Exploring the role of strategy instruction: Young learners’ listening performance and strategy use

Abstract

This paper reports on an exploratory investigation into the impacts of implicit instruction of listening strategies on strategy use and listening performance of young EFL learners in Turkey. Data from 34 lower-intermediate learners of English in two-4 th grade-classes in a primary school were analysed to investigate to what extent their employment of listening strategies varied after 12-week-strategy instruction integrated into their listening activities, and whether there was any change in their awareness of top-down and bottom-up processes in listening comprehension. Qualitative instruments of listening interviews were employed in the experimental and control groups to explore young learners' listening strategy use. Also, self-assessment grids and a pre-and post-test provided evidence of how the experimental group class had changed their reported strategy use and performance in listening comprehension. Analysis of the data revealed a difference in young learners' listening performance and strategy use over the examined time period, including a reported change in awareness of listening, increase in self-confidence, and a greater willingness to engage in strategy use. These findings are discussed in terms of the development in listening comprehension in English. This study implies that listening strategy instruction should be integrated in second language listening classroom to better young learners' listening.

Effects of Strategy Instruction on Tertiary Students’ Attitudes towards Learning English Listening Skill: An Action Research Project in Vietnam

“…A similar finding was also reported in Nguyen's (2018) and Irgin and Erten's (2020) study. After receiving LSI integrated into the syllabus, the participants shared that they felt more confident in their ability to comprehend English and were satisfied with it the listening course.…”

“…On the one hand, this finding supports many researchers such as Oxford (1990Oxford ( , 2017, Little (2007); Griffiths (2013); Irgin and Erten (2020) in asserting that autonomy has a very strong relationship with learning strategies. In turn, Oxford (2003Oxford ( , 2017 noted many times that autonomy contributes to learners' use of strategies, and the use of strategies also strengthens autonomy.…”

“…This is the key purpose of the LSI (Oxford, 2017). On the other hand, strategic behavior encourages language users to be more responsible in their own learning and lets them deploy higher-level strategic thinking skills (Irgin & Erten, 2020). This finding suggests that listening strategy instruction is a great way to make the learners become more autonomous and self-regulated.…”

“…One of the most important aims of strategy training is not only to develop the students' listening performance but also to increase their degree of autonomy (Irgin & Erten, 2020). This is the key purpose of the LSI (Oxford, 2017).…”

Applied linguistics and language education research in Turkey: 2016–2022

“…Our analytical review revealed relatively fewer studies that focused on receptive skills, listening having even less emphasis than reading. Irgın and Erten's (2020) EFL young learners, for instance, showed improvements in their listening performance and strategy use after a 12-week strategy instruction, as well as a self-reported increase in their awareness of listening, self-confidence, and willingness to use listening strategies. Özgen and Gündüz's (2020) experimental study, on the other hand, underlined the pedagogical benefits of using authentic captioned sitcoms on EFL learners’ listening comprehension.…”