The listening comprehension strategies of core French high school students

This paper reports on the first phase of a study investigating the comprehension strategies used by core French students in listening tasks. By means of interviews, students at four different course levels reported on their conscious use of listening strategies in different contexts. All students evidenced a familiarity with metacognitive, cognitive, and socio-affective strategies. Overall, the percentage of metacognitive strategies reported by students increased for each course level. A chart of identified strategies and representative examples is provided. The paper concludes with pedagogical implications for fostering the acquisition of the metacognitive strategies that can enhance success in listening.