CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Language obviously is a vital tool in communication. Language
can also be considered as knowledge. In our world today knowledge is one of
the key factors in competitiveness. In an advanced society, the knowledge of
every language becomes essential. For the last few years, millions of people
across the world, who share common interests, are able to communicate with
each other and exchange ideas. Not only they are able to do this due to the
various technological advances, but also because they share a common
language.
English is one of the most important tools available to us. It is one
of the international languages, a tool of communication between countries,
cultural groups, various companies and organizations, communities and
friends. Knowing the importance of it, in Indonesia, English is the first
foreign language that is taught from elementary to university, which is
considered as an important subject to be acquired. Moreover, tourism
industries have the effects of motivating students to learn English as well as
possible. Besides, there is an indication that some students who are able to
communicate in English after finishing their studies are easier to get jobs in
several tourism industries.
When we learn a language, there are four major language skills that
we need to be acquired for communication, namely listening, speaking,
reading and writing. When we learn our native language, we usually learn to
listen first, then to speak, then to read, and finally to write. In teaching and
learning process, those four language skills have to be involved integratedly;
however, listening comprehension is often difficult. There are many ways and
techniques can be applied to encourage students to improve their listening
skills. One of them is to let the students hear different varieties and accents of
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languages rather than just the voice of their teacher. There are many dialects
and accents of people when speaking in English. The differences are not only
in the pronunciation of sounds but also in grammar.

It is said that listening is used far more than any other single
language skill in normal daily life. Generally, we suppose to listen twice
more than speak, four times more than we read, and five times more than we
write (Rivers and Weaver in Celce- Murcia, 1991: 82). The importance of
listening cannot be underestimated. Therefore, it is imperative that it cannot
be treated trivially in second and foreign language curricula. Thus language
acquisition is achieved mainly through receiving understandable input and
listening ability is the critical component in achieving understandable
language input. Besides, the importance of listening in communication is
enormous. People often focus on their speaking ability believing that good
speaking equals to good communication. The ability to speak well is a
necessary component to a successful communication; however, the ability to
listen is equally important as speaking ability. Given the importance of
listening in language learning and teaching it is essential for language
teachers to help students become effective listeners.
Furthermore, in a careful observation of College English teaching
practice, the teaching of listening skill has been found that it is still
considered as a weak spot in the language teaching process. Despite students
having mastered the basic elements of English grammar and vocabulary, their
listening comprehension is often weak. In Addition, in fact sometimes we
found that while students integrated skills in reading, writing, translating
have been improving, their listening capability have been left behind. The
key factor that has been recognized in the preliminary studies is the students
limited listening comprehension skills. On the other hand, it is essential for
the students to master this skill. Based on the above facts, the researcher
wants to describe and observe one of the four skills in English, it is listening
skill.
Richards at al (1986: 158) argues that evaluation refers to
procedure for gathering data on the dynamics, effectiveness, acceptability,
and efficiency of a language program for the purposes of decision making.
Basically, evaluation addresses whether the goals and objectives of a
language program are being attained, that is whether the program is effective
(in absolute terms). Besides, Ahmann at al (1981: 7) states that educational
evaluation is the systematic process of determining the effectiveness of
educational endeavors in the light of evidence. Thus, the purpose of this
evaluation is as assessment of the academic achievement of individual
student and also to find out about the students progress or program
effectiveness at some point.
Listening tests typically be similar to reading comprehension tests
only then the student listens to a passage instead of reading it. The student
then answers multiple-choice questions that address various levels of literal
and inferential comprehension. Important elements in all listening tests are
the listening stimuli, the questions, and the class environment. There are
many types of objective tests can be used to evaluate awareness of the
listening comprehension. Each of these type tests the ability to recognize and
identify the spoken information to be understood. Therefore, classroom tests
of listening comprehension can play a useful part in a language programmed.

