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Abstract The current study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a program based on podcasts in developing some EFL listening comprehension skills of second-year preparatory students. To achieve this purpose, the researcher constructed and validated a questionnaire, a listening comprehension skills test and a program based on podcasts. Participants of the research included two classes (sixty students) from second-year preparatory students at Sohag governorate, Awlad Khalifa preparatory school at Dar El-Salam Administration. They were randomly selected and divided into an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were pre-tested using the listening comprehension skills test. Then, the experimental group students were taught listening using the program based on podcasts while the control group students were taught according to the teaching procedures included in the Teacher’s Guide set by the Ministry of Education. After teaching the program, both groups were post- tested using the same tool utilized in the pre-testing. Findings of the research regarding the development of the students’ levels of English listening comprehension skills showed a significant difference between both groups on the listening comprehension skills post-test in favor of the experimental group students. The researcher recommended that more attention should be given to teaching listening comprehension in the preparatory stage. Language is a peerless human phenomenon; it is mainly a system used for communication by a whole community. Effective communication skills are now required in every aspect of life. Teachers of English should have good command over the language and possess excellent communication skills. There are two types of communication; the first is verbal communication that includes oral and written communication. The second is nonverbal communication that includes expressive behavior and body language. Listening is one of the important oral skills in communication. Many researchers assert the effective role that listening skills play in developing language learning and communication. Kul (2010) emphasizes the important role listening comprehension occupies in teaching EFL, stating that listening is a pre-requisite to speaking, reading, and writing. Listening comprehension sets the foundation for the acquisition of speaking and promotes the development of linguistic competence Ridgway (2000) points out that listening is elementary in the classroom language because it provides input for the learner. Without understanding input at the right level, no learning can begin; therefore, listening is fundamental and demanding to speaking and other language skills. Buck (2001:120) states, “Our brains are well programmed to learn languages through sound and speech.”Moreover, Rost (1994:53) states that listening plays an important role in secondlanguage instruction for several reasons. First, listening provides comprehensible input for the learner which is essential for any learning to occur. Second, listeners need to interact with speakers to achieve understanding. Third, listening exercises help learners direct their attention to new forms (vocabulary, grammar, interaction patterns) in the language. In addition, Saricoban (2002) indicates that listening provides the foundations for learning and functioning in a language. Buck (1995:118) says, ”To arrive at understanding of the message, listeners must understand the phonetic input, vocabulary and syntax (bottom- up processing), and at the same time, use the context of situation, general knowledge, and past experiences (top- down processing).” |