Listening Comprehension Performance Research Articles

Learners use of audio/video playback controls in technology-enhanced listening: a systematic review

This systematic review investigates learner use of audio/video playback (AVP) controls in technology-enhanced listening environments. To this aim, 61 academic works produced from 2000–2021 underwent inclusion/exclusion criteria and were analyzed. The resulting corpus was made up of 16 peer-reviewed articles. We first situate the studies examined with regards to contextual, educational, and methodological characteristics of AVP controls research. Then, we conducted thematic analysis to identify, analyze and report affordances and limitations of AVP controls. Four affordances and two limitations were identified. The affordances describe how AVP controls enable students to resort to different strategies, change their interaction patterns with learning materials, address comprehension problems and enhance listening comprehension performance. Similarly, limitations describe how proficiency level restricts interaction with AVP controls and the need for learner training on AVP buttons. Results are discussed along with integrated data. Pedagogical implications and avenues for further research are also discussed.

The Effect of Metacognitive Strategy Instruction on Listening Comprehension Performance, A Case Study of English – Majored Freshmen at Ba Ria – Vung Tau University, Viet Nam

The research was carried out with 50 university freshmen at Ba Ria – Vung Tau University (BVU) to find out how metacognitive strategy instruction motivates them to improve their listening comprehension. The researchers executed a qualitative action research method during twelve weeks, using a combination of the teachers and students’ diaries. Then semi-structured interviews in Vietnamese were purposefully administered to the participants and 1 observer by using individual-administered survey procedure. The findings in this paper indicate that metacognitive strategy instruction enhances learners’ listening comprehension performance and should be implemented in English communicative classes.

The Effect of Using Listening Strategy Instruction on English Major Students' EFL Listening Comprehension Performance

The Effect of Using Listening Strategy Instruction on English Major Students' EFL Listening Comprehension Performance

Effects of the Type of Audio‐visual Input and Listenability on Young L2 Learners' Listening Comprehension

AbstractNumerous studies have compared the effect of input mode (video‐based vs. audio‐only) on the listening comprehension of adult second language (L2) learners. However, there is a notable absence of research regarding how various types of audio‐visual input in a listening test affect young learners' listening comprehension. To address this gap, this study examined the effects of audio‐visual input type and text listenability on the listening comprehension performance of 50 English language learners (ELLs) in Grades 3–5 in the U.S. In this study, participants completed a computer‐delivered English listening test comprising three test forms, each containing six passages. These passages included a combination of three video passages and three audio‐only passages. The video passages were carefully designed to balance two key variables in a counter‐balancing manner: the listenability of the text, assessed using Lexile Audio Measure, and the nature of visual elements, which encompassed speaker‐only visuals, visual‐only elements, and a combination of speaker‐and‐visuals. This study found that students performed equally well on both video‐based and audio‐only passages, and the type of visuals accompanying the content did not have a statistically significant impact on students' listening comprehension scores. However, the listenability of the text significantly influenced students' listening scores, especially in the context of audio‐only passages. Furthermore, responses to a post‐test questionnaire revealed that students had a positive perception of all three types of audio‐visual input. This study contributes to our understanding of how audio‐visual input types and text listenability affect the listening comprehension performance of Grades 3–5 ELLs.

YouTube-Assisted Listening Instruction (YALI): A Study of Listening Comprehension and Listening Anxiety of University Students of German as a Foreign Language

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of YouTube-assisted listening instruction (YALI) on the listening anxiety of students of German as a foreign language (GFL) and their listening comprehension performance. For this purpose, a total of ninety-six senior undergraduate students were equally divided into three groups using the criterion sampling technique: (a) YouTube-assisted listening instruction (experimental group); (b) traditional listening instruction with auditory materials (control group - 1); and (c) instruction without listening exposure (control group - 2). The instructional approach was underpinned by Richard E. Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML). After a ten-week treatment process, results revealed that the students in YALI showed the best GFL listening comprehension performance compared to the control groups. In addition, YALI was observed to reduce students' GFL listening anxiety. Finally, a negative linear correlation between listening anxiety and listening comprehension performance was detected. This meant that students' listening anxiety decreased as their listening comprehension performance increased. To gain a better understanding of the effects of YALI on GFL listening comprehension performance and listening anxiety, relevant implications were discussed.

