English Studies at NBU, 2024 pISSN 2367-5705

Vol. 10, Issue1, pp. 107-132 eISSN 2367-8704

https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.24.1.7 www.esnbu.org

THE IMPACT OF AUTHENTIC LISTENING-VIEWING

MATERIALS ON ESL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' LISTENING
COMPREHENSION SKILLS
Daria Pylypyshyna1 and Albina Palamarchuk2
1,2Vinnytsia
Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi
State Pedagogical University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine
Abstract

The study investigates the effects of authentic listening-viewing and textbook listening material on ESL
university students' listening comprehension skills. The experimental and control groups, that consist of
second-year university students, completed pre- and post-tests. The pre-test showed approximately the
same level of listening comprehension skills in the experimental and control groups. The result of the post-
test does not show a significant impact of authentic listening-viewing material on listening comprehension
of the experimental group. Employing the post-questionnaire, that the experimental group filled out, we
determined the challenges, such as speakers’ tempo and accents. However, students have a positive attitude
to such authentic aids. These findings confirm the constant difficulties caused by implementing listening-
viewing material and indicate students’ positive perception of authentic aids. The study also proves that
the regular employment of authentic listening-viewing materials decreases anxiety of the experimental
group and improves confidence when working on authentic videos.
Keywords: authentic materials; listening comprehension; authentic listening-viewing materials; adapted
materials; anxiety.
Article history: Contributor roles:
Received: 17 February 2023 Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing – original draft: D.P., A.P. (equal);
Reviewed: 02 May 2023 Data curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Visualization: D.P. (lead));
Accepted: 13 May 2024 Project Administration, Methodology, A.P. (lead), D.P. (supporting);
Published: 22 June 2024 Validation A.P. (lead); Writing – review and editing D.P. (lead).
Copyright © 2024 Daria Pylypyshyna and Albina Palamarchuk
This open access article is published and distributed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International
License which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author and source are credited. Permissions beyond the scope of this
license may be available at dasha.p@vspu.edu.ua If you want to use the work commercially, you must first get
the authors’ permission.
Citation : Pylypyshyna, D., & Palamarchuk, A. (2024). The Impact of Authentic Listening-Viewing
Materials on ESL University Students’ Listening Comprehension Skills. English Studies at NBU, 10(1), 107-
132. https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.24.1.7
Daria Pylypyshyna conducts seminars of English as a second language in the Department of Foreign
Languages at Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsuibynskyi State Pedagogical University, Ukraine. She received a
master's degree in pedagogy from Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsuibynskyi State Pedagogical University, Ukraine.
Her current field is second language teaching methodology. Her research interest is the development of the
ESL productive skills. (Corresponding author)
E-mail: dasha.p@vspu.edu.ua https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7105-9910
Albina Palamarchuk conducts seminars of English as a second language in the Department of Foreign
Languages at Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University, Ukraine. She received a
master’s degree in pedagogy from Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University, Ukraine.
Mrs. Palamarchuk’s interests include Second Language Teaching Methodologies, specifically, listening skills
development and implementing authentic materials.
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7869-5052

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The choice of teaching materials contributes to successful learning and teaching.

The most widespread teaching material is the textbook, which closely aligns with the
curriculum and facilitates teachers' preparation (Safitri, 2017, p. 23). However, Richards
(2001) and Safitri (2017) argue that the textbook context is authentic and presents the
natural language. As a result, using authentic materials in English teaching has been
discussed since the 1970s (Huda, 2017). Some research has been conducted to study the
impact of authentic material on English learning (Hwang, 2005; Safitri, 2017) as well as
teachers' attitudes and main concerns related to the use of authentic materials in the
classroom (Akbari & Razavi, 2016; Huda, 2017). In addition, scholars explore other
aspects, such as the implementation of authentic materials for writing skill development
(Chamba et al., 2019; Setyowati, 2019), teaching reading (Sari et al., 2020), vocabulary
enhancement (Karami, 2019), teaching speaking (Abbad, 2012; Alfa, 2020) and
improving listening skills (Mandasari, 2016; Tuanany, 2019). Tuanany (2019) utilizes
authentic audio and video aids to study their influence on listening comprehension and
the impact of adding text to a video in English. In sum, scholars investigate teachers'
beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, and outcomes when applying authentic materials for
listening comprehension and attempt to provide some recommendations concerning
selecting, preparing, and applying such aids in the classroom.

If authentic materials are carefully selected, they can motivate students to learn
and work autonomously (Mandasari, 2016), improve vocabulary and listening ability
(Tuanany, 2019; Namaziandost et al., 2019), students' spoken (Abbad, 2012; Alfa, 2020)
and written competences (Setyowati, 2019). However, the impact of authentic and
adapted authentic materials on listening comprehension has yet to be investigated since
adapted materials have some features of authentic materials. Therefore, this study aims
to explore the impact of authentic listening-viewing material on ESL students’ listening
comprehension skills, and analyze the main challenges students face and their perception
of authentic listening-viewing materials. This study might have implications for English
college and university teachers by providing insights into the influence of adapted and
authentic visual and audio aids on listening ability and students’ attitude to authentic
listening-viewing material.

