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39INTEGRATED TEACHING OF LISTENING AND READING:
IMPORTANCE AND ISSUES
1Khaydarov Erkin Ismailovich, 2Pardayeva Aziza Rakhmatullayevna
1,2Samarkand state institute of foreign languages https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10396273
Abstract. This article explores the importance of integrated teaching of listening and reading in language instruction. The interdependence and reciprocal relationship between these two language skills are recognized, highlighting the benefits of integrating them to enhance language learning outcomes. Drawing upon cognitive processing theories and previous research on integrated language learning, this study investigates the impact of integrated teaching methods on language acquisition, comprehension abilities, and overall language proficiency. Furthermore, pedagogical approaches and technology integration in integrated teaching are explored and compared. The results contribute to the understanding of effective strategies for integrating listening and reading instruction, guiding language educators and practitioners in designing instructional practices that promote holistic language development. The implications of the study inform curriculum design, teacher training, and language pedagogy, emphasizing the significance of incorporating integrated teaching methods in language classrooms. Overall, this research highlights the potential of integrated teaching to cultivate language proficiency, cognitive skills, and authentic communication in language learners.
Keywords: integrated teaching, listening and reading, cognitive skills, integrated learning process, language acquisition, cognitive processes, pedagogical approaches, learner engagement.
Integrated teaching is essential in language instruction as it recognizes the interdependence and reciprocal relationship between these two language skills. "The four skills are the pinnacles of language which will take you to greater heights. They are separate yet bound together with an inseparable bond." (Sadiku) Listening and reading are interconnected processes that contribute to overall language proficiency and effective communication. By integrating these skills, learners are exposed to a wider range of authentic language input and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the language.
In modern classrooms teachers are facing several problems in improving comprehensive skills of their learners:
The teacher and the native language of the students may have different accents and pronunciation, making it difficult for the students to understand spoken words or phrases. This can lead to confusion and hinder comprehension.
Limited vocabulary and knowledge of grammar can hamper listening skills. Students may struggle to identify and understand words, phrases, and sentence structures in context, impeding their overall comprehension.
Understanding spoken language requires interpreting the meaning of words and phrases in context. Students may face difficulties in understanding the context and inferring meaning when listening to audio or conversations, leading to confusion and misunderstanding.
Students may feel anxious and lack confidence when it comes to listening in a foreign language. The fear of not understanding or making mistakes can make them hesitant to engage in listening activities, hindering their progress and overall proficiency.
Many students passively listen without employing active listening strategies such as predicting, summarizing, or note-taking. These strategies enhance comprehension and retention but are often overlooked by students who are still developing their listening skills. (H.H.Husanova, 2020)
Overcoming these problems requires a combination of techniques and resources that provide exposure to authentic listening materials, focused practice, and opportunities for students to develop active listening strategies while gradually improving their vocabulary and grammatical understanding.
As a possible overcome of the issue, we strongly recommend the method of teaching listening in integration with reading.
Firstly, integrated teaching of listening and reading allows learners to develop their comprehension abilities in contextually-rich and authentic settings. In real-life situations, individuals often encounter communication that involves both listening and reading, such as understanding a conversation while following written instructions or comprehending a lecture while consulting a related text. By integrating these skills, learners are better equipped to navigate multiple modes of communication encountered in daily life.
Secondly, integrated teaching enhances learners' overall language proficiency and cognitive skills. When learners engage in integrated activities, they must process information simultaneously through both auditory and visual channels. This dual processing strengthens their ability to make connections between different language forms and structures, as well as to identify and infer meaning from various linguistic cues. These cognitive skills are transferable to other language tasks and promote a deeper understanding of the language system as a whole.
Moreover, integrated teaching promotes the development of critical thinking skills. Listening and reading require learners to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from various sources. By integrating these skills, learners are exposed to diverse perspectives, which fosters critical thinking and improves their ability to interpret and analyze complex language content. They learn to evaluate the credibility and relevance of the information they encounter, enhancing their overall language competence.
Additionally, integrated teaching facilitates vocabulary acquisition and enhances language production skills. When learners engage in integrated activities, they can see and hear vocabulary simultaneously, reinforcing the connection between written and spoken words. This multisensory experience helps learners develop a more robust vocabulary repertoire and promotes automaticity in word recognition and retrieval. Furthermore, integrated teaching provides learners with models of accurate pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm, which contribute to the development of speaking skills.
Integrated teaching of listening and reading is crucial for the effective development of language skills. By recognizing the reciprocal relationship between listening and reading and providing learners with integrated activities, educators can create opportunities for learners to enhance their comprehension abilities, strengthen their cognitive and critical thinking skills, expand their vocabulary, and improve their overall language proficiency. Integrating listening and reading enables learners to become competent and confident communicators in real-life language contexts. (Bahrani)
As a global and the most wide-spread language, English is being the prior choice for second language learners. People are learning English for different purposes (migrating, travelling,
chatting, academic purposes etc.), which creates a lot of challenges for language teachers. Different goals make various demands, demands challenge teachers to meet them, which forces teachers to evolve.
Another issue we are meeting in classrooms is connected with possible psychological and mental distinctions of students, which requires an individual approach from teachers. Some students may not have mental abilities as their peers do; however, their brains work better on other spheres.
These kinds of problems are common for language teachers and sometimes they are complicated enough to exhaust teachers. Frequently, it is hard to find an individual approach to tackle a kind of possible student's problem. Teachers usually try to find general solutions so that they could deal with a problem anytime when it appears with the same key.