Episodes of Teaching, Assessing and Testing: Analysis of Teaching Listening in Pakistan

Listening ability helps students to enhance their comprehension level of spoken language. As observed by Ahmed (2016), the students will only get a high-quality score if they listen and understand the teacher attentively. This study aimed to identify the listening proficiency gaps in Pakistani language learning, teaching, and testing systems. The study used Richard's (2008) framework (CLAP) to compare listening tests with student performance. The format and validity of the language proficiency test administered mainly in Pakistan (IELTS) were investigated regarding the teaching and learning practices. All the test takers (15) participated in a standard IELTS listening test with one of their teachers. The results identified three significant factors interfering with listening comprehension performance include, the need for listening assessment in the examination system of schools, colleges, and universities. Secondly, teaching listening depends on theoretical knowledge and need for listening practice in classrooms of second language learners. Further, the study attempted to find evidence to support the claim that Pakistani students can perform better in proficiency scores if presented with it in their teaching and testing system. Accordingly, a model is designed to fill the gaps in learning for language learners as future language teachers in Pakistan. The findings of this study would help design listening performance tests and realize learning potential, devise a listening assessment system, and develop valid large-scale and classroom-based proficiency tests.

Speech Rate and Young EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension

Speech rate is one of the salient characteristics that speakers modify their speech for second or foreign language learners to gain more comprehensive input (Krashen, 1987). For young EFL learners, a slower speech rate can be a critical factor that helps them properly process linguistic input and increase self-confidence in listening comprehension. The present study investigated the effect of speech rate on listening comprehension performance among young EFL learners in Taiwan. Sixty-six junior high school students from two homogeneous classes participated in two elementary-level listening comprehension tests. All participants took the first test at the delivery rate of 116 words per minute (wpm) set by Taiwan’s General English Proficiency Test. In the second test, the two classes of participants were examined at two slower delivery rates—98 wpm and 58 wpm, respectively. Results reveal a facilitating effect of the slightly slower speech rate of 98 wpm on the participants’ listening comprehension; however, slower speech does not make a significant difference at the much slower rate of 58 wpm. The results of the study are then discussed, and implications are drawn.

Utilizing A Competency Approach Based Program to Develop EFL University Learners’ Listening Comprehension Performance

Utilizing A Competency Approach Based Program to Develop EFL University Learners’ Listening Comprehension Performance

Investigating the Relationship Among Metacognitive Awareness, Self-efficacy, and EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension Performance

Listening comprehension is difficult for foreign language learners, but, in recent years, an increasing number of studies assert that enhancing learners’ awareness of listening metacognition and self-efficacy can help address this issue. Accordingly, this research sought to 1) investigate the level of metacognitive listening awareness in performing listening comprehension and 2) to examine the association between EFL students’ listening performance, self-efficacy, and metacognitive listening awareness. The sample comprised 256 third-year English-major students. Students’ self-efficacy and their metacognitive listening awareness were measured using the English listening self-efficacy scale and Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ), respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient. The findings indicated that the students possessed a modest level of metacognitive listening awareness. A strong positive relationship was observed between MALQ scores and listening comprehension ability. Listening self-efficacy was also discovered to be associated with students' listening proficiency. Additionally, the results of this research indicated a significant association between self-efficacy and students’ awareness of listening metacognition. Overall, the results suggest that teaching EFL listening should place greater emphasis on learners’ metacognitive listening awareness and self-efficacy to improve their listening skills.

EFL Listening, Metacognitive Awareness, and Motivation: The Magic of L1-Mediated Metacognitive Intervention.

