Integrative-Narrative Method: The role of narratives, integrated skills and cognitive strategies in the teaching of English listening in Hong Kong

Of the four skills in English, listening has long been undermined both in teaching and research in the field. The teaching method adopted in the listening class in Hong Kong is still very traditional and boring although numerous initiatives pertaining to English language teaching have been advocated in the current curriculum reform. The present study reports on a quasi-experiment conducted in a primary school in Hong Kong. The research questions are: Will the Integrative-Narrative Method make the English listening class more interesting and stimulating? Will the Integrative-Narrative Method enhance students' awareness of cognitive listening strategies? Will the Integrative-Narrative Method help to improve students' listening proficiency? The Experimental Group tries out a new method - the Integrative-Narrative Method, and the Comparison Group adopts the traditional method. Surveys and tests are employed to collect data, and statistical analyses (t-tests and ANCOVA) are performed. The findings drawing on the quantitative data affirm that the Integrative-Narrative Method is effective.