Exploring the Role of Process–based Instruction in Improving Young EFL Learners Metacognitive Awareness and Listening Comprehension: A Sociocultural Perspective

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing interest in the use of metacognitive instruction to promote learners second language (L2) listening comprehension. Rooted in Sociocultural Theory (SCT), this study aimed at investigating the effect of process-based instruction on improving metacognitive awareness and listening comprehension of young English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners at an English language institute in Khorramabad, Iran. In so doing, 60 young EFL learners, ranging from 11 to 13 years old, were randomly assigned into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group (n = 30) received the strategy training following the model proposed by Vandergrift (2004). The same teacher taught listening to the participants in the control group (n = 30) without any strategy instruction. Furthermore, metacognitive awareness of participants was assessed by the administration of the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) both at the beginning and end of the study. The results of listening comprehension tests of both groups unveiled that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on the listening comprehension posttest. In addition, the results of the MALQ revealed a significant promotion of the experimental group’s metacognitive awareness. The findings are explained in the light of sociocultural theory and collaborative interactions; finally, some pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research are offered.