Problems in Taking the TOEIC Listening Test among 4th Business English Students at Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University
Keywords:
Listening problems, Listening skills, Listening test, TOEIC testAbstract
Although listening skills are essential in English language learning and standardized testing, students who study English as a foreign language often achieve low scores. Research in this area remains limited, particularly regarding the TOEIC listening test. This action research aims to examine the problems encountered in TOEIC listening tests among fourth-year Business English majors at Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University in the academic year 2022. The sample group consisted of seven fourth-year students and one instructor. The research instruments included three sets of TOEIC listening tests, answer sheets, listening problem record forms, and interview forms.
The findings revealed two main categories of problems. Content-related issues included insufficient vocabulary and grammar knowledge, difficulty comprehending complex sentences, business-specific terminology, and diverse accents. Emotional issues encompassed anxiety, fatigue, and lack of concentration. While the instructor identified similar content-related problems, emotional issues were not mentioned. The recommendation suggests utilizing these identified problems to develop training programs aimed at improving students' TOEIC listening test scores.
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