Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of dictation and shadowing practice on the listening comprehension skill. The subjects were 78 Japanese high school students, who participated in eighteen sets of dictation and shadowing training, Each time the participants had a dictation assignment. After correcting mistakes they practiced shadowing both at home and at school. They were also asked to self-evaluate on their activity. Before and after the six-month training, listening comprehension tests (GTEC for students, listening part) were conducted to measure the students' improvement. The subjects were categorized into three groups according to their levels: the higher group, the middle group and the lower group. The analyzed data showed that the dictation and shadowing practice produced an effect on improving the listening comprehension skill, and that significant score gains were shown in both the middle and the lower groups, while no significant progress was observed in the higher group. These results lead to the conclusion that dictation and shadowing practice is an effective training method for the learners who have not yet internalized the phonological rules, such as reductions and elisions.
