Difficulties of Teaching Listening Skill in Large Classes

Abstract

This research is on the difficulties of teaching listening skill to large classes. Teachers find it difficult to teach listening in large classes and also the researcher notices the listening problems that face large classes’ students. Listening skill is ignored by our Sudanese universities compared with other skills beside the fact that we have large classes that makes teaching listening very difficult. Thus the researcher investigates the problems of teaching listening to large classes, the real situation in Sudanese universities and the teachers’ qualification in addition to the levels of the students. The researcher uses the descriptive analytic method; the case study is Sudan University of Science and Technology and Canadian Sudanese College as a sample. The tools of the research are a questionnaire for teachers and a test for the students. The sample consists of thirty teachers from Sudan University of Science and Technology and Canadian Sudanese College. The students group consists of fifty students from Sudan University of Science and Technology (first year). This research approves that the curriculum has negative impact on teaching listening as depicted in the results of the teachers’ questionnaire and the students’ test , that is to say the poor quality of the curriculum affects negatively on the students’ listening abilities. It also approves that large classes in Sudanese Universities have negative impact on teaching listening as shown by the results of the teachers’ questionnaire and the students’ test, this means large classes are not a suitable place for teaching listening and teaching listening needs a quiet place and small number of the students to ensure good quality of teaching listening.

In addition it approves that teachers strategies of teaching listening in large classes are not effective as shown by the results of the questionnaire and the students’ , that is to say large classes need specific strategies to have effective teaching of listening in large classes. Universities have to minimize classes especially language classes to reach quality teaching and learning.