Effects of audio-visual aids on foreign language test anxiety, reading and listening comprehension, and retention in EFL learners.
This study examined the effects of audio-visual aids on anxiety, comprehension test scores, and retention in reading and listening to short stories in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Reading and listening tests, general and test anxiety, and retention were measured in English-major college students in an experimental group with audio-visual aids (n=83) and a control group without audio-visual aids (n=94) with similar general English proficiency. Lower reading test anxiety, unchanged reading comprehension scores, and better reading short-term and long-term retention after four weeks were evident in the audiovisual group relative to the control group. In addition, lower listening test anxiety, higher listening comprehension scores, and unchanged short-term and long-term retention were found in the audiovisual group relative to the control group after the intervention. Audio-visual aids may help to reduce EFL learners' listening test anxiety and enhance their listening comprehension scores without facilitating retention of such materials. Although audio-visual aids did not increase reading comprehension scores, they helped reduce EFL learners' reading test anxiety and facilitated retention of reading materials.
1 Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Shu-Ping
SP
Lee
Shin-Da
SD
Lee
Yuan-Lin
YL
Liao
An-Chi
AC
Wang
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D011932:Reading; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult