Teaching listening

в) In the grammar the great difficulty comes with the unusual word order (referring of pretext in the proposal to the very end). Understanding of oral speech is complicated very much by presence of morphological homonymic forms. So, for example, various parts of speech in English language coincide very frequently on form: to work-work, to answer-answer. In grammar big difficulties in understanding of English speech arise because in overwhelming majority of cases communication between words is implemented through various syntactic words not having independent lexical value.

Grammatical difficulties are mostly connected with the analytic structure of the English language, and with the extensive use of infinitive and participle constructions. Besides, English is rich in grammatical homonyms, for example: to work -- work; to answer -- answer; -ed as the suffix of the Past Indefinite and the Past Participle.

This is difficult for pupils when they aud. The pupils not only should be accustomed to the way of the words communication new for them, but also to learn to catch syntactic words and properly to correlate them with in other words proposal. At the same time they should learn to do it quickly, since they cannot slow down or to accelerate speech of speaking. To recognize meanwhile syntactic words not easily, since they are frequently in unaccented situation, and therefore are reduced and they are merged with in other words. Besides in verbal speech weak forms of syntactic words are used (you've, I've, he's). Recognition of syntactic words is complicated also that many syntactic words can be and memorable (for example, verbs to be, to have); besides and as syntactic words they can have various values (for example, verb to be can be both modal verb, and verb-cluster, and auxiliary verb serving for formation of continued names and passive form). It is necessary to note as well that a series of syntactic words being different parts of speech, coincide on form, values of them at the same time can be close (for example, adverb is off and pretext of), and sometimes and quite remote (to compare, for example, adverb off, pretext is off and postposition off in some compound verbs of the type to put off). In the proposal plenty of words of such type can be (for example, she ran out into the garden, he jumped up out of his arm-chair and so forth) and is required special training, in order to learn properly to correlate by their appropriate memorable words further difficulties are, in understanding from so called “compound verbs” of type to put off, to put away to put up to put down and so on.

Difficulties in understanding from so called “compound verbs” (compound verbs) type to put on, to put away, to put off, to put up, to put down are, further, etc. The fact is that the main part of the verb which trainee hear of the first, directs frequently their idea but untrue way, as she in their consciousness, naturally, associates with that particular value of the verb which they well know and which can be quite far from the value of compound verb (compare, to put -- класть и to put up -- смириться). Difficulty of understanding is aggravated also that the second part of the verb can assert far from the first (for example, Put your hat and coat on! I don't want to put the question off any longer; etc.). If to take into consideration as well that postpositions on form are not different from pretexts and stand frequently on that place, where could be and pretext (for example, Not slipped on his glasses - He quickly surfaced points ), then it will become clear that by trainee sometimes it is hard very much to understand such proposals.

2.2.2 Difficulties connected with the language form

Difficulties connected with the language form of the messages arise on two reasons: а) due to language material containing in the message to studying,) to investigation of present in the message of familiar, but language material difficult for perception. On what grade level it is necessary to include material unfamiliar of language, in what quality and which? The most of methodologists believes that at the early stage, when basic skills of listening are formed, texts should be built on unfamiliar language material. In 6 classes it is possible to admit 1% unfamiliar words. In 7,8 classes it is possible to admit 3% of unfamiliar words. In a qualitative sense unfamiliar words should be not so called “key words”, i.e. words bearing the main text information.

Conditions of presenting the material are of great importance for teaching listening, namely:

The speed of the speech the pupil is listening. The hearer cannot change the speed of the speaker.

There are different points of view on the problem of the speed of speech in teaching listening a foreign language. The most convincing is the approach suggested by N.V. Elukhina. She believes that in teaching auding the tempo should be slower than the normal speed of authentic speech. Gradually the teacher shortens the pauses and the tempo of speech becomes normal or approximately normal, which is about 150 words per minute. According to the investigation carried out by L. Tzesarsky the average speed for teaching listening should be 120 words per minute; the slow speed -- 90 words per minute.

The number of times of presenting the material for listening: whether the pupils should listen to the text once, twice, three times or more. Pupils should be taught to listen to the text once and this must become a habit. However they sometimes can grasp only 50% of the information and even less, so a second presentation may be helpful. In case the pupils cannot grasp most of the information, practice proves that manifold repetitions when hearing do not help much. It is necessary to help pupils in comprehension by using a "feed back" established through a dialogue between the teacher and the class 1 which takes as much time as it is required for the repetitive presentation of the material.[2]

The voice of the speaker also influences pupils' comprehension. Pupils who get used to the teacher's voice can easily understand him, but they cannot understand other people speaking the same language.

