The Relationship between Listening Anxiety Listening Comprehension Strategies and Listening Performance among Iranian EFL University Students
The present study was conducted to explore the relationship between listening anxiety, listening strategies, and listening proficiency among Iranian EFL university students. A total number of 110 EFL language learners participated in this study. Three instruments were used in this study. The instruments were comprised of: (a) Foreign Language Listening Anxiety Scale (FLLAS) (b) Listening Strategy Questionnaire, and (C) an original TOEFL iBT test by ETS. Based on the results, it was found out that EFL language learners use Meta cognitive listening strategies the most followed by affective strategies, memory strategies, compensation strategies and cognitive strategies. Moreover, it was found out that all listening strategies were negatively correlated with listening anxiety, which means that as the anxiety level of the participants increases they use listening strategies less and vice versa. In addition, it was found out that compensation and meta cognitive category of listening strategies positively correlated with listening proficiency, while cognitive category negatively correlated with listening proficiency, suggesting that more proficient participants use more compensation and meta cognitive strategies but less cognitive listening strategies. In other words, as listening proficiency increases, compensation and meta cognitive listening strategy use increases and cognitive strategy use decreases. Finally, it was found out that listening is an anxiety inducing skill and listening proficiency plays a key role in determining the level of anxiety. In other words, as listening proficiency increases, the listening anxiety decreases and vice versa.