elt voices indiaeltvoices.in/volume3/evi_31_10.pdf · elt voices – india volume 3 issue 1 |...

[Type text]

ELT Voices – India Volume 3 Issue 1 | February 2013

ISSN 2230-9136

© Ignite (India) Publishing, Bhavnagar, Gujarat – India

www.eltvoices.in

ELT Research Paper 10

The Effect of Metacognitive Strategy Training on the Listening Performance of Iranian EFL Beginner Learners

Ali Asghar Eftekhary, Department of English, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign

Languages, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Tahereh Gharib, Department of English, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran

Ali Asghar Eftekhary & Tahereh Gharib: The Effect of Metacognitive Strategy Training on the Listening Performance of

Iranian EFL Beginner Learners

113 | E L T V o i c e s – I n d i a ( V o l . 3 I s s u e 1 ) | F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 | I S S N 2 2 3 0 - 9 1 3 6

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of metacognitive strategy training

on the listening performance of Iranian EFL beginner learners. Participants were

students of a high school who participated in summer language semester. To investigate

the effect of metacognitive strategy instruction, sixty students were homogenized and

divided into two control (n: 30) and experimental (n: 30) groups. The experimental

group received metacognitive listening strategy training, but teaching program of the

control group was restricted to the lesson plans presented by the course book. The

major training instruments used in this study were Cognitive Academic Language

Learning Approach (CALLA) and Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire

(MALQ). The comparison of the test results of control and experimental groups using t-

test at the end of the teaching course revealed the effectiveness of metacognitive

listening strategy training of the experimental group. By considering the effect of

metacognitive listening strategy training on listening comprehension of learners,

suggestions are made on the importance of integrating metacognitive training strategies

into teaching listening.

Keywords: English as a Foreign Language, Listening Comprehension, Metacognitive

Strategy Training.




1. Introduction

However listening is considered as one of the major skills in language learning, but the

number of studies done on this field is less than other skills. Listening skill is less apparent

and, so, have received less explicit attention (Chiang & Dunkel, 1992; Morley, 1984; Moyer,

2006; Mendelsohn, 1998; Schmidt-Rinehart, 1994). Scholars were engaged by theorizing

strategies to develop what they considered as main elements of language learning and

teaching. In this way listening was thought to grow by itself along other strategies with no

strategy being devised for its teaching. Nowadays this fact motivated many researchers to pay

more attention to this neglected skill. At last the silent heart of language learning (listening)

came to be seen as a part without which EFL learners could have no comprehensible input.

Based on this fact more and more research is done in this field.

Research has shown that successful learners are autonomous, reflective, and are actively

involved in their learning. These learners are aware of how learning takes place and the best

learning strategies for themselves. With this understanding, the importance of learning

strategies was recognized and teachers were suggested that they train their students in making

use of learning strategies for more successful learning experiences (Wenden, 1985).

Mendelsohn (1994) believes that an awareness of the strategies for listening comprehension

will form the basis for better listening courses. Similarly, Wenden (1983) underlines the need

for strategy training and helping learners become aware of their own language learning

experiences.

Therefore, in order to help Iranian EFL learners to develop their listening skill, this study is

conducted. In this study the effect of metacognitive listening strategy training on the listening

performance of female Iranian EFL beginner learners is of main concern.

2. Review of the Related Literature

2.1. Listening Strategies

Learning strategies facilitate the process of language learning. By applying learning strategies

learners manage their learning process and become autonomous learners. Listening strategies

are techniques which directly help listeners to comprehend and recall input, they can be

classified by how the listener processes the input. Strategy development is important for




listening training because strategies are conscious means by which learners can guide and

evaluate their own comprehension and responses (Vandergrift, 1999).

There are three main listening strategies presented by O’Malley and Chamot (1990), called

cognitive, socio-affective and metacognitive strategies. Following you could find

explanations on cognitive and social/affective strategies and to follow the main subject of this

work, metacognitive strategy would be explained in details in next sections.

2.1.1. Cognitive Strategy

By applying cognitive strategies students are directly engaged with problem-solving, in this

way students perform direct analysis, transformation or synthesis of incoming information.

Cognitive strategies are directly related to the performance of learning tasks. Cognitive

strategies play an operative or cognitive processing function.

In this strategy students design their learning materials and use special methods to do

listening activities. Cognitive strategy deals with language processing with the bottom-up and

top-down view which the input is stored in long-term memory for later use.