As a whole, depending on particular educational tasks and on sign of completeness of understanding of the information they distinguish two types of auding: listening with total understanding and listening with understanding of the main content of the given text [32,46]. Texts for auding with total understanding do not include the unfamiliar lexicon and expressions which could be interference at perception. During the auding of text with understanding of the main content pupils should aspire to understand text as a whole. In junior forms (5^th -6^th forms) the main attention should be paid to development of ability to understand text as a whole, trying to understand the meaning of the text, what is this text about, who are the main heroes, where did it take place and others. In senior forms the main attention should be paid to development of ability entirely understand the text. If to speak about the difficulties, it is necessary to mention the length of the sentences. It is well known that volume of the short-term memory, where this phrase is preserved until her ending , is insignificant. In that case, if the length of the sentences surpasses the size of the memory the pupil begin to forget the beginning of the phrase and cannot sum up the phrase as a whole. The results got by some scientific researches testify, that maximal number of words in the phrase should not exceed 13-15. The schoolchildren, who have not yet learnt the foreign language enough well, the volume of their memory considerably less, it is limited by 5-6 words. So at the beginning of the study the length of the phrases should not exceed 5-6 words.

2.2.3 Difficulties connected with semantic content of the message

Difficulties connected with semantic content of the message, with its composition. Efficiency of learning to listen depends primarily on the interest, the pupils wanted to understand. The results of experiments testify that pupils will understand and will memorize better difficult, but interesting texts, than easy, but primitive. The introduction of the elements of humour will bring effectiveness in teaching listening. Humor promotes creation of the atmosphere of easiness and relaxation. Moreover, exciting texts having plot with keen interest oriented for some certain age can be simple enough. Motivating texts are those that are full of a new and useful information for the pupils. But all alongside the study the difficulty for understanding will be the references to the facts connected with history, ways of life, culture of the country of the language they study; so called realizes or the fact that can be unknown to the learners. To these facts we can refer place names, proper names, title of establishments and organizations, press organs, works of art, historic facts, customs and traditions, names of various subjects, terminology: political, military, and as well terminology connected with various areas of art, sayings and expressions, quotations from literature and science fiction. The form of communication: whether the text is a dialogue or a monologue. Monologic speech is easier for the learners, therefore, it is preferable for developing pupils' ability to aud.

To the difficulties connected with listening of speech message it is necessary to refer its volume. Difficult conditions of the reception of auding information results in activity of psychological mechanisms weakness of the attention and failure the reception of the information. So that not to cause an information transshipment, the volume of the text should correspond psychological characteristics of the pupils. It should not exceed 3 - 5 minutes of sounding. In case, if it is necessary to hear the more long text, usefully to present him in parts with breaks.

Difficulties connected with the condition of the message presentation.

Correct rate of speech messages defines, as it is known, not only speed and accuracy of their understanding, but also storing efficiency. There is limiting speed of presentation of speech messages.

At the slow rate perception phase is spread, process of integration of the values of separate units finds difficult. During the dialogue or listening the text the most common is an average tempo of speech. 200 and 300 syllables are designated per minute as rate “below the middle” and “higher than middle”. In learning the foreign language and learning to listen the oral speech, it is necessary to start with a natural tempo of speech: Englishmen say 220 syllables per minute. For the 5^th form the speed of the information presentation should be 90-100 syllables per minute, in the6th form - 110 syllables. In the forms, where the level of understanding is rather low, it is possible to give the information, dividing the text into parts and increasing duration of pauses between phrases, sentences and paragraphs for better and closer entering the content.

The number of times of presenting the material for auding: whether the pupils should listen to the text once, twice, three times or more. Pupils should be taught to listen to the text once and this must become a habit. However they sometimes can grasp only 50% of the information and even less, so a second presentation may be helpful. In case the pupils cannot grasp most of the information, practice proves that manifold repetitions when hearing do not help much. It is necessary to help pupils in comprehension by using a "feed back" established through a dialogue between the teacher and the class 1 which takes as much time as it is required for the repetitive presentation of the material.[2]

It is considered expedient at once “to accustom” mentality of trained to natural conditions of functioning and already in the beginning of training to present texts only once. Meeting with misunderstanding of speech by beginner the teacher resorts frequently to repeated message repetition that promotes little listening. So it is possible to offer to trainee at the first monitoring of the request for understanding of common content, and the request for understanding of the details and the ideas of the message - at the second. Sometimes the teacher “assists” understanding by translation of his speech to native language that, as well as recurrence of repetition of some and the same phrases, does not lead to goal set forth, it will demobilize trainee, which do not listen a foreign speech, wait for the variant in his own language.

