6.5　Conclusion

6.5Conclusion

ThekeyfindingsrelevanttoResearchQuestionsThreeandFourare:

(a)Ingeneral,onlyweakcorrelationsbetweenreportedmetacognitivelisteningawarenessandlisteningcomprehensionandincidentalvocabularyacquisitionwerefound.Onepossibleexplanationforthisisthatthelearners'reporteduseofmetacognitivestrategiesdidnotactuallycorrespondcloselytotheiractualuseofthemwhileperformingthelisteningtasks.Inorderforlearnerstoactontheirpreferredmetacognitivestrategies,theymayneedtimetoimplementthem.Itisalsopossiblethatanyrelationshipbetweenreportedpreferredstrategyuseandlisteningcomprehensionwillonlybecomeevidentovertimeandmaynotbeevidentinparticularshortlisteningtasks.

(b)Oneoftheclearestfindingswasthenegativerelationshipbetweenreporteduseofmentaltranslationandlisteningcomprehensionandincidentalvocabularyacquisition.Thoughmentaltranslationwasafavouredstrategybythelessproficientlearnersinthesample,itassistedneitherlisteningcomprehensionnorincidentalvocabularyacquisitioninthekindsofonlineinput-processingtasksrequiredbytheinstructionaltasksusedinthisstudy.

(c)TherelationshipbetweenreporteduseofmetacognitivestrategiesandlisteningcomprehensionandincidentalvocabularyacquisitionwasmostclearlyevidentinGroupB,thethree-timelisteninggroup,whichreceivednotraining.Onepossibleexplanationforthisisthatthelearnersinthisgroupwerefreetousetheirpreferredstrategies.Incontrast,thelearnersinGroupsCandDmayhavefelttheneedtousestrategiesrelevanttothetrainingtheyhadreceived.