Student’s perceptions on their listening comprehension difficulties in EFL classrooms: An Ecuadorian case

Abstract

Listening is a very important macro skill when learning English. Because of its complexity, it must be taught in class. The present study attempts to consider students' perceptions of difficulties in listening comprehensively to English classes: an Ecuadorian example. The study tries to answer the questions about the problems of hearing that have the students of a group of second of baccalaureate of two masculine schools of the city of Cuenca - Ecuador during the school year 2015 - 2016. The information was obtained from a sample Of one hundred and twenty five students from five different courses, they were interviewed through questionnaires, and 15 interviews were applied to 3 students per grade chosen at random within the sample. The participants' ages ranged between 16 and 17 years of age. The methods used in the research were quantitative and qualitative. The results indicate that the majority of students know English and have no difficulty in listening. However, problems related to the speaker and the text were found.