IMPROVING SOPHOMORE LISTENING ABILITY BY USING TOEIC AND TOEFL EXERCISES AT STKIP ABDI PENDIDIKAN PAYAKUMBUH

The role of listening skills in EFL learning is very crucial not only for academic purpose but also for daily communication. In university level, especially at STKIP Abdi Pendidikan Payakumbuh, students are exposed to listening I until listening III. In academic year 2012-2013, however, students were taught through Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and TOEIC to upgrade their critical listening skills. After several treatment or actions, I found out that students’ listening skills improved from 61.2 (in the pretest) to 73.5 (post-test). It seemed that both TOEIC and TOEFL exercise have attracted the students’ mind that in the second cycle their enthusiasm increased surprisingly.


BACKGROUND OF RESEARCH
As a foreign language, English has four skills (reading, listening, writing, and speaking) that have to be mastered by the students.From these skills, listening is a skill that felt difficult to be mastered, because it needs more attention and concentration to comprehend the sounds (listening material).It can be said that listening is not a passive skill; the process of listening is a complex process in which many things happen simultaneously inside the mind.Besides being complex, listening is far more difficult than many people can imagine (Mee, 1990).
As one of English skill, listening is important to be mastered by the students, moreover, for students of University level.In STKIP Abdi Pendidikan Payakumbuh, listening have been divided into Listening I, Listening II, and Listening III.There are some obstacles faced by students in learning listening.The obstacles are caused such as using unsuitable methods by the lecturer and lack of motivation from the students.Problem existing in students' poor mastery of English listening skill is most of they have very short attention span and lack of motivation (Tee and Fah, 2005: 1).The teachers have to find the suitable methods to motivate the students in order to make them interest in learning English.So, the goal of teaching listening is hoped can be reached.
There are some reasons why listening felt difficult to be mastered by the students.First, the students begin to learn English by the way of reading, instead of listening.In fact, reading is different from listening, like writing is different from speech.The biggest difference is that speech consists of sounds.Listeners must know the sound system; otherwise, they cannot understand speech.Moreover, writing uses different language.Written English consists of neat, correct sentences, while speech does not.
Second, the materials on the tape are usually read by English speaking people.There are different accents, difficult idioms and unfamiliar language chunks in their speaking.This is another difficulty.For the students, their lecturers are usually local people.So the students may not be used to the accents of the foreign people.It is hard for them to understand native speakers.Third, when English-speaking people speak English, they usually speak at a normal speed.It is too fast for the students to follow.When listening, the students cannot choose a comfortable listening speed; they have to keep pace with the speaker's thinking process.So sometimes they have not even got the meaning of the first sentence, before the second sentence has already passed.Their results show that they have missed the whole passage.
Fourth, the contents of the tape are not always familiar with the students.Some of them are not relevant to the students.The students may lack the background knowledge about foreign countries and cultures.So sometimes they cannot understand the material or they may misunderstand the meaning of it.
Based on the researcher's observation at sophomore of STKIP Abdi Pendidikan Payakumbuh, the researcher has also found that it is very difficult for the students to understand listening subject.So, the researcher interested in doing action research in improving students' listening ability by using TOEIC and TOEFL exercise.

RESEARCH DESIGN
Design of this research is Classroom Action research (CAR).Action research is a process by which changing and understanding can be pursued at the one time; usually described as cyclic (Burns, 1996: 293).This research was done to obtain detail information by doing some actions which were deal with the problem occurred.Kemmis and McTaggart suggest that the fundamental components of action research include the following: (1) developing a plan for improvement, (2) implementing the plan, (3) observing and documenting the effects of the plan, and (4) reflecting on the effects of the plan for further planning and informed action.

RESEARCH SUBJECT
In Classroom Action Research, there is no population or samples are taken.Based on Arikunto (2006, 27): "… penelitian tindakan kelas tidak mengenal populasi dan sampel, karena dampak perlakuan bagi subjek yang dikenai tindakan saja.Dengan kata lain, hasil penelitian tindakan kelas hanya berlaku bagi kasus yang diteliti." This research was gathered from the second year students of STKIP Abdi Pendidikan Payakumbuh, and the researcher took Class B as the subject of this study after chosen randomly.

