The effects of reading-while-listening and listening-before-reading-while-listening on listening and vocabulary

Abstract

This paper examined the comparative effects of Reading-While-Listening practice (RWL) and a proposed practice of Listening before Reading while Listening (LBRWL), both of which practices were inspired by the principles of extensive listening. Participants were 138 Thai Grade 8th students, from a school in the north of Bangkok, Thailand, divided into 3 groups, with 2 experimental groups (RWL and LBRWL groups) and a positive control group (high language proficiency group) as the top baseline. Two vocabulary tests and two listening tests (each of which had specific and general tests) were administered in three stages over 16 weeks (1 school term); before, after, and 10 weeks after the experiments. The results showed that participants, in both experimental groups, using 12 graded reader books with audio CDs, were found to gain in all four tests. The all delayed posttests indicated the language retentions. When compared among the three groups, the participants in LBRWL outperformed the RWL group. Additionally, there was no significant difference in performance between LBRWL and the positive control group, in each specific listening and vocabulary test. The questionnaire responses showed a positive attitude on both practices, but LBRWL showed a relatively stronger attitude.