Exploring L2 Listening Instruction, Self-Efficacy, and Strategy Use: A Mediation Analysis

This study aims to investigate different types of English listening instruction, listening self-efficacy, and listening strategy use, particularly the mediating role of self-efficacy between listening instruction and strategy use. We first examined the types of L2 instruction being employed in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) listening classrooms and then we looked into the relationships between L2 listening instruction, listening self-efficacy, and listening strategy use. The results of exploratory factor analysis demonstrated four types of English listening instruction: process-based instruction, comprehension-based instruction, self-regulation-based instruction, and strategy-based instruction. The results of structural equation modeling showed that listening self-efficacy mediated the relationship between strategy-based instruction and listening strategy use, and self-regulation-based instruction and listening strategy use. This study has implications for understanding the effectiveness of different listening teaching practices in enhancing self-efficacy and strategy use.

Second language listening instruction and learners’ vocabulary knowledge

This mixed-methods study examined how second language (L2) learners’ vocabulary knowledge interacted with the two main process-based listening instruction methods of (1) strategy training and (2) interactive training that combined strategy training with that of bottom-up skills, to influence the learners’ development as listeners. The participants were lower-proficiency listeners, and the quantitative component of the study reanalyzed data from a previous study by the author that had compared the effectiveness of the two instruction methods for these learners, and also factored in the learners’ level of vocabulary knowledge (higher vs lower). Among a range of dependent variables considered important for listener development, the study found an interaction effect between instruction method and vocabulary knowledge for the learners’ confidence, or self-efficacy, as listeners. In particular, among the higher vocabulary knowledge learners in the study, those in the strategy course demonstrated much greater improvement in their self-efficacy than those in the interactive course. Insights from elsewhere in the study, particularly analysis of qualitative data gathered for this study, helped to explain why. As self-efficacy is often considered an important requirement for effective listening, and also a precursor for future listener development, the result of the study has relevance for listening instruction.

MOBILE AUDIOBOOKS, LISTENING COMPREHENSION AND EFL COLLEGE STUDENTS

This article proposes the integration of mobile () to develop EFL college students' listening comprehension skills. It aims to show the following: (i) The advantages of integrating in listening instruction; (ii) sources of ; (iii) how to search for ; (iv) criteria for selecting ; (v) examples of ; (vi) listening comprehension skills and literary appreciation skills that can be developed through supplementary ; (vii) phases of teaching and learning with and types of tasks that can be used with MAB; (viii) evaluation and assessment; (ix) the effect of on listening comprehension skill improvement and attitudes as perceived by the students; and (x) recommendations for the effective use of .

Working Memory and Language Aptitude in Relation to Listening Strategy Instruction in an Instructed SLA Context

The present small-scale study explores whether working memory (WM) and language aptitude (LA) explain any variance in L2 listening comprehension beyond baseline listening ability and explicit strategy-based listening instruction in an instructed EFL setting at the tertiary level. In a pretest/posttest non-randomized group design, the experimental group (N = 19) received explicit strategy-based listening instruction for 12 hours while the control group (N = 17) followed their regular L2 listening course syllabus. L2 listening comprehension was measured with an L2 academic listening comprehension test. WM measures (Foster et al., 2015) included an operation span task (OST), a symmetry span task (SST), and a rotation span task (RST). LA was assessed with LLAMA (Meara, 2005). The findings revealed the effectiveness of strategy-based intervention for L2 listening comprehension. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that baseline listening scores explained about 52% of the variance in the post-listening scores, while listening strategy instruction explained an additional 16% of the variance. On the other hand, WM and LA did not explain any variance in listening comprehension scores, suggesting that the two individual learner differences in the present study are not significant predictors of L2 listening comprehension.

The effects of prosody instruction on listening comprehension in an EAP classroom context

In many English language teaching contexts, listening activities resemble listening comprehension tests. Scholars have argued that this product-oriented approach is not particularly effective in helping learners improve their listening skills and have advocated for the inclusion of instruction that targets specific features of spoken language. The current study tested these claims in the context of an English-for-academic-purposes (EAP) listening and speaking course. Sixty-four post-secondary learners of English were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In addition to their regularly scheduled listening activities, one group received 100 minutes of instruction for two prosodic features (paratone and prosodic phrasing), while the other group received an equal amount of product-oriented listening instruction. After the instructional treatment, learners in the prosody group outperformed those in the product-oriented group on comprehension of the target prosodic features, and on general listening proficiency tests. It is argued that short periods of instruction targeting prosodic features can improve the effectiveness of traditional product-oriented EAP listening instruction.

Practitioners respond to Suzanne Graham's ‘Research into practice: Listening strategies in an instructed classroom setting’. (2017)

In her 2017 article ‘Research into practice: Listening strategies in an instructed classroom setting,’ Suzanne Graham outlines ways that research-derived principles of listening instruction have (not) been adopted in second language (L2) classrooms. She organizes her argument into three categories, discussing research findings that have not been well applied, those that have been over-applied, and areas she views as holding good potential for application. In this short response, I compare Graham's conclusions about the extent of research adoption to my own experiences as a language teacher and make additional comments about the application of those research findings in the context of post-secondary L2 English instruction.