Exploring Dynamics Affecting Learners’ English Listening Comprehension in the EFL Classrooms: Secondary Schools in Focus, North Western Ethiopia

Melaku Bayu Workie

doi:10.7176/jlll/61-03

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to explore factors affecting students’ English listening comprehension in the EFL classrooms in the case of grade nine students at Dagmawi Tewodros secondary and preparatory school in Debre Tabor. The study used a descriptive survey design that involves quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaire and interview were used to gather the necessary data for the study. Four grade nine English teachers and 118 grade nine students of the school were used as the subject of the study; and they were randomly chosen. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were employed in analyzing the quantitative data. The qualitative data were analyzed and reported thematically. The overall findings of the study showed that the authenticity of the listening text, lack of consecutive practice, delinquent language pattern/grammar, inability to grasp speaker’s pronunciation, dearth of vocabulary, privation of concentration and lack of interest are some of the factors that affect students’ English listening comprehension. Based on the findings, it is recommended that creating meaningful English listening teaching opportunities through various listening teaching modus operandi are supposed to be practiced widely. Auxiliary studies were acclaimed. Keywords: Listening comprehension, Explore, EFL, TEFL, Learners, Dynamics DOI : 10.7176/JLLL/61-03 Publication date :October 31 st 2019

Highlights

Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is a challenging task in developing countries in general and in our country in particular
The main objective of this study is to explore factors affecting grade nine students’ English listening comprehension at Dagmawi Tewodros Secondary and Preparatory School
The listening text itself may be the main source of listening comprehension problems

Summary

Introduction

Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is a challenging task in developing countries in general and in our country in particular. The four main skills are classified into two types: receptive (reading and listening) where language is acquired and meaning is extracted, and productive (writing and speaking) skills, where language is produced. When learning a foreign language people usually want to be engaged in real communication with those who speak the target language; they have the need to understand what others say to be understood. Nunan (1998) believed that listening is the basic skill in language learning. Learners will never learn to communicate effectively

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