RESEARCH PROCEDURES
According to Lewin in Kemmis, Cycle in the spiral form of CAR can be stopped if substantive action has been evaluated well.Either researcher or collaborator has mastered the teaching skill that is implemented in the research.For the researcher, cycle can be stopped if the data is saturated or class is stable.
On this research, the researcher explained the set of action procedures as follow:

Action
On this step, giving exercise through TOEIC and TOEFL material was implemented.The procedures of the plan includes as follow: (1) explain the procedures of how taking TOEIC and TOEFL exercises, (2) explain form of TOEIC and TOEFL exercises, (3) explain topics that included in TOEIC and TOEFL exercises, (4) help students' to listen the detail information, (5) ask students' to implement strategies in doing TOEIC and TOEFL test, (6) arranging instruments and observation forms that were used to collect data and information for this research.

Observation
On this session, the observer conducted the observation and taken notes all of things needed for data analysis.Data collection was conducted using observation forms which were filled in along the process.The data were as follow: (1) the progress of students' listening activities in the classroom through doing TOEIC and TOEFL exercise, (2) the lecturers' instruction and explanation process, (3) the result of students' learning, (4) the students' leaning behavior and response toward lecturers' explanation.The data collected both quantitative (score of students' listening test) and qualitative (the student's activities, enthusiasm, and the learning strategies taught by the researcher to the students through TOEIC and TOEFL test.

Reflection
This session was conducted to examine, investigate, and analyze the action result collected.The reflection results or conclusions were used as the source for the next action cycle.

TECHNIQUE OF DATA COLLECTION
The data were collected through listening test and observation.

Listening Test
Listening test were administered to measure the improvement of students' listening skill.
The test needed to investigate the validity and reliability, so it should be tried out before the teaching learning process.

Observation
Observation involved some forms of observation of learning process.The first is observation was conducted before the cycle to reveal the real condition in the class and problems faced by students in learning listening.Then observation during the cycle, it was used to establish objective data concerning what happen in the classroom.It was chosen because it is suitable to enclose the whole observation aspects in the research.It concerns to the improvement of teaching and learning in classroom.For the students, it used of students' activities in learning process.It concerns to their engagement during the learning process.

INSTRUMENT
The instrument of this research was test and observation.

Test
In this research, the researcher used listening test to measure students' listening ability.The test given had validity and reliability.
The test was said valid, because it has content validity, it meant the materials on the test have been taught to the students' during the process of teaching and learning.And for the reliability, the researcher used split-half formula in order to find whether the test reliable or not.The result of this test was considered as the data of students' listening ability improvement.

Observation
The researcher used observation sheet to assess students learning activity in teaching learning process.According to Westwood (2008: 74), observation is important for assessing physical and social skill, work habit, attitudes, interest, and self management.The observation sheet was filled out by researcher during the process of teaching and learning.The researcher took a note on students' activities and the process of teaching and learning in the classroom reflected in the pre-activity, while-activity, and post-activity.The observation sheet was based on the procedures as arranged in plan so that it was fulfilled the requirement of content validity.

DATA ANALYSIS
Data analysis was the process of organizing the data in order to gain regularity of pattern and form of the phenomena observed in the research.The term interpretation defined as a procedure of giving meaning to the result of analytic process.Data analysis was an effort to choose, examine, eliminate, categorize and arrange the result of the research to answer the problem.The researcher tried out to increase validity of the data and the observation by using triangulation of source that is by gathering from the researcher and students, and triangulation of instrument that is by using listening test and observation.The researcher analyzed the data as follow: 1. Data analysis from Listening test The researcher compared students listening ability in each cycle.The listening ability got through students' score; score 1 for correct answer and score 0 for wrong answer.The result of the test was analyzed by using descriptive statistic because the data cannot be used for generalizing results beyond the context and research participants.This research was conducted in two cycles.The research stopped when some progress in students listening skill was increased and also for about 65% of students listening score achieved more than 70.Score 70 is the minimum score for students to get B mark.To see the percentage of students who gets score 70, the researcher used the following formula:

Data analysis from observation sheet
To analyze data from observation, the researcher categorized the data in some categories related to TOEIC and TOEFL exercise in helping students to improve their speaking skill during the teaching learning process in the class and their response toward doing TOEIC and TOEFL exercise.Then the data were interpreted to answer research question.The data was collected in every observation activity from each cycles, it was analyzed interactively using percentage technique to know the tendency of every teaching learning process with steps as follow: a. Data reduction, the activity to select the data that is suitable with the focus of the problem.In this step the researcher will discard the irrelevant data.b.Data description, the activity to explain the data in order to be meaningful.Data description can be finished in the form of narrative, graphic, or table.c.Data conclusion, the activity to conclude the data.After analyzing the data, the researcher made a conclusion.(Sanjaya, 2009: 106-107) RESULT

Cycle 1 Result
The objective of this research was to find out whether there is a significant difference of the increase students' listening ability before and after pre-test and post-test.The research was conducted at sophomore of STKIP Abdi Pendidikan Payakumbuh.The researcher chose F class to be the participant of this action research.The class consists of 20 students.

a. Planning Action Cycle 1
Based on the pre-observation and diagnostic result on the students' listening ability, the researcher decided to use TOEIC and TOEFL exercise in this class.Before implementing the action cycle 1, the researcher had already arranged the action plan.The action plan consisted of procedures of doing TOEIC and TOEFL test.
In the action of cycle 1, the researcher implemented the use of TOEIC and TOEFL exercise.TOEIC exercise consists of four parts; photograph, question-response, conversations, and talks.Whereas, TOEFL exercise consists of three parts; short conversation, longer conversations, and talks.The action plan procedures in the action cycle I as follow: (1).Arranged the action plan considering the schedule of listening subjects.(2).Adjusted the plan and listening exercise with reference to Listening III syllabus.The purpose of Listening III subject is to make students able to do TOEIC and TOEFL test after taking this course.(3).Prepared listening exercise related to TOEIC and TOEFL test.(4).Prepared observation forms to observe the students' behavior toward the process of doing TOEIC and TOEFL exercise.

b. The implementation of Action Cycle I
The implementation of classroom action research in cycle I was conducted in the sophomore students' of STKIP Abdi Pendidikan Payakumbuh.The implementtation of the action cycle I are the following: (1).Pre Activity On pre-activity session, the researcher arranged the class to make sure about the readiness of teaching and learning process.At the beginning of teaching and learning process, the researcher greeted the students, followed by asking news.
This session was a chance for the researcher to attract the students' attention and give them motivation in order to make them understand for what they listened.
Then, the researcher checked the students' attendance list.When conducted the action cycle 1 there were all students present in the classroom.Next, the researcher asked students' readiness to follow the lesson.Unfortunately, at first the researcher found some students' uncomfortable to start studying.The researcher thought that they were tired because they have got other subjects before.So, to refresh their energy and spirit, the researcher asked them to get relaxation and explained them the benefit for mastering in TOEIC and TOEFL test.After that, the researcher prepared the exercise and observation forms to encourage the research process.
(2) Main Activity Generally, the implementation of TOEIC and TOEFL exercise in listening process went into some steps: (a) motivated students, (b) prepared the TOEIC and TOEFL exercise, (c) asked students to do the exercise seriously, (d) conducted the test, and (e) conducted reflection.
(3) Closing Activity On step (d) above was same as the closing activity.The researcher asked students to analyze their answer together.They had to analyze their friend book; it was to avoid the dishonesty if they analyzed their own book.Here, the students were enthusiastic in analyzing their work.They sometime argued about the answer.During the activity, if necessary, the researcher played the recording again to make students be sure with their answer.