2.1.2. Socio-Affective Strategy

Social/affective strategies are concerned with interaction with another person or ideational

control over affect. Vandergrift (2003) defined social affective strategies as the techniques

listeners used to collaborate with others, to verify understanding or to lower anxiety. Habte-

Gabr (2006) stated that socio-affective strategies were those which were non academic in

nature and involve stimulating learning through establishing a level of empathy between the

instructor and student. They included considering factors such as emotions and attitudes

(Oxford, 1990). It was essential for listeners to know how to reduce the anxiety, feel

confident in doing listening tasks, and promote personal motivation in improving listening

competence (Vandergrift, 1997). According to O’Malley & Chamot (2001), among the four

strategies of management strategies, social strategies, cognitive strategies, affective strategies

in listening comprehension, both social and affective strategies influenced the learning

situation immediately. Of the activities done in this strategy are Social-mediating and

transacting activities.




2.1.3. Metacognitive Strategy

Metacognitive strategy training as a strategy based approach gives the opportunity to learners

to understand not only what they can learn but also how they can learn. Learners would self-

direct their language learning process and are aware of various strategies that help them in the

process of language comprehension. Among cognitive, socio/affective and metacognitive

strategy, metacognitive strategy is considered as the most essential ones in developing

learners’ skills (Anderson, 1991) and, it was emphasized by O’ Malley et al. (1985) that

learners without metacognitive approaches have no direction or ability to monitor their

progress, accomplishments, and future learning directions. The success of the learners is

defined by varying use of strategies. By teaching learners metacognitive strategies, learners

not only learn more effectively but also they develop a sense of autonomy, which is important

in developing listening proficiency. Metacognitive strategy has a prominent effect on

beginning and struggling learners, who are easily discouraged dealing with second language

listening process. Developing metacognitive strategy in learners would increase self-

confidence and motivation. Goh (2008) also confirms that, active monitoring, consequent

regulation and orchestration of learning processes are necessary components of

metacognition to achieve a goal. Listeners use metacognitive strategies to know and control

learning process, by which they plan, monitor, and evaluate their listening.

Thus, this study will try to obtain some insights into the effect of metacognitive strategy

training on the listening performance of Iranian EFL beginner learners. Concerning the

objectives of the study, the following research question is propounded:

2.2. Research Question

Does metacognitive strategy training have any effect on the listening performance of Iranian

EFL beginner learners?

In order to fulfill the research question, the hereunder null hypothesis was formulated:

2.3. Research Null Hypothesis

There is no improvement created by the metacognitive strategy training in developing the

listening performance of Iranian EFL beginner learners.




3. Method

3.1. Participants

The subjects of this study (n = 60) were Iranian female beginner EFL learners with

elementary level of English language proficiency. They were from Zeynabiyeh

High school in Garmsar city. The learners aged 15 to 18 and their mother-tongue

was Persian. Learners participated in summer semester of language classes which

was held by high school.

3.2. Instruments

In order to have homogenous subjects in terms of language proficiency, a standard language

proficiency test called Nelson English language test (Book 1 Elementary, test 050 A) was

administered to language learners. The reliability index of this was estimated through Kuder-

Richardson 21 as .82. By the result of this test a homogeneous crowd was divided by the

researcher to experimental and control group. Since the research involved the listening skill, a

listening test was necessarily used as pre-test, and after the treatment sessions, another

listening test was administered as post-test. For this part of listening test, the Basic Tactics for

Listening Test Booklet by Jack C. Richards (Oxford University Press, Second Edition, 2003)

was used.

In the treatment course for the experimental group these instruments were used:

A performance checklist for listening was referred to by participating students before and

after each listening task into which metacognitive strategy training is incorporated, it was

translated into Persian as students were only beginner students and might had difficulty

comprehending the checklist in English.

The CALLA model explained in Robbins (2000) lesson plan is applied for metacognitive

strategy training in this study.

The Persian translation of MALQ is used as a strategy training instrument.

To make sure whether the teacher is following the steps of the model and to maintain

consistency, a teacher checklist prepared by National Capital Language Resource Center

(NCLRC) was also completed by the teacher for each lesson. In this way teacher could




evaluate herself in the process of mingling metacognitive strategy training in each listening

session.

