Full name: Nguyễn Thị Thấm

Code: 19045054

Class: QH2019. D1

TUTORIAL 2

Answer:

As Nunan D. once mentioned in his book named “Research Methods in Language Learning”
(1992): “one popular image of research is that it is concerned with formal experiments of
various types”, most of the researchers first come to the term before getting ready to conduct a
study may have that same thought. Nevertheless, Nunan D. also stated that …. According to I.
Clement (1969), the Principal of VSS College of Nursing in Bangalore, experimental is the most
scientifically sophisticated research method and is defined as ‘observation under controlled
conditions’. Beside, Gay, L. R. (1992) wrote in “Educational research” (4th Ed): “The
experimental method is the only method of research that can truly test hypotheses concerning
cause-and-effect relationships. It represents the most valid approach to the solution of
educational problems, bot practical and theoretical, and to the advancement of education as a
science.” All things considered, an experimental research is a controlled look at nature
(McDonough J. & McDonough S., 1997), an attempt to maintain over all factors that mat affect
the result of an experiment (James P., 1997), the effects of specified and controlled treatments
given to subjects usually formed in groups (Selinger & Shohamy, 2000).
There are three types of experimental research, namely True-experiments, Quasi-
experiment and Pre-experiment (Nunan, 1992). Each type of experimental research can be
designed and carried out differently depending on the nature of subjects and the instruments, and
the way data are collected and analyzed.
Experimental research method in language learning, however, is not the thing that happens
in a laboratory where all conditions are strictly controlled. In applied linguistics, an experimental
research is usually conducted within a language classroom viewed as a real-life workshop.
Therefore, language learning researchers cannot have complete control over all the variables
which are the interactions of the learners - the participants of the research with the outside world

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may influence the outcomes of the study. “This is because human beings and the nature of
learning and context are highly complex.” (Aek Phakiti, 2014)
To have a deep sense of experimental research method’s value, take a look at one of the
studies in Volume 1, Number 4 (2012) of “International Journal of Applied Linguistics &
English Literature from Pioneering in Language & Literature Discovery named “The Impact of
Authentic Listening Materials on Elementary EFL Learners’ Listening Skills”. The main aim
of this study was to investigate the impact of authentic listening materials on listening skills of
Elementary students at university level. Besides, student’s feedback survey was given to
experimental group to evaluate their attitudes and opinions regarding the materials. Let take a
closer look to the report of this research.
I. Introduction: is the framework for the study clear?
At first glance, the framework for the study is quite clear and can be easily followed. In the
very first part of the report - Introduction, the writers built a solid structure of the whole study
including the statements of the problem, the significance of study, the literature review and the
research questions which are all in a plain sight.
A. Literature review.
Above all, the writers were well aware of the importance of listening skills and stated that it
is not a one-layered phenomenon, but an amalgamation of bundles of related process in which
remained unnoticed for first language acquisition due to its natural and effortless nature. This is
a brief statement released after the researchers had worked on some previous related studies -
Background of this experimental research. They also cited the way traditionally listening was
considered as a “passive process, in which our ears were receivers into which information was
poured…” (Schmitt2002: 193). For listening is usually assumed that it can be acquired through
exposures rather than teaching, lots of efforts have been made by material developers and
educational policy makers to make learning materials (tasks) as real-life like as possible.
Besides, the studies of Lynch, (1995). and Mendelson, (1995). as cited in Schmitt, (2002.p, 198)
with 33 micro-skills for conversational listening and 18 for academic listening; together with a
study of Rost, (1990) posited the “cluster” of listening sub-skills such as “enabling skills
(includes perception, interpretation…) and enacting skills had inspired Masoud Khalili Sabet and
Hamed Mahsefat. Therefore, the two researchers conducted the paper with just two targeted
components of listening skills, perception and comprehension.

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 In addition to that, the writers identified the problems arising from the fact that the role of
listening skills in language learning was taken for granted. Hence, in EFL situation it has been
viewing as a great issue which lots of students are bereft of an acceptable level of
comprehension in a par with other skills; and there is only slight emphasis put in language
instruction to increase the level of listening ability. And depending on mentioned previous
studies (including Krashen, 1982; Nunan, 1999; (Philips & Shettlesworth, 1987; Clarke, 1989;
Peacock, 1997). cited in Richards, 2001), which make the proclamation that “authentic materials
bring reality into the class and have various advantages”, and they “can bring autonomy in
learning”. Masoud Khalili Sabet and Hamed Mahsefat carried out the research to test the
hypotheses on “the relationship between using authentic listening materials and students’
listening skills”; and “the correlation between student’s attitudes authentic listening materials
regarding and using authentic listening materials”, which show the relationship of this research
to other previous research.
In short, the study fits in the framework in the EFL classroom with listening skills.
B. Statement of purpose.
The purpose of the study is made clear from the beginning of the reports, it was to
investigate the impact of authentic listening materials on listening skills of Elementary students
at university level.
Research questions are also given in the first section of the study. the following questions
was derived.
1 - Does listening to authentic materials make a significant difference between the
experimental and and control regarding the listening skill?
2 - What is the attitude of students’ toward authentic listening materials?
And based on the research question (question number 1) above and the nature of the study
the null hypotheses are as follow:
- There is no relationship between using authentic listening materials and students
listening skills.
- There is no correlation between students’ attitudes authentic listening materials regarding
and using authentic listening materials.
II. Method: is the study replicable?

