scholarly journals L2 Listening Comprehension: Is it a Language Problem or Listening Problem?

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa El-dali
Keyword(s):  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Major Question ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Spoken English ◽  
Language Problem ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Comprehension Process ◽  
Faculty Of Education ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Language Environment

In a foreign language environment, students typically have limited exposure to the language outside formal classrooms. Therefore, their ability to comprehend spoken English may be limited. To add to this problem, L2 learners often regard listening as the most difficult language skill to learn. On the other hand, it is noticeable that L2 listening remains the least researched of all four language skills. Accordingly, the present study is based on the commonly believed premises that (1) investigating the listening comprehension process can provide useful insights into teaching listening and (2) learners who learn to control their listening process can enhance their comprehension, and their overall proficiency may be highly developed.The present study reports on the results of an empirical study on forty-six L2 learners of English. The subjects were equally divided into two groups. The first group (N=23) represents first year students (Beginners) in the Department of English at the Faculty of Education, Menufia University, Egypt. The second group (N=23) represents fourth year students (Advanced) in the same department. The major question that this study attempts to answer is “whether listening comprehension a language problem or listening problem?” The instruments of this study consist of five tasks: pre-test, questionnaire, classroom instruction sessions, post-test, and interviews. The data analysis had a quantitative and a qualitative part. Results were obtained and conclusions were made.

scholarly journals The effect of written text on comprehension of spoken English as a foreign language: A replication study

2019 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Elsa Tragant
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Free Recall Task ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Spoken English ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Perceived Difficulty ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Learning To Listen

Abstract The use of written text has been acclaimed to enhance L2 listening comprehension, yet some argue that using written text does not effectively prepare learners to listen in real situations. Thus, the study was conducted to explore the effect of written text on learners’ perceived difficulty, listening comprehension and learning to listen through replicating the research by Diao, Chandler & Sweller (2007. The effect of written text on comprehension of spoken English as a foreign language. The American Journal of Psychology 237–261). Participants were 101 low-proficient English learners who were divided into three groups: listening with subtitles, listening with a full script and listening only. Each group first listened to a passage in their respective mode, then all three groups listened to another passage in the listening-only mode. Participants rated their perceived difficulty and completed a free recall task after each listening. Results suggest that the difficulty of written text should be tuned with learners’ proficiency level so that they can benefit from the presence of written text in listening.

What You Don't Know Can't Help You

1990 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Reseigh Long
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Background Knowledge ◽  
Comprehension Process ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
L1 And L2

A number of recent studies in L1 listening comprehension have shown that background knowledge plays a crucial role in the comprehension process. The purpose of the present article is threefold: (a) to review the literature on background knowledge, (b) to present the findings of pertinent L1 and L2 research, and (c) to report the results of a preliminary study of L2 listening comprehension and background knowledge.

Is less more? Effectiveness and perceived usefulness of keyword and full captioned video for L2 listening comprehension

ReCALL ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maribel Montero Perez ◽  
Elke Peters ◽  
Piet Desmet
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Perceived Need ◽  
The Third ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
University Level ◽  
L2 Listening

AbstractThe aim of this study was twofold: we investigated (a) the effect of two types of captioned video (i.e., on-screen text in the same language as the video) on listening comprehension; (b) L2 learners’ perception of the usefulness of captions while watching L2 video. The participants, 226 university-level students from a Flemish university, watched three short French clips in one of three conditions: the control group watched the clips without captions (N = 70), the second group had fully captioned clips (N = 81), the third group had keyword captioned clips (N = 75). After each clip, all participants took a listening comprehension test, which consisted of global and detailed questions. To answer the detailed questions, participants had access to an audio passage of the corresponding clip. At the end of the experiment, participants completed a questionnaire and open-ended survey questions about their perception of captions. Our findings revealed that the full captioning group outperformed both the no captioning and the keyword captioning group on the global comprehension questions. However, no difference was found between the keyword captioning and the no captioning group. Results of the detailed comprehension questions (with audio) revealed no differences between the three conditions. A content-analysis approach to the questionnaire indicated that learners’ perceived need for full captions is strong. Participants consider captions useful for speech decoding and meaning-making processes. Surprisingly, keyword captions were considered highly distracting. These findings suggest that full rather than keyword captioning should be considered when proposing video-based listening comprehension activities to L2 learners.

