Developing EFL Learners’Listening Comprehension through a Computer-Assisted Self-Regulated Prosody-Based Listening Platform

Abstract

Research has shown that the development of the listening ability in Second Language (L2) learning is of crucial importance to the emergence of other language skills. Moreover, listening is considered as an individualized activity and the listeners may vary in how they make sense of the input. Therefore, in an attempt to help L2 learners enhance their L2 listening comprehension, this study built a computer-assisted prosody-based self- regulated listening platform and investigated its effects on improving the listening comprehension of 65 beginning Vietnamese college students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The study employed a mixed-methods approach within a quasi- experimental design. For 10 weeks, the experimental group practiced listening with prosody-based activities in a self-regulated learning environment. The results indicate that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in their listening performance. The outcome underlines the value of prioritizing prosody by using the techniques developed in the present study such as listening to low-pass filtered audio, repetition in synchrony with body movements, and shadowing to enhance listening comprehension. In addition, data from students’ journals and interviews reveal that learners had positive opinions about the listening approach used in terms of its effectiveness as well as its efficiency. In light of these findings, the study discusses some pedagogical implications in the field of listening and proposes recommendations for further research.