INVESTIGATING THE PRACTICE OF TEACHING LISTENING SKILLSAT OROMIA REGION, WEST HARARGHE ZONE- AT HABRO WOREDA AT THREE GOVERNMENT HIGHSCHOOLS: GRADE NINE IN FOCUS

Abstract

In this study an attempt was made to investigate the practices of teaching listening skills in English Language at three government high schools Habroworeda, West Hararghe zone of Oromia region at grade 9. To attain the objective, descriptive research design was employed. In trying to address the issue, qualitative and quantitative methods were used. The researcher focused mainly on teachers’ practices in the three stages of listening, teachers’ contribution on students’ use of the sub skills of listening while they listen to spoken text, to assess teachers’ practice of using additional materials in the class to make the lesson clearer and assess classroom interaction during listening classes. The required data for the study were collected by using classroom observation, students’ questionnaire, and teachers’ interview. Four classes were observed while teachers were teaching listening voluntarily. Each class was observed four times using a structured observation checklist. The questionnaire items were administered for 120 students that were found in the three high schools of Gelemso, Watchu and Belbeletti high schools. There were nine sections in these three high schools. From the total of 900 students, 10% of them or 90 students filled in the questionnaire. There were four EFL teachers in these three high schools. All the four teachers were interviewed because their number was manageable. To see the practice teachers’ using additional materials in the listening class and classroom interaction, questionnaire and classroom observation were used. The findings revealed teachers’ poor practice i.e. poor practice of the pre, while and post listening stages. Besides, only very few listening sub-skills were practiced. The interaction of listening class lacks students’ participation and teachers rarely used additional materials in the listening classes. Thus, it is recommended that teachers need to develop their practice of using additional materials besides students’ text book, students should be inspired to ensure more listening to English out-of-school were suggested for improvement of teachers’ practice of teaching the listening skills.