c. Observation Result of Action Cycle I
After finishing the implementation of giving TOEIC and TOEFL exercise in increasing the students' listening skill in cycle 1, the researcher conducted meeting in order to discuss the observation result.The observations' and test results' are as follow: Note: 4: Very good, 3: Good, 2: Enough, 1: Bad In students' attention, there were 4 students with very good attention, 5 students' with good attention, and 11 students' with enough attention.In students' participation, there were 3 students with very good participation, 9 students' with good participation, 5 students with enough participation, and 3 students with bad participation.
After show the result of observation sheet, the following is graphic and table of students' listening ability in cycle 1: From the data above, the students' average score was 61.2.There was no students got A mark.Then, 6 students (30%) got B mark with score 70-84.After that, 8 students (40%) got C mark with score 55-69.And 5 students (25%) got D mark with score 45-54.At least, 1 students (5%) got E mark with score 44.It means that the score dominated by students who got mark C, D, and E. The researcher concluded that the students listening ability was not good enough and need to be enhanced.

d. Reflection of Action Cycle 1
The conclusions of the action cycle I result are as follow: First, the researcher has to make the students more aware about the important of listening skill and its benefit.The researcher also has to encourage the students to be more focused in doing the exercise related to TOEIC and TOEFL exercise.Second, the researcher has to design TOEIC and TOEFL exercise to be more comprehensible for teaching and learning activities in order to increase students' ability and understanding.Third, the researcher and the observer have to review the syllabus and action plan whether it is appropriate or not for the students' need and abilities.
Fourth, the researcher has to adjust the time allocation in listening to the recording to avoid a waste of time.Fifth, along the learning process, the students have to be more active, aware, and concentrate in listen every detail on the recording.Sixth, in the discussion process, the class has to favorable in order to support valuation process.Seventh, the students who can state their opinion in front of the class should be given extra reward in order to support the students' motivation.It also help the students memorize the material for the next session.

Cycle 2 Result a. Planning the Action Cycle 2
Based on the reflection result in the action cycle I, the researcher acquired the conclusion and recommendation.The researcher used them as the source to design the planning action for the cycle 2. Like on cycle I, the action plan in cycle II also implemented the TOEIC and TOEFL exercise to enhance the students' listening ability.The following is the action plan procedure in the cycle 2: 1) Arranged the action plan about the schedule of listening subject in the class.2) Adjusted the action plan and listening exercise with reference to listening III syllabus 3) Prepared listening exercise related to TOEIC and TOEFL test.4) Prepared listening text to measure the students' achievement and leanrning progress through TOEIC and TOEFL exercise.5) Prepared observation forms and observed the students' behavior toward the process of doing TOEIC and TOEFL exercise.6) Prepared the observation form and observed the lecturer and students' activities in process of doing TOEIC and TOEFL test.

b. Implementation of Action Cycle 2
The implementation of the classroom action research cycle 2 was conducted in sophomore of STKIP Abdi Pendidikan Payakumbuh.The implementation of the action cycle 2 as follow: 1).Pre-Activity On this session, the researcher arranged the class situation in order to make sure the readiness of teaching and learning process.At the beginning of the teaching and learning process the researcher greeted the students, followed by asking news.This session was a chance for the researcher to attract the students' attention and give them motivation to get through explanation activity.When conducting the action cycle 2, there were 20 from 20 students present in the classroom.Next, the researcher also asked students' readiness to follow the lesson activities.After that, the researcher prepared the exercise and observation forms to support the process of teaching and learning process.The instruments of cycle 2 were students' worksheet, observation sheet, and students' attendance list.
After the situation had been under control, the researcher asked the students about the last meeting materials in order to review and connect it to that day's lesson material.Afterward, the researcher gave the students lesson reference that would be taught in the learning process.

