An Investigation of Top-down Listening Processing Skills Taught by EFL Teachers in Gaza Governmental High Schools

Abstract:

Top-down processing is needed for real world listening (Richard, 1990).This study aimed at investigating top-down listening processing skills included in English for Palestine11 &12 and used by Gaza high school EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers, besides exploring the problems of teaching top-down-listening processing skills as perceived by Gaza high school EFL teachers and their supervisors. For fulfilling the study aims, the researcher utilized five instruments: two evaluation checklists, a closed-question questionnaire, an open-question questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview. Participants were two EFL university instructors, four EFL school supervisors and 81 EFL teachers working in Gaza governmental high schools. Using frequencies means, standard deviations, percentages, and the rubrics put by Gillham (2000), the study concluded that English for Palestine 11 &12 focused on no top-down listening skills other than listening for a gist and listening for supporting details. Furthermore, the open-question questionnaire data showed that the participants experienced problems when attempting to teach top-down listening skills (i.e., lack of students’ external motivation, students’ poor linguistic competence). Based on the study results, implications were offered.