The Influence of Using Media on Improving English Listening Skill
Abstract
This paper aims at highlighting the role of using modern technology in improving English language listening skill. It discusses different approaches and techniques which can help English language students to improve their listening skills by using Modern Media. Among these techniques are online English language listening, video chatting through cell phone or computer. Listening through video, television, radio and CD-ROM. This paper diagnoses the importance of listening skill in acquiring English language and concludes with certain suggestions and recommendations.
Introduction
In the 20th century the term of Modern Media was used to define everything related to it like Internet and interplay between technology, images and sounds. In fact the definition of Modern Media changes every then and now and it is still in development continuously. In other words, Modern Media refers to mass communication characteristics of recent times or the contemporary communication related to a recently developed or advanced technology.
Modern Media is followed by postmodern media which is related to mass media that enables human beings to cater to their needs at in anytime, anywhere, on any digital devices.
Wikipedia defines Modern Media as a broad term in Media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example Modern Media hold out a possibility of non-demand access to content as desired and at any place. Also there is another important definition of modern media which is the “demoralization” of the creation, publishing, distribution and consumption of media content.
Modern Media can be characterized by the variegated use of images, words; sounds and text data. All these components of modern media are different from traditional media components such as hardcopy materials and newspapers because of their nesting characteristics.
Most Media which is described as "new media" are digital, often having characteristics of being manipulated, networkable, dense, compressible, and interactive. Some examples may be the Internet, websites, computer multimedia, computer games, CD-ROMS, and DVDs. Modern media does not include television programs, feature films, magazines, books, or paper-based publications – unless they contain technologies that enable digital interactivity,( Bailey Socha and Barbara Eber-Schmid ). Thus, Modern Media is not related to non-digital materials. It is based on digital system. The digital system is the basic fundamental of modern media. It is the basic difference between what is meant by modern media and traditional media. Our concern in this paper is modern media.
Modern Media is a tool that brings about quick changes up to now. For example, the cell phone in the late 1980s could be thought of as part of new media, while today the term might only apply selectively to a certain type of phone with a given system of applications, or even more commonly, the content of those apps. Computer plays important role according to (Davies & Hower, 2012). The new technology includes communication techniques for language teaching in which the personal computer plays a central role. Also the other technology tools can be used in learning English language to give specific benefit with all the fourth language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Students should be familiar with using such techniques and tools successfully.
Modern Media plays an important role in today’s human society development. Our new life is highly affected by the era of information technology. As this, it is indispensable to take advantage of modern media which facilitates the process of learning English language. Students trying to learn English as a second language need further language support. They need to practice in hearing language, reading language, speaking language, and writing language in order to develop their experience and skills (Ybarra& Green, 2003). Therefore, they need use of several tools of Modern Media to learn language easily and effectively.
Media provides teachers and students with creative and practical ideas. It enables teachers to meet various needs and interests of their students. It also provides students with lots of language practices through activities using newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, movies, books, Internet, etc. It also provides students with tasks which develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. It entertains students and encourages their reading in English in general, both inside and outside the classroom, promoting extensive reading by giving the students the confidence, the motivation and the ability to continue their reading outside the classroom.
Listening Skill
Listening is the act of hearing attentively. Researchers have demonstrated that adult spend 40-50% with listening, 25-30% with speaking, 11-16% reading and 9% with reading (Vandergrift 2005). We listen more than we speak. If this listening skill is used in a proper way we can master the tools of communicative skills. Listening is difficult, as human mind tends to distract easily. A person who controls his mind and listens attentively acquires various other skills and is benefited.
Listening is defined as the process of identifying and understanding the speech of the speaker of a language. It is the language skill that is used frequently. It involves understanding the speaker’s accent or pronunciation, speaker’s grammar and vocabulary, and comprehension of meaning (Saricoban1999). Good listening makes learners interactive in family, workplace and society. If listening skill is poor someone cannot distinguish between parts of speech so he cannot provide a suitable response to show his apologizing, inviting, empathy, refusing, sense and interaction according to the situation. Further, poor listening skill does not allow person into a profession in communication, management, planning, sales etc.
Listening is very important in the process of a second language and is considered as a principle language skill. Through listening, learners can acquire a target portion of their education, their information, their ideas and their understanding in their science life. As an input skill, listening plays a vital role in student language development. (Sacicoban).
Listening is used together with the other skills like speaking, reading and writing. It is not only a skill area in language performance, but also a critical means of acquiring the second language. It helps students to acquire good speaking habits through listening conversations they have absorbed, and helps them to improve their pronunciation and reading. Also good listening skill makes a learner writes much notes while listening his lecturer or teacher.
