DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v6i5.2903
An action research for implementing peer assessment strategy using audio recordings to improve the listening comprehension skills of 2nd year of baccalaureate
María Juliana Pinargote Sánchez
https://orcid.org/0000-0001- 5026 -6964
Diana Maritza Vera Sánchez
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3695-9339
María Victoria Andrade Torres
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3345-7344
Dirección de Posgrado, Cooperación y Relaciones Internacionales.
Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí.
Academic degree work, presented as a requirement for obtaining
the master’s degree in Pedagogía de los Idiomas Nacionales y Extranjeros –
Mención Inglés.
ABSTRACT
The present action research aimed to improve students' listening skills and competencies using peer assessment as a learning strategy. It was required trying to close the big educative gap found in schools after the COVID-19 pandemic that made everything stop. One of the most complex skills to develop is listening. Therefore applying action research and peer assessment between partners, learners could check their work through specific training, obtaining positive improvements in their second language comprehension by recording some audio as a final project. Students were progressively working for five weeks to improve their listening skills. There were forty participants immersed in the study. The facilitator implemented a pretest and a posttest to measure students' knowledge and fluency at the beginning and final parts. A checklist and a protocol interview were required to work with learners' perspectives during the innovation.
Keywords: peer assessment; strategies; audio recording; listening; pair work.
Correspondencia: ciro. [email protected]
Artículo recibido 05 diciembre 2022 Aceptado para publicación: 26 diciembre 2022
Conflictos de Interés: Ninguna que declarar
Todo el contenido de Ciencia Latina Revista
Científica Multidisciplinar, publicados en este sitio están disponibles
bajo Licencia Creative Commons 
.
Cómo citar: Pinargote Sánchez, M. J., Vera Sánchez, D. M., & Andrade Torres, M. V. (2023) An action research for implementing peer assessment strategy using audio recordings to improve the listening comprehension skills of 2nd year of baccalaureate. 7(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v6i5.2903
RESUMEN
La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo mejorar las habilidades y competencias auditivas de los estudiantes utilizando la evaluación por pares como estrategia de aprendizaje. Se requería cerrar la gran brecha educativa encontrada en las escuelas luego de la pandemia COVID-19 que hizo que todo se detuviera. Una de las habilidades más complejas de desarrollar es la de escuchar. Por lo tanto, aplicando la investigación y la evaluación por pares entre compañeros, los alumnos podrían verificar su trabajo a través de capacitación específica, obteniendo mejoras positivas en la comprensión de su segundo idioma al grabar un audio como proyecto final. Los estudiantes estuvieron trabajando progresivamente durante cinco semanas para mejorar sus habilidades auditivas. Había cuarenta participantes inmersos en el estudio. El facilitador implementó una prueba previa y una prueba posterior para medir el conocimiento y la fluidez de los estudiantes en las partes inicial y final. Se requirió una lista de verificación y una entrevista de protocolo para trabajar con las perspectivas de los alumnos durante la innovación.
Palabras clave: evaluación entre iguales; estrategias; grabación de audio; escucha; trabajo en pareja.
INTRODUCTION
The present study has been designed to improve the listening skills of forty second-year learners who have studied in their houses through virtual sessions concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. The school that implemented the innovation provided all the required resources to continue with the teaching and learning process for learners. However, most of the time, having the hardware and technological resources is more than just a valuable learning strategy. Learners need to engage in a new methodology that makes their learning meaningful. In the previous two years, education was relegated to simple brochures that did not fulfill the fundamental knowledge. For this reason, it was required to work with a study that implemented peer assessment as the path to facilitate the listening comprehension skills in learners effectively.
Most learners need more knowledge and help to implement some educative activities taught in classes; the academic requirements are sometimes attached to technical resources or a ghost internet connection that avoids students teaching and learning (Dayagbil et al., 2021). In many cases, the diverse learners' antecedents hinder the educative process. It is not only because learners do not make their best effort, but it could concern that facilitators might need to prepare meaningful content to engage learners in their sessions. Hernandez-Ocampo et al. (2013) materialized a listening project to make their students listening skills more competitive in around one year of training.
