DEVELOPING ESL LISTENING: PROMOTING STUDENT MOTIVATION
A Thesis
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
Hlaviso Albert Motlhaka
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
May 2012
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© 2012 Hlaviso Albert Motlhaka
All Rights Reserved
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Indiana University of Pennsylvania
School of Graduate Studies and Research
Department of English
We hereby approve the thesis of
Hlaviso Albert Motlhaka
Candidate for the degree of Master of Arts
_________________________ ____________________________________
Lilia P. Savova, Ph.D.
Professor of English, Advisor
__________________________ ___________________________________
Roger L. Briscoe, Ph.D.
Professor of Educational Psychology
__________________________ ____________________________________
Mark J. Staszkiewicz, Ed.D.
Professor of Educational Psychology
ACCEPTED
_____________________________________ __________________________
Timothy P. Mack, Ph.D.
Dean
School of Graduate Studies and Research
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Title: Developing ESL Listening: Promoting Student Motivation
Author: Hlaviso Albert Motlhaka
Thesis Chair: Dr. Lilia P. Savova
Thesis Committee Members: Dr. Rodger L. Briscoe
Dr. Mark Staszkiewicz
This study aims to analyze learning and teaching strategies that foster student
motivation and English as a Second Language (ESL) listening to enhance ESL learning.
Scholarly published articles and books from 1980 to 2011 were collected, analyzed and
guided by the content analysis approach.
Regarding motivation, the main findings of this study indicate that student choices
and learner autonomy are significant for enhancing student motivation. Also, the
findings suggest that the use of student questions to promote communication from diverse
perspectives is a significant motivational tool.
In developing ESL listening, this study demonstrates that cooperative activities
promote a non-threatening environment conducive for learning. It also finds that teacher
talk and teachers’ questions elicit students’ use of ESL through speech production.
Finally, after demonstrating the implications of learning and teaching strategies, this
study offers a set of recommendations to help teachers and researchers in promoting
student motivation and developing ESL listening.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work may not have been completed without the remarkable help, support,
and encouragement from many wonderful people, to whom I am truly thankful. First and
foremost, I would like to express my whole-hearted appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Lilia
P. Savova, for her professional guidance, tremendous support, and continuous
encouragement throughout my graduate study at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to my esteemed committee
members: Dr. Rodger L. Briscoe and Dr. Mark Staszkiewicz, for their insightful advice,
incredible help, and valuable feedback during my journey of writing this thesis. I am also
grateful for the wonderful help and support from all faculty members, staff, graduate
students in TESOL and Composition, and tutors at the writing center who have been a
source of inspiration throughout my academic journey.
This thesis is a tribute to my father, Nokela Motlhaka, and my sisters, Monene
and Sasabona Motlhaka, who have always been there, supporting and loving me
unconditionally throughout my schooling years. This work is also dedicated to my late
mother, Mokgaetjie Motlhaka, for her unconditional love and inspiration.
Last, but not the least, my sincere thanks go to Samuel Malapile, Thomas Tsebe,
Mohammed F. Alqahtani, David Tyler Sgrignoli, Jocelyn R. Amevuvor, Brian D. Cope,
Laurin D. Jefferson and Ray Aaron Deem, my dear friends who are my source of
inspiration, joy, support, and endless care.
May God bless all of you!
Hlaviso Albert Motlhaka
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
ONE: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………1
Statement of the Research Problem and Motivation………………………………………1
Problem Statement………………………………………………………...............1
Snapshots of my ESL Learning Experiences through Interactive Listening……...4
Motivation for the Present Study………………………………………………….7
Significance of the Study………………………………………………………….7
Study Objectives…………………………………………………………………..9
Research Questions……………………………………………………………….9
Study Scope……………………………………………………………………….9
Organization of the Work………………………………………………………..10
TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE …….……………………………………………...11
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………11
Themes across the Literature…………………………………………………………….11
Motivation in Listening…………………………………………………………..11
Definition………………………………………………………...............11
The Background of Intrinsic Motivation and Instrumental
Motivation in an ESL Class……………………………………………...12
Intrinsic Motivation……………………………………………...............12
Instrumental Motivation………………………………………………….14
ESL Acquisition and Learning in Listening……………………………………..16
Definition and Distinction between ESL Acquisition and
Learning in Listening…………………………………………………….16
Background of ESL Acquisition and Learning in Listening…………….16
Integration of ESL Acquisition and Learning into Interactive
Listening…………………………………………………………………16
Critical Thinking in ESL Acquisition and Learning……………………..17
ESL Learning strategies in Listening………………………………………..…...18
Definition………………………………………………………...............18
Learner Autonomy in Listening………………………………………….18
Cooperative Learning in Listening……………….……………...............20
Cultural Experience in Listening………………………………………...............21
Definition………………………………………………………...............21
Pragmatic Competence across Cultural Differences……………………..21
Acknowledging Individual Cultures in Listening………………………..23
Intercultural partner projects……………………………………………..23
Animated conversations about different cultural traditions……...............24
Real Communication Activity in Listening……………………………...............25
Definition………………………………………………………...............25
Communicative Activities and Problem-solving Tasks………………….26
Integrating language awareness into task-based learning in Listening…………..27
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Definition………………………………………………………...............27
Task-based Learning and Language Awareness…………………………28
Comprehensible Input in Listening………………………………………………29
Definition………………………………………………………...............29
Krashen’s Input Hypothesis……………………………………...............30
Long’s Interaction Hypothesis…………………………………...............31
Focus on Form…………………………………………………...............32
Focus on Meaning………………………………………………………..33
Meaning-focused Activities……………………………………...............34
Adventure Learning…..………………………………………………….35
Summary…………………………………………………………………………………37
THREE: METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………….38
Introduction……………
