A Study of Factors Affecting EFL Learners' English Listening Comprehension and the Strategies for Improvement

Gilakjani, Abbas Pourhossein; Ahmadi, Mohammad Reza

doi:10.4304/jltr.2.5.977-988

Cited by 238 publications

(260 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Though it is necessary to develop listening comprehension among language learners, they were seldom taught how to listen effectively (Vandergrift, 2007). Moreover, listening comprehension has received the least attention in language teaching, learning, research and assessment although it is considered the most essential skill in a language (Oxford, 1993;Mendelsohn, 2001;Clement, 2007;Gilakjani & Ahmadi, 2011). Finding good techniques and strategies for teaching listening comprehension has been emphasized in research conducted by some researchers (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Audiobooks for Developing Listening Comprehension among Saudi EFL Preparatory Year Students

Mohamed

2018

JLTR

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Abstract-The current study investigated the usefulness of using audiobooks on developing listening comprehension among Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) preparatory year students. It employed the quasi-experimental design which included two groups: an experimental group (n = 44) and a control group (n = 44). The participants were EFL preparatory year students at Arar Branch, Northern Border University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Before conducting the treatment, the experimental group and the control group were pre-tested by using the pre Listening Comprehension Test (LCT) for equivalence of listening comprehension. By the end of the treatment, the experimental group and the control group were post-tested by using the post LCT. The t-test was used to calculate the differences between the mean scores of the pre and post LCT. The results showed that a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group and the control group on the post LCT in favor of the experimental group. The results also revealed that a statistically significant difference was found in the mean scores of the experimental group between the pre and post LCT in favor of the post LCT. Thus, it can be concluded that the audiobooks helped the experimental group develop listening comprehension as they exceeded the control group on the post LCT and they achieved a better result on the post LCT than the pre LCT.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Audiobooks for Developing Listening Comprehension among Saudi EFL Preparatory Year Students

Mohamed

2018

JLTR

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“…In this context, Pourhossein and Reza (2011) state that the significance of listening, the study of its teaching theory, and the use of the most advanced listening teaching methods are the most crucial factors.…”

Section: Teaching Listeningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regarding teaching methods, Pourhossein and Reza (2011) claim that the communicative approach is the method that teachers should use to meet the needs of the students and obtain as a result efficient English speakers and www.ccsenet.org/elt English Language Teaching Vol. 8, No.…”

Section: Teaching Listeningmentioning

confidence: 99%

EFL Teaching in the Amazon Region of Ecuador: A Focus on Activities and Resources for Teaching Listening and Speaking Skills

González¹,

Ochoa²,

Cabrera³

et al. 2015

ELT

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Research on teaching listening and speaking skills has been conducted at many levels. The purpose of this study was to analyze the current implementation of classroom and extracurricular activities, as well as the use of educational resources for teaching both skills in public senior high schools in the Amazon region of Ecuador, particularly in the towns of Zamora and Yantzaza. The participants included 188 students between the ages of 15 and 18 years, and 10 English teachers in the area. This study was conducted using a mixed-method (quantitative and qualitative) approach. The instruments to collect information were students' and teachers' questionnaires, teacher's interviews, and observation sheets. In addition, the Cambridge English Unlimited Placement Test was applied in order to determine the students' English proficiency level of listening and speaking skills. The findings revealed that the completion of exercises based on a listening passage and dialogues were the most frequent activities used by students to practice listening in the classroom; meanwhile, dialogues and repetition drills were the most frequent activities applied to develop speaking. With respect to extracurricular activities, listening to English music with lyrics, watching videos, discussions, and conversations with native speakers were most frequently suggested for enhancing listening and speaking. Among the resources, audio CDs and textbooks were the most frequent aids to prompt listening and speaking activities.

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“…Moreover, it is evident that language learners with a large size of vocabulary and excellent command of English grammar still have difficulty with their pronunciation (Celce-Murcia, Brinton & Goodwin, 1996). In view of the importance of intelligible pronunciation, English teaching cannot only be limited to the acquisition of grammar (Gilakjani, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing a Pronunciation Computer Program for the Acquisition of English Phonemes and Word Stress

Hong

Yang

2017

RiL

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This study devised a pronunciation computer program to examine whether mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) could facilitate college students' acquisition of English phonemes and word stress. Thirty-eight participants enrolled in the remedial English class offered at the language center of a national technological university in central Taiwan. Before the class, they were asked to read a word list. In the following six weeks, they were taught to distinguish and articulate English phonemes and to predict word stress locations using the designed computer program. They were also instructed to review the learning materials using the smart-phone version of the devised program. After the teaching session, each participant was asked again to read the same word list and fill out an assessment questionnaire. The sound analyses show that their readings of English minimal pairs and word stress placement were more accurate than their performances before the instruction. Their responses to the questionnaire indicate that both the given instruction and the designed computer program were satisfactory. In the open-ended questions, some of them said that they have built up a better understanding of phonemes and word stress, and that they would try to predict polysyllabic word stress when reading English articles. The present findings can be further applied to research on MALL-based English pronunciation acquisition.

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A Study of Factors Affecting EFL Learners' English Listening Comprehension and the Strategies for Improvement

Cited by 238 publications

References 16 publications

Using Audiobooks for Developing Listening Comprehension among Saudi EFL Preparatory Year Students

Using Audiobooks for Developing Listening Comprehension among Saudi EFL Preparatory Year Students

EFL Teaching in the Amazon Region of Ecuador: A Focus on Activities and Resources for Teaching Listening and Speaking Skills

Developing a Pronunciation Computer Program for the Acquisition of English Phonemes and Word Stress

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