Exploring the role of strategy instruction: Young learners’ listening performance and strategy use

Abstract

This paper reports on an exploratory investigation into the impacts of implicit instruction of listening strategies on strategy use and listening performance of young EFL learners in Turkey. Data from 34 lower-intermediate learners of English in two-4th grade-classes in a primary school were analysed to investigate to what extent their employment of listening strategies varied after 12-week-strategy instruction integrated into their listening activities, and whether there was any change in their awareness of top-down and bottom-up processes in listening comprehension. Qualitative instruments of listening interviews were employed in the experimental and control groups to explore young learners’ listening strategy use. Also, self-assessment grids and a pre- and post-test provided evidence of how the experimental group class had changed their reported strategy use and performance in listening comprehension. Analysis of the data revealed a difference in young learners’ listening performance and strategy use over the examined time period, including a reported change in awareness of listening, increase in self-confidence, and a greater willingness to engage in strategy use. These findings are discussed in terms of the development in listening comprehension in English. This study implies that listening strategy instruction should be integrated in second language listening classroom to better young learners’ listening.