The influence of input modality and listening anxiety on young learners’ second language listeningcomprehension

Abstract Despite the crucial role of listening in second language (L2) learning, understanding the impact of different listening modalities remains an ongoing challenge. This issue has become even more relevant as language learning increasingly takes place in digital environments rich in multimodal input, where learners must process and make meaning from the interaction of auditory and visual information. Drawing on Cognitive Load Theory, this study aims to expand the current understanding of the listening modality effect by exploring how listening modality and listening anxiety predict young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ listening comprehension. Sixty-two Korean upper-elementary students aged 11 to 12 participated in the study. They completed a listening comprehension task under either audio-only or audiovisual conditions and responded to a listening anxiety questionnaire. Regression analysis revealed that listening anxiety negatively predicted comprehension, whereas modality and the interaction between modality and anxiety were not significant predictors. These findings suggest that, in classroom settings with young learners, it is important to design instructional materials that could lower learners’ listening anxiety regardless of listening modality.