Impacts of authentic listening tasks upon listening anxiety and listening comprehension

Deniz MELANLIOĞLU

Abstract

Although listening is the skill mostly used by students in the classrooms, the desired success cannot be attained in teaching listening since this skill is shaped by multiple variables. In this research we focused on listening anxiety, listening comprehension and impact of authentic tasks on both listening anxiety and listening comprehension. Authentic learning environments/tasks can be prepared that will prevent students from experiencing listening anxiety and enhance their experiences by enabling them to encounter problematic situations which will prepare them for real life listening situations. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine the impacts of authentic listening tasks in listening teaching upon decreasing students’ listening anxiety and increasing their levels of listening comprehension. In the research; quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control groups was used. The study group consisted of eighth-grade students in a public school in Turkey. The “Listening Anxiety Scale for Secondary School Students” and “Listening Comprehension Tests” were employed while collecting data. Findings of the research show that using authentic tasks for the listening skill in mother tongue education has a positive influence in terms of decreasing listening anxiety and improving listening comprehension.