The Students ‘ Challenges in Mastering TOEFL Listening Comprehension
(1) Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang
(2) Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang
(*) Corresponding Author
Abstract
Listening comprehension is the hardest section for many TOEFL students. Students struggle with fast speaking, various English dialects, and advanced academic discourse, even with many digital tools. Their perspectives, past experiences, and learning styles affect how well they improve TOEFL listening comprehension. This study aims to identify the main obstacles students face in achieving TOEFL Listening Comprehension proficiency. This study used quantitative descriptive methods to collect and analyze data. Fifty college students who had undergone TOEFL preparation classes complained about the hearing section. Data was collected from five student interviews and a twenty-question structured questionnaire. The examination examined pupils' perspectives and unusual listening challenges. The study found that students with systematic practice and real content exposure had strong hearing awareness and adaptive skills. Students acknowledged the benefits of podcasts, listening apps, and other technological tools, yet some struggled to stay engaged. The study found that consistent listening practice, guided note-taking, and customized technological interventions can improve TOEFL listening section performance. To meet each student's needs, future lessons should include individualized listening activities and constant exposure to diverse English dialects.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Aryadoust, V. (2019). A Review of Comprehension Subskills: A Scientometrics Perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 93, 146–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.015
Batubara, H., & Fatmawa, F. (2023). Investigating Problems Faced by Students in Listening Comprehension. Journal of English Education and Linguistics, 3(2), 220–230.
Chapelle, C. A. (2020). The Role of Technology in Language Assessment. Language Testing, 37(3), 347–365. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532219888363
Cheng, Y. (2019). Test Anxiety and Listening Performance. Language Testing, 36(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532216651903
Educational Testing Service. (2021). TOEFL iBT Listening Section. https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/about/content/listening.html
Fakhruddin, F., Arqam, M., & Maming, K. (2024). Strategies for Enhancing TOEFL Listening Skills. Journal of English Education Research, 6(1), 120–130.
Fanandi, A. (2023). Students' Attitudes Toward TOEFL Listening Comprehension. Journal of Language Education and Development, 5(2), 150–160.
Goh, C. C. M. (2018). Teaching Listening in the Language Classroom. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315670861
Hadijah, S., & Shalawati, S. (2017). Listening Comprehension Hindrances of EFL Learners. J-SHMIC: Journal of English for Academic, 4(1), 104–114. https://doi.org/10.25299/jshmic.2017.vol4(1).512
Hubbard, P. (2021). Technology in Language Learning: An Overview. Language Learning & Technology, 25(1), 1–10. https://www.lltjournal.org/item/3110
Lubis, M., Daulay, S. H., & Husda, A. (2021). The Use of Technology in Enhancing Listening Skills. Journal of Educational Technology, 3(1), 45–55.
Mandiri, M., Gunawan, F., & Suharno, S. (2022). Listening Comprehension Strategies Applied by English Language Learners. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 13(2), 300–310.
Mulyadi, D., Wijayatiningsih, T. D., Singh, C. K. S., & Prastikawati, E. F. (2021). Effects of Technology Enhanced Task-Based Language Teaching on Learners' Listening Comprehension and Speaking Performance. International Journal of Instruction, 14(3), 717–736. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2021.14342a
Mulyadi, D., Aimah, S., Arifani, Y., & Singh, C. K. S. (2022). Boosting EFL learners’ listening comprehension through a developed mobile learning application: Its effectiveness and practicality. Applied Research on English Language, 11(3), 37–56. https://doi.org/10.22108/are.2022.130726.1785
Nation, I. S. P. (2020). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108767559
Nurhayati, N., Setiawaty, R., & Nur, M. (2024). The Role of Technology in Students' Listening Acquisition. Journal of Educational Technology and Innovation, 5(2), 60–70.
Nushi, M., & Orouji, F. (2020). Perception and Interpretation in Listening Comprehension. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 11(3), 345–355. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1103.03
Putera Jaya, H., Petrus, I., & Kurniawan, D. (2021). Listening Comprehension Performance and Problems: A Survey on Undergraduate Students Majoring in English. Indonesian Research Journal in Education, 5(2), 375–386. https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/irje/article/view/14428
Ramadhana, R. (2023). Improving Listening Skills Through Deliberate Practice. Journal of Language Learning, 7(1), 90–100.
Sari, R. N., & Fithriyana, R. (2019). Students' Difficulties in Listening Comprehension. Journal of English Language Teaching, 8(1), 50–60.
Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and Social-Emotional Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33617-2
Serraj, S., & Noordin, N. (2013). The Role of Anxiety in Listening Comprehension. English Language Teaching, 6(12), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n12p1
Wahab, A., & Tanasy, D. (2022). Multitasking Challenges in TOEFL Listening. Journal of Language and Linguistics, 4(2), 75–85.
Yavuz, F., Yavuz, M. A., & Yavuz, M. (2015). The Effect of Different Accents on Listening Comprehension. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 363–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.523
Zewitra, Z., & Purnamasari, Y. (2024). EFL Students' Challenges in TOEIC® Updated Test: Listening Section. Journal of English Teaching and Learning Issues, 7(1), 1–10. https://ejournal.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/jetle/article/view/26463
Zur, S. (2020). EFL Students' English Listening Comprehension Problem: A Study of English Teacher Education Program. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(1), 268–273. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.71.7649
Article Metrics
Abstract view : 0 timesPDF - 0 times
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Proceedings
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263
CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549
Published by
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH SEMARANG
Jl. Kedungmundu Raya No.18 Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
Phone: +622476740295, email: ellic@unimus.ac.id
