Definitions of Listening Listening

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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In this chapter, the researcher reveals some theories which are related to and support the research. This chapter is divided into two major sections, namely theoretical description and theoretical framework. Theoretical description reveals the theories and principles which are related to the implementation of using authentic materials and listening comprehension. Theoretical framework covers the synthesis of relevant theories that can help the research to answer the research question.

A. Theoretical Description

This theoretical description consists of related theories and principles in this research.

1. Listening

The researcher divides this section into three sub-sections, namely definition of listening, listening as skills, and listening as processes.

a. Definitions of Listening

Traditionally, listening has often been regarded as a passive language skill. However, listening involves a number of different ways in which the listeners can or fail to process incoming speech. There are four major reasons why the listeners can or fail to process the incoming speech according to Anderson 1988, namely: first, the listener may not hear adequately what has been said due to the PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 9 unfamiliarity with the speaker‟s accent or competing background noise. As a result, the speech may have been „heard‟ in a strictly limited sense. The listeners are unable to capture the idea contained in the speech they have heard. Second, the speech may contain words or phrases that the listeners can hear adequately but is unable to understand, because of serious problems with the syntax or semantics of the foreign language. The third reason, there are times when the listeners are perfectly able to hear and understand the speaker, but may have „switched off‟ consciously or unconsciously. The last reason, there are those messages which the listener attends to fully and from which he tried to construct coherent interpretation. According to Rost 2002: 7, listening is a process involving a continuum of active processes, which are under the control of listener, and passive processes, which are not. Howat and Dakin 1974 as cited by Guo 2005, stated that listening is the ability to identify and understand what others are saying. What involved in this process is, understanding a speaker‟s accent or pronunciation, the speaker‟s grammar and vocabulary, and comprehension of meaning. As stated by Guo 2005, if the students‟ knowledge of pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary is insufficient, it is probable that their English listening comprehension will be negatively affected by the lack of language knowledge. Emmert 1994, as cited by Pekin 2010 stated that listening is more than merely hearing words. It is an active process by which students receive, construct meaning from and respond to spoken and or nonverbal messages. Meanwhile Hyslop 1988 , in a study, cited Thomlison‟s 1984 definition of listening, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 10 including “active listening”, which goes beyond comprehending literally to empathetic understanding of the speaker.

b. Listening as Skills