The Impact of Input Modifications on Listening Comprehension: A Study of Learner Perceptions

This paper investigates the impact of modified and authentic aural input on the
perceptions of language learners in the classroom. The study is premised on the
assumption that research perspectives need to differentiate between the conditions
of second, language learning in naturalistic and instructed or foreign language
CFL) contexts. It is proposed that research into the role of input in foreign language
learning must include the study of learner perceptions of, or attitudes to, different
types of input as this is one of the crucial classroom variables which influences
the process and outcome of learning. This article describes a study which was
carried out over a period of eight weeks to explore the frequently made claim
that authentic listening comprehension materials elicit more favorable attitudes
from FL learners than mechanically or linguistically Simplified-and supposedly
more comprehensible-input. The subjects were university students of French
and German. The findings of this limited study indicate that learners differentiate
in their perception of input depending on the nature and presentation of input
modifications. This has implications for the FL classroom and for future research
in the field.