| Purpose: Listening comprehension in Cyprus has attracted the least instructional attention. Little research has been conducted regarding the listening problems that L2 learners experience in listening to spoken English in Cypriot classrooms. Cypriot language curricula and teaching seem to focus more on other aspects of language, such as grammar, syntax, vocabulary and reading, while listening in second language course books and curricula is not regarded with much importance. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness of Cypriot education experts for the listening comprehension issues in the English Language, so that L2 listening Cypriot curricula can be reviewed and modified accordingly. Since, various factors can affect L2 listening comprehension, for the purposes of this study, only the factor of pronunciation will be examined. Specifically, this study will examine the difference in scores of L2 Cypriot listeners on a listening test with British-English pronunciation and a listening test with Cypriot-English pronunciation.;Methods: The study employed quantitative research methods. Data collection included the use of a questionnaire and listening comprehension tests. The target population of this study was C' Gymnasium students in the state schools of Cyprus whose native language and nationality was Cypriot-Greek. Purposeful sampling was used and the final sample selected for the statistical analysis was 44 cases.;Findings: There was a statistically significant positive effect of Cypriot-English on Cypriot Students of C' Gymnasium (Advanced), who are Greek-Cypriot and are 14-15 years old, their mother and father are Greek-Cypriot, and their language is Greek, since their listening test scores appear to be higher with the Cypriot-English pronunciation than their listening test scores with British-English pronunciation. Based on the findings derived from the statistical analysis of this study, students in total on average score higher on the Cypriot-English test than on the British-English test. This study is also shown to have a large effect size. This implies that the curriculum for English listening comprehension in Cypriot state schools needs substantial modification and improvement.;Implications: This study suggested that listening comprehension in English as a second language should receive more instructional attention and that a holistic evaluation approach of the English curriculum should be endorsed, bottom-up and top-down the educational chain in Cyprus state schools. In addition, this study suggested that English teachers could improve their listening methods of instruction, while they could receive training in phonology and phonetics as a means to assist their students' listening perception. Lastly, this study suggested that classroom setting conditions such as equipment, visual support, distractions could be improved. |
