The Effects of Integrating Listening and Speaking Skills Into Moodle-Based Activities

Abstract

Many researchers have conducted studies on teaching listening skills to examine the possible influences of different instruments, such as video programs, audiobooks, multimedia, authentic materials-based activities. However, there is little literature mentioning the impacts of the integrated skills approach through an e-learning tool on specific language skills. As a result, this paper aimed to investigate whether there are any different effects between listening and speaking instructions in integration and listening instructions only on listening comprehension with Moodle platform's implementation. Sixty-eight non-English primary first-year students at Van Lang University were picked up and divided into two groups: an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). Using the task-based approach, the researchers focused the integrated skills on the EG’s learning process while no speaking training was given to the CG. Data collected from a pre-posttest design were analyzed to determine whether there are differences between the two groups in terms of listening comprehension, while a semi-structured interview was performed for both groups to explore students' attitudes towards Moodle-based activities. The study's results revealed that both groups' students significantly improved their listening comprehension. There was no considerable difference in terms of listening skills between the students in the EG and CG. Besides, the data obtained from the interview indicated that all participants had positive attitudes towards Moodle-based activities. The study results also recommended that a Moodle platform's employment combined with teachers' devotion should undoubtedly lead to practical effectiveness in teaching and learning listening.