A.
Background of The Problem
Listening is giving attention on the sounds which is heard either it is spoken or
unspoken sounds. According to Purdy (1997) qtd in Gilakjani, et al (2016) listening is
the process of receiving, making meaning from, and answering to spoken and/or
nonverbal messages. In line with the statement above Rost (2001) listening is refer to
a complex process that allows us to understand spoken language. Listening and
hearing are not same, we hear all kind of sounds around us, but we do not listen to
them all. For example: when we are walking and hear people who communicate each
other, and when we listen to the teacher’s explanation in the class. From the first
example we hear what the people say, but we do not get the meaning or messages
from their communication. While from the second example we hear what teacher says
and we get the messages from the teacher’s explanation. It means there is difference
between hearing and listening. Rost (2011) said that … the difference between them
is essentially a degree of intention.
Listening is one of skill in English that must be mastered in learning English. In
learning and teaching English at school, students are required to understand, capable,
and master in listening skill, because listening skill becomes one of learning activity
that is done in the classroom. It means the students must be able in listening, so that
they can follow the learning activities in the class. Event in the national examination,
students are tested with listening questions, either in short story or short conversation.
So, students need listening skill to be able in answering the question. By mastering
listening skill, students will easier in communication with others, because most of
people are communicating with the spoken language. Surely, people will need
listening skill to know and understand what people said. River (1978) qtd in Wulan
Dary (2016) said that listening as one of language skill plays an important role in
daily communication. Rost (2009) qtd in Gilakjani, et al (2016) said that listening
helps us to understand the world around us and is one of the necessary elements in
creating successful communication.
State Senior High School 4 Tambusai Utara Rokan Hulu regency is one of Senior
High School in Riau. This school is uses School Based Curriculum (KTSP) as a
guideline in teaching and learning process. State Senior High School 4 Tambusai
Utara Rokan Hulu regency provides English as a subject to the students. Listening
skill is used in the learning activities in this school. For example in English material
such as short conversation in making, accepting, or declining an invitation, making
and canceling an appointment or other expression in daily communication. According
to Minister of National education (2006:22) understanding the meaning from
transactional and interpersonal conversation in formal or sustained in daily life
context.
During the preliminary study at State Senior High School 4 Tambusai Utara
Rokan Hulu Regency, especially at the eleventh grade of students. The writer found
that the students still have problems and difficulties in learning English, especially in
listening skill. Most of students are getting difficulties in listening short conversation.
They are not able in understanding what speaker says in short conversation, moreover
in understanding the meaning. Their listening skill is still low to be able to achieve
the curriculum expectation. It clearly shows that they still get difficulties in listening.
Based on the writer’s observation and interview with the English teacher at
the eleventh grade of State Senior High School 4 Tambusai Utara Rokan Hulu
regency, the writer found some problems faced by the students. It can be seen in the
following phenomena:
1. Some of students are not able in understanding what the speaker says in short
conversation
2. Some of students are not able in understanding the meaning from what the
speaker says in short conversation
3. Some of students are getting difficulties in understanding what speaker says in
short conversation
4. Some of students are getting difficulties in understanding the meaning from
what speaker says in short conversation.
Based on the phenomena described above, the writer is interested in conducting
research entitled “An Analysis on Students’ difficulties in listening short
conversation at State Senior High School 4 Tambusai Utara Rokan Hulu
Regency”.
B. Formulation of The Problem
Based on the problem described in the background of the problem, the writer will
identify as follows:
1. How does the students’ difficulties in listening short conversation at the
eleventh grade of State Senior High School 4 Tambusai Utara Rokan Hulu
regency?
2. What factors making the students difficulty in listening short conversation at
the eleventh grade of State Senior High School 4 Tambusai Utara Rokan Hulu
regency?
C. Method Of The Research
This research is a descriptive study which has only one variable. According to
Gay and Airasian (2000, pp 275, 276) write that a descriptive study determines and
describes the way the thing are. They are adding that descriptive research, also called
a survey research. Creswell (2012, p 375) survey research design are procedures in
quantitative research in which investigator administer a survey to a sample or to the
entire population of people to describe the attitudes, opinions, behaviors, or
characteristics of the population.
References
Creswell, John. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and
Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Boston: Pearson
Education,Inc.
Dary, Veby Wulan. (2016). Analysis Of Students’ Difficulties In Listening Short
Conversations: A Case Study At The Eighth Grade Students Of Smpn 5 Mataram
In Academic Year Of 2016/2017.
Gay, L. R, Mills, and Airasian, (2000). Education Research: Competencies for
Analysis and Application. USA: Pearson Education,Inc
Gilakjani, Abbas Pourhosein. (2016). Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties
in English Language Learning: A Literature Review. Canada: Canadian Center of
Science and Education.
Minister of National Education. 2006.
Rost, Michael. (2001). Listening. In R. Carter, & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge
Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (pp. 7-13).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rost, Michael. (2011). Teaching and Researching Listening. London: Longman.
