The Effects of Extensive Listening for Pleasure on the Global Proficiency Level of EFL Learners in an Input-based Setting

This study examined the effects of extensive listening for pleasure on the improvement of the global proficiency levels of learners of English as a foreign language. For the study, 85 college students whose proficiency levels were A1 or A2 were recruited. They took a pre-test including listening and use of English sections (grammar and vocabulary) at the beginning of the Spring 2015 semester. Then, the participants were provided with a large number of aural and visual materials, and asked to choose materials for extensive listening. They all did extensive listening activities throughout the semester, but at various degrees. These activities were out of class, so they attended their formal English classes at the same time. The classroom instruction was input-based and the participants went through a silent period during the semester. Hence, while doing extensive listening activities, they did not produce language. After a semester, they took a post-test, which was the same as the pre-test, and completed a listening habits questionnaire. This questionnaire involved questions about what the participants listened to, how much time they spent doing extensive listening, how they listened to the materials, etc. The results provide supporting evidence for extensive listening and indicated that extensive listening activities can positively affect the learners’ global language skills and proficiency level. The results also suggest that there is a positive relationship between extensive listening and proficiency level, which means the more learners do extensive listening, the more they improve their global language skills. Lastly, the findings demonstrate that extensive listening increases the participants’ motivation for sustaining listening activities