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Literature review

The notion of authentic materials and their division

Authentic materials have been defined differently due to their use in various
studies. One of the definitions implies that ‘authentic materials are designed to achieve
social goals in the community in which people create them’ (Little et al., 1988, as cited in
Guariento & Morley, 2001, p. 347). Moreover, Adam et al. (2010) points out that
‘authentic material is spoken or written language produced without teaching objectives
by an actual native speaker for real interlocutors in a real situation’ (p. 432). As a result,
‘materials are composed of the actual language that is not processed and prepared for
classroom use’ (Adam et al., 2010, p. 432). Suppose a teacher exposes students to
authentic information. In that case, ‘they can observe cultural components such as
collocations, idioms, and colloquialisms and notice the everyday use of the language by
native English speakers in their community’ (Qamariah, 2016).

Gebhard (1996) divided authentic materials into three groups: authentic

listening-viewing, authentic visual, and authentic text materials. An important
classification for our study is the division of authentic materials into authentic and
adapted or fabricated materials. The sources of authentic materials are foreign TV, media,
and YouTube, while adapted materials can be found in foreign English textbooks. Also,
authentic materials are created for real-life situations, but fabricated materials are
designed for teaching. In addition, authentic materials focus on improving
communicative commentaries, while adapted materials aim at revising grammar
structures and vocabulary items. Last, language in authentic materials is full of ellipses,
abbreviations, and cliches. However, fabricated materials include standardized simple
speech and set the example of language use (Zhambylkyzy & Molotovskaya, 2021, p. 142).
Besides, Zhambylkyzy and Molotovskaya (2021) consider ‘adapting authentic materials
the least productive way of their implementation, and it does not allow students to absorb
the English language’ (p. 142). Judging by that, texts, audio, and videos in foreign language
textbooks cannot be viewed as authentic materials since they are produced for teaching
purposes; they demonstrate standardized language use and concentrate on language
revision.

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Development of receptive skills (listening) using authentic materials

Many scholars have studied the idea of implementing authentic materials for
teaching listening. According to Nunan and Miller (1995), students must know what to
listen for. Having a clear purpose helps to perceive and comprehend materials better.
Moreover, students can relate their experience to the context of the authentic aid that
generates interest, and the language used in such materials is much appreciated (Wong
et al., 1995).

Peacock (1997) notes that ‘the proper use of authentic materials boosts levels of
on-task behavior, focus, and engagement in the target activity more than a textbook’ (p.
24). ‘Authentic material in listening activities may provoke different student reactions,
such as enjoyment, delight, or boredom’. Therefore, ‘using real-life materials is as
significant as students’ responses. Experiencing various emotions is the essence of
communication’ (Tuanany, 2019, p. 109). That is why ‘authentic materials are more
motivating than textbook activities – they are more stimulating and arouse curiosity’
(Peacock, 1997).

The proper selection of authentic materials is essential as well. It consists of ‘the

language level, learners’ needs, lesson objectives, interests and age, moral and social
values, learning environment, classroom conditions, simplicity to implement aids, and
accessibility’ (Mandasari, 2016, p. 22). The following points can extend these criteria:
‘fulfilling communicative goals, being easy to understand for learners, and being suitable
for a teacher’ (Laamri, 2009, p. 16). ‘Using authentic videos, audio tapes, TV, and radio
broadcasts leads to the transferability to listening outside the ESL classroom – to home,
work, or community’ (Duzer, 2000). Moreover, Tuanany (2019) points out that ‘authentic
materials create an enjoyable and relaxed learning atmosphere if they meet learners’
needs and language levels’ (p. 110).

The impact of visual materials on developing listening skills

Some studies have been conducted in order to analyze the impact of authentic
audio-visual aids on students’ listening skills. Kretsai (2014) has researched to study the
effects of utilizing videos for developing listening skills. The main goals of the research
were to promote students’ listening skills and analyze students’ attitudes toward using
video materials in EFL classrooms. The participants were first-year university students.

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Participants took pre-and post-tests. Comparing the results of the tests, the scholar
concluded that students found learning with videos motivating and enjoyable; their
listening comprehension ability also improved.

Fachmi (2014) investigates the use of descriptive videos and whether descriptive
videos are effective enough to foster listening comprehension. This research exploits
such a method as a quasi-experiment including pre-test and post-test. According to the
research findings, descriptive videos positively impact students’ listening ability and
foster listening comprehension.

In addition, Namaziandost et al. (2019) also analyze the effects of exploiting

authentic videos in the EFL classroom on teaching listening. Based on the findings, they
conclude that all subskills, such as listening for gist, specific information, and the main
idea, have been developed. However, listening for specific information was even better
promoted than other subskills. What is more, the scholars conclude that more than the
content of textbooks is needed to foster listening skills, so it is essential to align textbooks
with other sources like audio-visual materials. Furthermore, students are motivated to
participate in class actively and are engaged and interested.

