Factors Influencing the Libyan EFL Students' Listening Comprehension A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Applied Linguistics

Abstract

This study investigated the factors influencing Libyan students in listening comprehension as a subject in the department of English at Zawai University. The main objective of the current study is to explore in-depth the understanding of how Libyan college students in EFL context face listening difficulties. The study included 40 students selected from the first year in the department of English and also 30 teachers from the same department as well. To carry out the study, the researcher used two instruments for data collection; a questionnaire for teachers and a listening comprehension test for the students. The test was administered with the students in the college lab and the teachers received their questionnaire either in the department or during lectures. The results of the listening test revealed that the students lack some cognitive skills and strategies such as retrieving and recognition and substitution strategy. In terms of the teachers’ questionnaire, the results revealed that the teachers face many problems in teaching listening such as lack of authentic materials, lack of equipments or teaching aids, dependence on ready-made materials, difficulty of communication in English in the classroom and need for teachers’ training. The study recommends the teachers to teach students planning strategies by preparing them for what they will hear and what they are expected to do. To help students plan for listening, teachers should provide a purpose for listening so that students become aware of the specific information they need to listen for. Students can then anticipate what they might hear. Moreover; students also need to monitor their comprehension as they listen; teachers therefore, should allow students listen to the text for several times, and allow them to work in pairs or in groups so that the students can compare notes between each listening and verify selected details of the text