Examining the Interaction between two Process‐based L2 Listening Instruction Methods and Listener Proficiency Level: Which form of Instruction Most Benefits Which Learners?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Yeldham
Keyword(s):  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Listening Instruction ◽  
L2 Listening

Does the presence of formulaic language help or hinder second language listeners’ lower-level processing?

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Yeldham
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
Formulaic Language ◽  
Text Difficulty ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
The One

This study examined the influence of formulaic language on second language (L2) listeners’ lower-level processing, in terms of their ability to accurately identify the words in texts. On the one hand, there were reasons for expecting the presence of the formulas to advantage the learners, because the learners would process these formulaic words more holistically than the surrounding non-formulaic words. On the other hand, though, because formulas are commonly uttered in more reduced fashion than their surrounding non-formulaic words – and L2 learners commonly face challenges understanding reduced speech – it was possible that the formulas would negatively impact the learners’ processing. The participants listened to four texts, which were paused intermittently for them to transcribe the final stretch of words they had heard prior to each pause. The researcher had previously categorized these words as being part of formulas or non-formulas through corpus analysis. By comparing the listeners’ identification of the formulaic and the non-formulaic language, the study found that formulaic language facilitated their lower-level listening. This degree of advantage, however, varied across text difficulty level and listener proficiency level. Based on the findings, implications for L2 listening instruction are discussed.

scholarly journals The effect of written text on comprehension of spoken English as a foreign language: A replication study

2019 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Elsa Tragant
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Free Recall Task ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Spoken English ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Perceived Difficulty ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Learning To Listen

Abstract The use of written text has been acclaimed to enhance L2 listening comprehension, yet some argue that using written text does not effectively prepare learners to listen in real situations. Thus, the study was conducted to explore the effect of written text on learners’ perceived difficulty, listening comprehension and learning to listen through replicating the research by Diao, Chandler & Sweller (2007. The effect of written text on comprehension of spoken English as a foreign language. The American Journal of Psychology 237–261). Participants were 101 low-proficient English learners who were divided into three groups: listening with subtitles, listening with a full script and listening only. Each group first listened to a passage in their respective mode, then all three groups listened to another passage in the listening-only mode. Participants rated their perceived difficulty and completed a free recall task after each listening. Results suggest that the difficulty of written text should be tuned with learners’ proficiency level so that they can benefit from the presence of written text in listening.

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

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Xu ◽  
Jason Fan ◽  
Kaizhou Luo
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Listening Instruction ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
L2 Listening

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.

Effects of expanded vocabulary support on L2 listening comprehension

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Chun Pan ◽  
Tzung-Hung Tsai ◽  
Yueh-Kuey Huang ◽  
Dilin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Vocabulary Instruction ◽  
International Communication ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Multiword Units ◽  
Listening Ability ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Different Levels

Various forms of pre-listening support, such as the provision of vocabulary and topic information, have been used to help second language (L2) learners better understand what they listen to. Results of studies on the effects of vocabulary support have been mixed. Furthermore, there has been little research on the effects of different quantities of vocabulary items and types of word information provided on the listening performance of L2 students of different proficiency levels. Therefore, this study investigated the effectiveness of two different levels of 18-week vocabulary support (an expanded vocabulary-instruction support that targeted both a greater quantity of lexical items and a focus on multiword units vs. an unexpanded vocabulary-instruction support with a focus on single words only) for enhancing listening ability of students of English as a foreign language (EFL) defined as their performance on the listening test of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). The results indicate that the group that received the expanded vocabulary support attained a significant gain and performed significantly better on the posttest than the group that received the unexpanded vocabulary support. The results also reveal that the expanded vocabulary support was particularly helpful for lower proficiency level students. Pedagogical and research implications are also discussed.

scholarly journals Prosodic Pointing in inferential comprehension: the application of Relevance Theory to L2 listening instruction

Letrônica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 34157
Author(s):  
Pauline Madella ◽  
Jesús Romero-Trillo
Keyword(s):  
Relevance Theory ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Chinese Speakers ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Epistemic Vigilance ◽  
Listening Instruction ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Inferential Comprehension