Method

Purpose and research questions

The present study aims to investigate the influence of authentic and adapted
listening materials on Ukrainian ESL university students’ listening comprehension skills.
Furthermore, the study determines ESL university students’ feedback on the application
of authentic materials and which difficulties they dealt with when listening to authentic
listening-viewing materials. More specifically, we will investigate the following research
questions:
1. Do authentic listening-viewing materials affect Ukrainian ESL university
students’ listening ability?
2. What prevents students from complete comprehension of authentic listening-
viewing materials?
3. Does the regular usage of authentic listening-viewing materials reduce
Ukrainian ESL university students’ level of anxiety that authentic material provokes?

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The study adopted quasi-experimental research. The dependent variables in the

study were Ukrainian ESL students’ listening skills, and the independent variable was the
type of listening material: authentic for the experimental group of ESL university
students and adapted materials for the control group of ESL university students.

Participants

The participants of the study were second-year university students in Ukraine. All
the students were doing their bachelor’s degree in teaching English as a second language
in secondary schools. The current research focused on the listening/speaking course
taught with the textbook Outcomes Intermediate (Dellar & Walkley, 2016). The listening
component of the course consisted of textbook listening activities.

Two subgroups took part in the study, where the general number of participants
was 18. The control group consisted of 9 students and was taught by a separate teacher
(the author of this article). The group followed the assigned textbook and its listening
activities covering such topics as "Education" and "Injuries and Illnesses". The control
group also administered the pre-and-post-tests. The teacher of this group did not involve
students in listening to authentic listening-viewing materials. Textbook listening
materials comprised listening for gist and specific information activities: matching
exercises, sequencing, gap-filling, true-or-false, and answering questions. The textbook
listening activities involved standard speech whose purpose was to revise or introduce
new vocabulary or grammar structures. The experimental group was taught by another
teacher (also the author of this article). The experimental group consisted of 9 students.
The students also followed the same textbook. However, the teacher also implemented
authentic listening-viewing materials into the curriculum topics: Education and Injuries
and Illnesses. Students of the control group met four times a week for 80 minutes during
the semester, and students of the experimental group met twice a week for 80 minutes
too. In sum, students had 24 seminars.

Procedure and tools

A survey and testing were used for data gathering. Survey research is ‘a specific
type of field study that involves collecting data from a sample of elements drawn from a
well-defined population through a questionnaire’ (Visser et al., 2000, p. 223). Therefore,

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a questionnaire was the primary tool to study and determine ESL students’ experience
working with authentic listening materials at university.

Employing a survey, we investigated what teaching aids tutors used to develop

listening skills in the classroom and whether they were authentic or adapted. Therefore,
we placed the following questions in the questionnaire: 1. How often does a university
teacher use listening materials during the lesson? 2. Are these listening materials
authentic or adapted? 3. Does a university teacher use video listening materials during
the lesson as one kind of teaching aid? 4. Are such videos authentic or adapted? 5. Can
you comprehend authentic audio/video materials without obstacles? The survey was
carried out in September 2023 before seminars started. It was conducted anonymously
employing Google Forms (online), as there was an online form of education in Ukraine
then.

After both subgroups filled out a questionnaire, we carried out a pre-test to

determine students’ comprehension skills to understand the authentic listening-viewing
material. The pre-test had a video about Mark McCrindle, a social researcher and
principal of the research-based advisory firm McCrindle Research, and his interview was
about private and public education. The video was taken from YouTube and extracted
from an Australian breakfast show, The Today Show. Hence, the video is an authentic
teaching aid, as it was created by native speakers, for native speakers, and not for
teaching. We divided the video into two parts and developed two assignments (see
Appendix): pre-test and post-test accordingly. Both assignments comprised twelve
questions: six multiple-choice questions with three possible answers and six true-false
statements.

The next step meant teaching CG with adapted audio-listening materials, which
accompanied the textbook approved by the Curriculum – Outcomes Intermediate (Dellar
& Walkley, 2016). In the meantime, EG was taught with the same textbook listening
activities supplemented with authentic listening-viewing materials, which aligned with
the curriculum topics. (see Appendix)

The topic of Injuries and Illnesses was extended by such videos: How Clean Eating
Can Lead to Orthorexia, which is about the advantages and disadvantages of a clean eating
diet and its impact on health; and the principles of Living Longer, which is about the rules
that help to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The topic of Education comprised such videos:

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What is the Purpose of College? – the monologue of Nancy Hill, a Charles Bigelow professor
of education, who shared the observations about her students’ purpose of getting higher
education; and should we abolish private schools? which is about the advantages and
disadvantages of private educational institutions and their short history of development.
YouTube was the source of all the listening-viewing materials.

