BOOK REVIEW

STRATEGIES IN TEACHING LISTENING

The reviewer has already read five books that contains of strategies in teaching listening. Reviewer interested at strategies in teaching listening because reviewer experienced in listening class found that listening is kind of boring activity. Teaching in listening classroom should have strategies to increase students’ interest. The title of the first book is Second Language Listening : Theory and Practice which is written by John Flowerdew and Lindsay Miller published in 2005 by Cambridge University Press that is mention about teaching listening through technology. The second book is about Learning the Secret Language of Focus Group which is written by Bonnie Goebert and published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. The reviewer also find strategies in teaching listening is focus groups. The third book is about A Framework for Teaching Across Differences which is written by Katherine Schultz and the published in 2003 by Teachers College Press, that also mention about focus groups. The fourth is about Listening in the Language Classroom which is written by John Field, the published in 2008 by Cambridge University Press that also explain about focus groups. The last is about Teaching and Researching Listening which is written by Michael Rost and published in 2002 by Pearson Education Limited, that contains of both speakers and listeners make strategies that they assume will make the interaction smoother and the content more comprehensible. From the books above, the reviewer is interested in Second Language Listening which is explain about strategies in teaching listening.

Second Language Listening have many chapters on it, but the reviewer interested in the chapter 3 that is about strategy in teaching listening. In this chapter, the author clasify of technology that can be used in teaching listening. For example, teaching by using radio, audio tapes, language laboratory, video, CALL. The technology can be used together. For example, lecture using language laboratory that is consists of radio, audio tapes, video, and CALL. Language laboratory developing listening skill. It is because (1) material writers have produced quality materials that can be used in the laboratory, and (2) students have been encouraged to take more responsibility for their learning, and they can control the type of listening exercises they wish to do in the language laboratory, which in many institutions has taken on features of a self-access center ( Gardner and Miller, 1999). The consideration of the reviewer is by using technology, the material is easy to deliver. Reviewer also found that technology develop students’ comprehension and students’ interest.

In the second book is Learning the Secret Language of Focus Group, the reviewer found that another strategy in teaching listening is focus groups. It means that, groups are important in teaching listening, because focus groups make regular thinking for students. Usually, a good around of focus groups give rise to more questions, but they will be more precise. Then, that is supported by John Field (2008) that is state when students work in the group, they comprehend better because they have some discussion after listening activity. Another advantage is that the learner becomes more active speaker since they discuss their understanding to each other. So, the reviewer thinks that the group works are better to increase students’ ability that is explain in the above.

In order to divided students into a group, the reviewer thinks lecturer should know the comprehend of students which they are allowed in the group. It means that, lecturer should know the students’ ability first. Katherine Schultz (2003) added that, lecturer have to know students based on the social, cultural, and community contexts of students lives. To achieve this contexts, lecturer should have do an activity is called interaction. Michael Rost (2002) said that interaction can take many forms and serve many purposes, but it is the kind of interaction linked to input processing that is of most interest in the development of listening ability. So, between teacher and students should have interaction in listening class in order to develop students’ ability.

In conclusion, lecturer has to know some strategies to improve students comprehension. Technology and focus group are something that cannot be separated. Because in listening, technology is an important aspect to study but focus group also needed to make students more confidence in order to answer the questions. Teaching listening also means teaching students to comprehend the lessons. So by using strategies which is use technology and focus group, lecturer know about students community in order to develop students’ ability.