A Closer Look At The Relationship Of Cognitive And Metacognitive Strategy Use To EFL Listening Achievement Test

Language researchers have long held an interest in factors that may affect performance and scores on language tests. Bachman (1990) proposed a model to investigate the effects of three types of systematic sources of variability on test scores: communicative language ability, the personal characteristics of test-takers, and the characteristics of the test method or test tasks. Among the three types of systematic sources of variability, communicative language ability was considered the central factor accounting for the variation of test scores in second language learning. It consists of three components: language competence, strategic competence, and psycho-physiological mechanisms. Bachman also argued that the second factor that influences test performance- test-takers' characteristics- includes a variety of personal attributes such as age, gender, native language, educational background, attitudes, motivation, anxiety, learning strategies, and cognitive style. Bachman's third factor- test method- refers to the characteristics of the test instruments used to elicit test performance and the effects that they may have on test score variation.Language testing researchers have been concerned with the identification of individual characteristics that influence variation in performance on language tests since the 1970s. One important variable that may account for the differences on language performance is the use of language strategies, which are thought to be used by students at all instructional levels with various outcomes. Metacognitive strategies are the test-takers' deliberate mental behaviors in directing and controlling their cognitive strategy processing for successful performance. They are conceived as higher order executive processing that provides a cognitive management function in language use and other cognitive activities. In the present study, they are composed of 2 distinct but interrelated strategies. They are planning and monitoring strategies. Cognitive strategies are different from metacognitive strategies. Cognitive strategies are ongoing mental activities of the test-takers. They use their language and world knowledge to solve the test tasks during the process.The study investigates the relationship of the test-takers' use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies to the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) listening test performance. This study is motivated from the assumption that the variability in language test performance can be attributed to test-takers' characteristics (Bachman, 1990). It is hoped that the present study will help make a contribution to a theory of cognitive and metacognitive strategy use and EFL listening test performance. And the study will perhaps provide some new ways to improve listening teaching and studying.Both quantitative and qualitative data analyses were used in the present study. 100 students from Taiyuan University of Science and Technology attended a 20-item multiple-choice listening test, and then answered a 30-item cognitive and metacognitive questionnaire. Eight of the test-takers (4 highly successful and 4 unsuccessful) were chosen to conduct retrospective interviews. The results showed that the test-takers' use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies had a positive relationship with the listening test performance. And the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies across the achievement groups differed. The findings of the study could explain variations on language test performance.