This paper depicts a part of a research project, focused on exploring three listening comprehension strategies applied by the English learners in interpretative listening subject; (a) meta-cognitive strategies consist of directed attention, selective attention, planning, monitoring, and evaluation; (b) cognitive strategies include listening for gist and detail, inference, prediction, visualization, summarizing, and note-taking; (c) Social/affective strategies, such as cooperation. Hence, mixed-method research was employed to describe what listening comprehension strategies used more often by English Students at Universitas Islam Riau. Thirty-seven fresh year learners taking interpretative listening subject were encouraged to participate in this research by filling out questionnaire adopted form Cross (2009). The data collected will both qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Thirty-two statements included in the questionnaire were categorized intro three groups; cognitive (15), meta-cognitive (15), and socio-affective (2). The finding reveals that the learners had been familiar will the strategies and frequently apply them based on their needs in listening processes, such as before, while, and after listening.

Good ability in listening means having competence to comprehend information during listening activities. However, Listening skill is still considered as one of the most difficult skills for English language learners although they have been learning English for few years. Hence, this study was designed to gather information about the students’ challenges in listening activities, their perspectives on listening subject, and positive factors on the students’ success in listening. Then, a set of listening test and questionnaire were distributed. Both quantitative and qualitative data were studied to identify the underlying matters in students’ listening skills, addressing challenges, main listening hindrance factors and learning experiences. The findings of this study revealed that the students faced problems in listening because they still could not complete the basic listening skills in the test. Furthermore, Most of them considered that the listening classes are challenging for them due to some problems and difficulties during the teaching and learning activities. Besides that, there were 5 factors influenced the students’ listening skill; lack of practice, limited vocabulary mastery, native speakers’ accent, pronunciation, and uninteresting learning materials. Moreover, their knowledge about English structure and good facilities in listening classes supported them to be able to figure out some challenges in listening activities. In addition, the students realized the important of the listening activities, but assistances from the teachers and some other students were still needed during the teaching and learning activities. In conclusion, having good listening skill still appeared as a challenge for the first year students at English Department of Academic Year 2015/2016.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) merupakan salah satu tes kemahiran berbahasa Inggris yang megukur 4 keterampilan berbahasa Inggris seseorang. Terkait dengan adanya beberapa keterampilan berbahasa Inggris yang diukur di IELTS, penelitian ini berfokus pada penelitian berbicara (speaking) yang dilakukan oleh mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris pada IELTS Simulation Test untuk menganalisa kemampuan mahasiswa dalam melakukan tes keterampilan berbicara, serta menemukan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi keberhasilan dan menjadi penghambat dalam melakukan tes simulasi yang diberikan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tingkat keterampilan mahasiswa dalam melakukan tes simulasi IELTS untuk keterampilan berbicara perlu untuk ditingkatkan lagi karena sebahagian besar mahasiswa masih berada pada rentang nilai 4-6. Sehingga, dapat dimaknai bahwa tingkat keterampilann mahasiswa dalam melakuan tes simulasi EITLS Speaking (Berbicara) sudah menunjukkan keterampilan yang cukup baik karena ada beberapa mahasiswa yang mampu meraih rentang nilai 7, dan sebahagian besar peserta tes juga sudah berada pada rentang 5-6, hanya beberapa mahasiswa yang berada pada rentang 4-4,5. Faktor latihan merupakan faktor utama yang mempengaruhi keberhasilan peserta tes untuk meningkatkan keterampilan mereka dalam berbicara Bahasa Inggris, namun seluruh mahasiswa yang diinterview mengemukakan bahwa mereka tidak melakukan persiapan khusus ketika mereka akan melakukan tes, sehinggan hasil yang mereka peroleh masih perlu untuk ditingkatkan. Selain itu, kecemasan pada saat melakukan tes berbicara mempengaruhi keterampilan peserta tes dalam menjawab pertanyaan yang diberikan, selain itu kesulitan peserta tes dalam memahami beberapa makna kata yang dituturkan oleh penguji menimbulkan kesulitan bagi peserta tes untuk merepon pertanyaan yang diajukan, namun mengetahui tips dan trik dalam melaukan tes IELTS Speaking dapat meminimalisir hal-hal yang dapat mengganggu selama pelaksanaan tes.  Kata Kunci : Berbicara, Tes Simulasi IELTS

