Potential bonds between extroversion/introversion and Iranian EFL learners' listening comprehension ability

Abstract

The present study was implemented to investigate the possible relationship between introversion/extroversion and the listening ability of intermediate Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners by taking into account their gender, age, and grades of study. A total of 120 Intermediate learners (62 males and 58 females) studying at Shokoh-e-Andishe Language Institute in Sardasht participated in the current study. The subjects were asked to fill the EPQ (Esyneck Personality Questionnaire) to be categorized as either introvert or extrovert. To test the research hypotheses set forth in the present study, Pearson correlation coefficient and two-way analysis of variance were run as the main statistical analyses. The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between listening ability of subjects and the personality characteristic in question, i.e. extroversion vs. introversion. The scores of listening ability had a positive relationship with the introversion of subjects, that is, the more introvert the subjects, the better their performance on listening. However, as the findings revealed, no significant interaction relationship was found between gender and introversion/extroversion on the one hand and listening ability of subjects on the other; yet, there was a significant interaction relationship between introversion/extroversion and the participants' age and grades of study, on the one hand and their listening ability, on the other.