Transfer between listening comprehension and reading comprehension in English

Abstract

Purposes The purposes of this research were to find out if there was any transfer between listening comprehension and reading comprehension in English ; and to find out if there was any difference between the teaching of listening comprehension before reading comprehension; and to find out which technique could be used more effectively in teaching either listening comprehension before reading comprehension, or vice versa. A 40 – passage – multiple choice test was administered to 160 students of M.S. v science in Suankulab School and Rajinee Bon School. After the test results had been interpreted by item analysis, 25 good items were selected and re- arranged as BA ( 5 + 15 items ) for Listening Comprehension and CA ( 5 +15 items ) for Reading Comprehension to from two new tests. These tests were administered to four groups of first year students in King Mongkut ’s Institute of Technology , Thouburi (35 students in each group). Group I took the listening test before the reading the reading test. Group II took only the reading test before the listening test, and Group IV took only the listening test. The tests were scored, and the mean differences were calculated the data were then entered into product – moment correlations, and t-tests ( T – Difference Method ) Findings and Conclusions. 1. The correlation between the scores of the two tests in Group I and Group III was. 48 and .65 , respectively (both significant at p < .01 ) . This indicates that the listening comprehension correlated rather highly with the reading comprehension, and implies that the subjects who scored high in reading comprehension, would score high in listening comprehension, or vice versa. It also implies that there was a transfer between listening comprehensions, or vice versa. It also implies that there was a transfer between listening comprehension and reading comprehension , especially from reading to listening comprehension. 2.It was found that there was significant difference between listening comprehension before reading comprehension ( at p<.01 t_d = 9.32 ), and reading comprehension before listening comprehension ( at p<.01 t_d = 5.54 ) which indicates that the subjects scored differently when the test of listening and the test of reading, and implies that there was an effect on the scores of different tests. 3. It was also found that there were differences in the two techniques, i.e. the testing of listening before reading comprehension and the testing of reading before listening ( significant at p<.01 t = 3.44 ), and teaching listening comprehension, the students would have more rapid understanding if the teacher allowed them reading comprehension ( significant at p<.01 t = 2.95 ) but in teaching reading comprehension, it was not necessary to teach listening comprehension before teaching reading comprehension ( significant at p <.01 t = - 1.04 ) Recommendations 1. It is recommended that cloze tests be used alternatively to multiple – choice tests to measure listening and reading comprehension because many previous studies have shown that the cloze test is as valid, reliable, objective and economical in time, expense and energy as multiple – choice tests are. The cloze test can be very easily constructed and standardized. 2. Since there is a transfer between reading comprehension and listening comprehension, it should be useful to make more and more use of this as a technique in teaching reading comprehension before listening comprehension in order to help the students to have a good attitude towards English. 3. There should be further research on the voice and sex of the speaker in relation to the sex and ethnic group of the listener. 4. Further studies should be made on problems in teaching listening and reading comprehension, particularly in scientific and technical English.