This study strove to investigate the effect of L1-mediated metacognitive intervention (MI) on the listening comprehension performance, metacognitive awareness, and motivation of Iranian EFL learners. The participants were 330 upper-intermediate EFL learners in three groups, ranging from 17 to 25years of age. The experimental groups (Ex1 = 110/Ex2 = 110) went through a guided lesson plan in metacognition in L2 (English) and L1 (Persian) for seventeen weeks, which focused on planning, monitoring, and evaluation. The control group (CG = 110), also instructed by the same teacher, listened to the same texts in L2 (English) without any guided attention to process. An actual IELTS TEST, the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) and a motivation questionnaire (LLOS-IEA) were used before and after the intervention to track changes in the listening performance, metacognitive awareness, and motivation. The overall results showed that MI caused a considerable variance in the listening performance, metacognitive awareness, and motivation in both experimental groups. The results also illustrated that the medium for the delivery of metacognitive intervention (L1) assisted the learners in experimental group two, who went through L1-mediated metacognitive intervention, to outperform their peers in experimental group one, who were taught in L2, and the control group, who were taught conventionally.

Reading and Listening Comprehension in Individuals With Down Syndrome and Word Reading-Matched Typically Developing Children.

The purpose of this study was to explore the reading comprehension and listening comprehension performance of English-speaking children with Down syndrome (DS) compared with word reading-matched typically developing (TD) children. Participants included 19 individuals with DS (M age = 17;2 [years;months], range: 11;1-22;9) and 19 word reading-matched TD children (M age = 7;2, range: 6;6-8;1). Participants completed three norm-referenced measures of reading comprehension and three norm-referenced measures of listening comprehension. Dependent variables were raw scores on each measure, with the exception of scaled scores on one reading comprehension measure. Independent-samples t tests with Bonferroni-adjusted alpha levels of .008 revealed a significant between-groups difference for two of three reading comprehension measures. The mean raw scores were lower for the DS group than the TD group, with large effect sizes. Independent-samples t tests with Bonferroni-adjusted alpha levels of .008 revealed a significant between-groups difference for three of three listening comprehension measures. The mean raw scores on the three measures were lower for the DS group than the TD group, with large effect sizes. The DS group, despite being matched on word reading to the TD group, demonstrated reduced reading comprehension skills as compared with the TD group. Thus, as individuals with DS acquire word reading skills, it appears that they are unable to translate word reading success to achieve reading comprehension at the expected level (i.e., as indexed by typical readers). The between-groups differences in listening comprehension suggest that deficits in listening comprehension likely are a barrier to reading comprehension proficiency for children with DS. Listening comprehension may be a malleable factor that can be targeted to improve reading comprehension outcomes for individuals with DS.

Analysis of Listening Comprehension Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Analysis of Listening Comprehension Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Second language listening comprehension: The role of anxiety and enjoyment in listening metacognitive awareness

Emotion in second language acquisition (SLA) has recently received greater attention because it is largely implicated in daily conversations, which may affect second or foreign language (L2) use including listening comprehension. Most research into emotion and L2 listening comprehension is focused exclusively on anxiety, with an attempt to reduce its negative effects on individuals’ listening performance. With the arrival of positive psychology in SLA, researchers began to take a holistic view of a wider range of emotions including enjoyment that language learners experience during their L2 communication. The current study explored the relationships among listening anxiety, enjoyment, listening comprehension performance, and listening metacognitive awareness among a group of 410 international students in a Canadian university. Correlational analyses showed that listening anxiety was negatively correlated with enjoyment. However, these two variables shared only 18% of their variance, indicating that listening anxiety and enjoyment are related but independent emotions. This study suggests that anxiety and enjoyment in L2 listening are not the opposite ends of the same emotional continuum, but each serves a different purpose. L2 learners should work to find intriguing and enjoyable experiences in language learning, rather than focusing merely on reducing anxiety.

