Student's Second-Language Grade May Depend on Classroom Listening Position

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Acoustic Science
• Second Language Acquisition

Background:

• Classroom acoustics and seating arrangements can affect student learning.
• Optimizing the listening environment is essential for effective instruction, particularly in second language acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of listening position (close vs. distant) and classroom reverberation on second-language (L2) listening comprehension test scores.
• To determine how these acoustic factors interact with students' baseline L2 proficiency.

Main Methods:

• A within-subjects design manipulated listening position, while a between-subjects design manipulated classroom reverberation.
• 125 fifteen-year-old Swedish high school students completed a standardized English listening comprehension test.
• Participants' baseline L2 English proficiency was assessed.

Main Results:

• L2 listening comprehension scores significantly decreased with increased distance from the sound source.
• Classroom reverberation effects were dependent on L2 proficiency: shorter reverberation benefited high-proficiency students, while longer reverberation benefited low-proficiency students.

Conclusions:

• Classroom listening position is a critical factor influencing L2 listening comprehension scores and potentially affecting students' English grades.
• Classroom acoustic design and seating arrangements should be considered to optimize L2 learning environments.