Since, authentic materials are complex for students to work with, students
listened to them following such stages: pre-listening – familiarizing with the key
vocabulary or grammar structures of the authentic video to facilitate video
comprehension; while-listening activities aimed to develop students’ receptive listening
skills; post-listening activities were designed to summarize the information learned in
the previous two stages and apply that knowledge further for productive skills
development. (see Appendix)

Then, we conducted a post-test after the instructional period and compared the
results of pre- and post-tests of both groups. The final step involved the questionnaire for
the EC to determine the factors that interfered with students’ comprehension of authentic
listening-viewing materials and their anxiety level through the regular use of authentic
materials. (see Appendix)

The experimental group had to provide their opinion on seven statements about
the obstacles to a better understanding of authentic listening-viewing materials and
students’ confidence before and after applying such materials. The survey contained
Likert scale options (strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree) to express
participants’ opinions and share their experiences about dealing with authentic listening-
viewing materials. Students filled in their answers in Google Forms. (see Appendix)

The overall alpha level was set at .05. After the EG (9 students) and CG (9 students)
completed the pre-test, we conducted t test, based on the score of the pre-test, so that we
could identify whether the listening abilities to comprehend authentic listening-viewing
materials of EG and CG students differed.

The result did not show a significant difference between the groups on the pre-
test (t (16) = 1.8627, p = .506). It means that before the experiment, the listening abilities
of the two groups were at a similar level. The following section will present the
descriptive statistics and the post-test results.

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Results

The survey prior to the treatment

Employing the questionnaire before the experiment, we studied the frequency of

utilizing authentic teaching aids and implementing audio/video listening materials in ESL
classrooms. Table 1 depicts the answers to the survey. According to it, 36% (26) of
participants said that a university teacher used audio listening materials only twice per
week, 27% (20) said three times, 19% (14) of students – said four or more, 18% (13)
answered that only once.

Answering the second question, students provided the following information:

86% (63) of participants said that a university teacher used adapted listening materials
in the classroom, whereas 14% (10) of students answered that these materials were
authentic.

Providing answers to the third question, 74% (54) of participants said that a
university teacher used listening-viewing materials in the classroom. In terms of
frequency, they chose once or twice per week. 88% (64) of participants said those
listening-viewing materials were adapted.

87% (59) of participants said they could comprehend authentic listening-viewing

materials without obstacles.

Table 1.

Survey results

How often does a university

teacher use listening Are these listening Does a university teacher
materials during the materials authentic or use video listening
lesson? adapted? materials during the
lesson?
three
14%
36% 27% four and
adapted 26%
more yes
19% once authentic
18% 86% 74% no
twice

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Are these videos authentic or Can you comprehend authentic

adapted? audio/video materials without
obstacles?
12%

13%
adapted
yes
authentic
no
88%
87%

The results of the pre-test

Before the experimental period, we conducted a pre-test to assess participants’

level of listening skill development. An unpaired t-test was performed to compare both
groups’ levels of listening skills before experimenting. First, we used Levene’s test to test
the homogeneity of variance. The f-ratio value is 0.00717. The p-value is .933592. The
result is not significant at p < .05. The requirement of homogeneity has been met.

The results of the unpaired t-test (Table 2) showed that there was not a significant
difference between the participants’ listening skills development of the experimental
group (M = 7.44, SD = 1.13) and control group (M = 5.71, SD = 1.59); t (16) = 1.8627, p =
.506. By conventional criteria, this difference is considered not to be statistically
significant.

Table 2

Descriptive statistics for the pre-test

Statistic Experimental Control

(n = 9) (n = 9)
Mean 7.44 6.56
SD 1.13 1.01
Skewedness 0.38 0.34

The results of the post-test

After the experimental period, we conducted the post-test to prove or reject the
hypothesis that implementing authentic listening-viewing materials in the ESL classroom
can boost students' listening skills. According to the instruction, students could earn 12
points by completing both assignments after listening to the authentic listening-viewing
material. Table 3 represents the result of the post-test. A slight increase in the M is
noticeable, and there is a little difference in the SD between the two groups. Comparing

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the growth of the M, Table 3 displays a slight rise for the EG (0.22), which is lower than
for the CG (0.77). It means that the employment of authentic listening-viewing material
had little effect on the EG listening comprehension skills. Moreover, adapted authentic
materials from the textbook Outcomes Intermediate (Dellar & Walkley, 2016) had the
same impact on CG's listening comprehension skills.

Table 3
Descriptive statistics for the post-test
Pre-test Post-test
Statistic Experimental Control Experimental Control
(n = 9) (n = 9) (n = 9) (n = 9)
M 7.44 6.56 7.66 7.33
SD 1.13 1.01 2.00 1.87
Skewedness 0.38 0.34 0.67 0.62
A paired-sample t-test for the EG displayed little increase in the mean score (t (8)
= 0.307, p = .766), as well as in the mean score for the CG (t (8) = 1.1749, p = .662). As for
the changes in SD values, the EG did not significantly increase its post-test score, which
means that the employment of authentic listening-viewing materials did not highly affect
the EG listening comprehension skills. By conventional criteria, the EG difference is
considered not to be statistically significant.

