Explaining Listening Comprehension among Turkish EFL Learners: The Contribution of General Language Proficiency, Vocabulary Knowledge and Metacognitive Awareness

Abstract

The present study investigates the impact of individual differences in language knowledge, namely general L2 proficiency and L2 vocabulary knowledge, and metacognitive awareness of strategies used in the listening process. It seeks an answer to what proportion of the variance in intermediate-level adult Turkish EFL learners’ listening comprehension is explained by general L2 language proficiency, L2 vocabulary knowledge and metacognition. A total of 99 intermediate-level adult Turkish EFL learners, studying at Anadolu University School of Foreign Languages (AUSFL) participated in the present study. Data were gathered using Oxford Quick Placement test (OQPT), the New Vocabulary Levels Test (NVLT) (McLean & Kramer, 2015), a researcher designed Listening Comprehension Test (LCT) and Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) (Vandergrift, Goh & Mareschal, 2006). Results reveal that vocabulary knowledge and some sub-components of the MALQ (Person Knowledge, Problem Solving and Directed Attention) play a significant role in L2 listening comprehension. The results are interpreted and discussed within the light of the previous research, and a number of pedagogical implications are suggested accordingly.

Keywords

• listening comprehension
• vocabulary knowledge
• metacognitive awareness
• language teaching

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