Exploring EFL Students’ Perceptions of Strategic and Technology-Assisted Listening Practices: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Abstract

This study explores EFL students’ perceptions of strategic and technology-assisted listening practices in English listening activities. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the study involved five students from Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang who had experienced listening tasks in classroom contexts. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire distributed via Google Forms and were analyzed thematically to identify students’ habits, experiences, challenges, emotional responses, and focus strategies. The findings indicate that students showed varied levels of metacognitive awareness before listening. Some were prepared by reading or finding materials, while others did not apply specific preparation strategies. Technology-assisted listening was generally perceived positively, particularly through videos, music, podcasts, and digital platforms such as Gemini, which helped students access varied and engaging input. However, students also reported difficulties with fast speech, unfamiliar accents, limited vocabulary, and discomfort with fully English-language materials. Emotional responses were mostly positive, although some students experienced boredom, sleepiness, or difficulty understanding the content. To maintain focus, students used personal strategies such as choosing quiet places, selecting interesting themes, preparing vocabulary, and creating comfortable learning conditions. These findings suggest that EFL listening instruction should combine metacognitive strategy training with appropriately scaffolded digital tools to support learner autonomy, engagement, and comprehension.