Comparing Two Pre-listening Supports with Iranian EFL Learners: Opportunity or Obstacle

Abstract

Since listening is a crucial component of language competence and fundamental for successful communication as well, its development has been gradually given much attention from language teachers and researchers. This study is aimed at investigating the effectiveness of two pre-listening supports, i.e. question preview and topic preparation on the listening comprehension of foreign language learners. The participants (N=61 female), divided in two separate groups, answered ten items of listening comprehension tests under two different conditions. In the question preview condition, the teacher read questions and options loudly before the listening test began, while in the topic preparation condition, the participants read textual information related to the topics of listening tests. The results showed that pre-listening supports benefited EFL learners' listening comprehension. However, statistical significant difference of the listening comprehension scores between the two supports could not be established. With such a positive effect on EFL listening, this study suggests that topic preparation and question preview have their own specific role in the development of EFL learners' listening comprehension.

Validity of the listening module of international English language testing system: multiple sources of evidence

“…To date, more research has been conducted on listening in second or foreign language (Alavi and Janbaz 2014;Bodie and Worthington 2010;Harding et al 2015;Kimura 2016;KÖk 2017;Roussel et al 2017;Vandergrift 1997Vandergrift , 2006Vandergrift , 2007. In particular, more and more research has been conducted on IELTS since the IELTS research program started in 1995, so that more than 110 empirical studies have received grant so far (Nakatsuhara et al 2017); however, to date, there has been a paucity of research in the field of IELTS listening and just fewer bodies of research (e.g., Aryadoust 2011Aryadoust , 2012Aryadoust , 2013Badger and Yan 2006;Field 2005;Harding et al 2015;Phakiti 2016;Winke and Lim 2014) have been conducted on IELT LCT as far as we are aware of.…”

Comparing the Effect of AOs and TPS on EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension

“…While some researchers confirmed the positive effects of Advance Organizers (e.g. : Alavi & Janbaz, 2014;Choudhary & Qamar, 2015;Gowhary, Pourhalashi, Jamalinesari, & Azizifar, 2015;Rameshianfar, Shahnazari, & Tavakoli, 2015;Said, Soekamto, & Suharto, 2018;Vandergrift & Baker, 2015).…”