Unfortunately, some situations dropped out of their studies during the pandemic time. Situations include breadwinners losing their jobs, lack of opportunities to get a new job, or families losing some members. These aspects made learners feel disappointed to continue with their classes. Based on these outcomes, innovation was necessary with a component of surprise and emotion for students. The use of peer assessment was chosen; it provided an appropriate feedback to every participant in the work.
Related to English as a foreign language (EFL), every facilitator emphasizes the attention to the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) as a complete development (Qutob & Madini, 2020). Nevertheless, some skills have received more importance than others ones. In the second language teaching-learning process, some skills can look more accessible to learn than others. Many facilitators take advantage of this phase to be in their comfort zone, forgetting the other skills, in this case, the listening one. This innovation focused on preparing students at a competitive English level to enable them to implement their new knowledge in different situations of their lives.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
§ To identify learners’ listening skills improvement by implementing the peer assessment strategy in 2nd-year students in the period 2022-2023.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
§ To internalize the peer assessment creating audio recording and listening comprehension skills to peer review with a partner.
§ To diagnose the peer assessment effectiveness in the audio recording comprehension.
§ To develop the research instruments to understand how learners improve their listening skills.
LITERATURE REVIEW.
The present study implements audio recording and listening comprehension skills to describe the peer assessment strategy. The different components of peer assessment can help learners to improve their listening skills and comprehension through the creation of practical activities facilitated by the WhatsApp app and checking results collected by instruments to determine the learners' improvement are mentioned in this section.
Listening Comprehension
Comprehending listening skills is one of the most crucial activities for second learners. Reading the listener´s mind or thoughts is impossible, especially during the meaning-making process when the listener is trying to get the concepts as input to be learned (Field, 2009). Listeners are suggested for different aspects that include their mother tongue, their second proficiency language, the place where they live or their ability to learn (Joyce, 2019). Ockey and Wagner (2018) mentioned that listening skill is the first skill, previous to learning the other skills. The investigators expressed that listening is the utmost skill to understanding second language learning better. It lets students acquire essential academic and cognitive concepts to succeed in language learning and application (Archibald et al., 2004).
Listening is the attitude of receiving and understanding every piece of information that becomes a message (Arley-Fonseca & Brizuela-Gutierrez, 2020). Schwartz (2004) expressed that learners could receive as much as 90% of their information through hearing their teachers and instructors; listening is a skill that needs real training. There is no chance to repeat phrases. Second chances are allowed if people immersed in the conversation require it repeating once again when listening to other people. Elmetaher (2021) expressed that students some cases, implement valuable processes to understand the language better. These are "bottom-up" and "top-down" processes that are described in detail in subsequent paragraphs.
Listening Components
The listening skill has seven components. They are volition, attention, perception, interpretation, remembering, response, and human element (Benitez & Varas, 2018), and becoming active in listening. The required element is to listen to the necessary things as little sounds to begin the process; every little sound is the main component of valuable listening (Ministerio de Educación, 2016). Second, a proper listening requires focused attention. If the speaker miss the information, he/she could lose important details (Munayer, 2020). The third is perception. Learners must be aware of every sensation, such as catching the messages of every speaker to get the proper context (Zlatovic, 2018). Fourth, the interpretation of every message and every meaning. In this phase, students establish a natural connection with each acquired experience (Darling-Hammond et al., 2020).
Fifth, remembering. In different listening situations, students must include listening skills for helping to retain the concepts heard (Barnard, 2017). Sixth, the response of a good listening. Occasionally learners' response is designed by the intern but expressed as it was created, and in some situations, it needs to be well-developed to be understood (Wren & Wren, 2009). Component number seven talks about the human being. In listening skills, learners must be receptive to all elements people tell. It is required to analyze the personal and academic context. Participants scaffold words and phrases with individual sounds in this phase; different meanings are combined in this stage (Harmer, 2007).
