Factors Affecting Listening Comprehension Ability of Japanese Learners of English

Abstract

This study aimed to examine factors that might affect listening comprehension ability of Japanese learners of English. The factors were vocabulary/grammar, reading comprehension, articulation speeds for Japanese and English words, English repeatability (Le., the ability to repeat verbal input in English), auditory short-term memory, reading rate, and reading efficiency. The present study investigated these factors for the first-year students at a Japanese senior high school and made an attempt to explore exactly how they affected listening comprehension ability of Japanese learners. The results showed that listening comprehension of learners with good short-term memory was significantly better than that of learners with poor short-term memory in cases where their vocabulary/grammar and reading test scores were within the same level. A significant correlation was also observed between the articulation speed for English words and English repeatability, and between English repeatability and listening comprehension ability.