Listening Comprehension Section Research Articles

상호동료 교수법이 모의 TOEIC 점수향상에 미치는 영향

Objectives This study investigates the effect of reciprocal peer tutoring in enhancing students’ mock TOEIC scores, focusing on university students majoring in Aviation Services enrolled in a TOEIC course.
 Methods The participants were divided into an experimental group, utilizing reciprocal peer tutoring, and a control group, following traditional instructional methods. Using the SPSS 29.0 statistical program, the study examined the differences in the TOEIC score improvement between the groups. Additionally, the reflection evaluations from students engaged in reciprocal peer teaching were analyzed for further insights.
 Results The findings revealed a significant enhancement in the overall TOEIC scores of the experimental group using reciprocal peer tutoring, surpassing the control group by a noteworthy 56.13 points, showing a statistically significant difference. Particularly, the reciprocal peer teaching method demonstrated a pronounced effect in the RC (Reading Comprehension) section. In contrast, no statistically significant difference was observed in the LC (Listening Comprehension) section between the two groups. Further analysis of reflection evaluations uncovered the development of a positive attitude in TOEIC learning, encompassing elements such as confidence, sat-isfaction, class enjoyment, learning motivation, and class concentration.
 Conclusions In conclusion, this study underscores the potential of reciprocal peer tutoring to the improvement of TOEIC scores positively. The cultivation of a constructive learning environment through enhanced communication and collaboration, facilitated by mutual peer teaching methods, holds promise for promoting successful TOEIC outcomes.

A study on content validity of TEM4 listening comprehension (2016-2023)

Test for English Majors-Band 4 (TEM4) is a large-scale nationwide criterion-referenced test for English majors in Chinese colleges and universities. Since its implementation in 1990, there have been continuous studies on its validity. However, most focused on its reading comprehension section and were based on the traditional classification validity view. Moreover, TEM4 was officially reformed in 2016, especially its listening comprehension section, but relevant validity study is still limited. Therefore, this study aims to assess the content validity of TEM4 listening comprehension after the reform, attempting to enrich the relevant validity study, helping test developers improve question types and promoting the pedagogical teaching to strengthen college students’ listening comprehension ability. Based on Bachman and Palmer’s framework of task characteristics and reference to the interlocutor characteristics proposed by Weir, this study established its framework and analyzed quantitative statistics on the linguistic characteristics of TEM4 listening comprehension. Three dimensions are included in the verification framework: language input characteristics, expected response characteristics, and the relationship between input and response. The study found that the selected TEM4 listening comprehension tests meet the requirements of the teaching and testing syllabuses in terms of length, vocabulary, topic, speech speed, and accent; the question types and expected skills are varied with prominent emphasis; the range and scope of relationship between input and response align with the test proposition principle. All the research results demonstrated a high content validity of TEM4 listening comprehension since its reform in 2016.

대학 영어 수업에서 AI 기반 적응형 학습이 TOEIC 학업성취도와 자기 주도적 학습 능력에 미치는 영향

Objectives This article aims to validate the efficacy of AI-adaptive learning (AI-AL) in college English courses. It achieves this aim by examining the influence of AI-AL on learner's academic achievements in TOEIC and self-perception of self-directed learning abilities. This investigation involves analyzing TOEIC exam outcomes, encompassing key English education components like listening, grammar, vocabulary, and reading.
 Methods We computed descriptive statistics using SPSS 25.0 and performed a paired t-test on the pre- and post- exam results of an online mock TOEIC for 61 students enrolled in Sections A and B of AI English 2 at H University. To explore the change in learners’ self-perception of their academic achievements and improved self-directed learning skills, we examined 56 selected reflective journals. Additionally, we conducted two rounds of expert Delphi assessments to validate the content.
 Results First, the analysis of the online exams showed a modest increase of 5.246 points in the average score of the listening comprehension section, although no statistically significant difference was observed. Secondly, the average score of the reading comprehension section exhibited a significant increase of 12.459 points, indicat-ing a statistically notable difference. Thirdly, upon analyzing students' reflective journals using factors employed to assess self-directed learning ability, it was found that “desire to learn” had the highest frequency (96.4%). This was followed by “self-reflection” (91.1%), “attributing results to their efforts” (66.1%), “persistence in learning” (62.5%), “goal setting” (48.2%), “self-management” (46.4%), “identifying learning resources” (35.7%), and “selecting learning strategies” (30.4%).
 Conclusions This study demonstrates that AI-AL positively influences learners’ proficiency in TOEIC RC and self-perception of self-directed learning abilities. This research is particularly relevant in today's era of hy-per-connectivity and personalized learning, as it substantiates the potential of AI-AL in catering to individual lear-ners' needs and learning pace, while offering practical solutions to enhance its effectiveness. The results of this research are expected to be useful as foundational materials for colleges looking to integrate AI-AL programs into their curriculum.