Listening Process
Today, the listening skill is recognized as an active process, essential to L2 acquisition, and deserving strategic development to implement as a separate skill (Morley, 2001 as cited in, Baleghizadeh & Arabtabar (2010). The implementation of listening teaching has been emphasized by learners who would like to understand spoken by interacting with native speakers. Additionally, good and clear spoken communication is not only on one’s ability to speak but is also focused on the effectiveness of how the listener learns (Harmer, 2007). In different concepts of listening, learners trespass to different learning phases. Top-down and bottom-up procedures are most of the time implemented as audio comprehension and understanding processes (Flowerdew & Miller, 2005). Brown (2006) defined the top-down procedure as applying the learner's prior knowledge and valuable experiences, which they have. It is required to say that students apply their prior knowledge to comprehend the meaning by taking into consideration considering the knowledge and schemata.
On another side, the bottom-up process refers to implementing the information that students previously brought, such as sounds, and word meanings, to increase their knowledge and understanding (Brown, 2006). In the bottom-up process, students listen to the words and keep them in their short-term memory to blend them and interpret what they have listened to. Cahyono and Widiati (2009) mentioned that some good listeners are able to use both bottom-up and top-down approaches by combining the new inputs and concepts with the knowledge they already have. The investigators expressed that high-level listening activities combine the process with cognitive achievements.
Teaching Listening
Listening skills provide students with the necessary elements to understand the concepts and help with specific strategies they cannot easily acquire (Hamouda, 2012). To generate real input in the new language, students must train their listening skills by using activities such as songs in English, some videos, and watching channels with programs in English. However, in some cases, facilitators avoid teaching learners with appropriate materials to involve them in the teaching-learning process (Kamp, 2011).
However, it is sometimes tricky to involve learners in a learning session and be prepared to improve their scores and knowledge (Gray & Di Loreto, 2016). A listening lesson has three essential parts: pre-listening while listening, and post-listening. Pre-listening refers to activating the learners' prior knowledge and teaching new vocabulary for learners' tasks while listening (Richards, 2005). Field (2008) expressed that teaching foreign words in this phase is time-consuming. The time spent teaching unknown vocabulary could be implemented by listening to the text once. Second, it is diverse from real-life listening. Learners will identify and try to comprehend different words at speaking time.
In the while-listening phase, students work with different activities such as listening to complete the gap or following specific sequences, tips that help learners better understand the task (Richards, 2005). In this scenario, the structure can change, but it is guided according to the learner's interpretation and knowledge. When teaching listening, the final part of the lesson is the post-listening phase. It can be taught in different forms but always tries to allow the learner to acquire the essential of the lesson, which is new and meaningful knowledge (Field, 2008). The author states that it is complex to teach listening in some cases, but the facilitator needs the proper resources to make his/her class efficient.
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach has broken the traditional paradigms of teaching-learning activities centered on the facilitator and changed to a new concept where the learner is the center of the teaching-learning process. Richards (2006) mentioned that learners must work actively in the class with well-developed activities to reach the proper standards supported by the CLT approach. Additionally, the author stated that by implementing CLT in the activities, learners would be adapted more quickly to new methodologies and strategies as it could work in virtual sessions in a more collaborative form. Krashen (2013) mentioned that learners work on their skills better where their learning environment is comfortable and adequate. Their internalizing is better, and also their learning looks easier. Students need to feel comfortable listening and collaborating with their peers in specific groups or in pair-work tasks rather than only listening to the facilitator on a basis (Richards, 2006).
CLT always has a component of communication. Working with the listening skills linked to the CLT proposal, it is when connecting learners with the information learners have received the input to interpret and understand it as best possible (Ma, 2009). The author mentioned that it is a valuable technique that allows learners to interact through the app, interchanging information, in this case, audio recording to peer assess partners' work. It is important to be focused on students' needs to improve their knowledge (Heredia, 2018).
Peer assessment
Some peer assessment researchers mentioned the benefits of implementing this learning strategy. In this case, peer assessment permits students to connect and involve themselves with effective materials to assess and peer assess works (Bürgermeister et al, 2021). The participants in every group can compare their work with their partners, identifying possible mistakes in their performance (Topping, 1998). Furthermore, the peer assessment strategy provides feedback as beneficial support and suggestions to partners for do a better work. A helpful strategy is implementing inclusive language and making partners understand messages creating an appropriate environment accepting the possible evaluations and revisions (Sanger, 2020).
