Cognitive strategies for dual imperatives: EFL listening and speaking in Chinese universities

Strategic development of oral communication skills (i.e., listening and speaking) in
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in China is fraught with difficulties, including
lack of contexts for authentic language use, examination-oriented pedagogy, and
tacit educational practices. The quantitative study reported here was designed
around a research question of how extensively three specific cognitive strategies –
translation, deduction, and contextualisation – are used when students are listening
and speaking in class. It was conducted with a large sample (N = 1,440) of Chinese
EFL learners at the tertiary level who were learning in class to speak and listen in
English. Findings indicate all three strategies are used extensively in both
modalities, but significantly more so in speaking. These findings are interpreted in
relation to instructional objectives of preparing students for oral communication
beyond the classroom and for passing the listening test in the College English Test
Band 4 (CET-4).