أثر السفر للخارج قصير المدة على تحسين مهارة الاستماع باللغة الإنجليزية من وجهة نظر الطلاب

Abstract EN

The current study aimed to investigate the impact of short term traveling abroad and its associated listening sources on improving English listening skills based on the perspectives of students majoring in English & Translation at the College of Arts and Science in Onaizah, Qassim University.

The study also investigate the impact of two independent variables on improving listening skills: 1) duration of the traveling abroad and 2) type of listening source.

To achieve the study goals, mixed-methods approach, qualitative and quantitative, were used.

The sample of the study was purposive consisting from students majoring in English and Translation at the College of Arts and Science in Onaizah, Qassim University, and officially enrolled in fall 2018 semester and who have travelled abroad to one of the English speaking countries for a period of one week to 8 weeks.

Surveys were distributed to the study sample in which (133) were returned and analyzed.

Eight students were, moreover, semi-structurally interviewed which each lasted between 30-40 minutes.

The findings of the study can be summarized as follows: 1) during traveling abroad, there were four major listening sources from students' perspectives which are: formal encounters such as the ones at banks, airport, or police stations, social encounters and events, living with a hosted family or roommate, and finally TV and channels, 2) formal encounters was found the most effective listening source for improving students listening skills, 3) there were statistically significant differences with alpha set (α ≤ .05) for duration of travel abroad as independent variable in favor of students who stayed abroad longer, and 4) as for the impact of listening source on improving listening, One-Way ANOVA was used and results showed no statically significant differences.

The study opened the doors for further academic endeavors about the effects and impacts of traveling abroad on linguistics competences for Saudi students in which this type of studies are few if there is any.