筆記對英語演講理解效益之研究

Abstract

本論文旨在探討筆記內容對外語學習者英語演講理解之影響與記憶維持力之相關性。學習者自身反思做筆記之重點亦是本文之研究重點。 本研究參與者為一位大學教師以及修習其中級聽講練習的兩班英語系學生，共四十一位。受試學生隨機分為可參考筆記組及不可參考筆記組。兩組學生於聽完一篇有關綠茶的英語演說後，完成五題概括性以及十題細節性的選擇題。在一週後，回想測驗內容。完成資料蒐集後，受試學生的筆記內容依其總字數、訊息單位、可作答性、效率性、完整性、及主要訊息為衡量的指標一一統計。在初步分析完畢後，並與四位學生進行深入訪談。 研究結果顯示，在六項指標中，有顯著性相關依序為可作答性、主要訊息、訊息單位、及完整性。根據訪談者指出，若能瀏覽題目針對「可作答性」做筆記則是最有助益的指標，若該情況不被允許下，在眾多訊息中選擇紀錄「主要訊息」則最有助益。分析高成就者和低成就者的筆記內容亦發現，上述的兩項指標印證其對於聽力理解的高度指標性。題型方面，概括性問題在統計上顯示和筆記內容任何一項指標皆無顯著性差異，然而細節性問題則和前面探討的結果一致，這項研究結果在訪談中，參與者亦指出同樣的結果。回想的訊息單位，因在可否參考筆記的變相操控下，兩組的量上呈現了極大的差異，可參考筆記組回想的訊息單位較不可參考筆記組多一倍以上。而不可參考組的回想數量則代表著前週所記的訊息已消失幾近八成。而大部分剩下的訊息為主要訊息，次要訊息的消失速度遠大於主要訊息。 因此，本研究建議教師在運用英語演講訓練聽力時，宜導引學生分辨出主要訊息，並設計相關活動讓學生習得如何記載訊息單位而非只是逐字抄寫。在測驗細節性問題時，筆記更顯得其重要性，教師宜給予做筆記機會。最後，為能強化學生學習，提供學生回顧筆記的機會亦有其必要性。

The present study aims to explore the relationship between EFL learners’ note contents and listening comprehension (LC) performance on English lectures along with their retention. In addition, the issue of learners’ reflections on how to take notes is addressed. The participants in the study were a college professor and 41 English majors who were enrolled in her course, Intermediate Aural-Oral Training. These students were randomly divided into two groups – reviewing and non-reviewing. After listening to a lecture about green tea, they were asked to complete an LC test consisting of 5 global questions and 10 local questions. One week later, both groups had to complete a recall task. The initial analysis was followed up by the interviews with the participants to gain a better insight. The results showed that out of the six criteria, test-answerability, major information, information unit, and completeness reached the significance level in correlation with the subjects’ LC performance. A further analysis of the performances of the high achievers and low achievers, it was found that the best predictors of the subjects’ performance were test-answerability and major information. Concerning the question type, the global questions failed to show any significant correlation with their subjects’ note contents. Contrarily, local questions were significantly correlated with the note contents and were in agreement with the previous findings. In the recall task, when required to write down as much as they remembered, the reviewing group jotted down almost twice as many information units as the non-reviewing group, indicating the effects of note-reviewing. The non-reviewing group in fact lost approximately 80% of information and retained only 20%. Based upon the findings, it is suggested that language teachers may guide students to differentiate major information from minor information. In answering local questions, language teachers may train students to take notes and offer them a chance to take notes. Finally, in order to reinforce students’ learning, reviewing notes deserves its prominence.