This paper is a part of research project carried out to enhance the English learners' listening comprehension through listening strategies instruction. The research worked on classroom action research design, conducted in two cycles by involving a group from fresh year English learners in English study program of Teacher Training and Education Faculty, Universitas Islam Riau on 2017/2018 academic year. The findings revealed gradual improvement of the students' performances in doing the listening tests. At the first cycle, the students could reach 25 out of 40 questions, in which this number is four points less than the students' achievement in cycle 2. Then, in range 10-25 questions of correct answers in cycle 1 could be reached by 24 students, while in cycle 2, there were 32 students got correct answers at that range. Furthermore, there were 6 students could reach less than 10 questions correctly, beside that there were only 3 students in cycle 2. In conclusion, there have been improvement of the students' achievements in listening tasks provided in all meetings during cycle 1 and 2. Although they found challenges in completing the tests, the teachers' assistances in guiding them to apply some strategies contributed towards the improvement of their performances in listening. Keywords: enhancing, listening comprehension, listening strategies instruction Meningkatkan Keterampilan Menyimak Mahasiswa Bahasa Inggris Melalui Bimbingan Strategi Menyimak AbstrakArtikel ini merupakan bagian dari penelitian yang dilakukan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan menyimak para mahasiswa/i yang memperlajari bahasa Inggris, yang dilakukan melalui bimbingan penggunaan strategis menyimak. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dengan rancangan penelitian tindakan kelas yang terdiri dari dua siklus dengan melibatkan sekolompok mahasiswa di Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu 125 J-SHMIC, Vol 5, No 1, February 2018 Enhancing English Language Learners' Listening Comprehension through Listening Strategies InstructionPendidikan, Universitas Islam Riau, pada tahun akademik 2017/2018. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa adanya peningkatan secara perlahan selama kegiatan penelitian dilaksanakan. Pada siklus pertama, mahasiswa mampu menjawab 25 dari 40 soal yang diberikan, yang mana jumlah tersebut lebih rendah jika dibandingkan dengan hasil yang diperoleh pada siklus pertama. Selanjutnya, sebanyak 10-25 jawaban yang benar dapat diberikan oleh 24 mahasiswa di siklus pertama, sedangkan pada siklus kedua berjumlah 32 mahasiswa. Berikutnya, ada 6 mahasiswa yang hanya bisa menjawab kurang dari 10 pertanyaan dengan benar dan hanya 3 mahasiswa di siklus kedua. Sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahawa terjadi peningkatan kemampuan mahasiswa dalam menyimak yang didasaarkan pada hasil tes menyimak yang telah diberikan pada siklus pertama dan kedua. Meskipun mahasiswa menghadapi kesulitan dalam menyelesaikan tes yang diberikan, mereka mengemukakan bahwa bimbingan ataupun arahan yang terkait dengan penggunaan strategi-strategi menyimak ...

In English language education program, translation is one of the subjects provided to the students in three credits or two and half hour lengths for sixteen meetings, aimed to simply facilitate them in mastering basic concepts, principles, methods of translation, and preparing them to be skillful in translation practices and producing translation studies from Indonesia-English and English-Indonesia. In relation to the students' performances in taking and following all processes during the translation class, the researcher is encouraged to present the students' translation qualities and hindrances in their translation tasks. It is expected to provide meaningful information, particularly for the students who joining the class and also presents a reference for the readers in relation to translation study. This research worked on both qualitative and quantitative data, called embedded research design by involving thirty five students at the sixth semester of English Education Program at Universitas Islam Riau. To collect the data, the students were assigned to translate from Bahasa Indonesia to English. Afterwards, open-ended interview was administered to explore the students' hindrances in their translation tasks. The study found that overall of the students' translations just stayed in level two for their accurateness, acceptability, and readability. The level two means that the students need to keep improving their mastery of the target language by concerning on the language components, such vocabulary mastery, better understanding about the grammar of the language, natural expressions to produce the best quality of translation