Consequently, in teaching listening comprehension the teacher should bear in mind all the difficulties pupils encounter when listening in a foreign language.

Speaking a foreign language is the most difficult part in language learning because pupils need ample practice in speaking to be able to say a few words of their own in connection with a situation. This work is time-consuming and pupils rarely feel any real necessity to make themselves understood during the whole period of learning a new language in school. The pupil repeats the sentence he hears, he completes sentences that are in the book, he constructs sentences on the pattern of a given one. These mechanical drill exercises are, of course, necessary; however, when they go on year after year without any other real language practice they are deadening. There must be occasions when the pupils feel the necessity to inform someone of something, to explain something, and to prove something to someone. This is a psychological factor which must be taken into account when teaching pupils to speak a foreign language.

In those cases, when auding text is used for training of saying (retelling) or written speech (account), as it has already been said, the second listening is necessary for more total storing of language form and semantic content.

Specific attention should be turned to schemes and perception guiding lines. Success of auding depends on to a large extent, which guiding lines are there in the given text, whether it is necessary to help the learners.

In the methodic of teaching a foreign language there are techniques used, there distinguished visual (graphic) and verbal schemes at training. To visual or (graphic) aids we can refer cards , pictures, photos, schemes, different tables, specific font, colour, headlines. Each of these guiding lines has its purpose. The headers which А. А. Smirnov names “the most common type of strong points”, acquaints with the topic of voice message and ideas create directivity. Drawings (or picture) as prompting guiding line are applied depending on executed tasks. At purpose to hearing and subsequent reproduction drawings have a positive value. They promote guess, rouse interest, assist to keep sequence stated facts in the memory.

Here a small example of application of such aims. And so, the content of audio text is that the main character invites his friends to visit to his city (city area), where he lives. He acquaints his friends, for example, with the city and goes them sightseeing around the city and retells them some exciting facts. His friends have the plan of the city and listening their friend they mark the route of walking and various sights of the city.

There is the other variety of verbal aids. They can be presented as the key words, speech stamps, widely common used in informal conversation, plan, different questionnaires enabling during the process of listening to divide the text according to the given way. So, to audio text “Travel” can be offered a peculiar questionnaire which listening should memorize during auding. It includes such items: the purpose of trip…, destination…, the date of departure…, the date of returning…, cost of the ticket… etc.

Auding acquires, in such a manner, a particular purpose. Its efficiency is easy to control, as children inside cogitative activity is removed to external plan. It is important to train schoolchildren to find guiding lines in audio text itself. Such guiding lines can be expressed intonationally by released words, headers, words-carriers, logic accent, rhetorical questions, repetitions. During listening it is possible to give tasks, to record words that the teacher accents: Listen to the rest of the conversation and write the important (stressed) words. Your notes should look like a telegram. Ann… wait here long… Nick…

2.2.4 Difficulties connected with the sources of the information

Audiovisual and auding sources of the information. To audiovisual sources we can refer: every possible graphic presentation (pictures, slides etc.) accompanied by the story of the teacher, sound film, television and teacher's speech. To listening sources we can refer: records, phono records and radio transmission. To recognize and distinguish speech from audiovisual sources easier, than from auding sources. In methodical purposes it is important to distinguish offered or graphic presentation, than gestures and mimicry of speaking, which do not reveal the content, but emotional attitude of speaking to the statement that is transmitted. Supervision for articulation of speaking connects acoustical sensation and does perception of sounding speech more clear and accurate. So, the most easy source of the information will be the teacher's explanation, where these two types of presentation are combined. Following on difficulty the source will be - filmstrip (slides etc) accompanying with the teacher's speech or explanation. The pupils will not be able to supervise mimicry and gestures of speaking, but presence of subject presentation as filmstrip specialists and familiar voice, rondo facilitates their understanding.

The most difficult sources are considered to be the filmstrips, telecasts, announcer's text, all are those told by the unfamiliar voice. Easier to distinguish well the low men's voices of soft tone, high voices of sharp tone are more hard to perceive. Among the listening sources of the information the film is the most difficult. The fact is that tempo of speech in the film is always stable and cannot be slowed down, as in the filmstrip.

The most difficult are auding sources of the information, because any visual aids are absent there. However the role of auding sources during the training, the process of listening and understanding, is very enormous. They compensate the complete absence of language environment, giving way to the opportunity to listen speech of different persons, mainly native speakers. Speech in record possesses example and sounding invariance. These qualities of audio-tape promote the formation of correct acoustics-articulation words images, that extremely it important for listening.