3.3. Procedure

For dealing with the research question, as if there was any effect of metacognitive strategy

training on the listening performance of Iranian beginner EFL learners, Intact Group Pre-test,

Post-Test design was used. This study was based on quasi-experimental design. Seventy four

high school students participated in this study. To evaluate their English language proficiency

Nelson test was administered and sixty students were determined to be at beginner level. This

crowd was randomly divided to two groups. Level of listening proficiency of both groups

was determined by pre-test. The experimental group received treatment while control group

didn’t. After the treatment, the researcher administered a post-test and test results of two

groups were compared to see the effectiveness of the treatment in the experimental group.

Independent and matched t-tests were used to investigate the effect of strategy instruction and

to compare pre-test and post-test means of both experimental and control groups. The

independent variable in this study is the metacognitive strategy use of a group of beginner

students and the dependent variable is the listening performance of the experimental and the

control group students.

4. Results and Discussion

4.1. Proficiency Test

The first phase of the study was administering 50 item Nelson test to have homogenous

subjects in terms of language proficiency. Nelson test was administered to 74 language

learners. By the proficiency test it was aimed to find the students at the same proficiency

level. Therefore two tests were applied; one of them was Levenes test which determined the

homogeneity of variance, and then Anova table was applied which its results indicated the

homogeneity of means. Regarding the derived p-value, the data had homogenous mean and

variance and 60 learners were chosen for this study.




Table 1. Descriptive Statistics: Proficiency Test

4.2. Pre-Test

The means of two groups in pre-test are compared with each other by independent-sample t-

test in order to see whether two groups were also homogenous regarding their listening ability

or not. The two groups under study are completely independent from each other, so the

Independent-sample t-test is administered here. In independent-sample t-test if a “t” criterion

is bigger that 0.05 there is no a meaningful difference between means. In this table “t”

criterion is .907 that is bigger than 0.05, then it could be concluded that there is no

meaningful difference between mean scores of control and experimental group in pretest.

Therefore, the participants who were randomly put in two groups by matching method are

homogenous. The null hypothesis in t-test shows that the mean of both groups are equal. As

you can see the Sig. (2-tailed) =.907>0.05, then the null hypothesis is accepted.

In table 2 the descriptive statistics and independent t-test for comparison of pre-test results

are presented:

Statistics

15 15 15 15 14

0 0 0 0 1

32.7333 33.2667 32.9333 33.3333 32.0714

2.01534 2.43871 2.40924 2.20749 1.97363

31.0000 34.0000 31.0000 35.0000 33.0000

23.00a 20.00a 29.00a 20.00a 28.00

7.80537 9.44508 9.33095 8.54958 7.38464

60.924 89.210 87.067 73.095 54.533

27.00 30.00 30.00 25.00 24.00

22.00 20.00 20.00 20.00 20.00

49.00 50.00 50.00 45.00 44.00

491.00 499.00 494.00 500.00 449.00

Valid

Missing

N

Mean

Std. Error of Mean

Median

Mode

Std. Deviation

Variance

Range

Minimum

Maximum

Sum

class 1 class 2 class 3 class 4 class 5

Multiple modes exist. The smallest value is showna.




Table 2. Independent-Sample T-Test in Pre-Test

Levene's Test

for Equality of

Variances t-test for Equality of Means

F Sig. t df

Sig. (2-

tailed)

Mean

Differen

ce

Std.

Error

Differen

ce

95% Confidence

Interval of the

Difference

Lower Upper

groups Equal

variances

assumed

.107 .744 .117 58 .907 .13333 1.14202

-

2.15267

E0

2.41934

Equal

variances not

assumed

.117 57.469 .907 .13333 1.14202

-

2.15312

E0

2.41979

4.3. Post-Test

4.3.1. Control Group in Post-Test

In table 3 the paired samples test of control group in pre and post-test is presented. By 95%

confidence interval of the difference it could be concluded that the amounts between upper

and lower amounts are acceptable. The mean scores do not show a noticeable difference;

therefore, this result reveals that the null hypothesis is confirmed.

Table 3. Paired Sample Statistics of Control Group

In the following table the difference between pre and post-test means is .066, and it shows

that, no significant change has occurred in post test result of control group. Then the null

hypothesis is accepted.

Paired Samples Statistics

21.1333 30 3.78503 .69105

21.0667 30 4.63073 .84545

control group in post test

control group in pre test

Pair

1

Mean N Std. Deviation

Std. Error

Mean




Table 4. Paired Samples Test of Control Group in Post-Test

4.3.2. Experimental Group in Post-Test

The most important piece of work is studying the effect of metacognitive strategy training on

learners of experimental group in pre and post-test. In table 5 you could clearly notice the

difference between the mean score of pre-test and post-test in experimental group.

