Usefulness of Culturally-Based Pre-Listening Activities as Tools to Increase Second Language Listening Comprehension and Cultural Awareness

Abstract

Research on second language listening instruction has proven that listening problems are caused not only 1y the difference of sound systems and semantics between languages but also 1y the cultural meaning of the foreign speech that transmits humor, values and ideology. A control group/experimental group post-test design was employed to test the null hypothesis which stated that there is no significant difference between second language listening and cultural awareness levels of students who use and do not use o1lturally-based pre-listening activities. The t-test and the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test were selected to analyze the data. Results indicated that culturally-based pre-listening activities increase second language listening comprehension and cultural awareness levels. HCJW"ever I a post correlation test indicated that there is no relationship between the increase of second language listening comprehension levels and the increase of cultural awareness levels.