Abstract
This study investigated the effect of speed reading training on the listening comprehension skills of Japanese English learners. The participants involved were 42 university students placed under two class conditions: speed reading group (N=24), and dictation group (N=18). In addition to their usual classes, the speed reading class received 10 minutes of speed reading training once a week, and the dictation class received 10 minutes of dictation training once a week. The training sessions lasted for eight weeks. Pre- and post-listening tests were conducted for both classes before and after the training. The results of the t-test showed that the difference between pre- and post-test scores was statistically significant in the speed-reading class. However, in the dictation class, the difference in the scores of pre and post-test was not statistically significant. These results showed that speed reading training has a positive influence on listening comprehension skills in a foreign language learning setting.