Students who take an active role in the learning and assessment processes are more motivated, which deepens students’ engagement with the material (Nagler, 2015). The improvement had come when there was a shift in the teacher-centered assessment to student self-assessment, there it could report significant gains when the latter is used as a formative rather than a summative procedure and when students are guided properly (Sargeant, 2008). The cooperative learning and the assessment process result as the proper peer assessment where partner A checks and interprets partner B work. This process engages learners to be adapted to be prepared for classes (Ion, 2016). Participants in many cases interchange their roles, implementing main roles in a class, always with a proper monitoring of the activities.
WhatsApp is an instant messaging application designed for smartphones and computers (Yulianawati & Anggrarini, 2021). WhatsApp lets users share different images, videos, and audio, written messages, and make video calls using their internet connection. The app provides better collaboration among online learners connected from everywhere. For example, groups linked to WhatsApp use Teams, Google meets, or Zoom. This app is related to reinforcing communication. It can help with collaboration and cooperation among the group (Oriji & Anikpo, 2019). WhatsApp is the perfect app that establishes a connection with people worldwide. It is incredible the progress and benefits that the apps have just by giving a click.
To overcome the listening difficulties found in this institution, this action research included theories that helped students to improve their language competencies, trying to answer the following research questions:
1. In what ways peer assessment strategy using audio recordings might benefit the English listening comprehension skill in learners?
2. How could peer assessment supported by audio recordings contrasted against a rubric dismiss the listening skills gap in students?
3. What are students’ difficulties found in listening skills?
METHODOLODY
It is required to mention that the investigation has been supported by mixed research methods: Quantitative research with experiments and Qualitative research with studies cases. Mixed methods have increased their visibility and use over time. This means that the action research works with the same studies quantitative and qualitative research methods. The methodology is essential in every innovation because it supports and generates the reliability of the investigation.
Mixed methods research is an approach to an inquiry involving collecting quantitative and qualitative data that integrates the two forms of data and uses distinct designs that include different philosophical assumptions and theoretical frameworks. A mixed method is where investigators collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data within the same study. Shorten, and Smith (2017) expressed that by combining the quantitative with the qualitative method, the research can focus the investigation in a more direct and open form. At this point, the investigator is able to do his/her research with a vast file of options to look for the correct answers related to the same study but with different variables.
INSTRUMENTS
During the innovation there were some instruments specifically designed for this work. The first instruments were the pre and post-test. They were designed to measure students’ current knowledge. The pre-test was implemented before beginning the innovation to understand was the real proficiency which learners had before working with peer assessment. In the final part, the innovation applied the post-test. This test measured the possible improvement or not that students experimented during the training. The second instrument was the rubric. The rubric was a clear support that students used to peer assess their partners work. The components to be graded are clear and concise in the rubric.
The third instrument is the checklist. This is the instrument that helps to double check every specific detail in the tasks. The checklists reviews every stage in the task, the learner gives a yes or a not according to each question. There is a space where the learner can collocate his/her observation notes. The final instrument is the interview. It was designed to understand students perspectives concerned to all the teaching and learning process. In this stage, a group of ten students there were randomly selected to be interviewed to know about their improvements, challenges, and all the experiences lived during the innovation.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected have been interpreted and analyzed through the instruments used during the innovation to provide the clearest reliability from outcomes found. The pre and post-test were the instruments applied to measure learners' English proficiency. The rubric was the instrument applied to check and calibrate learners' development in every product supposed to be peer assessed. In this part of the study, the students in pair were working to peer assess each other´s work. They graded their partner work, then the teacher evaluated these tasks. The peer assessment was mainly designed to give the most accurate reliability in every result from a partner task.
One additional instrument was the checklist. It is intended to perform controls to ensure that nothing important has been forgotten during the execution process, which could compromise the results. In addition, they guarantee that the activities are carried out in an organized manner which considers every aspect of learners' tasks. Finally, the instrument to collect learners' perspectives was the protocol interview. This instrument was applied to understand students' points of view related to challenges, difficulties, and opportunities experienced during the innovation.
