Extensive listening: Effects and experiences of high school students in Vietnam

Abstract

High school students in Vietnam still struggle with listening skills after many years of learning English because of the forms-focused instructions. To improve students’ listening skills, the study employed extensive listening skills. The current study employed mixed methods to examine whether extensive listening had any effects on high school students’ listening performance. Participants were 100 high school students divided into 2 groups: the Experimental Group (EG) and the Control Group (CG). The EG was additionally exposed to extensive listening outside the classroom for around 06 months. The study used pre-and post-tests to measure improvement in the students’ listening skills after the treatment, and an interview with 10 students in the EG to clarify their experiences with extensive listening. The study showed that extensive listening could help high school students improve their listening skills. Furthermore, students admitted that extensive listening benefited their general language learning and listening skills.