Secrets of taking a successful listening comprehension test Robert Märcz Foreign Language Centre...
-
Upload
hollie-bruce -
Category
Documents
-
view
213 -
download
0
Transcript of Secrets of taking a successful listening comprehension test Robert Märcz Foreign Language Centre...
Secrets of taking a successful listening comprehension test
Robert Märcz
Foreign Language Centre
University of Pécs
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Outline
- Questions of listening comprehension- Influencing factors- Context, participants and instruments- Results- Conclusions
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Particular Features of Listening Comprehension
50% of our communication time
Complex process (top-down / bottom-up)
Various use of different strategies
Cannot be observed directly
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
What influences
Objective factors:Task characteristicsText characteristicsSituation-specific factors:
quality of the inputactual circumstances
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
What influences
Subjective factors:L2 proficiency (in general)L2 listening ability (in particular)Memory and attentionBackground knowledgeExperiences – exposureInterest and motivationUse of strategies
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Context and participantsECL International Language Examination System
Level – B2Listening comprehension test Two tasks: multiple choice (three options) (Eve’s Life)
short answer (Judy Bloom)
Online questionnaireCc 500 answers within the first two week (cc 30%)
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
The Questionnaire
Three parts:1. Background data (7 items)2. Statements concerning the factors that influence
listening comprehension (Influencing factors = motivation, aptitude, memory, confidence, preparation and exposure to L2) (30 items)
3. Statements concerning strategies (cognitive and meta-cognitive)(16 items)
/Likert scale: 1 -4 / not anonym -
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Procedure
Concentrate only on influencing factors (2nd part)
Data on the performance of the test-takers and the questionnaire compared
Quantitative analysis: simple frequencies, percentages and standard deviation calculated
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysis
I need the language exam – 3.83A language exam may always come in useful – 3.81I regularly listen to music in English – 3.71I like the English language – 3.59I like the sound of English – 3.48I can learn easily – 3.11I regularly watch films in English with subtitles - 3.06/standard deviation .497 - .684 /Commonalities: motivation, aptitude and exposure
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysisCorrelations between
test performance and influencing factors
Concentrating only on significant correlation
(i) intrinsic motivation(ii) confidence(iii) preparation(iv) exposure to L2.
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysis
Three steps:1. bivariate correlation: test performance and
influencing factor (consisting of several items)
2. bivariate correlation: between test performance and each of the statements (constituting a particular influencing factor) separately
3. Cross tabulation (batch correlations)
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysisIntrinsic motivation
Significant and weak, correlation (0.195)I like the English language (0.261)I like the sound of English (0.180)
(I like the American culture / I am interested in British culture)
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysis
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Int. Motivaton Total
Low HIgh
Performance
0 – 59%
Count 108 100 208
% within LPC_categories 51,9% 48,1% 100,0%
% within Mot_int_50_50 52,7% 37,5% 44,1%
% of Total 22,9% 21,2% 44,1%
60 - 79%
Count 56 82 138
% within LPC_categories 40,6% 59,4% 100,0%
% within Mot_int_50_50 27,3% 30,7% 29,2%
% of Total 11,9% 17,4% 29,2%
80 – 100%
Count 41 85 126
% within LPC_categories 32,5% 67,5% 100,0%
% within Mot_int_50_50 20,0% 31,8% 26,7%
% of Total 8,7% 18,0% 26,7%
Results and analysis
ConfidenceSignificant and almost moderate correlation
(0.358)I am good at listening comprehension (0.379)I can understand English films well (0.336)Other items (0.218 – 0.273)
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysisTable 7/ LPC_categories * Confidence50_50 Crosstabulation
Confidence Total
Low High
Performance
0 – 59%
Count 140 68 208
% within LPC_categories
67,3% 32,7% 100,0%
% within Confidence50_50
55,8% 30,8% 44,1%
% of Total 29,7% 14,4% 44,1%
60 - 79%
Count 67 71 138
% within LPC_categories
48,6% 51,4% 100,0%
% within Confidence50_50
26,7% 32,1% 29,2%
% of Total 14,2% 15,0% 29,2%
80 – 100%
Count 44 82 126
% within LPC_categories
34,9% 65,1% 100,0%
% within Confidence50_50
17,5% 37,1% 26,7%
% of Total 9,3% 17,4% 26,7%EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysis
PreparationNo significant correlation with this influencing factor
BUT significant and weak correlation with one statement:
I came well prepared for the listening comprehension test (0.152)
Others:I practiced listening comprehension exercisesWe completed many LP exercises with my teacher
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysis
Exposure to L2Significant and weak, correlation (0.280)
Correlations: (0.129 – 0.299)
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Results and analysis
Exposure to L2 Total Low High
Performance
0 – 59%
Count 134 74 208
% within LPC_categories 64,4% 35,6% 100,0%
% within Exposure50_50 54,3% 32,9% 44,1%
% of Total 28,4% 15,7% 44,1%
60 - 79%
Count 66 72 138
% within LPC_categories 47,8% 52,2% 100,0%
% within Exposure50_50 26,7% 32,0% 29,2%
% of Total 14,0% 15,3% 29,2%
80 – 100%
Count 47 79 126
% within LPC_categories 37,3% 62,7% 100,0%
% within Exposure50_50 19,0% 35,1% 26,7%
% of Total 10,0% 16,7% 26,7%
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
ConclusionsThere is significant though mainly weak correlationbetween
test performance
and
confidence (0.358) exposure to L2 (0.280)intrinsic motivation (0.195)preparation (0.152)
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012
Conclusions
As the construct of any language tests is thelanguage knowledge itself the results mean that:
- the test is not biased- it measures the construct- there are some factors that do provide
advantages
EAS Conference - Miskolc, June 15, 2012