The Effects of Task Complexity on English Language Learners’ Listening Comprehension

Authorsعباس زارعی تجره
JournalIssues in Language Teaching (ILT),
Page number225
Volume number2
Paper TypeFull Paper
Published At2012-10-20
Journal GradeScientific - research
Journal TypeElectronic
Journal CountryIran, Islamic Republic Of
Journal IndexISC

Abstract

This article reports on the findings of a study that investigated the impact of manipulating task performance conditions on listening task performance by learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The study was designed to explore the effects of changing complexity dimensions on listening task performance and to achieve two aims: to see how listening comprehension task performance was affected and to investigate possible overlaps between EFL learners’ perceptions of task difficulty and hypothesized task complexity. A purposive sample of 54 first-year EFL learners randomly assigned to two parallel conversation classes in an English department of a major public university participated in the study and performed listening tasks in a language lab.

tags: task complexity, task difficulty, task condition, task-based teaching, EFL