2.2.5 Difficulties concerning the listener

It is possible to agree with this point only partially. Pupils are not in a condition, as it is known, to define neither character of the speech message, nor the condition of a perception. At the same time success of auding depends on ability of the listener to use likelihood examples and to transfer the skills developed on the native language, to the foreign, that he is going to study. The Of the great value are such specific features of the pupil, its resource and ingenuity, its ability to listen and to react quickly to every possible signals of oral communications (a pause, logic accents, rhetorical questions, phrases of binding character etc.), ability will be switched from one cogitative operation on another, quickly to enter into a message theme to correlate to its big context etc. Process of perception of speech on hearing differs the active purposeful character connected with performance difficult thinking activity and its success of course is promoted by high degree of concentration of attention. The attention arises by means of emotions and develops at their expense, however at the person of emotion is always shown in unity with strong-willed process. Success of auding in particular depends on requirement of schoolboys to learn that or new, from presence of interest to a message theme, from creation of objective requirement studies etc., i.e. from the so-called subjective factors promoting occurrence of installation on informative activity.

Teacher's speech as the basic form for training to listening.

To learn to possess the foreign language practically possible only if it can be used as the means of the communication, during the process of it there is the interchange of the information in the language.

The lesson has big enough possibilities for using of a foreign language as means of dialogue between the teacher and pupils. But these possibilities are not used at full during the lessons.

Oral language in comparison to written language is more flexible. It is relatively free and is characterized by some peculiarities in vocabulary and grammar. Taking into consideration, however, the conditions in which the foreign language is taught in schools, we cannot teach pupils colloquial English. We teach them Standard English as spoken on the radio, TV, etc. Oral language taught in schools is close to written language standards and especially its monologic form. It must be emphasized that a pupil should use short sentences in monologue, sentence patterns which are characteristic of oral language. We need not teach pupils to use long sentences while describing a picture.

For example: The boy has a long blue pencil in his left hand. The child may use four sentences instead of one: The boy has a pencil. Its in his left hand. The pencil is long. It is blue. Pupils should be acquainted with some peculiarities of the spoken language, otherwise they will not understand it when hearing and their own speech will be artificial. This mainly concerns dialogues. For example, G.V. Rogova establishes the following tendencies in foreign language, using in teacher's speech:

Very often the teacher speaks a foreign language, constantly accompanying the speech by translating into the native language, that does not promote formation of pupil's skills of oral speech. Knowing that the teacher usually translates the given text, the pupil does not do any efforts to understand speech of the teacher in a foreign language. In this case such a teacher does not trust in forces and possibilities of the pupils. This disbelief is transferred also to children. Pupils of such class do not speak English, but Russian translated into English, that are the characteristics for English language grammatical structures and modern colloquial clichйs are not used almost. Pupils refer to the foreign language, as a subject which does not have practical application for them, that is the very dangerous tendency for achievement of the purpose of mastering by a foreign language.

The second tendency: the teacher achieves that his orders are understood by pupils directly on a foreign language since it uses in his speech that pupils have already acquired. However at this approach to the speech the teacher cannot conduct a lesson on a foreign language very long time, cannot create the pupil foreign language "environment" since words and the expressions so necessary for dialogue appear very irregularly, or are not included completely in textbooks. Excessive care in the use of words and the expressions, which pupils "did not pass", the loss causes to formation of skills of oral speech. And last, the third tendency: the teacher speaks the foreign language; pupils have possibility to listen to speech in studied language. However, it is necessary, that in dialogue of the teacher and pupils the main role belonged to language of sounding speech, instead of other additional factor (mimicry, the gestures, the established order at a lesson). Without denying importance of these factors in dialogue of people in general, it is necessary to notice that at training they can sometimes render to a foreign language "clumsy assistance"; if it is too wide them to use, they can supersede language as a signal bearing the information, and to lead to that dialogue is carried out not through the language, sounding speech, and through these additional factors. For example, the pupil correctly reacts to requests, orders of the teacher on a foreign language, such as give (those), etc. if they are accompanied by characteristic gestures, and poorly react to the same orders said without gestures. Here "training" or so-called "aha-effect" is appreciable more likely, instead of conscious possession and understanding of the given colloquial clichйs, that are the pupils operate unconsciously, without connecting to the actions of consciousness and thus it (consciousness) remains "switched off", and it, in turn, promotes mastering by speech speaking another language a little.