PARTICIPANTS
The group of participants who worked in this innovation were 40 students who currently are second-year learners from a public educational unit in a public school in Portoviejo. In the study participated, twenty-six girls and fourteen boys. Their ages range from 15 to 18 years old. As a curious fact, the study had a pair of twins' sisters who were almost impossible to identify when they were together. Their socioeconomic situation places them in a medium-low social class. A few do not have their smartphone or laptop to work on their innovation. Many of their tasks were peer assessed using their cellphones and a few by their parents, and in some cases, even the teacher provided them his/her cell phone to help them complete the task. At this level, there are six English teachers, and they were impressed when they saw the students' work. It was necessary to remind them that the study was voluntary and that participation was free. It means that learners were able to leave the study at any time. Their names, personal information, and specific results were coded by numbers that kept all the information taken and collected from participants safe.
RESULTS.
To show the results obtained from the study, it was required to answer all the research questions presented below: To answer the first question: In what ways peer assessment strategy using audio recordings might benefit the English listening comprehension skill in learners? It was required to implement the pre-test and post-test instruments. These instruments showed the results that were consciously compared and analyzed. Table number one displays that the effect size for the entire listening skill improvement was 2.49, which represents a significant and positive effect size (ES) obtained. Additionally, the p-value with an alpha of 5% was less than 0.005, which means that the innovation provoked a positive improvement. The outcomes are mentioned in table number one and Figure one that follows.
Table 1
Descriptive statistic of listening skill by the use of pre & post-test.
 |
|
|
N Sample |
M Mean |
SD Std. Devt. |
p value < 0. 005 |
Effect Size d |
|
Pre-test |
40 |
14.53 |
2.15 |
0. 00 |
|
|
Post-test |
40 |
24.70 |
2.78 |
0. 00 |
2.49 |
Table Nº 1 represents the pre-test & post-test´ outcomes obtained through the innovation. The effect size has resulted with a significant and positive improvement.
Figure 1
Pre-test
and Post-test Comparison
Figure Nº 1 shows the results that demonstrate a positive improvement.
To answer the second research question: How could peer assessment supported by audio recordings contrasted against a rubric dismiss the listening skills gap in students? Understanding the self-assessment applied in every task is necessary. The figures show how the students and the teacher's grades were becoming closer according to their self-assessment and learning acquired through effective training. The results of self-assessment improvement at the beginning and the end are shown in Figure 2 that follows below:
Figure Nº 2
Students
and teacher grades results throughout five weeks.
Figure Nº 2 reflects the students and teacher grades results during 5 weeks of the innovation.
In the figure 2, it is demonstrated the remarkable difference between the students and the teacher´s grades through the different weeks of the innovation. The objective was gradually closing and calibrating both grades. It is noticeable how in week number 5, the slight difference between the students' and the teacher's grades has been almost closed. The grades are almost similar in all the last week of peer assessment.
To answer research question number three: It was applied to the interview. In this stage, the requirement was to look for the answer for a random group of ten students interviewed after the post-test. These students were randomly chosen to discuss their learning opportunities, advantages, challenges, and difficulties. The interview was taken in Spanish to get the most evident comprehension. The questions and some answers were:
1.- What did you learn during the innovation?
The innovation let students learn and acquire a new approach to improve their listening skills. Students were engaged during the process, especially in the final part, when the knowledge was internalized and valuable to apply in different contexts of their daily lives. Some students answered that she learned to listen to audio recordings more effectively than before. She applied her checklist to grade her work and was able to peer assess her partner's work. Another student mentioned that he learned to check the details in the required work. The student mentioned that it was necessary to listen to their partner carefully to understand their work.
2.- What did you do to learn?
Students learned to peer assess their partners' work. Students, throughout the innovation, practiced with audio recordings done by themselves. Students progressively increased their knowledge concerning peer assessment by providing feedback and constructive comments to their partners. Some students mentioned that they implemented study routines to improve their listening skills. Some learners said that the activities became easier using their cell phones, and the learning was better internalized by repeating the audio more than once or twice.
3.- What did you learn from listening your audios?
Students understood that English was not the most difficult language to learn. Students also could prove that learning is like a plant that needs to be watered. One student said that after the project's first week, she created a listening habit in her daily schedule using different audio, trying to improve every day. The student mentioned that her learning was meaningful to continue with her training.
4.- What were the challenges during the innovation?
