Journal of English Language Teaching

Problems in Developing Listening Skills: Voices of Secondary School Teachers

Namrata Gogoi

Research Scholar, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India

Dr. Yeasmin Sultana

Assistant Professor, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India

Keywords: listening, challenges, strategies, secondary schools

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Abstract

This study delves into the challenges faced by secondary school teachers in teaching listening skills, drawing from semi-structured interviews with five educators from Kamrup district, Assam. NVivo Windows-based software was employed for data analysis to generate initial codes and identify prevalent themes. The paper explores various dimensions, including time constraints, inadequate teaching-learning materials, excessive reliance on the mother tongue, inadequate classroom environments, and lack of motivation. The conclusion calls for teachers to act as scaffolders, revamp of assessment criteria away from rote memorization, and integration of listening activities from early stage of learning. Additionally, the study suggests further research to investigate initiatives by elementary school teachers aimed at fostering students’ English listening skills.

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