Table 5. Two-Sample T-Test in Experimental and Control Group Post-Test Results

In table 6 the paired samples test of experimental group is presented. By 95% confidence

interval of the difference, it could be concluded that the amounts between upper and lower

amounts are acceptable. The mean scores of pre and post-tests in experimental group are

different. The mean difference in the second column is 2.86, and the P-value or Sig is zero,

which is less than the specified critical value of 0.05 (p=.010<.05). Therefore, there was

significant difference between the results of the pre-test and the post-test in experimental

group. This fact reveals that the null hypothesis is rejected and metacognitive strategy

training affected listening proficiency of beginner learners.

Table 6. Paired Samples Test of Experimental Group in Post-Test

Paired Samples Test

.06667 2.82761 .51625 -.98918 1.12252 .129 29 .898control group in post test

- control group in pre test

Pair

1

Mean Std. Deviation

Std. Error

Mean Lower Upper

95% Confidence

Interval of the

Difference

Paired Differences

t df Sig. (2-tailed)

Paired Samples Statistics

24.0667 30 3.79594 .69304

21.2000 30 4.20509 .76774

exp group in post test

exp group in pre test

Pair

1

Mean N Std. Deviation

Std. Error

Mean




4.3.3. Comparison of Post Test Results of Control and Experimental Groups

In independent-sample t-test if a “t” criterion is smaller than 0.05 there is a meaningful

difference between means. In this table “t” criterion is .004 that is smaller than 0.05, then it

could be concluded that there is a meaningful difference between mean scores of control and

experimental group in pre-test. The null hypothesis in t-test shows that the mean of groups

are not equal. As you can see the p-value=.004<0.05, then the null hypothesis is rejected.

In table 7 the descriptive statistics and independent t-test for comparison of post-test results

are presented:

Table 7. Independent-Sample T-Test in Post-Test

Levene's Test

for Equality

of Variances t-test for Equality of Means

F Sig. t df

Sig. (2-

tailed)

Mean

Differenc

e

Std.

Error

Differen

ce

95%

Confidence

Interval of the

Difference

Lower Upper

groups Equal variances

assumed .001 .981

2.997

E0 58 .004 2.93333 .97870 .97425

4.8924

1E0

Equal variances

not assumed

2.997

E0 58.000 .004 2.93333 .97870

9.74251

E-1

4.8924

2E0

Table 8. Group Statistics

Paired Samples Test

2.86667 2.30042 .42000 2.00767 3.72566 6.825 29 .000exp group in post test

- exp group in pre test

Pair

1

Mean Std. Deviation

Std. Error

Mean Lower Upper

95% Confidence

Interval of the

Difference

Paired Differences

t df Sig. (2-tailed)




Conclusion

This research sought to investigate the effect of metacognitive strategy training on the

listening performance of the participants. The result of the statistical analysis indicated a

significant relationship between listening performance and metacognitive strategy use by the

participants. When the students are trained how to learn, they will become effective learners

and know how to cope with the learning task. In completing a listening task learners with

metacognitive knowledge about learning process can evaluate the challenges of the task, be

informed about their own level of proficiency, and accordingly use the appropriate strategies

to successfully accomplish the task. In this way, the experimental group outperformed the

control group after the treatment sessions.

5. Implications and Suggestions for Further Research

It has been long a general pedagogical fact in Iran that listening instruction is mainly for

enhancing students’ learning process. In the present study the focus is more on the complex

listening process involving metacognitive strategy instruction and use.

The result of the present study provides some directions for teachers to promote learners’

metacognitive listening strategies of planning, monitoring and evaluation. Teachers may need

to introduce the concept of language learning strategies to learners and make learners familiar

with the learning strategies. Teachers could provide instruction and practice in using

metacognitive strategies, especially in planning, comprehension monitoring, and evaluation

strategies, which have positive influence on their performance.

code N Mean

Std.

Deviation

Std. Error

Mean

groups exp group 30 24.0667 3.79594 .69304

control group 30 21.1333 3.78503 .69105




In the Iranian context, very few textbooks elaborate on listening tasks related to

metacognitive strategies. Materials developers should allocate specific sections of listening

materials to introduce the concept of strategies, particularly metacognitive strategies.

Using listening strategies increases their awareness about the listening process, which leads

to better performance. By practicing metacognitive listening strategies, learners become self-

regulated listeners and can succeed in accomplishing different tasks with different levels

outside the classroom contexts.