According to students' answers, there were many challenges. One of the main challenges detected was the pessimism established in the classroom. Many learners dropped out of the project in the middle of the work. The project began with 60 participants, but in the final part, forty of them achieved all of the projects. It was necessary to focus on those who completed the work but think about preparing new strategies to involve more learners in a similar project to motivate them to improve their skills. One student said his trouble was pronunciation, but he consciously practiced improving.
5.- Do you think your English level is adequate to understand what other people say?
The students were straightforward and sincere. They mentioned that they need more training to improve their knowledge. Their current level is low, and it needs a lot of training and practice because the classes have been focused only on reading and writing the last two years. However, the two other skills were neglected by students and teachers, and this situation made learning a complex challenge to achieve.
6.- Would you like to use Peer-assessment for the next school year, in a different subjects?
All the students said yes. They were able to decide and were convinced that working with the peer assessment strategy is a great resource to improve as a reader, writer, and listener. Since learners were trained in their weekly tasks, they could see that peer assessment was helpful for English. It could be adaptable for other subjects. So learners considered it a great idea to use this strategy to improve in different academic contexts.
DISCUSSION
Outcomes have demonstrated that learners developed their English listening skills with significant improvements. Their work during this innovation has been challenging, developing every single task. Besides this, to provide significant reliability in outcomes, it is required to contrast every research question's results with the literature review that the primary authors have shared in this study.
Question 1: In what ways might peer assessment strategy using audio recordings benefit learners' English listening comprehension skills? To answer this question, it was necessary to determine students' fundamental proficiency. The pre-test found that many learners were not adapted to listening to the English language. Joyce (2019), on his part, mentioned that many factors influence learners to comprehend a second language. These factors can be their native language, environment, language proficiency, or even their working memory capacity.
Results were improved when learners took the post-test, where students could demonstrate their learning abilities. Learners improve their listening skills through successful language use, as mentioned by (Archibald et al., 2004). When students applied the post-test, they demonstrated the actual knowledge. There was no chance to modify concepts or structures. Listening is a real-time skill. Something similar was stated by (Schwartz, 2004), who additionally mentioned that listening skills apply to 90% of instructions and commands when a learner is interacting with the English language.
Question 2: How could peer assessment facilitate by audio recordings contrasted against a rubric close the listening skills gap in learners? Learners need to hear the audio to build their new knowledge. Their new inputs are, in some cases, words, short phrases, and some idiom expressions. Harmer (2007) expressed that learners need to internalize new inputs of knowledge attached to different intonations, accents, and stress to create new meanings. In this way, students can develop their listening skills. It would be a great idea to practice songs and children's channels or watch any video in the target language to improve the listening gaps. In this aspect, facilitators need to show adequate materials to involve learners in a new stage of learning (Kamp, 2011). This was a constraint when learners began to examine partners' work.
Results demonstrated that learners needed to listen to their audio more than expected. (Field, 2008) expressed that teaching new vocabulary needs extra listening time. In this part, some challenges students needed to overcome as expressions applied in specific contexts, refusing, offering, and multiple situations that implemented the peer assessment strategy to connect themselves with effective materials to peer assess partners' work (Bürgermeister et al., 2021). Richards (2006) expressed that their listening skills are better developed when learners work in authentic contexts. After some training weeks, peer assessment improved students learning and products. Nagler (2015) said that when learners take an active role in their tasks, they work better, as was shown in the results.
Question 3: What are students' difficulties found in listening skills? Outcomes demonstrated that learners were more likely to work in pairs than individually. Since this step, the activity worked out better. The participants were involved in peer assessing their partners' work. It was valuable to see their positive comments after evaluations. The interview results showed students who did their best to prepare better throughout the innovation. A comfortable environment is always the perfect ally in working time. Something similar was stated by (Sanger, 2020). The implementation of WhatsApp allowed learners to interact in a more meaningful form. (Oriji & Anikpo, 2019) expressed that participation, collaboration, and more class engagement are valuable components of positive student learning, as mentioned in the interview.