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A. Subjects
The description of participants in the study is very clear and adequate. The pieces of
information are as follow:
 The number of students: 60 students
 University: Koshyar non-profit university
 Level: elementary
 Purpose: general
 Age: 18 to 27
 Major: non – English majors
 Mother tongue: Persian
 Control group: receive simplified (graded) listening materials (30 students)
 Experimental group: receive authentic listening materials (30 students)
In this experiment, the independent variable is authentic listening materials, and the
dependent variable is students’ listening skills.
The method of selection is also pointed out clearly. Sixty participants of the study were
checked by Oxford placement test to make sure all of them are unanimously elementary. And
then, they were assigned to two group randomly.
B. Materials
In the research, the description of tests, questionnaires, rating scales, instruments and
equipment are quite apparent. They are as follow:
 Tests: Pre-tests and Post-tests
 Questionaires: multiple-choice questions (35 questions)
 Rating scale: a recognition type test and a 30-multiple-choice comprehension test
 Equipment: 2 series of authentic materials and 2 series of simplified (graded)
materials.
 Instruments: an English level test (Oxford Placement Test) and a student feedback
survey (adapted from Enas Ibrahim Al-Musallam 2009)
The application of equipment is also described in this part with the guidance on scoring.
C. Procedures
In this section of the study, the researchers also wrote out the description of the preparation
of material, administration and scoring.

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 To start with, the preparation of materials, the conductors selected a series of video and
audio tracks and it had been a bit difficult to find materials which serve two features native-
speakers produced and for the purpose of other than language teaching. The series of audio
material about wildlife, urban perspective, treating with nature and so forth.
Moreover, the description of scoring is based on the manual of the English proficiency test
for listening. The first part of the test consisted of 100 two-choice questions, and each question
enjoyed two credits. In other words, the score of this part of the test was out of 200. The other
part of the test is composed of a 30-multiple-choice comprehension test.
The conditions during the study, however, are not mentioned.
D. Analyses
The writers made an analysis to come to the conclusion that the difference between two
groups is significant and the instruction plays a great role as the significance draw out from the
data shown in the two tables.
The data, the statistical tests, were listed in order of use, though the conductors did not
mention the description of the arrangement and grouping of the data. An analysis of covariance
and the paired sample t-test were employed to measure the level of significance between the
control and the experimental group.
The researchers also compared the answers of 35-multiple-choice, which provided valuable
insights regarding the effectiveness of authentic listening materials. The result of percentages of
analysis explicates that the experimental group who received treatment scored high in the most
of the variables such as willingness and preference to use authentic materials, tendency to
listening to authentic listening materials, usability of authentic listening materials in social and
out of class situation, motivational power of authentic listening materials, the effect of authentic
listening materials on speaking, grammar ,vocabulary proficiency and the effectively of
authentic listening materials on listening skills.
III. Results
In this section of the study, all the statistical tests previously listed are represented as
results. Nevertheless, there is no prose explanation mentioned in this part.
IV. Discussion/Conclusion
The conclusion drawn out in discussions section of the study demonstrated and elaborated
the efficiency of authentic listening of authentic listening materials in developing listening skills.

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And this conclusion is to answer the first question of the study mentioned in the Introduction of
the paper.
Moreover, based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the preliminary proficiency
test, a listening comprehension, and a listening perception test. The researchers also proclaimed
that the patterns observed in the results of the study explicated that the authentic listening
materials had a positive effect on listening skills of elementary students at university level.
In this section, the conductors also confirmed the hypothesis after comparing and
contrasting the statistical results taken from the study justified. However, the explanation of
“why the results were as they were” was not identified in the discussions.
The two writers offered suggestions for further research into the impact of authentic
listening materials in developing listening skills. The impact of different modes and genres of
authentic materials investigate at elementary level is recommended. Furthermore, the study
conductors suggested that the study can be wider in scope if it includes all possible modes and
sources of authentic materials such audios, videos, from different sources, it also enjoys more
pedagogical significance if compares contrasts these discrepancies and their efficiencies in
developing listening skills. In addition to that, the researchers mentioned that the impact of
authentic listening materials is proposed to be investigated to see its effect on other aspect of
language acquisitions such learning and intonation, stress patterns, vocabulary proficiency,
incidental learning, extra linguistic factors, grammar, establishing speaking and so forth. What
is more is a study of different listening strategies in relation to authentic listening materials and
non-authentic materials (simplified) in different levels of proficiency. Last but not least, the
impact of authentic listening materials on listening skills at elementary and other levels is
propounded.
V. References, Notes, or Footnotes
All the references cited in the text are included clearly and arranged well in this section of
the study.
V. Appendixes
In the study, the conductors already mentioned the two Appendixes for the research
including the English level test (Oxford Placement Test) in the appendix I and the survey
contained 35 multiple-choice questions can be seen in the appendix II. However, in this PDF file,
the appendixes are not included. The appendixes are necessary as it play a significant role in
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guiding readers what to follow the comparison between the two divided groups in the study. The
Appendix II, on the other hand, can be seen evidently as it was shown in the Table 5.
Experimental group reaction to the multiple-choice questions of survey.

REFERENCES
1. Aek Phakiti, (2014). Experimental Research Methods in Language Learning, p.10-11.
2. Gay, L. R. (1992). Educational Research (4th Ed), New York: Merrill, p.298
3. I. Clement, (2012-1999). NURSING: Solved Question Papers for BSc Nursing – 4th
year, p.113, paper 2011.
4. Masoud Khalili Sabet, & Hamed Mahsefat, (2012). The Impact of Authentic Listening
Materials on Elementary EFL Learners’ Listening Skills, International Journal of
Applied Linguistics & English Literature, Vol.1 No.4; September 2012.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/ijalel.v.1n.4p.216