At selection of a material which the teacher in the oral speech at a lesson will use, it is necessary to consider the purposes [37,6] which it pursues: first, development in pupils of ability to listen and understand foreign speech; secondly, known expansion of the passive dictionary of pupils and development in them of a guess on a context in the course of hearing. The guess, as it is known is based on an interference which can be:

1) intralinguistic, that is words being in the neighbourhood and word-combinations facilitate understanding of an unknown word;

2) interlinguistic, here it is possible to include tracing-papers, international both loan words;

3) extralinguistic, the certain facts and the historical events connected with the given linguistic community, promote understanding of unknown words.

All these helps should be present by all means at a material for listening, as it first: Trains a language guess at pupils that is necessary for functioning and creation of the potential dictionary of pupils; secondly: the semantic features of the unknown words that is very important for expansion of the vocabulary and, at last, thirdly: because by means of the developed language guess to go through the difficulties connected with character of a language material, with the language form of the message, with its semantic maintenance-training to listening becomes more and more effective and successful that promotes the general intellectual development of the pupil.

In this connection it is very essential, that the material which the teacher uses in the oral speech, was accessible, feasible and possessed all listed advantages. It is especially important that at that limited language material which is offered to pupils, they will try to reproduce quite naturally those expressions which they have heard from the teacher. If it concerns the lexicon a little more freedom is given to the teacher. Not constrained by a framework of spelling difficulties, and also considering possibility to semantics through already familiar material and by means of a language guess, the teacher can gradually enter all those words which are necessary for it in the course of lesson conducting into the speech. The question on a dosage of a new material in oral speech of the teacher is so important, as well as a question on a dosage of a new material under the textbook; therefore by preparation of the teacher for a lesson and drawing up of its plan of work the proper attention should be given this question. The teacher should not give more than 2-4 expressions at once. Besides, the teacher should not include new elements at each lesson. The new material should be put only when the teacher was convinced that all the early expressions learnt by correctly and are understood by the majority of pupils of the class without much effort. Trying to use this or that form or expression, the teacher should take all measures, that it has been understood correctly by the pupils. To achieve it, it is necessary to bear in mind the following:

having used this or that English expression, the teacher can vary the forms of its pronunciation on the subsequent employment, replacing with its other similar expression in English. For example, if such expression is given: read please it can be replaced similar will you read; no, Petrov will read etc. since different variants of a pronunciation of the same expression will not cause difficulty in understanding by their pupils as the lexicon given in the tasks, is already known for the pupil. The tempo of speech should be accordingly as usual tempo of the teacher's speech at a lesson (i.e. a little slowed down) with a correct rhythm and pauses on borders between semantic groups of words.

The teacher should achieve that pupils have understood not only the general sense of the expression used by it, but also its separate parts. The teacher should pronounce each new expression distinctly 2-3 times, having suggested pupils to guess that it can mean as a whole. If the pupil not in a condition of it to make, the teacher can give its transfer, having paid their attention on separate acquaintances in it elements (separate words) and a situation which has caused the given statement that to a certain extent is expression of presence of support and reference points. It is necessary to notice that there is no necessity in details to assort value of all grammatical forms, pretexts, articles etc., meeting in the similar offer as pupils not always have sufficient knowledge for this analysis as such analysis does not play a main role in storing of the given expression. Pupils should remember values of all semantic groups as a whole; then it can be included as a component in other expression. It can be seen to show on an example: in expression «raise your hands» pupils should understand that raise means "lift", and your hands - "hands"; Then the understanding and storing of following expression «put down your hands» - will considerably are facilitated. If the given expression meets subsequently in educational process by the pupil will compare easily independently it with expression already known for it that will mean itself the introduction into action of ability to the analysis and synthesis that is important in training for listening.

Each new expression should be repeated by the teacher not only at that lesson, when it was used for the first time, but also on the next lessons.

Here the list of expressions, the teacher can use at lessons of English language in the 5^th and the 6^th forms:

the 5^th form:

sit down, good, you begin, stand up, good afternoon, attention, please, take your books, close your books, open your books, look at the blackboard, take your notebook, go to the blackboard, clean the blackboard, speak louder, your mark is four (five …), pens down, very good, read please, repeat please, translate after me please, say it correctly, raise your hands, everybody write, open your books at page, who is on duty today, the lesson is over, is everything correct …

the 6^th form:

give me the register, please, collect the notebooks, no whispering, do not help him, you read well today, step aside, repeat what I've said, try again, put it down in your daybook; what does the word “bread” mean? how do you translate “to take a walk”, who can translate it, do you know the answer? the homework for the next lesson is …, continue reading, stand straight, what do you see in the picture, do exercise 1and 2 on page thirty-six, is the homework clear, read sentence seven, let's check up exercise two, rewrite exercise, does anyone know the answer, did she make any mistakes, do exercise 3 orally, do exercise … in written form, what day is today?, what is the date today …