CONCLUSIONS
Outcomes demonstrated that the learning was meaningful for students who finished the innovation. There were some students who, for many reasons, dropped out of the innovation. In the beginning, the study was hard for learners, but with practical training, participants could better understand what is necessary to do and how to do it for themselves. Results demonstrated that learners need to be exposed to a second language. The interactions are necessary for authentic learning in students. The peer assessment is an adequate strategy to work with students to learn from themselves and their partners. They can see how the partner could improve or not, and then they can acquire some suggestions by visualizing or receiving feedback from his/her peer.
To conclude, it is beneficial to mention that students learn in real contexts. Functional and authentic materials always help to engage students in the activities. Providing motivational and constructive feedback is essential in learner development. Finally, implementing the technological apps in the academic contexts was a precise resource to involve students in activities where the communicative component was crucial for improving listening skills.
LIMITATIONS
The first limitation found in the study was the pessimism that many students had with their attitudes during the first contact time. Then, with the passing of the days, students adapted better, and that antipathy for working became will and motivation to do a better job every time. Some very noticeable limitation was English understanding. Some students dropped out of the study; they mentioned they do not have cell phones or technological devices at home. Others have some extra activities that make them impossible to participate in the innovation. When students listened to the different accents and stress of sentences, their beginnings were hard, but the training helped them to improve their listening skills. Finally, the self-confidence that students had. It was an excellent experience to see how learners, step by step, were increasing their knowledge.
RECOMMENDATIONS
§ It is a must to have communication with the learners. Being participants of the study or not.
§ It is recommendable to establish communication through a WhatsApp group but in English.
§ Provide feedback and positive comments to maintain enthusiasm for learning. As a good recommendation, it would be great if teachers prepare some listening activities related to their levels and possible advances to help learners to scaffold their knowledge.
§ Students need to be exposed to different interactions. The exposition is crucial to motivate learners to believe in themselves.
§ Finally, it is necessary to consider innovations and work like this to be applied in other educative areas.
REFERENCES.
Archibald, J.; Roy, S.; Harmel, S.;
& Jesney, K. (2004). A Review of the Literature on
Second Language Learning. The Language Research Centre (LRC) of the
University of Calgary. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED491537.pdf
Arley-Fonseca, M. & Brizuela-Gutiérrez, T. (2020). Enhancing the Language Learning Process of Students in the Costa Rican Educational System by Considering the Use of Authentic Materials in the EFL Classroom. Revista Espiga, 20(40). 121-139. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/4678/467863794006/
Barnard, D. (2017). Active listening skills, examples and exercises. https://virtualspeech.com/blog/active-listening-skills-examples-and-exercises
Benitez, B. & Varas, R. (2018). Listening and Speaking Competence in Pre-Technical English Level of students at the Livestock Science Faculty of UTEQ (Master´s Degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil University, Guayaquil, Ecuador) http://repositorio.ucsg.edu.ec/bitstream/3317/10663/1/T-UCSG-POS-MEIE-5.pdf
Brown, S. (2006). Teaching listening. USA: Cambridge University Press. http://www.finchpark.com/courses/tkt/Unit_07/Brown-Teaching-Listening.pdf
Bürgermeister, A., Glogger-Frey, I., & Saalbach, H. (2021). Supporting Peer Feedback on Learning Strategies: Effects on Self-Efficacy and Feedback Quality. Psychology Learning & Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1177/14757257211016604
Cahyono, B. & Widiati, U. (2009). The teaching of EFL listening in the Indonesian context: The state of the art. TEFLIN Journal, 20(2), 194-211. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/233168175.pdf
(2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development, Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97-140, doi: 10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Dayagbil FT, Palompon DR, Garcia LL and Olvido MMJ (2021). Teaching and Learning Continuity Amid and Beyond the Pandemic. Front. Educ., 6(1), 678 – 692. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2021.678692
Elmetaher, H. (2021). Developing English Listening Skills: Can Active Learning Help? Mextesol Journal, 43(3). http://www.mextesol.net/journal/index.php?page=journal&id_article=23772
Field, J. (2008). Listening in the language classroom. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. http://staffnew.uny.ac.id/upload/132304799/pendidikan/[John_Field]_Listening_in_the_Language_Classroom_((BookFi.org).pdf
Flowerdew, J. & Miller, L. (2005). Second Language Listening: Theory and Practice. (Cambridge Language Education). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667244
Gray, J. & Di Loreto, M. (2016). The Effects of Student Engagement, Student Satisfaction, and Perceived Learning in Online Learning Environments. NCPEA International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 11(1), 1 – 20. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1103654.pdf
Hamouda, A. (2012). Listening comprehension problems: Voices from the classroom. Language in India, 12(8), 1-49. Retrieved from http://www.languageinindia.com/aug2012/v12i8aug2012.pdf
Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching. -4th (ed). London: Longman. https://coljour.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/jeremy_harmer_the_practice_of_english_language_teaching_4th_edition_longman_handbooks_for_language_teachers.pdf
Hernández, Sonia. , & Constanza, M. (2013). Encouraging Students to Enhance Their Listening Performance. Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development, 15(2). https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=169228696013
Ion, G.; & Barrera-Corominas, A.; & Tomàs-Folch, M. (2016). Written peer-feedback to enhance students' current and future learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 13(1), 1-11 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=501550294024
Johnson, R. & Onwuegbuzie, A. (2004). Mixed methods research: A research paradigm whose time has come. Educational Researcher, 33(7), 14-26. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X033007014
Joyce, P.
