Investigating the Relationship Between Metacognitive Awareness and Listening Comprehension in University Students

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between metacognitive awareness and listening performance by eliciting metacognitive awareness from 89 English-as-a-foreign- language (EFL) Korean learners regarding knowledge of listening strategies used and challenges following a listening activity. Data were collected through the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ), an official sample TOEFL listening test and a listening log which is one of the process-based teaching instruments that is expected to develop learners’ metacognitive knowledge. Responses to MALQ were examined for how different aspects of metacognitive awareness represented by the MALQ subscales were related to listening performance. The results showed a significant positive relationship between learners’ metacognitive awareness scores and listening performance and that their metacognitive awareness accounted for 13% of the variance in listening performance. Analysis of individual factors showed a significant relationship between listening performance and the listening strategies of directed attention, problem solving and person knowledge. The study discusses the implication of the study as well as the use of the questionnaire and listening log as instruments for interpreting learners’ metacognitive awareness about listening.