TEACHING LISTENING AT A NON-LINGUISTIC UNIVERSITY: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND WAYS TO OVERCOME THEM

Abstract

Listening comprehension in a foreign language holds particular significance within the structure of language skills. The article outlines results of an empirical study conducted among students and teachers of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation that reveal discrepancy between popularity of methods used to develop listening skills in a foreign language and assessment of their effectiveness. The study highlights the gap between commonly used teaching strategies and their perceived impact on student learning outcomes. The researcher provides the theoretical rationale for the necessity to critically review the current approaches to developing listening skills. Practical recommendations for teachers are proposed with reference to the results of the study and include aiming at developing decoding subskill which is critical for the successful acquisition of listening competence in a foreign language. This subskill can be developed through drawing on conventional practices, such as the pre-teaching of words with complex sound patterns.