Abstract :
As the first language skill to appear, listening seems
to be the foundation which is automatically learnt by a
learner even a baby. A baby spends many months listening to
the sounds around it before it is able to produce a word.
Then it will speak when it is ready. During that period, the
baby is trained unconciously to listen to the sounds spoken
by people around it. The more sounds it hears the more
words it will produce. In this sense, the readiness of
speaking is also determined by how much time a baby spends
its time for listening.
In foreign language learning, listening seems to be the
most neglected skill. In fact, listening is an activity that
requires someone's attention in order to get meaning of
something he/she hears. To listen to a speaker demands our
comprehension so that we are able to give response. That's
why listening is always an active process.
Listening relates to other language skills. Realizing
that listening is the basic skill of the others-reading,
speaking, writing, the writer suggests five techniques which
enable learners to become more encouraged in learning to
listen .
The first technique, Silent Listening is for teaching
Listening I class. It consists of Listening, Reading, and
Writing tasks. The second technique Integrated Listening is
for teaching Listening III class . It consists of several
purposes of listening such as listening to confirm
expectations, listening for communicative task, listening for general understanding, and listening for details. The third technique Affective Listening is for Listening II class. This technique uses songs or music as the main media. The fourth technique Listening and Making Short Responses is for Listening I class . The exercise of this technique is obeying Instructions with its three activities: Physical Movement,
building Models, and Picture Dictation. The fifth technique
Listening and Making Longer Responses with its paraphrase as
the exercise is for Listening II class.
Finally, it is the teacher who should provide listening
exercises that will give maximally effective and relevant
practice in listening classes. Since this study is a library
research, the writer obtained the information needed from
books and articles to support her study. Hopefully, this
thesis would be useful for teachers and learners at the
English Department especially for teachers specialized in
listening.