Listening is extremely important for language learners, especially for those who are going to study abroad, as they must participate in lectures and lessons during their academic life. Additionally, they may live in English speaking society, where they will need to develop this skill for daily communication. Despite this, listening is not being prioritized in language programs in the numbers of educational institutions, because of huge attention on writing, reading and other skills. "EFL learners have crucial problems in listening comprehension because universities pay attention to grammar, reading, and vocabulary. Listening and speaking skills are not significant parts of many books and teachers do not consider these skills in their classes." (Hamoud, 2013). These emphasize the relevance of investigations in methods of developing listening, as this article does.
There were various researches in the field of listening and integrated teaching methods. Scholars have touched different aspects of integration, such as: integrating reading and writing, speaking and listening, however integration of listening with reading has not being popular. The outcomes of these researches proved the significance of integrated teaching technologies. As in "The Primary Program: Growing and Learning in the Heartland Integrated Curriculum" were stated "Integrated teaching and learning processes enable children to acquire and use basic skills in all the content areas and to develop positive attitudes for continued successful learning throughout the elementary grades." Subsequently, integration makes the process of education easier and inspirational. (Hamoud, 2013)
Integrated learning process provides an opportunity to use various skills, challenging students to cooperate in different ways with the using of language.
Moreover, students can form a superior understanding into the intricacy of English and its utilization. Doing so urges students to see it by looking at changed spoken and composed types of the objective language. Seeing language in a solid setting as well as having very much planned errands is more helpful than only basically showing tests systems. It likewise permits educators to follow the student's movement in more than one way, for example, utilizing a nonstop or companion evaluation.
It's significant not to take materials, for example, course books at face esteem. Recall these may require adjusting to incorporate more noteworthy expertise work. For instance, try not to just utilize course books for conversation questions. All things considered, you can cut up conversation questions and set it as a word scramble movement. Students can then utilize the inquiries to move around the homeroom to meet with their cohorts. While tuning in, request that they record their accomplice's data and afterward present their discoveries. This way the students are rehearsing
word request, talking and tuning in, and note taking, which are abilities required while sitting in a talk and working with gatherings. On the other hand, you could incorporate a talking methodology (for example intruding on amiably or turn taking) while setting conversation questions. Take a gander at the model beneath, and notice how the material is taken advantage of and the various abilities are incorporated.
The purpose of a study on integrated teaching of listening and reading is to investigate, evaluate, and contribute to the understanding of effective pedagogical approaches that integrate these two language skills within the context of language learning and teaching. The study aims to address specific research questions and objectives that could include, but are not limited to:
1. Assessing the Impact on Language Acquisition: The study may aim to examine the effects of integrated teaching of listening and reading on language acquisition, including vocabulary development, comprehension skills, and overall language proficiency.
2. Investigating Cognitive Processes: The study might seek to explore the cognitive processes involved in integrated listening and reading activities, such as information processing, inference-making, and the development of critical thinking skills.
3. Comparing Pedagogical Approaches: The research may aim to compare different pedagogical approaches to integrated teaching, such as task-based language teaching, content-based instruction, or the use of multimedia resources, to identify the most effective methods for integrating listening and reading.
4. Understanding Learner Engagement: The study could seek to assess learner engagement and motivation in integrated activities, aiming to understand the impact of integrated teaching methods on student interest and participation in language learning.
5. Examining Transfer of Skills: The research may aim to investigate the transfer of skills from integrated activities to real-world language use, assessing the extent to which integrated teaching methods contribute to learners' ability to apply their language skills in authentic communication situations.
6. Exploring Technological Integration: For studies incorporating technology, the purpose might include examining the use of digital tools and multimedia resources for integrating listening and reading activities, and assessing the impact on language learning outcomes.
Ultimately, the overall purpose of the study is to contribute to the knowledge base in the field of language education by providing insights, empirical evidence, and recommendations for the effective integration of listening and reading in language teaching. By addressing specific research objectives, the study aims to offer practical implications for language educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers to enhance the quality of language instruction and promote language learning outcomes.
Teaching integrated listening and reading in foreign language classes can engage all the aforementioned benefits. Here are some advises to effectively integrate listening and reading in foreign language classes that can be used to get the most advantages of the method. Introduce and contextualize key vocabulary words that will appear in the listening and reading materials. This will help students understand the content and reduce the cognitive load while listening and reading.
Encourage students to predict the content of the listening and reading materials based on contextual clues and prior knowledge. This activates their schema and helps them anticipate the information they are about to encounter.
Engage students in pre-listening and pre-reading tasks such as skimming, scanning, or looking at graphic organizers to activate their background knowledge and set specific purposes for listening and reading.
Provide tasks that require students to listen and read for specific information. This could include finding answers to questions, completing charts, or filling in missing information.
Have students compare and contrast the information presented in the listening and reading materials. This can be done through discussions, written assignments, or graphic organizers to help students process the content and identify similarities and differences.
Engage students in post-listening and post-reading activities such as summarizing the content, discussing main ideas, or writing reflections. This helps reinforce comprehension and allows students to express their understanding in the target language.
Design activities that require students to integrate information from the listening and reading materials. This could involve synthesizing information, expressing opinions, or engaging in discussions that incorporate both modalities.
Use authentic listening and reading materials such as podcasts, news articles, short stories, or videos to expose students to real-world language usage and cultural contexts.
Utilize technology by incorporating digital tools and resources that allow students to engage with integrated listening and reading materials. This can include multimedia presentations, digital reading platforms, or language learning apps.
Provide support and scaffolding for students as they engage with integrated listening and reading materials. This can involve guiding questions, graphic organizers, and gradual release of responsibility to help students navigate the content effectively.
By incorporating these techniques, teachers can create a well-rounded approach that integrates listening and reading in foreign language classes, enhancing students' overall language proficiency and comprehension skills.
REFERENCES
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