During the decades, developments in education, linguistics and sociology have led to the powerful theories of the nature of language comprehension and the active interest in the role of listening comprehension in second language acquisition. There are many activities to practice listening through internet or websites such as watching educational English programs on TV, enjoying a radio station, or chatting with foreigners. It can be said that the Internet or websites can provide the opportunities to practice their English listening skills and it is a tool that offers powerful possibilities for improving their learning. There are several technical ways for improving the listening capability of the ELL, which are summarized below.
Use of Tap-Recorders:
Tap-recorders are one of the oldest technical listening tools, and their use is rapidly decreasing now a days. However, they are still be utilized in certain cases and are attached with some English language learning text-books.
Video:
While learners respond to video as an instructional tool they focus to spoken words with the movements of characters of the serial and they acquire listening easily. Using video in the classroom allows learners to access more information while listening. That is, the learners can now see what is happening as well as listening to the text. The first major advantage of using video is that it can provide samples of real-life situations. Lonergan (1984, pp. 4-5 cited in Lustigová, 2013) pointed out that video is able to present “complete communicative situations. At their best, video presentations will be intrinsically interesting to language learners. The learner will want to watch, even if comprehension is limited.” Learners can use video to study how language use may be employed by age and how the relationship between language use and paralinguistic features can be focused, including how to convey moods and feelings. Video can contribute positively to language learning and processing. It helps learners in developing listening skills, in learning new lexical terms and in encouraging autonomous learning.
TV/Radio:
Using TV/Radio in classroom is one of the more accessible forms of authentic listening practice we can give our learners. There is a lot of channels that broadcast in English within twenty-four hours. The popular channels broadcast in English such as BBC World service and voice of America (VAO) constantly on-air. Moreover, many non-English speaking countries broadcast program in English.
Regarding proficiency and comprehension of television and radio news in a foreign language, a research by Berber (1997) highlighted the point that through enough exposure to these materials, students can easily cope with the comprehension of such materials. Cabaj and Nicolic (2000) also noted that a great amount of exposure to TV and radio news could help students to cope with TV and radio news broadcasts easier. Moreover, through exposure to TV news and radio programs, students can acquire knowledge, structures, strategies, and vocabulary that they can use in everyday situations. While listening TV/Radio constantly in classroom or even at home, learner’s ears acquire habit listening to English sounds. Day by day students’ English listening will be improved and students’ mastery of vocabulary is increased and pronunciation will be enhanced. Meanwhile learners imitate the TV/Radio presenters and acquire language easily to speak fluently. They get benefit of listening TV/Radio; they gain confidence when they speak English.
Use of Computers:
The use of computers in listening problems provides students with visual and voice inputs which can enhance their information and ideas, and develop their listening skills (Hoven, 1999).Computer is very important in teaching and learning English. It uses at schools, colleges and institutions as an effective method to enhance students motivations; to provide them acquiring whole of the four skills in English (listening, speaking, reading and writing).
Language Lab:
Language lab is a vital method used in teaching and learning English and it can be utilized for teaching or learning through a teacher’s console (Madhavi, 2009.p4). The functions of teaching are staying control, reinforcing learning, teaching with software that is approachable and ensuring the best learning results. Computer-based listening tests are very important in reinforcing the understanding skills of the listener. CD-ROM based learning films can also provide significant advantages over the traditional methods. Finally, Internet voice chatting using the second language may also aid the communication capabilities of the student.
Mobile:
In the fact the 21 century society becomes mobile palpable. More and more frequently, we use mobile devices for working outside the office, personal communication, entertainment, and also, learning. Students enjoy their times on using mobile; they feel comfortable with programs that are in mobiles such as Facebook, Whatsapp and Emo to do chatting in English and getting extensive listening online. Students getting extensive acknowledgments of using Mobile not only in listening skill but also to improve their spoken communication. Furthermore, it provides the FL learner with massive exposure to authentic language.
Conclusion:
Modern Media as an era technology supports listening skill development greatly. Several researches emphasize that the using Modern Media in processing of learning English language and in improving listening skill has several advantages 🙁 a)The role of the text and visual as aids to language processing when appearing in conjunction with the aural text;(b) the fact that combined media enrich target language processing, thereby rendering input more direct and salient for the language acquisition process; and (c) the motivational aspect of video as an advantage for language instruction. As a medium for learning language, Modern Media represents a myriad of instructional possibilities. As a tool for listening skills development, there is a logical match of system characteristics (combining text, audio and video) and the goal of listening skills development in a second or foreign Language. Careful consideration on the part of teachers and software developers of the range of possibilities for combining input modalities and tools that empower student manipulation of them is essential.