Difficulties of Non-English Study Program Students in Carrying Out the Institutional TOEFL Test

This study aims to provide an analysis of TOEFL results and examine the challenges faced by non-English study program students when tackling TOEFL exam questions. The study adopts a descriptive qualitative approach, with a sample size of 30 students selected through purposive sampling from a larger population of 100 students. Data collection involved the administration of TOEFL tests and conducting interviews. The findings indicate that among the different sections of the TOEFL, Listening Comprehension posed the greatest difficulty for the participants, followed by Reading Comprehension and Structure and Written Expression. Based on the conclusions drawn from the data and explanations, it can be inferred that participants encountered the most challenges in the Listening Comprehension section of the TOEFL exam. Specifically, they struggled with long conversations, spoken passages, and short conversations in sequential order. The second most challenging section for students was Structure and Written Expression. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that within the three TOEFL sections, Structure was perceived as more difficult than Written Expression. In contrast, Reading Comprehension appeared to be the easiest section. The findings suggest that identifying difficult words presented the most significant challenge in Reading Comprehension, while identifying topics, explanatory sentences, and references were considered relatively easier. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the specific difficulties faced by non-English study program students when attempting TOEFL exam questions, highlighting the areas that require further attention and support in their language learning journey

The Realization of Conversational Implicatures in Listening Comprehension of ‘Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test’

Studying implicatures cannot be separated from studying pragmatics. Studying pragmatics is studying meaning in context. Understanding meaning in context is very essential in communication. The purpose of the study was to explain the realization of idiosyncratic and formulaic conversational implicatures in listening comprehension section of ‘LONGMAN Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test’. Qualitative research is used to collect data, analyze the data, and take a conclusion based on the analysis of the findings. The type of qualitative study used is content analysis. In a TOEFL book titled LONGMAN Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test, data were implicatures in every conversation covered in the script of the short conversation of listening comprehension section. The researcher found that the four types of idiosyncratic implicature were all in the short conversations of listening comprehension section in the TOEFL book "LONGMAN Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test.” Meanwhile, formulaic implicature that could be found were idiomatic, scalar, sequential, and indirect criticism implicature. However, the other formulaic implicature such as pope-Q and MRR (Minimum Requirement Rule) could not be found. Finally, it is expected that the result of this research can provide scientific information about formulaic and idiosyncratic conversational implicature theory and practically improve students' awareness of formulaic and idiosyncratic implicature. It is also expected that it can help the students to do the listening comprehension section in every TOEFL test. Then, the results of this research can pedagogically be used to understand English better in its actual use and help learners better understand formulaic and idiosyncratic implicature.

English Language Proficiency through the TOEFL Test Taken by UMNAW Postgraduate Students

The purpose of this research was to find out how the English proficiency of UMNAW postgraduate students was measured with the TOEFL test consisted of three main sections; Listening Comprehension, Structure and Written Expression, and Reading Comprehension. The researcher used a descriptive qualitative research design in which the researcher described and analyzed students’ English proficiency based on the TOEFL test. The fourth-year postgraduate students of the Indonesian Language Education Study Program in the Academic Year 2021/2022 total of 10 people the population of the research. Based on the research findings, it can be classified that in Listening Comprehension Section one student got the highest score 28 and one students got the lowest score of 18. In the Structure and Written Expression Section, one student got the highest score 24 and one student got the lowest score of 15. In Reading Comprehension Section, one student got the highest score 28 and one student got the lowest score of 19. After being converted, one student got the highest score 453 and one student got the lowest score 440. Furthermore, it can be classified that UMNAW postgraduate students taking the TOEFL test are at a Low Intermediate level. This research is then expected to be a reference for further research and can be more perfectly developed.

Exploring the Indonesian Nursing Students’ Difficulties in Answering the TOEFL Prediction Test

The TOEFL is a type test known internationally to assess someone’s proficiency in English language. However, many EFL students have problems in doing the TOEFL test so that their score results are still under the minimum score. The aim of this study is to explore the nursing students’ difficulties in answering the TOEFL questions. This study was a descriptive-quantitative study that involved fifty-one nursing students of the Poltekkes Kemenkes Bengkulu. The data of this study were gathered by using a questionnaire in the form of Google form based on Likert’s scale. The results of the study revealed that the level of difficulty experienced by the nursing students in answering the questions on the TOEFL test was in a high category. The listening comprehension section gained the mean score of 3.79, the structure and written expression section gained the mean score of 3.67, and the reading comprehension section gained the mean score of 3.62. Moreover, their difficulties were in a high category for all of the items in the questionnaire. In brief, the difficulties faced by the nursing students show that their English proficiency is still low.