Correlation Between English Major Sophomores’ Critical Thinking Disposition and Their Listening Comprehension Performance

Critical thinking has drawn the attention of western researchers and domestic researchers as well. The study aims to explore whether there exists correlation between sophomore English majors’ critical thinking disposition and their listening comprehension performance, and any significant difference between critical thinking disposition and listening comprehension performance in different proficiency levels. Based on the analysis of the data collected from listening comprehension tests and critical thinking disposition questionnaire, the following findings are obtained: 1) there exists significant correlation between participants’ critical thinking disposition and their listening comprehension performance in general, with truth-seeking, analyticity and systematicity at the significant level of 0.01 and inquisitiveness, maturity, self-confidence and open-mindedness at the level of 0.05 in particular; 2) critical thinking disposition is significantly correlated with conversations and news broadcasts at the level of 0.01, and with passages at the level of 0.05.; 3) there also exist differences between critical thinking disposition and listening comprehension performance at different proficiency levels, with the correlations stronger in higher groups than those of lower groups. This study indicates that English major sophomores’ critical thinking needs fostering, and there is a necessity to utilize different types of listening materials to cultivate their critical thinking dispositions.

Listening Boredom, Listening Boredom Coping Strategies, and Listening Performance: Exploring the Possible Relationships in Saudi EFL Context

Researchers paid ample attention to an important variable called boredom in numerous contexts; however, limited research exists regarding the association of boredom with listening comprehension performance in EFL settings. Thus, the current study aims to establish the association between listening boredom and listening comprehension performance by deploying listening boredom coping strategies as a mediating construct. A quantitative research approach, and a cross-sectional and correlational research design was used to conduct this study. A listening comprehension test and questionnaires were used to gather the data from 313 Saudi EFL learners. Results directed that there exists a negative yet significant association between listening boredom and listening comprehension performance. In addition, listening boredom showed a positive and significant association with all of the four listening boredom coping strategies. Furthermore, three out of four listening boredom coping strategies (i.e., behavioral, cognitive, and behavioral avoidance) showed a positive and significant association with listening performance; however, cognitive avoidance strategies showed a significant yet negative association with listening comprehension performance. Lastly, results regarding mediation indicated that listening boredom coping strategies mediated the relationship between listening boredom and listening comprehension performance. Based on the results, various recommendations were presented to EFL learners, instructors, and policymakers.

Listening Comprehension Performance and Problems: A Survey on Undergraduate Students Majoring in English

This study was aimed at finding out the performance of listening comprehension, problems faced, the causes of the problems, and the relationships between the problems and their causes. The samples of this study were the students of bachelor program of an English education study program. The data were the TOEFL prediction listening comprehension test and questionnaires. It was found that 30% of the samples were in a fair listening category and 70% were in a poor listening category. The students’ main problems in listening were then categorized as listeners, listening materials, and listening settings. The causes of the problems were specified as linguistic knowledge, pronunciation, concentration, and environment. The data were analyzed using chi-square association with p-value 514.84 which was greater than the critical value of 179.58. Therefore, there is a significant relationship between the listening problems and the factors causing the problem.

The Effect of YouTube Video on Students’ Listening Comprehension Performance

The difficulties to catch any intended information conveyed by speakers on the audio recording by the students still become problematic during learning listening comprehension in the classroom. This study aimed to find out the effect of applying YouTube videos on the students’ listening comprehension performance. This study was experimental research (quasi-experimental with non-equivalent control group design). The researchers used all the first-semester students of English language education as a sample through the total sampling technique. To get the data, the researchers used a listening test as the instrument. There were two groups that were tested in the study; experimental and control groups. The experimental group was treated by applying YouTube videos while the control group was treated by Audio recording. Based on the result of the study, it was found that the t-test was 1.834 and the t-table was 0.073 (t-test was higher than t-table). In the other words, the alternative hypothesis was accepted and the null hypothesis was rejected. The result of the study also showed that the students felt more interested and motivated to learn listening comprehension by using YouTube videos as the learning media during the learning process takes place in the classroom. Thus, it could be concluded that the application of YouTube videos has given a positive and significant effect on students’ listening comprehension performance.

