaneously, so that everyone in the class is working in parallel. When all the pairs are finishes, ask them to go back to their original group. In their group they may share and discuss what they have experience in their pair play. Changing partner \, student are represent the scenarios in front of the class. They have a public performance. Stage 3 debriefing. After the public performance, begin by asking the student for their general reaction to what they have seen. This stage should also talk about the best way to persuade someone to take your view, and not just correction of individual language errors.

And the sixth chapter of the book is talk about Expecting Speaking Course: A Reflection from Students’ Perspective.  The mastery of oral language as a means of communication has become increasingly recognized. English language learner aim their study for mastering speaking. Speaking is “used for many different purposes, and each purpose involves different skill. In this chapter discus about research that the writer do in the area of speaking to improve student ability in speaking by applying a certain approach or strategy. The writer want to see from students’ perspective on what actually they expect in their speaking skill. The writer ask student to comment the teaching and learning process hole semester before final exam. From the finding and discussion the writer conclude that the good values in teaching speaking are: never say “wrong or false” to the students’ speaking 9judging), be friendly, evaluate students, progress on a regular basis, group the students if it is conducted properly and varied, be relaxed during the instruction, and review the lesson in the end of meeting. And there are also some negative things to be avoided during the speaking instruction : avoid  unclear instruction that make assignment difficult, solve the problem of the absence of student book, avoid being silent and coming late, vary the in door activities, and vary the teaching procedures and instructional media.

And the last chapter of the book is discuss about using the strategic interaction approach to promote speaking skill. Learning a language allow people to use the language as a means of communication, either using spoken or written form. Among the four language skill- listening, speaking, reading, and writing, speaking is an observable skill. Two common techniques offered to provide input are simulation and role-play, which are believed to be useful techniques in teaching speaking. The strategic interaction approach was introduced by Robert Di Pietro (1987; 2) it is a response to traditional ways in teaching speaking, when learning, learner should study, practice, train, and repeat, the material they have learned; and as a skill, speaking is not exception. Rehearsal is an essential stage in learning. 

Implication of the research to the teaching of oral language

                in listening while reading the text can help student learn English, an illustration when the student listen to sound /bleim/, then they see the written blame, so they understand when they hear such sound; they catch it easily. By recognizing the word, it is expected that they will find the meaning of the word easier. The next time they listen to that sound, hopefully, even when they do not see the written word, they will remember what word it is.

                In the rehearsal, student are grouped into two group in this stage, the first group reads the text for role A and the second group read the text role B. ask student to study carefully, and to discuss any question about the information or the language in their role text.

Limitation of the discussion

                The book is very useful for teacher or lecturer to teach listening and speaking , in the part one the book discus about understanding teaching of listening comprehension. the book provide some strategies to teach and to prepare student to face listening test,  there is strategy before test, and strategy while test. It can help the teacher, what should they do when they teaching listening in the class room, and there is no limitation of this chapter except a little, it is about new technology that attract many teacher to use it in the listening class. I think is better to explain more about the usefulness of that new technology like VCD/DVD and internet. How to use it effectively.

 and  in the part II the book discus about Understanding teaching of speaking. the  also provide how to improve student’s speaking skill, how to make our speech to be understood by people or to make the people understand our speech. I look at the first chapter of this part: helping EFL learner pronounce Wh- Question. And I think this chapter is too simple, the chapter just talk about intonation, as long as I know there are other aspect to make our speech is clear and to make people understand our speech, it is supra segmental aspect that consist pitch or intonation, syllable, and word stress. I think is better if that aspect also discussed in this chapter.

Proposal for further research based on the reviewed book

                the proposal for further research based on the review book is the research or observation is not only apply in student of university but try it also in the lower level of student, like senior high school student or junior high school student and of course the result will be very different. As a additional information,  And then you can compare it with the result that you got from student of university,

                and other proposal that I suggest is, the research is not only in listening and speaking skill, but also in all of skill of language skill, riding and writing also. Even if I know as you say that . Among the four language skill- listening, speaking, reading, and writing, speaking is an observable skill. May be it is the reason why you just observe only in that area (listening, and speaking).