Moodle as e-learning system for esp class

The aim of the paper is to examine the correlation of the knowledge gained by students in online and offline classes, consequently, the overall performance of e-learning, as well as the effectiveness of the certain language skills among the main four (listening, speaking, reading, writing) by virtue of students’ feedback and objective experimental results using statistical methods data processing. The paper demonstrates the results of the e-learning experimental research conducted during the academic year 2020/21, including the remote learning period due to the Covid19 pandemic situation in the spring semester, at the State Agrarian and Engineering University in Podilya, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine. Online study support for ESP was personally created as a four-credit course due to ECTS in the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) with the application of Big Blue Button. The research sample is represented by 100 students majoring in veterinary medicine and enrolled in the mandatory subject of English for Specific Purposes. The group of students was enrolled in the lessons based on their bachelor curriculum. The subjects, referred to as experimental and control groups, accordingly, both wrote the primary test, at the beginning of the course, and the final one at the end. For pre-test content, the online standard test for B1 level was applied. The post-test was created by the educators, who were involved in the experiment. Due to the results procession and test analysis, it is admitted that the students of the experimental group showed slightly worse results in listening comprehension section, while having the same indicators concerning writing skills, and they had essentially worse outcomes in speaking and reading comprehension if compared to their peers from the control group. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon non-parametrical pair tests were selected to check the statistical hypotheses, due to the character of input data.

Kesulitan Menyimak dan Strategi Mahasiswa dalam Memahami Bagian Listening Comprehension pada Tes TOEIC

This study is aimed to identify the difficulties to comprehend listening activities experienced by students and their strategies in understanding Listening Comprehension section of TOEIC test. Descriptive qualitative method was employed to find out and analyze the difficulties and strategies the students implemented. The research was carried out at English Department of Politeknik Negeri Bandung with the population of the third semester students in Academic Year 2017/2018. There were 22 students as the subject in this study. Data were collected by questionnaires and interview to confirm students’ answers. The results showed that the major problems encountered by students were unfamiliar vocabulary, accents of the speaker, speed of speech, lack of concentration, and quality of recorded materials. Listening strategies implemented by students were mostly metacognitive strategy since in this strategy they obtain the awareness of the materials they are listening to in a more cautious way. This method is about the ways of planning, monitoring and assessing the collected information from the listening section the same as pre listening activities. Students applying metacognitive strategies have the benefits such as they can use appropriate learning strategy to master learning materials; they comprehend learning materials more quickly and integrate the knowledge seriously; they put themselves to be loyal receivers and can be properly adaptable to all conditions; they have high confidences in themselves to get help when needed from their peers, teachers, or family; they pay attention to the materials and assess themselves as to how to be successful learners; and they properly deal with the problems in doing their task. Keywords: Students’ Difficulties, Listening Comprehension, Listening Strategies

Types of listening comprehension developed in the Chilean EFL textbook Global English

This article reports the results and reflections of an analysis of the EFL textbook provided by the Ministry of Education of Chile to all 11th graders in public and subsidized schools. The objective of this article is to identify the type(s) of comprehension developed in the listening comprehension section. The results show that the there is no clear progress across the units and that the vast majority of the tasks aim at comprehension at the surface level. This significantly reduces the opportunities to develop critical thinking and to foster the perception of listening as an active skill.

IMPROVING LISTENING SKILL OF STUDENTS USING METACOGNITIVE INSTRUCTION

This study is aimed to describe the implementation of metacognitive instruction and to improve students’ listening ability on TOEFL listening comprehension section by using metacognitive instruction at the second semester students of English Education Department of Walisongo State Islamic University Semarang in the academic year of 2015/2016 and to know the enhancement of students’ listening ability on TOEFL listening comprehension section after being taught using metacognitive instruction. The design of this study is classroom action research that was conducted in two cycles with four activities in each cycle, they are planning, acting, observing, reflecting. Pre-cycle was also done before this study was conducted. The result of this study showed that using metacognitive instruction could improve students’ listening ability on TOEFL listening comprehension section. This was proved by the enhancement of students’ test result that improved in every cycle. The result of the study also showed that metacognitive instruction could improve the students’ listening ability on TOEFL listening comprehension section.

