Investigating the Effectiveness of Using podcast, Video Short Programs and Topic Preparation as Pre-task Activities on the Performance of EFL Learners' Listening Comprehension Task Types

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of three pre-task activities (podcast, video short programs and topic preparation) on the performance of EFL learners' listening comprehension task types. Sixty three participants were assigned to three groups. Pre-listening tasks were given to each group. The first group listened to podcasts, the second group watched video programs and finally the last group talked about the topic of the listening. Then, they were exposed to jigsaw and gap filling tasks. Multiple Regression was performed to find which activity can predict EFL learners’ listening comprehension. Only podcast could predict the learners’ performance. Also ANOVA was run to find if there was any significant difference between the activities on the performance of EFL learners listening comprehension in gap filing and jigsaw tasks. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the groups. The results of this study indicated the important role of podcast and video program in L2 listening comprehension and in motivating students. The results have implications for teachers and material developers.