The Effectiveness Of Shadowing Training In Teaching Of English Listening At A Secondary Vocational School

The Curriculum Standards for Secondary Vocational Schools requires that,on the basis of compulsory education,students should be helped to learn further language knowledge,improve language skills such as listening,speaking,reading and writing.However,the listening ability is one of the main weak links of students in secondary vocational schools.Shadowing training(ST)is a common training method applied in interpretating teaching.It is believed that ST can effectively improve learners’ listening and speaking abilities.This research attempts to introduce ST into English teaching in secondary vocational schools to explore its effects on students’listening teaching and to summarize relevant teaching strategies.The research focuses on the following three research questions:(1)What are the effects(if any)of shadowing training(ST)on the teaching of English listening in secondary vocational school?(2)What are the factors contributing to the possible effectiveness?(3)What strategies can be adopted in the application of ST in English listening teaching in secondary vocational school?The research was conducted based on the Input Hypothesis and the Affective Filter Hypothesis in the Monitor Model,the Output Hypothesis and Working Memory Model.It adopted a qualitative approach that investigated six students of the art class who took part in the corresponding college entrance examination.First,the students’ basic information as well as their proficiency of English listening was collected through the questionnaire and the listening test.They were then trained for half an hour every day,five times a week in a month.At last,listening test and interview were conducted again.During the period of ST,the researcher completed the contact summary sheet and observation diaries through close observation.And the participants were required to write the reflection journals.Through the analysis of the data retrieved,the researcher came to the following conclusions:First,ST can exert significant effects on English listening teaching in secondary vocational schools,including students’ better ability in identifying details and understanding long sentences.It can also improve students’ affective status in listening learning.Second,there are multiple factors contributing to the effects,including the increased input and output practice,enlarged working memory,lowered anxiety,enhanced self-confidence and inspired motivation.Third,when ST is applied to English listening teaching in secondary vocational schools,different strategies can be adopted regarding material selection,teaching design and student interaction.In the process of English listening teaching,teachers should pay attention to the selection of listening materials,the design of the teaching process,and weaken the affective filter in the process of interaction with students,so that ST can effectively improve students’ English listening ability.Due to the small sample size,the research also has some limitations,and relevant conclusions need to be verified in subsequent larger-scaled researches.