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Study abroad experiences count: Motivational profile of EFL listeners and its impact on top-down and bottom-up processing

  • Jian Xu und Xuyan Qiu ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 2. November 2020
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Applied Linguistics Review
Aus der Zeitschrift Applied Linguistics Review Band 14 Heft 1

Abstract

Effective listening strategy use is crucial for second language (L2) learners as it facilitates listening comprehension. Although strategy use can be boosted from various ways (e.g. explicit instruction), we are uncertain whether L2 listening motivation can affect learners’ listening strategy use. The present study aims at examining the relationship between L2 listening motivation and L2 listening strategy use of learners with and without overseas study experience. We administered a L2 listening motivation questionnaire, measuring expectancy, importance and interest, and an English as a foreign language listening strategy inventory, focusing on top-down and bottom-up strategy use, with 465 Chinese undergraduate students. To supplement the quantitative results, a semi-structured interview was conducted with four participants to explore their L2 listening motivational profiles. The findings suggest that L2 listening motivation was positively correlated with bottom-up and top-down processing, except the relationship between importance and top-down processing. Learners with study abroad experience, who immersed themselves into real-time communication, were more aware of the importance of L2 listening thus employed more top-down strategies, whilst those without overseas experience, though acknowledged the cruciality of L2 listening, adopted fewer top-down strategies and were more examination driven. The findings shed light on L2 listening teaching and learning.

Keywords: L2 listening motivation; listening strategy use; top-down processing; bottom-up processing; study abroad experience
Corresponding author: Xuyan Qiu, Room C418, Block C, Main Campus, The Open University of Hong Kong, Good Shepherd Street, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong, E-mail:

Funding source: Philosophy and Social Sciences Fund of Beijing http://www.bjsk.org.cn/

Award Identifier / Grant number: 19YYC016

Appendix

Questionnaire of L2 listening motivation

Expectancy:

  1. I am very confident in my English listening proficiency.

  2. I think I am able to communicate with foreigners in English.

  3. I think I can achieve a satisfying test score in the listening section of an important English proficiency test.

  4. It is not difficult for me to learn English listening.

Importance:

  1. It is important for me to have high English listening proficiency.

  2. It is important for me to keep improving my English listening proficiency.

  3. Having high English listening proficiency is important for me to communicate with foreigners.

  4. Having high English listening proficiency is important for me to achieve a satisfying test score in the listening section of an important English proficiency test.

Interest:

  1. Through listening to English, I can find and learn some interesting topics and information.

  2. I am interested in listening to English because I can listen to something new.

  3. I find it interesting to learn how to listen to English.

  4. English listening is enjoyable for me.

Interview protocol

  1. When did you begin to learn English language? Why?

  2. How did you find out about English language learning? Why? (at different stages of their life? Primary education, secondary education, university? Any examples?

  3. How did you find out about English listening? Why?

  4. How would you describe your performance in English language learning?

  5. How would you describe your performance in English listening?

  6. How would you describe your current level of English language (English listening skills) compared to your peer learners in the same classroom/major/cohort?

  7. How do you study English listening (or improve your English listening skills)?

  8. Could you describe the most successful (unsuccessful) experience of improving English listening skills? How did you feel?

  9. What difficulties did/do you encounter during your English language (listening) study? Have you overcome the difficulties? Could you share your experience of overcoming learning difficulties? Could you share your experience that you did not overcoming learning difficulties?

  10. Why did you choose to enter this university?

  11. How would you describe English language learning (English listening) at the university?

  12. How would you describe the role of English/English listening in your life?

  13. Are you going to continue improving your English listening skills after you have completed all the compulsory English courses? Why and how?

  14. Could you describe your experience of staying overseas?

  15. How did the overseas experience influence your perceptions of English learning/improving English listening?

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to the constructive feedback from the editor Professor Li Wei and two anonymous reviewers.

  1. Funding: This study was supported by Philosophy and Social Sciences Fund of Beijing [19YYC016].

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Published Online: 2020-11-02
Published in Print: 2023-01-27

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Artikel in diesem Heft

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Research Articles
  3. Transnational postgraduate students’ experience of voice and participation
  4. Discursive work in resisting stereotypic representations of the Chinese among Chinese students
  5. Why to speak French to French speakers? Outgroup vitality, motivation and linguistic accommodation in the Aosta Valley
  6. Emotional intelligence as a mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and L2 achievement
  7. Effects of willingness to communicate on L2 output and leadership roles during jury discussions
  8. Uncovering transfer effects of dominance and proficiency in L3 English acquisition using the visual moving window paradigm and grammaticality judgments
  9. Study abroad experiences count: Motivational profile of EFL listeners and its impact on top-down and bottom-up processing
  10. A cognitive approach to the conceptual metaphors in Shi Jing (The Book of Poetry)
  11. Study abroad, language usage, and the development of multilingual identities: The case of 1.5 generation Korean–American students
https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2020-0037
Schlagwörter für diesen Artikel
L2 listening motivation; listening strategy use; top-down processing; bottom-up processing; study abroad experience

Artikel in diesem Heft

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Research Articles
  3. Transnational postgraduate students’ experience of voice and participation
  4. Discursive work in resisting stereotypic representations of the Chinese among Chinese students
  5. Why to speak French to French speakers? Outgroup vitality, motivation and linguistic accommodation in the Aosta Valley
  6. Emotional intelligence as a mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and L2 achievement
  7. Effects of willingness to communicate on L2 output and leadership roles during jury discussions
  8. Uncovering transfer effects of dominance and proficiency in L3 English acquisition using the visual moving window paradigm and grammaticality judgments
  9. Study abroad experiences count: Motivational profile of EFL listeners and its impact on top-down and bottom-up processing
  10. A cognitive approach to the conceptual metaphors in Shi Jing (The Book of Poetry)
  11. Study abroad, language usage, and the development of multilingual identities: The case of 1.5 generation Korean–American students
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