IMPROVING LISTENING SKILL OF STUDENTS USING METACOGNITIVE INSTRUCTION

This study is aimed to describe the implementation of metacognitive instruction and to improve students’ listening ability on TOEFL listening comprehension section by using metacognitive instruction at the second semester students of English Education Department of Walisongo State Islamic University Semarang in the academic year of 2015/2016 and to know the enhancement of students’ listening ability on TOEFL listening comprehension section after being taught using metacognitive instruction. The design of this study is classroom action research that was conducted in two cycles with four activities in each cycle, they are planning, acting, observing, reflecting. Pre-cycle was also done before this study was conducted. The result of this study showed that using metacognitive instruction could improve students’ listening ability on TOEFL listening comprehension section. This was proved by the enhancement of students’ test result that improved in every cycle. The result of the study also showed that metacognitive instruction could improve the students’ listening ability on TOEFL listening comprehension section.

Feasibility of Strategy Instruction in Teaching Listening Comprehension for High-Proficiency and Low-Proficiency Iranian EFL Learners

The present study investigates how effective it is to teach listening comprehension strategies for High-Proficiency and Low-Proficiency Iranian EFL Learners. Two intact classes were selected randomly from a private language institute in Iran. An advanced-level class (n= 33) was chosen as the High-Proficiency group, and a Lower-intermediate class (n=32) was selected as the Low-Proficiency group. Before the start of the semester, both classes were pretested. During the intervention time, the strategies-based approach was adopted by the researcher while teaching the listening comprehension section of the regular curriculum in both classes. At the end of the term, both classes were post-tested. The t-test observed for the difference in the paired means of the scores obtained from the pretests and post-tests turned out to be insignificant for the Lower-intermediate class, while in the paired means comparison of the advanced class the results were revealed as significant.

The Effectiveness of Song Technique in Teaching Paper Based TOEFL (PBT)’S Listening Comprehension Section

Among three sections that follow the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), many test takers find listening comprehension section is the most difficult. Thus, in this research the researcher aims to explore how students learn PBT’s listening comprehension section effectively through song technique. This sounds like a more interesting and engaging way to learn language because music is a very powerful motivational tool for learning language. To reach the goal of this study, the researcher applied the grammar approach. It is an appropriate approach since the main idea of grammar-based listening exercises is to analyze the language by its components and reconstruct an incomplete text. Besides, the researcher employed an English song as the media the researcher uses the top- down model for the Listening Process. In this research, the writer tries to share his experience in teaching listening in English department of Teknokrat College by implementing song technique.

An Investigation into the Dimensionality of TOEFL Using Conditional Covariance‐Based Nonparametric Approach

This article reports two studies to illustrate methodologies for conducting a conditional covariance‐based nonparametric dimensionality assessment using data from two forms of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Study 1 illustrates how to assess overall dimensionality of the TOEFL including all three subtests. Study 2 is aimed at illustrating how to conduct dimensionality analyses for a testlet‐based test by focusing on the Reading Comprehension (RC) section in combination with item content analyses and hypothesis testing. The results of Study 1 indicated that both TOEFL forms involve two dominant dimensions corresponding to the Listening Comprehension section and the combination of the Reading Comprehension section and Structure and Written Expression section. The extensive RC analyses from Study 2 revealed strong evidence that a significant amount of the RC multidimensionality came from testlet effects. Confirmatory analyses coupled with exploratory cluster analyses and substantive item content analyses further identified dimensionality structure having to do with reading subskills.

Context and content visuals and performance on listening comprehension stimuli

The listening comprehension section of the TOEFL has traditionally involved audio presentations of language without accompanying visual stimuli. Now that TOEFL is computer based, listening comprehension items are being created that include both audio and visual information. A nested cross-over design (participants nested in proficiency, level and form) was used to examine the effects of visual condition (present or absent), type of stimuli (dialogues/short conversations, academic discussions and mini-talks) and language proficiency (high or low) on performance on CBT (Computer-based Test) listening comprehension items. Three two-way interactions were significant: proficiency by type of stimuli, type of stimuli by visual condition and type of stimuli by time. The interaction between type of stimuli by visual condition although weak, was perhaps the most interesting and indicated that the presence of visuals results in facilitation of performance when the visuals bear information that complements the audio portion of the stimulus.

