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

Abstract

This study is about ‘Students’ perceptions on their listening comprehension difficulties in EFL classrooms: An Ecuadorian case at four private high schools in the city of Azogues. The aim of this study is to research about the learners’ listening comprehension difficulties in the EFL classroom. The population consisted of 125 students from 2nd year of high school and five EFL teachers. The data-collecting instruments used were students’ and teachers’ questionnaire and a students’ interview. The questionnaires focused on three main aspects: the listener factors affect listening comprehension, the speaker factors, and how does the listening passage hinder the students´ comprehension. The students’ interview contained 4 questions related to listening comprehension, difficulties in listening recordings, elements that hinder good listening and the reactions of the students when they do not understand an audio. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze the data gathered. The results showed that classmates´ behavior was the main hindrance to improve listening comprehension because it did not allow the oral message to be clearly understood.