The Role of Social Media (YouTube and Snapchat) in Enhancing Saudi EFL Learners' Listening Comprehension Skills

Despite of the importance of listening in EFL learning and teaching, this skill is not getting as much attention as other skills. Therefore, learners are less motivated to depend on their listening comprehension as a tool to help them in the process of language learning. Social media, especially YouTube and Snapchat, can be effectively used as a pedagogical tool to enhance the listening skills of EFL learners, compared with other traditional audio recording tools. The objective of this research is to investigate the role of social media (YouTube and snapchat) as a method of teaching, in order to enhance EFL Saudi learners' listening comprehension skills. The primary goal of this study is to know whether social media is capable of developing EFL listening comprehension skills, and gaining the deeper understanding of the presented materials. In addition, using these tools makes them familiar with the target language culture and it's native speakers. In order to achieve this objective; the researcher used a mixed method to ensure the research validity: a questionnaire and a post-test.The participants of the study were 50 female students studying in English Language Centre at Taif University. They were randomly selected and they divided into two groups: the experiment group consisted of 20 female students and the control group consisted of 30 female students. The experiment group was instructed using (YouTube and Snapchat) as the control group using traditional audio method. Then there is a post-test is given to both groups to measure their listening comprehension performance. The findings of the study showed that using social media (YouTube and Snapchat) can enhance the listening skill of Saudi EFL leaners. The researcher recommends conducting more studies on other samples from different studies, age levels and from different environments like the schools or training institutes.

The effects of video-annotated learning and reviewing system with vocabulary learning mechanism on English listening comprehension and technology acceptance

This study is aimed to design a novel vocabulary learning mechanism (VLM) in the previously developed video-annotated learning and reviewing system (VALRS) that allows learners to identify unfamiliar or unknown words when listening to the video and generate personalized input enhancement from English subtitles for vocabulary learning. It is expected that the VALRS with VLM (VALRS-VLM) can help learners improve their English listening comprehension in the recognition of speech sounds of individual vocabulary words and meaning understanding of vocabulary words and oral sentences. To investigate the learning effectiveness and learners’ experiences of the newly developed VLM, this study compared the outcomes of English listening comprehension performance and technology acceptance between the experimental group using the VALRS-VLM and the control group using the VALRS without the VLM (VALRS-NVLM). Analytical results show that the learners using the VALRS-VLM achieved remarkably better in both English listening learning outcomes and learning retention for vocabulary learning and overall English listening comprehension performance than those who used the VALRS-NVLM. Besides, according to the results of the questionnaire surveyed after the experiment, both the VALRS-VLM and VALRS-NVLM groups showed good technology acceptance. This study confirms that the proposed VALRS-VLM could effectively facilitate learners’ English listening learning as well as provide them with a positive learning experience.

Developing Oral Comprehension Skills with Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education

The development of oral comprehension skills is rarely studied in second and foreign language teaching, let alone in learning contexts involving students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). Thus, we conducted a mixed-methods study attempting to measure the effect of implicit teaching of oral comprehension strategies with 37 SLIFE in Quebec City, a predominantly French-speaking city in Canada. Two experimental groups received implicit training in listening strategies, whereas a control group viewed the same documents without strategy training. Participants’ listening comprehension performance was measured quantitatively before the treatment, immediately after, and one week later with three different versions of an oral comprehension test targeting both explicit and implicit content of authentic audiovisual documents. Overall, data analysis showed a low success rate for all participants in the oral comprehension tests, with no significant effect of the experimental treatment. However, data from the intervention sessions revealed that the participants’ verbalisations of their comprehension varied qualitatively over time. The combination of these results is discussed in light of previous findings on low literate adults’ informal and formal language learning experiences.