The Instruction of Meta-Cognitive Listening Strategies and Its Impact on Listening Performance of High and Low-Test-Anxious Intermediate Learners

Subject Areas : Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English

Mehdi Nowruzi ¹ , Jaber Kamali ²

1 - Allameh Tabataba’i University
2 - Allameh Tabataba’i University

Received: 2013-04-12 Accepted : 2013-09-12 Published : 2013-06-01

Keywords: test anxiety, Meta-cognitive listening strategies,

Abstract :

Although decisions or inferences we make based on test scores depend both on characteristics of test-takers and of testing sit- uations, there is just little research which has been undertaken on the effects of these characteristics on test performance (e.g., In’nami, 2006). The effect of listening strategies on listening performance is also unde- niable (Vandergrift, 1997). Thus, considering these two issues is the in- tention of the present study. This study not only investigates the effect of one of the personal characteristics of test-takers, namely test anxiety on listening test performance, but also attempts to find the relation- ship between instruction of listening strategies and test performance. At last, it focuses on meta-cognitive listening strategies (Vandergrift, 1997) instruction and its impact on test-anxiety. This study was con- ducted with 98 students who were selected from Aryanpour Institute in Tehran. After the pre-test, which was also considered as a proficiency test, the participants were instructed for 4 hours. The post-test was administered and the analysis of data revealed that there is a signifi- cant relationship between test anxiety and listening performance among Iranian EFL intermediate learners and also there is a significant rela- tionship between meta-cognitive listening strategies and listening profi- ciency among Iranian EFL intermediate learners but meta-cognitive lis- tening strategies have no differential effect on high- and low-test-anxious Iranian EFL intermediate learners. It is to say that both groups of high- and low-test-anxious learners benefit the same from meta-cognitive lis- tening strategies instruction. These findings emphasize the importance of lowering test anxiety in exam sessions as well as the importance of instructing meta-cognitive listening strategies in EFL classes.