The Positive Effect of Cultural Knowledge on Listening Comprehension of EFL Learners

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of target cultural knowledge on the listening comprehension proficiency of Chinese EFL learners. Two groups of intermediate-level English language learners participated in the study. One group received English lessons on reading, writing, listening, and speaking, as well as a curriculum focused on target cultural knowledge, specifically the culture of Britain and the US. The other group received only English lessons on reading, writing, listening, and speaking, without any focus on target cultural knowledge. The comparison between the results of a pre-test and a post-test administered to both groups indicated that target cultural knowledge had a positive impact on the listening competence of EFL learners. This finding was also confirmed by interviews with the EFL learners. The study is significant for the teaching of English listening comprehension. Furthermore, the findings also have important implications for the teaching of reading and writing.