The interface between pragmatics and prosody has been shown to be significant in intercultural communication (RIESCO BERNIER; ROMERO-TRILLO, 2008; ROMERO-TRILLO, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2019). In this paper, we re-evaluate the pragmatics-prosody interface on the grounds that prosody is seldom interpreted independently from accompanying gesture, facial modification and head movement. To enhance L2 hearers’ pragmatic competence, or what we define as attentional and inferential abilities, we introduce prosodic pointing as an ostensive phenomenon inclusive of both vocal and visual paralinguistic features used synchronously to communicate and interpret one’s intentions. We believe that the way relevance mechanisms (SPERBER; WILSON, 1986; WHARTON, 2014) focus the hearer on the speaker’s ostensive nonverbal behaviours, for him to use them as cues to speaker meaning, can be exploited in L2 listening instruction that aims to develop epistemic vigilance (SPERBER 1994; PADILLA CRUZ, 2013) and pragmatic competence in Chinese hearers of L2 English. In English, you can show disagreement by saying ‘Yes, he \was’. In Chinese, however, ‘yes’ always means agreement. Chinese speakers typically disagree by saying ‘No, he was’, thus potentially causing misunderstanding. We investigate how introducing prosodic pointing to Chinese L2 learners can help in fine-tuning their epistemic vigilance in L2 English through an intervention study involving input and immediate recall sessions. The results show (i) evidence of Chinese interpreters of L2 English fine-tuning their epistemic vigilance and, as result, the important role of prosodic pointing in enhancing their pragmatic competence, and (ii) the need for further relevance-based L2 instructional studies focused on enhancing inferential and interpretive competence in hearers of L2 English.***Apontamento prosódico na compreensão inferencial: a aplicação da Teoria da Relevância à instrução auditiva L2***A interface entre pragmática e prosódia tem se mostrado significativa em comunicação intercultural (RIESCO BERNIER; ROMERO-TRILLO, 2008; ROMERO-TRILLO, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2019). Neste artigo, nós reavaliamos a interface pragmática-prosódica assumindo que a prosódia é raramente interpretada de maneira independente de gestos, modificações faciais e movimentos de cabeça. A fim de aprimorar a competência pragmática do ouvinte em L2, ou o que definimos como habilidades inferencial e de atenção, introduzimos o conceito de indicação gestual-prosódica (prosodic pointing) como uma ferramenta baseada na relevância que inclui características tanto segmentais como paralinguísticas, usadas sincronizadamente para comunicar a intenção do falante. Acreditamos que a maneira como mecanismos de relevância (SPERBER; WILSON, 1986, WHARTON, 2014) fazem o ouvinte focar em comportamentos ostensivos não verbais - a fim de que ele as use como pistas para o significado do falante - pode informar instruções de compreensão oral em L2 que busquem desenvolver a competência pragmática e a vigilância epistêmica (PADILLA CRUZ, 2013) em falantes chineses de inglês como L2. Em inglês, você pode mostrar discordância ao dizer ‘sim, ele \foi’. Em chinês, no entanto, ‘sim’ sempre significa concordância. Falantes chineses normalmente expressam discordância ao dizer ‘Não, ele foi’, o que potencialmente pode causar um mal-entendido. Nós investigamos como a introdução de ‘instruções prosódicas’ para chineses aprendizes de L2 pode aprimorar a competência pragmática e a vigilância epistêmica através de um estudo de intervenção com uma combinação de metodologias que envolvem testes de recepção, testes de compreensão oral e testes de recordação. Os estudos mostram (i) a necessidade de instruções que coloquem o aprendiz de L2 em um papel direto de ouvinte a fim de que sua atenção selecione as pistas ostensivas do falante e as use em seu processo deinterpretação e (ii) a importância de melhorar as instruções de compreensão inferencial partindo de estudos de L2 baseados na relevância.

scholarly journals A data-driven caption for L2 listening

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Mirzaei ◽  
Kourosh Meshgi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
False Positives ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Selection Pattern ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Feature Based ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Ted Talks

Partial and Synchronized Caption (PSC) is a tool that automatically detects difficult segments for the second language (L2) listeners and displays them in the caption while omitting easy-to-recognize cases to reduce cognitive load. Given that the number of words to be shown in this caption is limited, the main challenge lies in selecting and prioritizing difficult words. Since partialization is a classifying task, we made a dataset of labeled words in TED talks (easy vs. difficult) for a target proficiency-level. A deep classifier is trained on this dataset to automate the detection of difficult words/phrases without explicitly extracting word features. This proposed data-driven PSC outperforms its feature-based versions by adopting a selection pattern that is more similar to the annotations, capturing more complicated cases, and minimizing the false positives.

scholarly journals Coverage and instruction of reduced forms in EFL course books

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Michael Crawford ◽  
Yasuo Ueyama
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Data ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Listening Instruction ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Reduced Forms

As the development of bottom-up skills in L2 listening instruction begins to gain greater attention, more and more EFL course books are beginning to include exercises that are designed to improve learners’ abilities to understand reduced forms such as gonna, wanna, and didja. As a step towards understanding how forms such these are being integrated into these materials, this study examined 13 EFL course books and analyzed the number and frequency of the forms they contain, as well as the types of exercises they include. The number and frequency data was then compared to 13 different books that are specifically designed to teach reduced forms, thus allowing for a determination of the extent of coverage course books are providing. Overall, the results provided a favorable picture of course books’ handling of reduced forms. However, some recommendations are made for improving coverage and making instruction more effective. L2リスニング指導においてボトムアップスキルの開発が注目されはじめる中、学習者のgonna, wanna, didjaのような弱形に対する理解度を高めることを目的とした練習問題が含まれているEFL用テキストが増えている。弱形がこれらの教材にどのように導入されているかを明らかにするために、本研究では13冊のテキストを調査対象とし、それらの中に含まれている弱形の数および出現頻度、練習問題の種類を分析した。さらに、数と出現頻度のデータを、弱形を中心に取り上げる専門書の調査データと比較することによって、テキストでの収録範囲を確認した。分析の結果、テキストにおける弱形の取り扱い方は、概ね専門書の調査結果と一致し、良好であるということが分かった。しかし、収録範囲の細部や教育方針に関しては、改善の余地があると思われる。

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