2). Main-Activity
As planning action cycle 1 designed by the researcher before, the implementation of TOEIC and TOEFL exercise in cycle 2 went into some steps as follow: a. motivated the students b. prepared exercise of TOEIC and TOEFL c. implemented TOEIC and TOEFL exercise in enhancing the students' listening skill d. conducted the test e.conducted reflection Such as in cycle 1, to measure the students listening progress, the material was about parts of TOEIC and TOEFL.The steps are as follow: Step 1: The researcher explained what should be done by the students and then they followed it.
Step 2: The researcher asked them to read the direction of exercise.
Step 3: The students listened to the recording and started to do their exercise.The recording they listened consisted of two parts.First, in TOEIC test, there were four section; photographs, questionresponses, conversations and talks.And second, in TOEFL test, there were three section; short conversations, longer conversations, and talks.
Step 4: The researcher also gave some strategies for students that was useful for them to answer the questions.
The researcher realized that every students had a different ability and characteristic in study English, especially listening.In order that, the action cycle 2 was aimed to improve students' motivation and input for the next learning process.While the learning process was carried on, the observer conducted the observation.

3). Closing
On the closing activity, the researcher gave the students score and reward to actively participated in the learning process.On this cycle 2, the teaching and learning process showed the significant improvement.It was proven by the high of the students' activity, participation, and learning intensity combined to the action cycle 2.
In cycle 2, the researcher also gave the students' a chance to give their opinion in analyzing their work.If it was necessary, the researcher repeated again the recording in order to make the students sure about the correct answer.Here, the students' not only focused on correct answer, but also in correct spelling or words that they have heard.

c. Observation of Action Cycle 2
After finishing the implementation of TOEIC and TOEFL exercise in cycle 2, the researcher and the observer conducted meeting in order to discuss the observation result.The observation and test result are as follow:

d. Reflection of Action Cycle 2
The conclusion of the action cycle 2 results are as follow: First, the researcher has to make the students more aware about the important of English listening skill and its benefit.The researcher also has to encourage the students to participate actively in the class discussion to enhance their listening skill.Second, the researcher has to design the exercise to be more interesting and comfortable for teaching and learning activities.Third, the researcher and the observer have to review the syllabus and their action plan whether the lesson is appropriate or not to the students' need and abilities.It is intended to achieve the objectives of the subjects.
Fourth, along the learning process, the students have to be more aware in every details of what they heard.Fifth, so far, the students' participation and attention in listening lesson showed significant improvement.It indicated by the students' participation and activity along the learning process increased.The researcher task was to keep the atmosphere and to design material and lesson process to be more attractive so that the students get involved in the process.Sixth, due to the students' motivation and behavior to learn English listening have been build, the researcher should choose lesson materials which encourage the students' listening progress properly.The researcher should keep the students' spirit to listen every things of the time.Seventh, the researcher declared an activity that gives the students' incentive course of listening.It can stimulate students' ability of listening more comprehensible.
From explanation above, it is shown the students' ability had improvement in listening skill, from 61.2 to 73.5.The score indicates that the use of TOEIC and TOEFl exercise can improve the students' listening ability.Furthermore from the observation in two cycles, the students looked enjoy the material, they were enthusiast, and it made them motivated in learning listening.

CONCLUSION
Based on the data analysis above, the researcher can conclude that the use of TOEIC and TOEFL exercise in the classroom motivates the students to attend lessons and pay attention in class.Most of the students realized that if they can do better in listening TOEIC and TOEFL, so they will be easy to face this test later on in their future.At least, the lecturer has to increase and created more comprehensible exercise in order to get valued feedback from the process in teaching and learning listening in University Level.
Descriptive statistic fit in well with the local and specific characteristic of action research.It used to measure of central tendency that reduce the numbers to find the mean of the numerical values for comparing students listening ability in each cycle.

Table 1 :
Result of Observation Sheet

Table 2 :
Score of students' ability in Cycle 1

Table 3 :
Observation Sheet in Cycle 2

Table 4 :
Score of students' ability in Cycle 1