Developing Listening Skills in the Language Classroom

This intervention study assessed the effects of three instructional approaches to L2 listening: (1) a metacognitive pedagogical cycle, (2) an awareness-raising approach combining reflections and short discussions on successful listening factors, and (3) a traditional comprehension-based approach with pre-listening vocabulary and guiding questions. Listening was tested at pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test. Results show that guiding learners through processes that develop metacognitive knowledge and regulatory skills is an effective way of teaching listening, with preliminary evidence of long-term impacts.