Second language listening pedagogy

Abstract

This study explored how teachers undertook listening instruction with learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) through investigating teachers’ authentic classroom practices. Eight experienced EFL teachers working in Iranian private language schools participated in the study. Each teacher was observed six to nine times and each complete teaching session of each of the participants was audio-recorded. Findings revealed that teachers had knowledge of an extensive repertoire of listening techniques, and their teaching was composed of strategies at pre-, during-, and post-listening stages. Teachers also mostly drew on metacognitive and comprehension-based practices. While teachers employed a number of metacognitive classroom practices, there was a lack of teaching and explicitly discussing these strategies. Findings provide some pedagogical implications for novice teachers with regard to expanding their repertoires of practice and employing various classroom activities. The findings might also help inform teacher educators and curriculum developers regarding classroom realities and the extent to which research findings can inform teaching methods and classroom practices.