Video Listening Journals and Enhanced EFL Listening Skills

Abstract

This study aimed to test the effectiveness of listening journals through videos in enhancing EFL listening skills among students in an English teaching program at a university in Loja, Ecuador. The sample consisted of 62 students, who were divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group used listening journals during the instruction period for five months, while the control group received regular instruction without the use of listening journals. A parallel mixed-method design was employed, which included a quasi-experimental approach involving pre- and post-tests for both groups. The intervention group also completed a questionnaire about their perceptions of the use of listening journals, and their reflections were collected from the journals. The results revealed that the intervention group demonstrated greater improvement in their listening skills than the control group. Furthermore, the use of listening journals through videos was found to be beneficial, with students reporting that it helped them identify their strengths and weaknesses in listening, learn new phrases and words, become aware of pronunciation errors, and have more opportunities to practice listening skills. However, students also encountered difficulties in understanding some information and learning new vocabulary.