Exploring Dynamic Development of Listening Comprehension Difficulties: A Longitudinal Case Study of EFL Learners

Abstract

This study employed Dynamic Systems Theory to investigate the Listening Comprehension Difficulties (LCD) trajectories of two EFL learners. Through a longitudinal case study spanning a semester, LCD in five listening tasks was assessed using four indicators: vocabulary difficulties, familiar word difficulties, weak form difficulties, and chunk difficulties. Key findings included: 1) distinct nonlinear and intricate trajectories were observed for both learners, diverging from group averages; 2) semi-structured interview showed that individual pathways were influenced by interwoven factors including environmental variables (language policy, linguistic milieu, learning environment, etc.), linguistic factors (task complexity, language apprehension, native language transfer, etc.), and individual differences (e.g., self-regulation strategies, language anxiety, etc.).