FL listening comprehension strategy employment of high and low anxious listeners

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between FL listening anxiety and FL listening comprehension strategy use. Also, it was aimed to determine whether there existed a statistically significant difference between high and low anxious listeners in terms of FL listening comprehension strategy use. Furthermore, how high and low anxious listeners employed FL listening comprehension strategies also examined. A total of 79 first year ELT students in Anadolu University, Turkey participated in the study. In order to collect data for the purposes of the study, both quantitative (FLLAS and LCSI) and qualitative (learner diaries and guided interviews) were utilized. To determine FL listening anxiety level and FL listening comprehension strategy use of the participants, FLLAS and LCSI were distributed. Then, participants were trained on how to write effective diaries for the purposes of study. After diary keeping, which lasted for five weeks, participants were divided into three categories according to their FLLAS scores namely, high anxious, moderate anxious, and low anxious listeners. As the purpose of this study was to investigate the FL listening comprehension strategies used by high and low anxious listeners, learners with high and low levels of anxiety were invited to participate in guided interview sessions. As a result of the quantitative data analysis, a statistically moderate relationship was found between the two variables, in that participants FL listening anxiety level increased when their FL listening comprehension strategy use decreased or vice versa. It was also found that high and low anxious listeners employed FL listening comprehension strategies with a statistically significant difference. In other words, the results yielded that both group of listeners used FL listening comprehension strategies at some level however; low anxious listeners used more FL listening comprehension strategies than high anxious listeners. In order to demonstrate in which FL listening comprehension strategies (cognitive, metacognitive, and socioaffective strategies) high and low anxious listeners showed difference, qualitative data collected through learner diaries and guided interviews were analyzed through content analysis method in addition to quantitative data analysis. It was found that low anxious listeners outnumbered high anxious listeners in the employment of FL listening comprehension strategies in all categories i.e. cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, and socioaffective strategies. The analysis of the learner diaries and guided interviews demonstrated that high and low anxious listeners employed FL listening comprehension strategies in different manners. The findings of the current study yielded that FL listening anxiety and FL listening comprehension strategy use affected each other mutually. However, deciding which one affected the other one was a difficult task and beyond of the scope of the study. Nevertheless, as FL listening comprehension strategies can be taught to FL listeners, the strategies used by low anxious listeners can be taught to high anxious listeners to reduce their FL listening anxiety levels. The findings of this study might be viewed as one of the first steps into implementing explicit strategy training into FL listening classes. The findings of the study were presented and discussed with respect to the related literature. Bearing in mind the research findings, some implications regarding the FL listening anxiety and FL listening comprehension strategy use were proposed. Key words: FL listening comprehension, FL listening anxiety, FL listening comprehension strategies, first-year ELT students