Correlates of Listening Comprehension in L1 and L2: A Meta-analysis

Year 2019, Volume: 5 Issue: 3, 353 - 383, 26.11.2019

Tuncay Karalık Ali Merç

https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.651387

Cited By: 5

Abstract

The present meta-analysis aimed to
explore the correlates of listening comprehension in first (L1) and second
language (L2). In this regard, the overall average correlation scores, obtained
from several primary studies retrieved from several databases, between
linguistic (vocabulary size, vocabulary depth, syntactic knowledge), cognitive
(working memory, metacognitive skills), and affective factors (anxiety and
self-concept) and oral comprehension were measured. The results of the analysis
revealed that in terms of strengths of association with listening
comprehension, linguistic correlates were superior to cognitive correlates in
L2 listening comprehension. There existed positive correlations with large
effect sizes between vocabulary and grammar knowledge and listening
comprehension while working memory yielded a positive correlation with a small
effect size. Metacognitive skills, on the other hand, demonstrated a positive
correlation with L2 listening comprehension with a large effect size. A similar
pattern was observed in L1 listening comprehension with smaller strengths of
association. Vocabulary and grammar knowledge yielded positive correlations
with L1 listening comprehension and the effect size was medium while working
memory weakly correlated with listening comprehension. An important distinction
between L1 and L2 listening comprehension was observed in the affective domain.
Anxiety and self-concept which were not reported to correlate with L1 listening
comprehension were found to display large correlations with listening
comprehension in L2. Overall, it was found that listening comprehension in both
L1 and L2 is a multi-faceted process with different types of components
involved.

Keywords

Listening comprehension, correlates of listening, meta-analysis, componential approach, L1 listening, L2 listening

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