(2019). The Relationship between L2 Listening Proficiency and L2 Aural
Language Processing. PASAA, 57(1). 9 – 32.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1224420.pdf
Krashen, S. (2013). Second language acquisition: Theory, applications, and some conjectures. Mexico City: Cambridge University Press.
Ma, T. (2009). An Empirical Study on Teaching Listening in CLT. International Education Studies, 2(2). 126-134. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1065671.pdf
Ministerio de Educación. (2016). English as a foreign language for subnivel medio. https://educacion.gob.ec/wp-
Munayer, S. (2020). Journey through the storm. Lessons from Musalaha - Ministry of Reconciliation. Langham Global Library. Carlisle, Cumbria, Uk.
Oriji, A.; & Anikpo, F. (2019). Social Media in Teaching-Learning Process: Investigation of the Use of Whatsapp in Teaching and Learning in University of Port Harcourt. European Scientific Journal ESJ, 15(4) doi: 10.19044/esj.2019.v15n4p15.
Ossenberg, C., Henderson, A., & Mitchell, M. (2019). What attributes guide best practice for effective feedback? A scoping review. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 24(2), 1–19. doi: 10.1007/s10459-018-9854-x
Qutob, M & Madini, A. (2020). Saudi EFL learners’ preferences of the corrective feedback on written assignment. English Language Teaching, 13(2), 16-27. doi: 10.5539/elt.v13n2p16
Richards, J. (2005). Second thoughts on teaching listening. RELC Journal, 36(1), 85-92. doi: 10.1177/0033688205053484
Richards, J. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid. Cambridge University Press 2006. Retrieved from https://www.professorjackrichards.com/wp-content/uploads/Richards-Communicative-Language.pdf
Sanger, C. (2020). Inclusive Pedagogy and Universal Design Approaches for Diverse Learning Environments. In: Sanger, C., Gleason, N. (eds) Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1628-3_2
Sargeant, J. (2008). Toward a common understanding of self-assessment. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 28(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1002/chp.148
Shorten, A. & Smith, J. (2017). Mixed methods research: Expanding the evidence base, BMJ Journals, 20(3), (pp. 74- 75), doi: 10.1136/eb-2017-102699
(2004). Listening Out of the Box: New Perspectives for the Workplace, International Journal of Listening, 18(1), 47-55. doi: 10.1080/10904018.2004.10499063
Wren, J. & Wren, B. (2009). Enhancing Learning by Integrating Theory and Practice. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 21(2), 258-265. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ899313.pdf
Yulianawati, I.; & Anggrarini, N. (2021). Exploring teachers’ perspective in using WhatsApp application in English language teaching. JELLT (Journal of English Language and Language Teaching, 5(2). 130 – 153. file:///C:/Users/Juliana/Downloads/130-153_Natalia_Ida_.pdf
Zlatovic, A. (2018). Benefits of communication on the learning process. https://nobelexplorers.com/benefits-communication-learning-process/