Investigating the Employment of Metacognitive Strategies in Listening Comprehension among Non-Iranian Language Learners

In recent years, research has indicated that metacognitive strategies play a very important role in the process of learning a second language through helping learners to become autonomous and self-directed. They are conscious processes that regulate cognitive strategies, actions, and other processes. They include planning, monitoring, and evaluating strategies. Listening skill is a complex cognitive skill, which often has an impact on the development of other language learning skills. Applying metacognitive strategies leads to better listening comprehension and optimal use of learners’ other cognitive skills. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the metacognitive strategies that non-Iranian Persian learners employ to comprehend oral texts and whether gender and mother tongue have any effect on it. This research is a field study in which after calculating the item reliability of the questionnaire, data were collected quantitatively through Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ) developed by Vandergrift, Mareschal, and Tafaghodtari (2006). One hundred nineteen adult Persian learners from eight countries participated in this study. Data analysis indicated that non-Iranian Persian learners use problem-solving, direct attention, planning-evaluation, personal knowledge, and mental translation strategies respectively. Furthermore, the findings showed that male Persian learners employ metacognitive strategies more than female learners, even though this difference was not very significant, and that mother tongue has no effect on the use of these strategies. Research findings will help Persian language teachers to take into consideration each group of learners’ preferences and extent of their use, as well as variables such as gender and nationality.