FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS’ LISTENING SKILLS IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Abstract

The article studies a question of developing students’ listening skills that are considered to be one of the key factors that provide successful communication in a foreign language. The significance of this question in the modern educational conditions is analysed. Using the results of the diagnostic tests, it is concluded that students’ listening skills are not sufficiently developed. The reasons of this underdevelopment are analysed. The following factors that influence development of students’ listening skills in a foreign language are presented: development of psychophysical mechanisms, emotional state of the listener, the level of linguistic competence, development of critical thinking, background knowledge, usage of listening strategies. Psychophysical mechanisms that are involved in listening are defined: speech hearing, inside articulation, memory, attention, anticipation, adaptation, selection of necessary sounds among others. The connection between the level of linguistic competence (lexical, grammatical, phonetical) and listening skills is presented. Cognitive operations that are necessary for semantic processing of information are identified. Listening strategies that lead to achievement of the communicative goal of listening are defined. Examples of exercises and tasks that are aimed to develop each of the discussed factors are presented.