Abstract:
In this study an attempt was made to assess the strategies practiced by Grade nine English language teachers to develop their students’ listening comprehension, their perceptions and the challenges they face when teaching listening comprehension were the concern of the study. The study was carried out at at Lege Tafo Secondary School which is one of the governmental schools found in Oromia. The required data for the study were collected by using students’ questionnaire, teachers’ interview and classroom observation. The students’ questionnaire items were administered for 60 students to be filled. Then semi structured interview was made with the 3 teachers since they were the only assigned English language teachers to teach grade 9 students in the academic year2021. The three interviewed teachers were also observed three times each to see the strategies that they frequently practiced mainly in the three listening comprehension stages. The findings revealed that the strategies perceived to be used in the pre, while, and post listening stages, were not properly practiced by the teachers. The teachers were found using very limited teaching strategies. Listening skill in general and the teaching of listening skill in particular was negatively perceived by the teachers who were the subjects of the study. Difficulties related to teachers: Negative perception to the teaching and using of listening strategies, using the students’ mother tongue excessively. And difficulties related to teaching/learning materials such as: lack of authentic materials, audio visuals. To this end, helpful recommendations were suggested for the stakeholders. Teachers need to give more emphases to the teaching of listening skill. To develop students’ listening comprehension, first teachers need to be aware of those teaching listening strategies proposed in the literature. Teachers should also help students to find their own learning strategies so that they can be autonomous learners. Teachers are also advised to better use authentic materials or native based listening resources like audio visual so that students can learn in real life situation. Students are also advised to use every opportunity to expose themselves to the target language.