As the dialogue with the teacher is the leading form of acquaintance of pupils to oral speech in a foreign language and for that reason to go through to listening, it is important that the teacher's speech has been deprived by no mistakes. The greatest group of mistakes is made by the errors connected with weak possession by usage, i.e. laws of the use of words and phraseological combinations in speech. Lack of the knowledge of English speech norms leads to that the teacher quite often transfers the norms of the Russian language to the norms of the English language therefore there is a construction, or at all alien to English speech, or impossible for the given concrete situation of dialogue. For example: иди отвечать. Here a recommended variant - will you come out to the front. An incorrect variant - come to the blackboard. «Come to the blackboard »is used when the teacher wants the pupils to write something on the blackboard. Or «мы перейдем к чтению текста»- a recommended variant -«let's move on/go on to the reading of the text ». An erroneous variant -«Let's pass on/pass over to the reading of the text». Or «читай на стр. 19». An erroneous variant - read on page 19. A recommended variant - read page 19.

The following group is made by grammatical mistakes. There we can refer the use of Present Indefinite instead of the forms of Present continuous: « You talk nonsense» instead of «You are talking nonsense».

Or replacement Present Perfect with form of the Past Indefinite forms: «Did you bring a note from your doctor?» instead of «Have you brought a note from your doctor?».

Therefore preparing for a lesson, the teacher should think over accurately a material which it to use in the speech, and also to choose optimum ways of introduction of new speech units. Thus in this chapter the basic theoretical questions connected with training to listening, tasks in view connected with training by auding which are necessary for solving have been considered, and also an object in view to find the optimal ways of training to the given kind of speech activity. It has been proved that auding is closely connected with other kinds of speech activity that allows drawing a conclusion, that on the basis of its expanded application it is possible to make training to a foreign language much more effectively.

3. The techniques of training to listening

We will try to find ways and the decision of problems which have been put in previous chapter, to analyze operating textbooks and manuals about listening, to look them through and also to offer the system of exercises for training to auding in a close connection with other kinds of speech activity and to confirm the given position by results of the spent experimental work in school.

Having analyzed the exercises on listening in school textbooks we come to a conclusion that the great attention is given to the dialogues and texts with the exercises containing questions on post-text stage, checking depth of understanding and presence of background knowledge, and also discussion of the idea underlying the maintenance; and only scanty part of exercises contains support and perception reference points. Besides a considerable quantity of texts for auding do not represent any training and developing value, as that: poems or art texts, quantity of an authentic material among texts intended for listening also there is not enough. Authors carry to authentic materials: personal letters, jokes, clauses, fragments from diaries of teenagers, advertising, culinary recipes, fairy tales, interview, popular scientific and regional geographic texts. The authentic materials give the listeners the vivid picture of the environment, that has the great importance.

They emphasize also importance of preservation of authenticity of a genre and that allows acquainting pupils with speech clichйs, phraseology, the lexicon connected with the most various spheres of a life and belonging to various styles. According to the problem lifted by us, in aspect of training of audition, the special interest represents such concept as presence at authentic auding materials sound of some (environmental clues): noise of transport, conversations of passers-by, and calls of phone, music and other. It helps to understand better character of offered circumstances, forms skill of perception of speaking another language speech on a background of various handicaps.

Thus it is possible to draw a conclusion that the material for auding working off as a speech activity is extremely poor and the teacher is compelled to search independently for a material that complicates teaching process. Therefore the majority of teachers of a foreign language auding simply avoid, considering that the basic in mastering by a foreign language is reading, and sometimes it is limited only to reading, translation and retelling of texts.

3.1 Use of listening at training to a foreign language in a modern comprehensive school

Now the tendency of use of listening at the learning initial stage at school, and it limits the teacher's work on training to auding. The schoolchildren are offered to listen to songs, tongue twisters and rhymes.

Certainly it is impossible to deny general educational value of a similar material as owing to it children receive some representation about culture of other people. But at the same time it is impossible to be limited only to the entertaining party of the given material. The majority of teachers uses it only for carrying out of warm-up at a lesson. Without denying utility of such approach to an auding material, in our opinion it seems unreasonable to be limited to only auxiliary supporting role of auding. As teachers at an average stage, following the aforementioned standard tendency, do not consider it necessary to give at all to training to auding of certain time and attention, believing that children will independently seize this kind of speech activity.