Post-experimental questionnaire

By conducting the post-experimental survey, we aimed to investigate which

obstacles prevented students from better understanding the authentic listening-viewing
materials and the students' confidence before and after applying the authentic materials.
The results are the following: 70% (6) of students did not agree that vocabulary or
grammar structures prevented them from a better understanding. 56% (5) of
participants said that the accents and dialects used in the videos were obstacles to
understanding authentic listening-viewing materials. 67% (6) of students could not
comprehend the speakers because of their tempo. 33% (3) of participants had a high level
of anxiety before conducting classes with the frequent authentic listening-viewing
materials implementation. 78% (7) of students said using authentic listening-viewing
materials increased their confidence. 88% (8) of participants would like to continue
implementing authentic listening-viewing materials in the classroom.

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The survey showed that grammar and vocabulary structures, which the speakers
used in their speech, did not prevent students from comprehending the videos. However,
the tempo and the variety of accents and dialects of speakers in the videos were obstacles
to students’ better understanding. According to the survey, the frequent implementation
of authentic listening-viewing materials increased students’ confidence. In addition,
almost all the students would like to continue learning through authentic listening
materials during the lessons.

Discussion

The difference in listening ability between the experimental and control groups
before the experiment was not statistically significant, as the calculated value is smaller
than the critical value of 1.8627 < 2.12. Hence, we can assume that their level of listening
skills development before the experiment was approximately the same. The experiment
results showed that implementing authentic listening-viewing materials did not highly
affect students’ listening comprehension skills. However, the results of the post-
experimental questionnaire suggested that the regular usage of authentic listening-
viewing material reduces Ukrainian ESL university students’ level of anxiety that
authentic video provokes. Nonetheless, due to the small number of participants, it is
necessary to be careful in drawing strict conclusions.

Research question 1: The effect of authentic listening-viewing materials

Research question 1 investigated the influence of authentic listening-viewing

materials on Ukrainian ESL university students’ listening ability. The analysis of post-test
results showed that the regular usage of authentic listening-viewing materials did not
affect students’ listening skills development. This assumption is evidenced by little gains
made by the EG (0.22) compared to CG (0.77). The last one had a higher M, even though
authentic listening-viewing materials were not implemented in class. In addition, the SD
and SK of both EG and CG were approximately the same. Based on these results, we can
conclude that employing authentic listening-viewing materials has the same impact on
students’ listening ability as adapted listening materials provided by the course books.

Despite such results, we are still on the side of using authentic materials. As
Febrina (2017) points out, non-authentic materials such as textbooks are designed by the
teacher based on the learners' capability and language level. Thus, it is easier for the

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learner to master the lesson. However, as non-authentic materials are designed and
simplified by teachers, it makes non-authentic materials seem unnatural. Textbooks and
simplified learning materials cause a lack of exposure to the real English language use in
daily life (p. 733).

While conducting lessons with the implementation of authentic listening

materials, we did not take into consideration that students had little experience in dealing
with authentic materials. As Akbari and Razavi (2016) point out, authentic materials
must be chosen based on the suitability of content, exploitability, and readability. The
content is suitable if it interests the students and is appropriate to their needs and
abilities (p. 109). We should have made a more proper selection of authentic materials
and a smooth transition from adapted to authentic listening materials.

Research question 2: Obstacles towards complete comprehension of authentic

listening materials

We conducted a questionnaire to receive students’ feedback on implementing

authentic materials in the lesson. It is said that ‘unedited authentic materials are too
difficult to understand by learners as they have complex language structures. In addition,
authentic materials might be culturally biased. ESL learners have different cultural
backgrounds, which leads to misunderstanding’ (Febrina, 2017, p.736). Nonetheless,
according to the survey results, it was not complex grammar and vocabulary structures
that prevented students from comprehending the videos but the tempo and the variety
of accents and dialects. Therefore, at the beginning of the video implementation process,
there must be speakers with the Received Pronunciation (RP) that is the most familiar to
learners. Moreover, different cultural background leads not to confusion but to further
discussion and research.

Research question 3: The impact of authentic listening-viewing materials on

students’ anxiety

Melanlioğlu (2013) states that ‘listening anxiety may happen when students face
a difficult or new listening situation. It increases when the listener cannot hear words and
misunderstands what they hear’ (p.1178).

When the student improves their listening skills, anxiety fades away, and positive
experiences grow. Therefore, it is necessary to present examples from daily life to

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students during listening skill education to increase their positive experiences. It is

assumed that ‘the frequent use of authentic listening materials in the lessons might
reduce students’ anxiety’ (Melanlioğlu, 2013, p.1178).

The post-experimental survey showed that the regular implementation of

authentic listening-viewing materials increased students’ confidence. The fact that
almost all the students would like to continue learning through authentic listening
materials is evidence of this.

