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

Abstract

The theme of this research is: “Students’ perceptions on their listening comprehension difficulties in EFL classrooms: An Ecuadorian case”, whose purpose is to determine factors that affect the listening comprehension skills. This study was performed in a private high school in Guayaquil, and the sample is based on 5 teachers and 125 students, both males and females ranging from 16 to 17 years old. The instruments for data collection were questionnaires for students and teachers, and semi-structured interviews. The gathered information was organized and tabulated to determine the factors that interfere with listening comprehension. Based on mixed method research (quantitative and qualitative), the qualitative method was used to collect and analyze the information from the interviews; and the quantitative method was applied from the questionnaires to determine which were the most frequent negative factors that hinder the listening comprehension Results from this research shows that lack of perception in the listening comprehension is evident in some students due to their lack of knowledge of the language in vocabulary, grammar structures and the speed rate of speech to comprehend various accents.