Anybody listening? The role of listening in integrated listening-to-write and listening-to-speak tasks

23 Pages·2015·0.88 MB·English

Anybody listening?

The role of listening in integrated listening-to-
write and listening-to-speak tasks
Anchana Rukthong & Tineke Brunfaut
LTF 2015, Oxford
Please cite as:

Rukthong, A. & Brunfaut, T. (2015). Anybody listening? The role of
listening in integrated listening-to-write and listening-to-
speak tasks. Paper presented at LTF 2015. Oxford, UK,
November, 20-22.

Copyright © Rukthong, A. & Brunfaut, T., 2015
Integrated-skills assessment
What?
Input Information processing Task
text(s) & transferring production
Listening Reading Speaking Writing
Integrated-skills assessment
Why?
• Strengths
‒ More authentic test tasks
(Asencion, 2004; Cumming et al., 2004)
‒ Positive washback
(Weigle, 2004)
‒ Fairness
(Cumming et al., 2004)
‒ Greater inter-rater reliability
(Weir, 2004)

• Weaknesses
‒ Unclear test construct
(Weir, 1990)
‒ Difficulty in score interpretations
(Lewkowicz, 1997)
Integrated-skills assessment
Why research integrated-listening tasks?

1. Research focus re integrated-skills tasks primarily on
productive skills , not
(E.g., Brown et al., 2005; Frost et al., 2011)
receptive skills
2. No consensus on role of comprehension in
integrated-skills tasks
(E.g., Gebril, 2004 vs Plakans, 2008)
3. Comparatively limited insights in listening
(Field, 2013;
Lynch, 2009; Rost, 2011)
Listening comprehension processing

Comprehension processing
Adapted from Anderson (1985),
Rost (2011), and Field (2013)
Cognitive processes
Text
Input
understanding
Cognitive Metacognitive
strategies strategies

Adapted from Rost (2011), Adapted from Goh and
Goh and Vandergrift (2012) Vandergrift (2012)
Listening comprehension processing

Parsing Semantic processing (local)
Word recognition Semantic processing (global)
Acoustic-phonetic processing Pragmatic processing
Cognitive processes
Preparing for
Reconstruction
listening
Elaboration Selective attention
Cognitive Metacognitive
strategies strategies
Directed attention
Inferencing
Comprehension monitoring
Translation
Prediction Real-time assessment
of input
Fixation
Comprehension
evaluation
Research questions
What listening abilities are assessed by integrated
listening-to-summarize tasks?

a) What listening processes and strategies do ESL test-takers
engage in while performing integrated listening-to-
summarize tasks?
b) Are there any differences in the processes and strategies
when compared between task modalities and
performance levels?
Methodology
Materials
‒ Integrated listening-to-summarize tasks
‒ 4 tasks adapted from the PTE Academic
Listening-to-speak task
‒ 2 versions per task
Listening-to-write task

Speaking or Oral/written
Listening
Writing summary
Methodology
Participants
• 12 Thai-L1 students from a UK university
• 6 female, 6 male
• Age range: 23-40y (M= 29)
• English proficiency (IELTS):
‒ Overall: 6.0-8.5
‒ Listening: 5.5-7.5
‒ Reading: 5.5-8.5
‒ Writing: 5.5-8.0
‒ Speaking: 5.5-8.5