Pedagogic implications

The findings are essential because they suggest that authentic listening-viewing
material does not necessarily improve ESL university students’ listening comprehension
skills. The post-questionnaire result proves that selecting authentic materials more
carefully is required. These findings may be helpful for teachers who plan on
implementing authentic listening-viewing materials in the ESL classroom. The
experiment proved that readability should be considered in terms of grammar, structure,
vocabulary, and also speech tempo and accent since those two peculiarities were quite
challenging for students. Moreover, the L2 teaching and learning community should
consider the conclusion that the use of authentic listening-viewing materials is stressful
on the part of the students, especially if they have little experience dealing with authentic
aids. However, it is possible to reduce students’ anxiety caused by authenticity through
their regular use. Therefore, if students have much experience with authentic aids, they
will feel less anxious and confused when encountering native speakers, authentic print,
and auditory materials. In addition, it appears students shared a negative experience
concerning authentic listening-viewing materials because of the analyzed challenges. On
the contrary, students admitted they wanted to continue learning through authentic
listening aids.

Based on this classroom-based research, we recommend starting or resuming the

implementation of authentic listening-viewing material in ESL classrooms with some
regular frequency. Authentic listening-viewing materials proved helpful in boosting
students’ confidence, and, with proper selection, can even improve listening
comprehension skills.

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Conclusion

The study aimed to explore the effects of implementing authentic listening-

viewing materials on ESL university students during speaking/listening English course.
In this research, data collection tools were pre-test, post-test, and questionnaires to
determine students' perception of authentic listening-viewing materials before and after
the experiment and investigate difficulties in listening comprehension.

The findings indicate that employing authentic listening-viewing materials did not
significantly influence ESL university students’ listening skills. Furthermore, adapted
listening material is quite helpful for developing listening skills, as the study
demonstrates. However, the findings were valuable for investigating challenges and
students’ confidence levels. Through post-questionnaire, students shared that they faced
such challenges as accents of speakers and speech tempo, which made it difficult to catch
up with the speech. As a result, the content was confusing. Therefore, teachers need to
pay attention to these factors and other features of readability, the suitability of content,
and exploitability. ESL students also admitted that regularly employing authentic
listening-viewing materials increases their confidence when authenticity is involved.
Since students had little experience learning through authentic materials, some
experienced anxiety initially. After the experiment ended, it appeared that the regular use
of authentic materials decreased their anxiety and confusion. Thus, making them more
confident learners.

Despite these findings, we need to acknowledge several weaknesses of the

research. First, a more careful approach to selecting listening-viewing materials is
required. If speakers in the video had more Received Pronunciation (RP), it would be
easier to cope with the speech tempo and decrease the confusion, especially when ESL
university students had poor experience with authentic listening-viewing materials.
Further research may focus on a more thorough selection of listening-viewing materials
considering the factors we overlooked and analyze the impact of such aids on ESL
university students’ listening ability. Second, the content of the pre-and-post-test was
designed by the teachers who conducted the experiment and tried to make both tests as
equal as possible in terms of consistency, validity, and objectivity. However, both tests
were based on the same authentic video; the first part was the foundation for the pre-
test, and the second part was included in the post-test. It may be possible that the

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beginning of the video was less confusing and challenging than the ending, which could
also affect the score of EG and CC. Therefore, it is valuable to conduct a similar experiment
employing a different tool to measure students’ listening abilities before and after the
experiment, as some standardized English language proficiency listening tests. Third, the
experimental period can be extended in future research in this field, as 24 classes may
not be enough to analyze the real impact of listening-viewing materials on ESL students’
listening comprehension skills. Considering the lenient research design and the limited
size of the participant groups in this classroom-based research, the impact of the study
should be viewed as suggestive rather than definitive.

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Appendix

Lesson activities

Video “Should we abolish private schools?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN36jVSp1x0&t=90s
STAGE 1: Pre-watching
Activity 1. Discussion
Instruction: Work in groups of 3. Discuss the questions and appoint one student to report
back to class
- Do you agree that private schools provide better quality of education than state schools?
Why?
- Do you agree that private schools provide better perspectives than state schools? Why?

Activity 2. Filling in the gaps

Instruction: Read the definitions of the words. Then, complete the gaps below with the
words from the list.
− drastic /ˈdræs.tɪk/ - violent, severe and having a wide effect
− alumni /əˈlʌm.naɪ/ - the former students of a school or college
− bequest /bɪˈkwest/ - the money or property belonging to someone that they say that,
after their death, they wish to be given to other people
− bursary /ˈbɜː.sər.i/ - an amount of money given to a person by an organization, such as
a university, to pay for them to study
− whack /wæk/ - to hit someone or something noisily
− divisiveness /dɪˈvaɪ.sɪv.nəs/ - great, and sometimes unfriendly, division between
different groups of people

1) The debate over illegal immigration has caused much … in the country.
2) He … his newspaper on the back of the chair as he talked.
3) You may be eligible to receive a … .
4) Her will included small … to her family, while most of her fortune went to charity.
5) A reunion of Yale … of the class of 1990.
6) Many employees have had to take … cuts in pay.