Such point of view is deeply erroneous, as, leaning against researches and experiments, it is possible to assert without any doubt that without purposeful and systematic work of the teacher directed on mastering by pupils by auding to train in it simply it is not obviously possible. To prove the given statement it is possible having resorted to the examples taken from our practice. By us it has been noticed that pupils hardly understand the speech turned to them on a foreign language even at repeated repetition-arises necessity of translation into a native language (results of the test on listening, the Appendix see). Justifying partially similar inability of the pupils to understand speech speaking another language, the teacher has absolutely excluded from the practice auding both as the purpose and as the tutorial, as a result teaching is carried out by it only on a native language that contradicts modern principles of training to a foreign language at school. We observed such state of affairs in several comprehensive schools of a city.

Thus we have come to a conclusion that alongside with many other reasons, disregard to listening conducts to encroachment of all principles of a communicative orientation of training. Is absent thinking activity of pupils, is not present in presence of situation and functionality of carried out tasks, schoolboys constantly expect transfer into a native language and carry out the exercises not demanding to any cogitative activity based on automated skills and abilities, as that: translation of texts with the dictionary, retelling, copying from the textbook, a written translation and so forth. Proceeding from the above-stated, we have counted necessary in our practice to enter auding as a kind of speech activity in full for effectiveness and intensifications of process of training to a foreign language and as it will be shown further, we have achieved considerable successes (see Results of the final test), using our system of teaching at observance of principles of a communicative method of training. Therefore it is obviously necessary to us to present in following paragraphs exercises on training to listening and to prove their use in foreign language teaching.

3.2 Principal types of exercises for training to listening

In the method of teaching the foreign language are traced two ways of training to listening [32,68]. The first way offers training to listening in the process of doing of special exercises, i.e. auding acts as the training purpose, hence on this way listening should train as a kind of speech activity. As for the second way, there we specify about the necessity of a combination of exercises for listening with elements of speaking, readings, and writing. I.e. auding here acts as the main means to other kinds of speech activity. And for the second purpose the non-special exercises are assumed. We along with many modern methodologists suggest to unite these two ways and to learn to auding as the purposes and then as to means, thus the system of exercises for training to auding should include both special and non-special speech exercises.

First of all, what are these speech exercises? So, the perception of coherent speech is accompanied by difficult cogitative activity and proceeds in the special conditions defined nearby of acoustic factors. From here there is a necessity for the exercises directing attention to judgment of the maintenance of perceived speech and on overcoming of difficulties, connected with perception. These exercises are accepted to name speech exercises. Special speech exercises have not the aim to develop only the ability of auding and have no other purposes (for example, lexicon or grammar). They should take up small time of study, but must be spent regularly.

Special speech exercises are used for the pupils to learn to use the arranged examples in speech synthesis, to learn and understand the well known constructions in a various position. These special exercises should be done regularly, but the pupils should avoid translation. These exercises can be accompanied by the analysis, but it will be only the logic analysis, helping to comprehend the maintenance. It can be the exercises directed on perception of the general meaning of the statement or on separation semantic groups, but always they direct attention of the learner to the meaning of speech and must be spent only with the connected material.

The non-special exercises directed on training not only listening, but through it speaking ability, reading, and writing. I.e. the purpose of these exercises: to teach listening as the major means to other kinds of speech activity.

Now it is logical to pass from training ways to grade levels. So, the plan of work with each text for listening should be the following:

1) preparation for listening;

2) auding of the text and checking of its understanding;

3) special exercises on development of the basic abilities;

4) non-special exercises.

In our opinion as the basic preparatory exercises must be the questions on a theme of the given material for auding, conversation about headline and others that conducts the development of skills. Then it is the process of direct listening of the text and checking of its understanding by pupils.

After that there is a number of special exercises, developing the ability to correlate a part and the whole in the course of the acoustical perception, to find in speech the main thought, the basic maintenance, to pay attention to in advance specified piece of speech, to understand the whole, irrespective of separate difficult parts for understanding (words and offers) to guess appointment of separate elements on the basis of understanding whole, i.e. to use a language and logic guess in the course of acoustical perception. Special exercises are followed by the non-special.

2) Exercises for perception of dialogue speech at participation in dialogue:

- hear to some question, recorded. Give the developed answers in the pause taken away for this purpose;

- hear to the dialogue beginning (a polybroad gull), continue it in pair work;

3) Exercises for training to perception of monologic speech:

- hear to the text, answer it is developed on questions;

- hear to the text, explain its basic idea;

- hear to the text, make the review of it, using the following plan: a message theme, characters, a maintenance summary, the basic idea, an estimation of the heard.

