Expertise in L2 listening: metacognitive instruction and deliberate practice in a Saudi university context

The significant role listening plays in SLA is now well-established. However, despite changes in the perception of L2 listening, it remains an under-researched skill. Listening is the most challenging of the four language skills in terms of both learning and teaching. This calls for more research to tackle issues with the teaching and learning of L2 listening.
I conducted a two-phase, quasi-experimental study that integrated metacognitive instruction and deliberate practice into EFL listening sessions. Phase One focused on metacognitive instruction, whereas Phase Two was on deliberate practice. Participants were 42 female, tertiary level students at COLT at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Students were enrolled on a Listening 4 course. The experimental group (n = 21) took part in both phases of the study, unlike the comparison group (n = 21) who were only used as a comparison group to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The impact of the two phases on EFL listening was measured through a TOEFL listening test, whereas changes in metacognitive knowledge were tracked using the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ). I also used guided listening diaries with the experimental group throughout the study to uncover their metacognitive knowledge and promote self-reflection.
The two phases led to an increase in the listening ability and metacognitive knowledge of the experimental group, although to varying degrees. The diaries of the experimental group revealed a level of metacognitive knowledge, particularly task and strategy knowledge. The experimental group also outperformed the comparison group on the final MALQ and TOEFL test. Results of this study suggest the usefulness of both metacognitive instruction and deliberate practice for the development of EFL listening. Thus, the study proposes a new deliberate practice approach to L2 listening, in which metacognitive instruction is an essential element, but not an end in itself. This study is just one step on the journey towards the effective application of deliberate practice in the L2 classroom.