STAGE 2. While-watching
Activity 3. Multiple-choice activity
Instruction: Watch a video (till 2:45) and choose one option in each statement.
1. Most of prime ministers went to …
a) private school b) state school
2. The origins of private school date back to …
a) the Middle Ages b) The Victorian era
3. First private schools were created to educate …
a) rich children b) poor children

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4. Private schools are relabeled as an independent schools …

a) in 1960s b) in Victorian period
5. 1% of private school pupils are …
a) wealthy b) not wealthy

Activity 4. Question discussion

Instruction: Watch a video till the end and take notes of the answers to questions.
1) What are three ways of dealing with private schools in Britain?
2) What does a woman mean by abolishing private schools?
3) Why is Finland a good example of education system?
4) What is parentocracy?

A follow-up activity: Work in pairs. Discuss the questions in pairs. Report back to class

STAGE 3. After-watching
Activity 5. Preparing a project
Instruction: Work in pairs. Compare private and state schools. What are their advantages
and disadvantages? Follow the link to present your ideas.
https://jamboard.google.com/d/1qyr1rz5Dc5O3O3penbBYB2griRoaIcT6H84Wv3X3eq
o/edi t?usp=sharing

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Video “How clean eating can lead to orthorexia”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnCAOUvJu3o
STAGE 1. Pre-watching
Activity 1. Question Discussion
Instruction: Follow the link below. Work in pairs and study a healthy eating plate. Have
you ever heard of such a plate? Do you follow its advice? Would you like?
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/
Activity 2. Scanning
Instruction: Read a short article about “clean eating” and answer the questions in pairs.
Report back to class.
CLEAN EATING
Once just a buzzword, “clean eating” is now a popular eating style. What it means will
depend on who you ask. The terms clean eating and clean diets are not federally regulated in the
U.S., so interpretation by consumers and the marketing of “clean” products by the food industry
can vary widely. Generally, clean eating is assumed to refer to foods that are as close to their
natural state as possible, maybe organic, and most likely with minimal use of any chemical
additives and preservatives. A clean diet may include whole fruits, vegetables, lean proteins,
whole grains, and healthy fats while limiting highly processed snacks and other packaged foods
with added sugar and salt. It may also be associated with terms like plant-based, grass-fed, sugar-
free, or gluten-free. In summary, clean eating seemingly promotes health and wellness.
The concept is popular among younger consumers active with social media, which is the
prime platform for celebrities, bloggers, and other high-profile personalities who chronicle their
clean eating meals and recipes. A survey of more than 1,200 participants ages 14-24 years found
that 55% were familiar with the term clean eating from social media, other online sources, or
their peers.
A survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) helps to further define
consumer beliefs about clean eating. It found that “clean eaters” eat foods that are not highly
processed, such as fresh or organic fruits and vegetables, and food products with a short, simple
ingredients list. Additional findings:
Almost half of those surveyed considered themselves to be clean eaters, with “eating
foods that aren’t highly processed,” “eating fresh produce,” “eating organic foods,” and “eating
foods with a simple ingredients list” as the most cited definitions.
64% surveyed said they try to choose foods made with clean ingredients, defined as “not
artificial or synthetic,” “organic,” “fresh,” or “natural.”
(retrieved from Harvard Health Publications)
1. What does “clean eating” mean?
2. What does “a clean diet” include?
3. Who is this term popular with?
4. What are the results of the survey?

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Activity 3. Discussion
Instruction: Work in groups of 4. Think about advantages and disadvantages of clean
eating. Report back to class

STAGE 2. While-watching
Activity 4. Note-taking
Instruction: Have you ever heard of orthorexia nervosa? Watch the video What
orthorexia nervosa is and explain this term. Why is this term controversial? Is it an official
diagnosis? Do you believe that it is a real problem?

Activity 5. Question discussion

Instruction: Watch the video How clean eating can lead to orthorexia and answer the
questions.
1. Who is Shoo?
2. What kind of problem does she have? What caused this problem?
3. Why did Shoo feel that she needed help?
4. What were the expert’s thoughts about Shoo’s story?

STAGE 3. After-watching
Activity 6. Question discussion
Instruction: Discuss the following questions in pairs. Report back to class
1. Why do you think clean eating may lead to such an eating disorder?
2. The expert says that this term was coined in 1990. Why is it a relatively new term?
3. What age group is the most affected by this eating disorder? Why?
4. Is there a link between social media and eating disorders? Why? Give examples.

Activity 7. Mingling
Instruction: Move around and find out how social media has influenced your
groupmates’ eating habits. Take notes and report back to class.

