Efl learners’ difficulties in listening comprehension assessment mediated by speech perception and accent unfamiliarity

Abstract

The listening skill is as important as the other main language skills in the field of language teaching and learning. Previous research has been conducted to develop listening strategies with different kinds of populations, although this skill continues being the most overlooked by teachers and researchers. There is a lack of attention to dealing with the listening problems faced directly by English learners. This individual action research study includes a multi-method strategy involving both quantitative and qualitative data. To complete the study, the researcher employed post-questionnaires, a focus group, a mock test, online listening tests, listening comprehension tests from textbooks, and a teacher’s journal to collect data. The focus was to analyze how the integration of adapted authentic materials and scaffolding impacts learners’ listening performance during assessment.

The listening skill is as important as the other main language skills in the field of language teaching and learning. Previous research has been conducted to develop listening strategies with different kinds of populations, although this skill continues being the most overlooked by teachers and researchers. There is a lack of attention to dealing with the listening problems faced directly by English learners. This individual action research study includes a multi-method strategy involving both quantitative and qualitative data. To complete the study, the researcher employed post-questionnaires, a focus group, a mock test, online listening tests, listening comprehension tests from textbooks, and a teacher’s journal to collect data. The focus was to analyze how the integration of adapted authentic materials and scaffolding impacts learners’ listening performance during assessment. The analysis was done through grounded theory and the results showed that participants outperformed themselves after being exposed to new accents. They used diverse thinking skills, gained self-confidence, and became aware of the properties of developing their listening skills. The study’s findings provide evidence of the effectiveness of using adapted authentic materials and scaffolding to facilitate effective assessment for young learners. This innovative approach could be adopted in language teaching and learning contexts understand barriers to developing listening skills.