An Investigation into the Effects of Time of Administration and Language of Instruction on Persian Language Learners' Listening Ability

Among sundry factors influencing an individual score "Environmental factors" and "Test rubric" play significant roles. The present article attempted to investigate the influence of "time of administration" and "language of instruction", each relating to the above-mentioned factors respectively on the Iranian EFL students' listening ability. To do so, 90 male and female language learners were selected and an old version of TOEFL test was given to them in order to ensure their proficiency level. Then, a listening comprehension test, derived from the material they were studying, was distributed among them at different times, each time with specific conditions and purposes. Results of the study revealed that students' performance was better when: The test was given in the morning, and with Persian (the students' native language) instructions. Conducting such studies can add valuable knowledge to the existing body of knowledge regarding the preparation of the best conditions for test takers on the exams. © 2011, Language Testing in Asia.