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Video “What is the purpose of college?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5DSiaGf3X4&t=2s
STAGE 1. Pre-watching
Activity 1. Sentence completion
Instruction: Work individually. Finish the sentence. The reason I entered the university
was … Write your answer on the online board.
https://jamboard.google.com/d/1lEBgpIdiIRE7LTjx1yHvynuUyRoXcbKATJSITTOznbc/
edi t?usp=sharing

STAGE 2. While-watching
Activity 2. Note-taking
Instruction: Watch a video What's the Purpose of College? | Nancy Hill (Harvard) and
answer the questions below.
1) What first reason for entering college comes to one’s mind?
2) Why do people want to go back to college?
3) What opportunity does a college give?
Activity 3. Matching
Instruction: Watch a video What's the Purpose of College? | Nancy Hill (Harvard) and
match students’ names to their ideas.
1) Dilan a) had no energy after studying.
2) Mike b) enjoyed extra curriculum activities.
3) Judith c) has no goal and takes courses that he/she is interested in.
4) Debra d) thinks that is time to grow and broad yourself.
5) Max e) wants to experience everything herself.

STAGE 3. After-watching
Activity 4. Discussion
Instruction: Work in pairs. Read students opinions. Do you agree to them? Report back
to class.
1) Higher education gives opportunity to build a career and make good income.
2) Higher education is time to find oneself.
3) The purpose of higher education is to develop critical thinking skills.
Activity 5. Note-taking
Instruction: Listen to the US former president speech about the importance of education.
Write three reasons that were mentioned in the video. Do you agree to them?
*instant gratification - to get immediate benefit
sustained effort - to work long and hard to achieve something
The follow-up activity: Do you agree to the president’s golden rule: Treat others as you
would like to be treated?
Activity 6. Preparing a project
Instruction: Work in groups of 3. Answer the questions below. Present a poster with the
main challenges and solutions. Report back to class.
a) What challenges might students face at university? What is the possible solution to each
challenge?
b) Why should I get higher education?

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Pre-test and post-test assignments

Pre-test

Part 1. Watch the video for the first time and choose the correct option.

1. What topic are the TV presenter and the guests going to discuss?
a) Current trends in education
b) Advantages and disadvantages of public and private schools
c) The choice between a public or private school enrollment
2. What trend has been observed in the last five years?
a) A growth in sending kids to private schools
b) A rise in sending children to public schools
c) A fall in public school attendance
3. What statement is true about Jodie’s kids?
a) They are used to studying at public school
b) They used to study at private school
c) They had an unpleasant experience at private school
4. What is one of the differences between public and private schools?
a) Class sizes
b) Teacher number
c) Discipline choice
5. Why do public schools have a better curriculum according to Jodie?
a) Because of the class sizes
b) Because of a larger number of fields
c) Because of the subject selection
6. What factors influence the choice between private and public schools?
a) Prestige
b) The location
c) The cost of living
Part 2. Watch the video for the second time and decide which sentences are true and false.
1. Jodie’s children attended extracurricular activities at private school.
2. The main reason for Jodie’s transferring her children to another school was the fee.
3. Jodie admits a positive impact of private school on her kids.
4. Public school teachers are more responsible for Jodie.
5. Jodie mentions that private school teachers have knowledge of teaching children with
special needs.
6. Parents are not interested in the alternative of low fee private schools.

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Post-test

Part 1. Watch the video for the first time and choose the correct option.

1. What does a viewer Robbie complain about?

a) poor academic performance
b) lack of individual approach
c) poor teachers’ training

2. What idea does a viewer Ariane express?

a) The location of the school matters to her.
b) She finds a school division undesirable.
c) She doesn’t want to make a choice.

3. What is the greatest advantage of public schools over private?

a) Tuition
b) Special care
c) Diversity

4. What field are public schools top-performing ones?

a) music resources
b) academics
c) extra-curricular activities

5. How many public schools compile the top ten ranking of high performing?
a) five
b) eight
c) nine

6. Why do some parents choose private school?

a) sheltered experience
b) facilities
c) subject selection

Part 2. Watch the video for the second time and decide which sentences are true and false.
1. Jodie believes children will struggle at work if they are being educated in public schools.
2. Jodie’s previous private school was cheap enough.
3. If parents focus on the children’s performance, then they choose private schools.
4. The TV presenter says plenty of families are able to afford private schools.
5. Jodie suggests visiting a school before selecting it for a child.
6. The man (guest) states that the choice of a school depends on the family priorities.

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Final questionnaire

Provide your feedback on the implementation of authentic materials during the lessons by
reading the statements and choosing one option.

1) The speakers’ usage of vocabulary structures prevented me from a better understanding of the
videos.
strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree

2) The speakers’ usage of grammar structures prevented me from a better understanding of the
videos.
strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree

3) Speakers’ usage of diverse accents and dialects prevented me from a better understanding of
the videos.
strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree

4) The speakers' tempo prevented me from a better understanding of the videos.

strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree

5) Before the frequent use of authentic listening materials, I felt nervous and could not
comprehend the natives’ speech.
strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree

6) My confidence in listening has increased after the frequent use of authentic listening materials.
strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree

7) I would like to listen to authentic, not adapted audio further.

strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree

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