Computer testing of listening comprehension

Abstract This article describes a listening comprehension computer program and discusses its effects on general second language proficiency, measured in an experiment with large samples. In a research project with smaller samples language data were analysed to assess common types of listening errors and to determine the effects of the computer monitoring on students' progress. Subjects in the main experiment were 352 students of Dutch as a second language following an intensive beginners' course. The experimental group ( N = 154) was set a daily listening comprehension test on the computer, while the control group ( N = 198) was set a daily cloze-test. In the additional project a comparison was made of the performance of 16 subjects of the experimental group at the beginning and the end of the course. Results of the experiment showed a significant difference: the experimental group scored much better on a general language proficiency test at the end of the course. The analysis of performance data shows that most errors were caused by misinterpretation. A possible bias due to incorrect spelling was not found. Steady progress was made in the course of the program. Finally, the results on listening tests with verbatim texts that students listened to before the test, and with paraphrased texts that students never heard before were found to correlate highly. The conclusion is that monitoring of listening comprehension development by daily testing with computers promotes second language proficiency. Automated testing of listening comprehension, incorporated in a language course as described, is not only easy and efficient for both teachers and students, but also appears to make the second language teaching and learning more effective.