ACQUIRING LISTENING COMPREHENSION COMPETENCE BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Анотація

Listening is the most complicated speech activity. Teaching listening aims at developing learners’ auditory capacity which implies aural perception of the phonetic code and linguistic data, and correlating them to the patterns stored in one’s memory. Auditory capacity plays an essential role in both fostering the acquisition of foreign language proficiency, and simultaneously, advancing students’ listening comprehension competence (LCC) – the ability to listen to authentic texts of various genres and types with different levels of understanding. LCC encompasses the skills of aural perception of foreign discourse, based on the academic material with a definite percentage of unknown vocabulary. It is formed gradually alongside with learners’ cognitive competence involving general abilities, revealed in correlation between human actions and problem-solving tasks, which are accomplished through personal attainments. An elaborated comprehensive methodology is conducive to achieving the objective of acquiring a high level of LCC. It integrates three coherent stages – pre-listening, in-while listening and post-listening – directed at reaching definite goals. Passing through the singularized stages students acquire congruous habits, skills and abilities that constitute LCC. The elaborated methodology incorporates the corresponding system of listening-oriented exercises enclasping several subsystems each completing specific tasks. The suggested exercises provide pertinent examples of assignments which facilitate achieving a set target. The propounded methodology has been experimentally proven; consequently, it can be implemented in the educational process in higher educational establishments.