Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of authentic aural materials on listening ability of thirty female undergraduate psychology majors studying English as a foreign language. It basically focused on using authentic materials and real-life situations as part of the communicative approach. The results of the listening comprehension post test were compared to that of the pretest using a 2-tailed t-test (P< .05). Analysis of the interviews and the questionnaire revealed that the use of authentic materials in the EFL classroom enhanced EFL students' listening comprehension ability. Results showed a statistically significant improvement in listening ability of the EFL students. Recommendations were offered to ease students’ frustration that resulted from the speed of authentic speech. Pedagogical implications of the results were discussed along with the impact on EFL students’ listening comprehension development.
Highlights
Listening is probably the least explicit of the four language skills, making it the most difficult one to learn
The analysis of data revealed that the students' listening comprehension appeared to have improved after being exposed to authentic aural materials in the classroom
Academic listening materials require an extensive reservoir of background knowledge relevant to any given discipline; EFL students have difficulty understanding the information in spoken texts when they lack familiarity with the topic or the cultural elements in the discourse
Summary
Listening is probably the least explicit of the four language skills, making it the most difficult one to learn. It is evident that children listen and respond to language before they learn to talk. When it is time for children to learn to read, they still have to listen so that they gain knowledge and information to follow directions. Students have to listen carefully and attentively to lectures and class discussions in order to understand and to retain the information for later recall. Students who are fine with speaking at their own pace and reading may have trouble listening to a recording that is a regular-speed conversation. Unlike reading in which the learner is given a single text to follow, in real-life situations native speakers speak over each other, at different volumes and speeds and often with frequent interruptions. The written equivalent is having two or three texts mixed up with some writing bigger and some smaller and sentences interrupted by comments and other sentences
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