CONCURRENT CALIBRATION OF DICHOTOMOUSLY AND POLYTOMOUSLY SCORED TOEFL ITEMS USING IRT MODELS

ABSTRACTIn order to meet the needs of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®) constituencies, the TOEFL program is sponsoring a development project known as TOEFL 2000. Drawing from current linguistic theory and models of communicative competence, it is anticipated that the new test or test battery developed by the TOEFL 2000 project will likely be designed to test all four language skills — reading, writing, listening, and speaking — in an integrated fashion. However, one compromise level or position on integration of skills is one in which reading and writing would be tested together, and listening and speaking also tested together. It is also assumed that the test will largely be performance‐based, meaning a substantial portion of the items on the test will likely be constructed‐response items, and an examinee's score on such items will be in one of multiple ordered categories.Two groups of item response theory (IRT) models have been developed to calibrate items with multiple ordered categories (i.e., polytomously scored items): (a) the partial credit model (Masters, 1982) and the generalized partial credit model (Muraki, 1992); and (b) the graded response model (Samejima, 1969,1972). These models have been used jointly with the dichotomous three parameter logistic (3PL) IRT model to concurrently calibrate dichotomously and polytomously scored items for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). However, the performance of these polytomous IRT models and the concurrent calibration of dichotomous and polytomous scored items have not been investigated with data from the TOEFL examinee population.The purpose of this study was to obtain a good understanding of the performance of a combination of dichotomous and polytomous IRT models with TOEFL data. TOEFL Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension and Test of Written English (TWE®) items, and TOEFL Listening Comprehension and Test of Spoken English (TSE®) items were concurrently calibrated using a combination of the generalized partial credit model and the 3PL IRT model. The two sets of combined items were also concurrently calibrated using a combination of the graded response model and the 3PL IRT model.The results of this study indicate that data from a reading/writing combination made up of the TOEFL Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension section and the TWE were reasonably well fit by a combination of the 3PL and generalized partial credit models or 3PL and graded response models. In a similar fashion, data for a listening/speaking combination made up of the TOEFL Listening Comprehension section and selected tasks from the TSE were also reasonably well fit by the 3PL/generalized partial credit and 3PL/graded response model combinations.A variety of comparisons across the generalized partial credit and graded response models seem to indicate some preference for using the generalized partial credit model when PARSCALE is used as the calibration program. The results of this study provide useful information about test construction and item calibration procedures that might later be used for the TOEFL 2000 project.

AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE DIFFICULTY OF DIALOGUE ITEMS IN TOEFL LISTENING COMPREHENSION

ABSTRACTOne of the item types in the Listening Comprehension Section of the TOEFL® test is the Dialogue. Because the Dialogue item pool needs to have an appropriate balance of items at a range of difficulty levels, test developers have examined items at various difficulty levels in an attempt to identify their features. In this study, the authors created a classification system for certain item features, classified a sample of the current Dialogue item pool, and conducted data analyses in an attempt to characterize the features of easy and difficult Dialogue items. They results of the analyses indicate that, of the features studied, five were significant: the presence of infrequent oral vocabulary, the sentence pattern of the utterances in the stimulus, the presence of negatives in the stimulus, the necessity of making an inference to answer the item, and the roles of the speakers in the stimulus.

Perceived Strategy Use During Performance On Three Authentic Listening Comprehension Tasks

In order for learners to acquire a foreign language they must be motivated and use strategies effectively to understand “authentic” aural input. This study offers some insight into the strategies students perceive they use while performing an authentic listening comprehension task and the relationship between their strategy use and listening ability. Eighty‐three university students registered for first‐, second‐, third‐, and fourth‐semester Spanish participated in two data gathering sessions. In the first session, they took the Listening Comprehension section of the Spanish Advanced Placement Exam (1984). In the second session, they executed recall tasks on three authentic video programs and then completed a strategy questionnaire. The first‐semester students perceived themselves to be the most strategic listeners and outperformed the second‐semester students on all three recall tasks; they were followed by the combined third‐ and‐fourth‐semester students and then by the second‐semester students, who perceived themselves to be the least strategic listeners and consistently produced the lowest scores on the recall tasks.

The effects of note-taking on listening comprehension in the Test of English as a Foreign Language

This study examined the effects of taking notes in the portion of the TOEFL listening comprehension section that contains short monologues, or 'mini talks'. These effects were assessed in experimental testing sessions with students in intensive English language programmes and with undergraduate and graduate international students. A multiple-choice questionnaire sur veyed the students' reactions to the opportunity to take notes and their previous note-taking experiences. Allowing students to take notes had little effect on their performance, and urging students to take notes significantly impaired their performance. These effects were observed even for students who reported being in the habit of taking many notes or reported having had classroom instruction in note taking. Apparently, then, little benefit is gained by taking notes in the context of the present TOEFL minitalks, perhaps because they are designed to assess listening comprehension with minimal demand placed on memory. Responses to the questionnaire aid in understanding the results and provide useful general information about the students' note-taking experiences and habits.