Developing Listening Comprehension in esl students at the Intermediate Level by Reading Transcripts While Listening: a cognitive Load Perspective

ImplicationsforPractitioners

This study is an empirical study; however, it is also a synthesis of the literature availableon the subject of RWL. This study does show small gains in overall listening comprehension forintermediate-level students using RWL as a strategy for learning. Previous studies such as Chang(2009), Diao et. Al. (2008), and Danan (2016) showed significant gains for students on a per-activity basis.These studies demonstrated the usefulness of reading-while-listening forproviding support forlanguage learners ona per-activitybasis,whichin turn gavemotivationand enjoyment while learning, and therefore aided their concentration. For these reasons, RWLshould be considered a beneficial activity for intermediate-level students. Being aware of thecognitiveloadcreatedbyRWLisalsoaconsiderationforpractitioners. Realizingthatlisteningis a very complex and difficult skill to learn, and that RWL could add to that difficulty, can beveryhelpfulwhenplanningactivitiesforhelpingourstudentswithlisteningcomprehension.
Other insights gained from this study is the correlation of proficiency level to the gains realizedby L2 learners using RWL. Practitioners should consider the level of the student when presentingmaterial to students and when creating curriculum that includes RWL. Hopefully this study willmotivate educators to use RWL in the classroom or as homework to give their students moreopportunitiesfor listeninginput.

CONCLUSION

Reading-while-listening is a teaching strategy used in classrooms to help students withlisteningcomprehension.RWL wasusedasasemester-longpedagogicalstrategyand as such was shown to provide small gains to intermediate-level ESL students listening comprehensionskills; however, intermediate level students may not be able to take full advantage of RWLpossibly due to the cognitive load created by reading and listening at the same time. This study,in combination with previous similar studies looking at RWL as a teaching strategy, has shownthatusingRWLasateachingstrategycanhelpintermediate-levelL2learnerswithsmallgainsinlistening comprehension, however, more research is needed in order to more fully discover theeffectsofcognitiveloadand proficiencylevelonthe benefitsofRWLas a pedagogicalstrategy.