Thus, as testifies the data of experimental researches, the maximum quantity of words in a phrase, audible reaches 10-12, therefore the phrase intended for listening should not comprise quantity of words exceeding given. As to complexity of offers at an average stage it is necessary to increase gradually number of offers and to diversify their kinds. Ability to understand sense, despite presence in the text of an unfamiliar language material, is formed by means of exercises, training in understanding of groups of words, phrases and the micro texts containing unfamiliar language material. The Second group of difficulties at level of a language material is connected by that at acquaintance with new words, the grammatical phenomena or speech samples the attention of pupils, as a rule, is involved in difficulties of reproduction of this material whereas difficulties of a cognizance remain unfinished. It leads to that pupils easily learn not all studied language material at reading and auding. Thus it is necessary to give more attention a cognizance, instead of material reproduction. 3) connected with the semantic maintenance of the message: the Gradation of difficulties concerning the semantic maintenance of texts can be expressed in transition from entertaining (interesting) texts to substantial (information). It is necessary to pay attention to such structural features of the text as headings (Saharova and Rabinovich carry them to verbal bases). The Primary goal of heading - to create the necessary orientation of thought, to draw attention to the basic part of the text, to facilitate forecasting.

The two first functions of headings promote not only to understanding of the maintenance, but also storing of sequence of a statement. With their help the general idea about a message theme if it corresponds to age interests of the pupil or graphic text successfully supplemented in a class it is natural to assume is created that such heading not only facilitates listening, but also creates certain installation for the subsequent processing of the information.

Listening gets, thus, a specific goal. Its efficiency is easy for supervising, as internal cogitative activity of children is deduced in the external plan. It is important to train schoolboys to find reference points in the audio text. Such reference points can be expressed intonationally allocated words, headings, words-carriers, a logic accent, rhetorical questions, repetitions. During auding by the pupil it is possible to give tasks, to write down the words standing under an accent. It is necessary to pay also special attention on speed of the speeches shown for listening. Natural rate, even slow, will seem to pupils too fast and can become a serious obstacle for understanding. Overcoming of this rather serious difficulty of listening can be carried out and at preservation of average rate of natural speech speaking another language but provided that for simplification of understanding at the initial stage some delay of tempo of speech at the expense of pauses between phrases is supposed. 5) Connected with information sources: the Most widespread and accessible auditive source of the information is a tape recording. They give the chance to graduate difficulties of perception of speech. Work with the tape recorder can be begun with listening of speech of the teacher. Then to pass to hearing of another's voices, at first man's, and then female and children's. The information presentation can easily interrupt and in pauses to be carried out the understanding control. Thus, it is possible to provide availability of speech, listening from the tape recorder. In our opinion tape recorder means for training to auding at an average stage.

Techniques the teacher uses to develop hearing

To fulfill the task the teacher must train his pupils in listening comprehension beginning with the first lesson and throughout the whole period of instruction. These are the techniques the teacher uses for the purpose:

1. The teacher uses the foreign language:

(a) when giving the class instructions;

(b) when presenting new language material (words, sentence patterns);

(c) when checking pupils' comprehension;

(d) when consolidating the material presented;

(e) when checking pupils' assimilation of the language material covered.

These are the cases when the target language is used as a means of communication and a means of teaching. There is a great deal of auding in all the points of the lesson. This raises the problem of the teacher's speech during the lesson. It should be correct, sufficiently loud, clear, and expressive. But many of the teachers are too talkative. We can hear them speaking most of the time. Moreover, some teachers speak a great deal in Russian.

Conducting a lesson in a foreign language gives the teacher an opportunity to develop pupils' abilities in hearing; to train them in listening to him attentively during the lesson; to demonstrate the language as a means of communication; to provide favorable conditions for the assimilation of the language; to perfect his own speaking skills; to keep his own speech under control, i. e., to keep himself from undue talkativeness.

2. The teacher uses drill and speech exercises for developing listening comprehension.

We can group drill exercises into exercises designed for overcoming linguistic difficulties, and exercises which can eliminate psychological difficulties.

The first group of drill exercises includes:

(a) phonetic exercises which will help the teacher to develop his pupils' ear for English sounds:

-- Listen to the following words and raise your hands when you hear the words with [ae] (The teacher says: desk, pen, ten, bag, etc.)

-- Listen to the following pairs of words and say in what sound they differ: pen -- pin; bed -- bad; eyes -- ice; white -- wide.

(b) lexical exercises which will help the teacher to develop pupils' skills in recognizing words:

-- Listen to the words and recognize the word boy among other words: a baby, a toy, a boat, a boy, a girl.

-- Listen to the following words and raise your hands when you hear the words referring to plants: street, tree, grass, class, flower, tower.