This study calls for further research to tease out the learners’ contribution of different kinds

and combination of different data gathering procedure. In this way the same research may be

conducted via comparing the results of the study with subjects at different levels of

proficiency.

The present study may be replicated while considering other variables such as age and

gender. The effect of learner’ metacognitive awareness on their reading comprehension,

writing, and speaking ability can also be investigated.

Finally, the researcher hopes the study will be effective in already mentioned areas, and as a

concluding note it should be stated that further investigations are needed to be followed on

the topic under question.




References

Anderson, N.J. (1991). Individual Differences in Strategy Use in Second Language Reading

and Testing. Modern Language Journal, 75, 460-472.

Chiang, C., & Dunkel, P. (1992). The Effect of Speech Modification, Prior Knowledge, and

Listening Proficiency on EFL Lecture Learning. TESOL Quarterly, 26(2), 345- 374.

Goh, C. C. M. (2008). Metacognitive Instruction for Second Language Listening

Development: Theory, Practice and Research Implications. Regional Language Centre

Journal, 39(2), 188 -213.

Habte-Gabr, E. (2006). The Importance of Socio-Affective Strategies in Using EFL for

Teaching Mainstream Subjects. The Journal of Humanizing Language Teaching, 8(5).

Retrieved September 10, 2009, from http://www.hltmag.co.uk/sep06/sart02.htm#C1

Mendelsohn, D. (1994), Learning to Listen: A Strategy-Based Approach for the Second

Language learner. San Diego, CA: Dominie

Mendelsohn, D. (1998). Teaching Listening. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 18, 81-

101.

Morley, J. (1984). Listening Comprehension in Second/Foreign Language Instruction. In M.

Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (pp. 81-106).

Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Moyer, A. (2006). Language Contact and Confidence in Second Language Listening

Comprehension: A Pilot Study of Advanced Learners of German. Foreign Language Annals,

39(2), 255-275.

O' Malley, J.M., Chamot, A. Uhl, Stewner-Manzanares, G., Kupper, L. & Russo, R.P. (1985).

Learning Strategies Used by Beginning and Intermediate ESL Students. Language Learning,

35(1), March, 21-46.

O' Malley, J.M., & Chamot, A.U. (1990). Learning Strategies in Second Language

Acquisition. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.




O’Malley, J. M., & Chamot, A. U. (2001). Learning Strategies in Second Language

Acquisition. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.

Oxford, R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher should Know.

Boston, MA: Heinle and Heinle.

Richards, J. C. (2003). Basic Tactics for listening. (2nd

Ed). Oxford, UK: Oxford University

Press.

Robbins, J., (2000). Teaching Listening and Speaking Strategies in Japan - CALLA style.

Explorations in Teacher Education, 8 (2).

Schmidt-Rinehart, B. (1994). The Effect of Topic Familiarity on Second Language Listening

Comprehension. The MLJ, 78, 179-88.

Vandergrift, L. (1997). The Cinderella of Communication Strategies: Reception Startegies in

Interactive Listening. Modern Language Journal 81/4.

Vandergrift, L. (1999). Facilitating Second Language Listening Comprehension: Acquiring

Successful Strategies. ELT Journal, 54, 168-176.

Vandergrift, L. (2003). Orchestrating Strategy Use: Towards a Model of the Skilled L2

Listener. Language Learning, 53, 461–494. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9922.00232

Wenden, A. (1983). Literature Review: The Process of Intervention. Language Learning,

33(1), 103-121.

Wenden, A. (1985). Learner Strategies. TESOL Newsletter, xix (5), 1.




ABOUT THE AUTHERS

Ali Asghar Eftekhary Ph.D. Associate professor at Azad Univ. of South Tehran Branch,

Tehran, Iran. He has Ph.D. degree in TEFL/TESL from Texas, Austin Univ., America in

1990. He taught Persian language at Texas, Austin Univ. for 15 years. He has taught

language and linguistics to students at South Tehran Azad University in Tehran, Iran for 22

years. He has done many researches.

Tahereh Gharib received her BA in English Translation from Garmsar Azad University,

Iran in 2005. She then got MA in TEFL/TESL in Garmsar Azad University, Iran in 2012. She

has taught English for 8 years in language institutes.

elt voices indiaeltvoices.in/volume3/evi_31_10.pdf · elt voices – india volume 3 issue 1 |...

Documents