Investigating Learners’ Listening Comprehension Strategy Awareness and its Implications for Language Learning

Abstract

In recent years, the importance of listening when becoming communicatively competent in a new language has been increasingly recognized, and authors such as Richards (2002; 2005) have responded to this awareness by producing material specifically designed to meet this need. In order to develop listening proficiency, other authors (e.g. Vandergrift, 1999) have investigated listening strategies. It is possible that other factors might also influence learners’ listening competence and their strategy choices. The study reported here aimed at finding the relationship between learners’ listening strategy use and listening comprehension achievement concerning their proficiency level, gender, and field of study. The population of the study included 322 university students (99 males, 223 females) at B2 level of proficiency according to the Common European Framework of Reference, who were studying to specialize in Nursing, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, and Psychology in a university in İzmir, Turkey. Data were collected through a listening strategy inventory applied to measure learners’ use of metacognitive, cognitive and socioaffective strategies and a listening comprehension achievement test. Statistical analyses of the data revealed statistically significant positive correlations between listening strategy use and listening comprehension achievement (higher achievers used strategies more frequently). There were also significant differences between listening comprehension achievement and listening strategy use with regard to the aforementioned variables.