The Effects of Web-based Dictation and Group Size on Korean University Students' English Listening Performance.

This study explored the effect of web-based dictation and different group arrangement on Korean university students' listening performance. One hundred and fifty participants were divided into four groups: a control group with no web-based dictation, and three treatment groups that utilized web-based dictation in different group sizes (individuals, pairs, and small groups). The students of the treatment groups listened to the dictation files individually at their own computer stations and analyzed and corrected their answers in different group sizes. This study first compared listening performance depending on the use of web-based dictation tasks, and the results revealed that there was no significant difference in the students' written answers of dictation tasks. The study then examined the effect of different group sizes while in the process of analyzing and correcting the answers and found that different group sizes produced a meaningful difference. The students in the small and the individual groups performed better than the pair group on the written answers at a significant level. From these findings, the study concluded that the students hardly improved overall listening skills from the use of the web-based dictation tasks, but accuracy of listening skills were linked to the web-based dictation and different group interactions. Limitations and implications for the further study were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]