The type of item test that is chosen for this present study is multiple choice
test items for its effectiveness.
Concerning those evidences mentioned above, it is important to do
the evaluation to make sure whether the teaching and learning process has
been done successfully or not in teaching and learning process. Therefore,
this research is carried out in order to measure to what extent is the listening
comprehension ability mastered by the subject under study when it is
assessed through the teacher made multiple choice tests.

1.2 Statement of Research Question

Based on what described in the background of the study, the
researcher tries to examine the following research question: to what extent is
the listening comprehension ability mastered by the eighth grade students of
SMP N 4 Denpasar in academic year 2010/2011 when it is assessed through
the teacher made multiple choice tests?
1.3 Purpose of the Study
Based on the research question mentioned above, this study means
to investigate the listening comprehension ability through the teacher made
multiple choice tests by the eighth grade students of SMP N 4 Denpasar in
academic year 2010/2011. Furthermore, the result of this research may be
used as an evidence to be utilized by the teacher to raise the awareness of
practicing and evaluating the students listening comprehension continuously.

1.4 Limitation
There are four major language skills known commonly; listening,
speaking, reading and writing. However, this present study is limited or
solely focuses only on assessing and analyzing the students listening
comprehension as a target language. Besides, the researcher limits her
investigation of listening comprehension test by using the teacher made
multiple choice tests as the research instrument, to the eighth grade students
of SMPN 4 Denpasar in academic year 2010/2011 as the subject under study.

1.5 Assumptions of the Study

Ex post facto research design or non- experimental study is used in
this present study. It means that the researcher has no control on the variable
because it has already existed and it is not manipulated. Thus, the researcher
thinks that it is necessary to make some assumptions. The underlying
assumptions of the present study are as follows:
1; The subjects under study relatively have the same strength of
learning motivation in learning English.

2; They are assumed as a group of students who have been learning and
acquiring English within the same length of time.
3; Concerning the physical conditions of the students, it is assumed that
their health is good and their competence is various.
4; The teacher- made multiple choice listening test under the
investigation are assumed to have already been constructed based on
the existing principles and theories of how to construct valid and
reliable tests.
1.6 Significance of the Study
It is expected that the result of the study can give contributions and
stand the following important such as:
1; Theoretically, the findings of this present study are really expected to
give and support the similar researches that have been existed with
more empirical evidences relating to listening comprehension in
English.
2; Practically, the result of this present study is intended as informative
feedback to the English teachers at SMP N 4 Denpasar.
3; The findings of the present investigation can improve the students
learning strategy more effectively that will raise their listening
comprehension ability and they will be more motivated to learn and
practice their communication skill and listening through creating and
looking for more live contacts both in and outside classroom
settings.
1.7 Hypothesis
Based on the problem mentioned above, the researcher then
formulates some alternative hypothesis that the acquisition of listening
comprehension of the eighth grade students of SMP 4 Denpasar in academic
year 2010/2011 is still low.

1.8 Definition of Key Terms

With the purpose of avoid misunderstanding toward the terms
those are used in this present study, some definitions of key terms are defined
as follows:
1; Assessment is defined as a systematic process of asking educationally
relevant questions about a students learning behavior for the purpose
of placement and instruction.
2; Listening comprehension is defined as the ability to identify and
understand the message from the oral presentation.
3; The teacher made multiple choice tests is operationally defined as the
multiple choice tests that are constructed by the researcher based on
the syllabus that is used in the school where the investigation takes
place.

4; SMP N 4 Denpasar is a state junior high school which is located on Jl.

Gunung Agung, Denpasar, Bali- Indonesia where the investigation
was carried out.
1.9 Theoretical Framework.
The theoretical point of view as well as empirical evidence is used
to support this research. Thus, the present study is based on the following
theoretical frameworks: (1) the conception of listening, (2) the principles
behind the Teaching of listening, (3) the importance of listening
comprehension, (4) the factors affecting of listening, (5) the conception of
test, (6) and constructing multiple choice test items.