Abstract
The present research examined the effect of speech rate on listening comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. Initially, a sample of 108 sophomore EFL learners majoring in English translation was selected based on systematic random sampling from Abadan Islamic Azad University. Then, based on an ECCE proficiency test, 62 participants were chosen and divided into two homogeneous groups of 31. One group had exposure to natural speech rate and the other to slow speech rate of listening materials. After thirteen academic sessions, the results o the paired t-test regarding the pre-tests and post-tests of the two group means showed that both differences (group one: –2.83 and group two: –1.22) were significant at 0.05 levels (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that each speech rate, whether natural or slow, could improve EFL learners listening comprehension; however, natural speech rate could demonstrate greater improvements than slow speech rate in EFL learners’ listening comprehension.
Highlights
Numerous scholars [1,2,3,4,5] have stated that one of the major aspects of listening comprehension and speaking fluency is speech rate which has been the focus of recent English as a Foreign / Second Language research
The results o the paired t-test regarding the pre-tests and post-tests of the two group means showed that both differences were significant at 0.05 levels (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that each speech rate, whether natural or slow, could improve EFL learners listening comprehension; natural speech rate could demonstrate greater improvements than slow speech rate in EFL learners’ listening comprehension
The results of the two experiments presented in this research focused on the effect of natural and slow speech rate on Iranian EFL learners’ listening comprehension
Summary
Numerous scholars [1,2,3,4,5] have stated that one of the major aspects of listening comprehension and speaking fluency is speech rate which has been the focus of recent English as a Foreign / Second Language research. Speech rate, as one of the main factors, has caused one of the major difficulties in evaluating listening comprehension. This controversy over what level of speech rate best serves the learners has not yet been resolved. Slow rate of speech is generally believed to be usually easier to comprehend than natural speech rate; this gives the students enough time to process the stream of information at a slower rate of delivery Does it count for listening comprehension in the long run? The main objective that has prompted the development of this research is the question of how to overcome the problem of speech rate in listening comprehension by being exposed to natural or slow speech rate
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