Practical Use and Validation of an Original Learning Assistance Program "Movie English Listening System"

Abstract

In our previous study, we found that when native English speakers speak to Japanese students in the same manner as they speak to other native speakers, the average number of students miss approximately half the words in spite of knowing the words. As a result, they attempt to guess the meaning by making use of the other half of the words. In order to overcome such a difficulty for Japanese listeners to correctly comprehend even simple daily conversations by native speakers, we developed an e-learning program called "Movie English Listening System which focuses on improving poor phonological analysis and the inability to hear liaison or unstressed sounds". This system aims to increase the share of bottom-up listening comprehension skills by improving learners' phonological knowledge about language, rather than a top-down approach which involves comprehension based on vocabulary recognition and understanding overall context. In this paper, we will illustrate how "Movie English Listening System" is used in an English classroom and confirm previous results of experiments indicating the effectiveness of our listening system. We will also show a correlation between TOEIC Listening Test, as a standardized scale, and our assessment test of the system. Finally we will conclude our system can be very helpful for teachers to visualize students' development of listening ability.