The effectiveness of second-language listening strategy instruction: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Research on the effects of second language (L2) listening strategy instruction (SI) has gained momentum in recent years (e.g. Vandergrift & Tafaghodtari, 2010). However, the reported results have been inconclusive and varied across studies. Synthesizing the results of quantitative research in this domain, the present meta-analysis sought to determine the overall effectiveness of L2 listening SI as well as to examine the extent to which the effectiveness of instruction is likely to vary as a function of a set of potential moderators (i.e. learning contexts, treatment types, methodological variables, and outcome measures). A comprehensive search identified 45 primary studies, contributing data from 51 independent samples on the effects of SI on L2 listening comprehension. The aggregated findings indicate a medium effect of listening SI ( d = 0.69). These effects were also found to vary as a function of several moderator variables. Based on the obtained findings, L2 teachers are recommended to incorporate listening SI into L2 curricula. Pedagogical suggestions and directions for future research are provided in our discussion.

The effectiveness of note taking through exposure to L2 input: A meta-analysis

“…In relation to learner variables, the analyses revealed greater benefit from note taking in FL contexts (g = 0.68) over SL contexts (g = 0.12). This pattern of results aligns with findings from other meta-analyses that explored different SIs such as listening SI (Dalman & Plonsky, 2022) and reading SI (Taylor, 2014). A possible reason for this is that for FL learners taking notes may be more effective for improving learning (Siegel, 2018b) because note taking provides opportunities to optimize learning from the small amount of L2 input that FL learners typically encounter.…”

“…Kobayashi's (2005) meta-analysis of the encoding effect of note taking on L1 learning revealed that younger learners in primary and secondary schools benefited more from note taking than university students because note taking can compensate for lack of cognitive abilities and skills. However, a recent meta-analysis of listening-strategy instruction on L2 learners' listening performance revealed that older learners tended to benefit more from strategy instruction because they were equipped with superior cognitive and metacognitive abilities (Dalman & Plonsky, 2022). Several metaanalyses examining L2 vocabulary learning also found that older learners tended to make greater learning gains than younger learners (de Vos et al, 2018;Uchihara et al, 2019).…”

“…As noted by Plonsky and Oswald (2014), examining the correlation between treatment length and outcomes would be useful for considering the cost/benefit ratio of interventions. Several meta-analyses have investigated length of strategy instruction (SI) in domains such as pragmatics instruction (Plonsky & Zhuang, 2019) and listening SI (Dalman & Plonsky, 2022). Therefore, the synthetic approach of this study enables us to examine the relationship between the effectiveness of note taking and the overall duration of instruction time.…”

The predictive effects of motivational beliefs on listening strategy use: A structural equation modeling approach

“…One central topic in second or foreign language (L2) teaching research is enhancing listening comprehension proficiency (Vandergrift, 2004). L2 researchers and practitioners have argued for implementing strategy instruction to promote listening comprehension (Dalman & Plonsky, 2022). However, strategy instruction does not necessarily improve L2 listening comprehension (Milliner & Dimoski, 2019).…”

“…However, strategy instruction does not necessarily improve L2 listening comprehension (Milliner & Dimoski, 2019). Individual differences such as motivation and self‐efficacy can affect listening strategy use (Du & Man, 2022; Xu & Qiu, 2020), which could, in turn, influence the effectiveness of listening strategy instruction (Dalman & Plonsky, 2022; Siegel, 2015). It is of pedagogical importance for listening instructors to know what contributes to listening strategy use.…”