The Effects Of Question Preview On High-and Low-Proficiency Students' Performances In Listening Comprehension Tests

Questions Preview in listening comprehension tests poses controversy in practice. By examining tests like TEM4, CET 4 or CET6, which are widely used on college students, and international tests such as TOEFL or IELTS, and also some mid-term or final term English tests for college students, we find that there is a great discordance on the issue of questions preview, no matter what proficiency level the test-takers are. This may lead us to wonder whether there should be a uniformed way in dealing with question preview issue according to the students' proficiency level, and how this method of testing affects the different proficient students' test results. Although a lot of research has been done to study comprehension process in listening, little has been carried out on this method of testing, questions preview, especially, its effect on students at different proficiency levels.All examination of the construct of listening comprehension suggests that there are three possible results of the effect of question preview in listening comprehension tests on the performances of the students at different proficiency levels. First, there is no difference between the effects of question preview on the performances of the students at different proficiency levels. Second, the effect of question preview is stronger on the performances of students at high proficiency level. Third, the effect of question preview is stronger on the performances of students at low proficiency level. The quantitative effect on test results is predicated for each possibility.In the present study, there are two group subjects: 60 English major sophomores who are from Foreign Language School of Southwest University (SWU) regarded as high-proficiency group and 60 non-English major sophomores regarded as low-proficiency group, they are respectively from School of Computer and Information Sciences, School of Education and Science, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of SWU. The 120 subjects take listening tests two times in a short period, one with no question preview, the other with explicit instructions for questions preview. Subjects also complete questionnaires designed to elicit reactions to each test. Results showed that question preview facilitates high-proficiency subjects' performances much more than low-proficiency subjects'. Questionnaire responses indicate that high-proficiency subjects feel more certain when they have questions preview to help them to realize a more purposed listening, while most low-proficiency subjects take an indifferent attitude to the issue of with/no question preview. These results suggest that the effect of question preview is different on different proficiency-level students.It has following implications:1. It is recommended that question preview should be adopted for all standard listening comprehension tests, especially the test-takers are at high- and middle proficiency level.2. Question preview should also be encouraged as a good learning strategy in daily teaching to train the low level students to improve their listening comprehension ability in an effective way from the very beginning.3. In listening teaching, teachers should adopt different methods for different proficient students to implement listening strategy training, because of their difference in listening comprehension course.