Factors Affecting the Teaching of Listening in United Arab Emirates Public Schools

The main aim of this study was to explore the factors which might hinder the teachers to teach listening effectively in UAE public schools, in particular primary and preparatory schools. One hundred (100) English language teachers were asked to fill out a questionnaire, and 79 responded. Using a descriptive analysis, it was found that the major factors which might hinder the teaching of listening effectively are mainly (i) lack of equipment (no labs, and the tape recorders are neither good nor enough), (ii) poor materials (no suitable listening materials, and the available cassettes are neither interesting nor clear), and (iii) students’ interest lies mainly in passing exams rather than in achieving communicative competence in English.