Formulation of the Problem

e To reinforce conceptual development. Some spoken texts such as stories is said that it can be used as a useful revision for reinforcing concepts such as numbers, size, and cause and effect. f To interact with others. Activities that encourage students to interact with others will make them to negotiate meanings by listening and asking questions, checking meanings, agreeing, and so on. It is proof that communication cannot be done without listening. So, it means that listening is as important as speaking. g To provide support for literacy. The teacher can give the students the task to make connections between spoken and written language by picking out written words which are part of spoken message. Peterson in Celce and Murcia 2001 states that in the beginning of students’ language learning, listening activities give them the opportunity to have direct connection to the meaning in the new language before they continue to learn to read.

b. Characteristics of Listening

Listening skill is different from the other skills. It has its own characteristics. Harmer 1998:98-99 states that there are special characteristics about listening. In listening, the tapes go at the same speed. Since they hear the same thing, there will be no students who will complain that the recording that they hear is faster than that of other students. Good listening materials should be similar to the actual language spoken by the native speakers, including the speed. So, providing students with listening activities sharpen their ability to recognize English language in the actual speed. Second, the learners cannot flick back just like what they do in the reading activities. The one who control the materials is the teacher, not the listeners. So, if they do not want to be left behind, it is better for them to pay their attention on the recording carefully. It enables them to listen seriously in order to be able to understand the content of the materials that they hear. Third is about the order to do the listening activities. At the first hearing, what the learners should do is listen for