| This study investigated beliefs about strategy use for the improvement of second language listening comprehension. The study compared participants' self-reports of their strategy use prior to and after four electronically-delivered interventions consisting of explicit instruction and illustration of strategies that can assist in listening comprehension. Participants were 64 international students at intermediate to advanced level of language proficiency (as determined by the Michigan Listening Comprehension Exam (Upshur, Koba, Spaan, & Strowe, 1972) studying English as a Second Language (ESL) at two universities in the Eastern United States. Data were collected using three instruments, the Strategies Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) (Oxford, 1990), researcher-designed post-intervention surveys, and a researcher-designed post-study survey. Investigated were four covariates: school attended, level of instruction, native language, and proficiency level. Data were analyzed using descriptive analyses, analyses of variance (ANOVA), and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). A statistically significant difference was found for total scores from Pre- to Post SILL for participants' level of instruction. No differences were revealed for school attended, native language, or proficiency levels. ANCOVA revealed a difference in level of instruction for Part B of the SILL, representing cognitive strategies. Participants indicated high levels of approval of the web-based interventions and indicated a belief that this type of training would help them in future listening tasks. |
