Some insights into listening strategies of learners of English as a foreign language in Vietnam

Abstract

This study investigated listening strategies used by students in different listening tasks and situations in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Thirty EFL students in a university in Vietnam were recruited for the study. The study aimed to explore what listening strategies EFL Vietnamese learners at university level used and why and how they used those listening strategies. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collected data from a listening strategy questionnaire and from individual interviews. The results indicated that social/affective strategies were used more frequently than metacognitive and cognitive strategies. The study further found that the students struggled to flexibly use strategies in orchestration. The results are discussed in light of the cultural characteristics and teaching and learning approach of the Vietnamese context. Implications for teachers and curriculum developers are given with the aim of enhancing the quality of listening instruction.

Keywords:

• listening strategies
• EFL
• listening teaching
• listening instruction

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to Dr Aek Phakiti, Associate Professor Ken Cruickshank, and Dr Hoa Nguyen from the University of Sydney for their insightful and critical comments on this paper.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2015.1080721.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.