Promoting Students’ Autonomy in Listening Skills via Emerging Podcasts: An Investigation from Vietnamese Undergraduates

This paper investigates the utilization of Podcasts as a means to enhance students’ learning autonomy and improve their listening skills, particularly in the context of English as a Second Language (ESL) learning. The study adopts a mixed-method approach, employing qualitative descriptive methods to explore students’ learning autonomy and their perception of Podcast usage, and quantitative descriptive methods to assess improvements in students’ listening scores. The participants consisted of first-year students enrolled in a General English Course at a private university in Vietnam. Data collection involved the use of questionnaires and tests. The findings indicate that students’ learning autonomy exhibits positive advancements across various dimensions, including learner control, critical reflection, motivation, and information literacy. The integration of Podcasts also yields a slight but noticeable improvement in students’ listening scores. Additionally, the study reveals a favorable perception among students towards the use of Podcasts as an additional learning resource for listening. The consistency in students’ autonomy development holds promise for enhancing their overall comprehension abilities. This research contributes to the understanding of how Podcasts can effectively support language learners in their quest for greater autonomy and suggests the potential for continued utilization of Podcasts in fostering listening proficiency.