Exploring which test-taker characteristics predict young L2 learners’ performance on listening and reading comprehension tests

2021 ◽  
pp. 026553222199113
Author(s):  
Sarah Sok ◽  
Hye Won Shin ◽  
Juhyun Do
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
Phonological Working Memory ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Comprehension Tests ◽  
Reading Comprehension Tests

Test-taker characteristics (TTCs), or individual difference variables, are known to be a systematic source of variance in language test performance. Although previous research has documented the impact of a range of TTCs on second language (L2) learners’ test performance, few of these studies have involved young learners. Given that young L2 learners undergo rapid maturational changes in their cognitive abilities, are susceptible to affective factors in unique ways, and have little autonomy with respect to the context of L2 acquisition, the relationship between their personal attributes and their test performance merit separate research attention. To fill this gap, we investigated the extent to which sixth-grade, Korean-L1, EFL learners’ ( n = 107) TTCs predicted their performance on tests of L2 listening and reading comprehension. The TTCs under investigation included three cognitive characteristics (aptitude, phonological working memory, L1 competence), one affective factor (motivation), and two demographic variables (socioeconomic status and gender). Results showed that aptitude and phonological working memory significantly predicted participants’ performance on both L2 listening and reading comprehension tests, whereas motivation predicted performance on the L2 listening comprehension test only. These findings suggest that higher aptitude, phonological working memory, and motivation contribute positively to young learners’ L2 outcomes.

The Effects of Cultural Familiarity and Question Preview Type on the Listening Comprehension of L2 Learners at the Secondary Level

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen-Hong Li ◽  
Cai-Jun Chen ◽  
Meng-Jie Wu ◽  
Ya-Chu Kuo ◽  
Yun-Ting Tseng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
L2 Learners

scholarly journals Online comments as input enhancement

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-54
Author(s):  
Dukhayel Aldukhayel
Keyword(s):  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Input Enhancement ◽  
Teaching Of Reading ◽  
Online Comments ◽  
Different Types ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Linguistic Input

Chapelle (2003) proposed three general types of input enhancement that help L2 learners “acquire features of the linguistic input that they are exposed to during the course reading or listening for meaning” (p. 40): input salience, input modification, and input elaboration. In 2010, Cárdenas-Claros and Gruba argued that Chapelle’s different types of input enhancement “can be and have been operationalized through help options” primarily utilized in the teaching of reading, listening, writing, grammar, and vocabulary such as glossed words, video/audio control features, captions, subtitles, and grammar explanations (p. 79). As understood from Cárdenas-Claros and Gruba’s classification of help options, input enhancement can only be accomplished through one process: salience, modification, or elaboration. In this article, we argue that YouTube comments have the potential to be (1) a help option that facilitate both listening comprehension of the videos and vocabulary learning and that (2) input enhancement accomplished by comments can be achieved by a combination of different types of input enhancement. Put another way, the aural input of a YouTube video can be salient, modified, and elaborated, thanks to the various types of comments YouTube videos often receive.

The Effectiveness of Multiple Media Tools in L2 Listening

2019 ◽  
pp. 585-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Kang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
First Language ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Source Language ◽  
Moderator Analysis ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Multiple Media ◽  
L2 Listening

Due to the nature of listening, multiple media tools (e.g., audiocassette players, radio, video, multimedia, and language laboratory) have been utilized in second language (L2) listening instruction for a long time. This chapter recruited the most recently published empirical studies and meta-analyzed available evidence on the effects of different multiple media tools on L2 listening comprehension. The results revealed a medium-to-large effect of multiple media tools on listening comprehension in between-group designs (Cohen's d = .69). The effects of individual multiple media tools have also been statistically synthesized. Further, moderator analysis could help L2 educators and test developers make decisions on applying different multiple media tools in the fields of L2 instruction and assessment. Specifically, subtitles (in the first language/L1) /captions (in the source language/L2), as well as self-regulated listening and slow speed, are recommended to teachers and test developers as a means to improve learners' listening comprehension. In the end, this chapter concludes by identifying potential areas for future research.

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