Teaching Listening in the Foreign Language Classroom: Structure- vs. Context-Based Instruction

Abstract

This study compares two different approaches to teaching listening skills (structure-based and context-based instructions), and investigates the effect of two listening comprehension instruction methods applied at the tertiary level in an EFL context in Korea. Based on the components of communicative competence, the structure-based instruction focused on raising the linguistic/grammatical and discourse competence of learners, while the context-based instruction focused on sociolinguistic and strategic competence in improving the students’ listening ability. Treatments were administered to two groups of students who were taking an advanced listening course (structure-based instruction) and a conference interpretation course (context-based instruction). Pre-test and post-test scores measuring listening competence before and after the instruction were used to collect data to compare the two groups. Results showed that both the structure-based and context-based instructions were effective in improving the students’ listening competence. However, comparison of the two instructions showed that the structure-based instruction appeared to be more effective than the context-based instruction in enhancing listening comprehension. Also, the students’ course evaluation scores used to measure student satisfaction were higher in the structure-focused instruction, although the comparison failed to yield statistical significance. Arguments are presented for a communicative grammar approach which incorporates structure-based instruction in listening courses at the tertiary level, along with implications and limitations of the study.