Comparing AI-Assisted Listening, Podcasts, and Shadowing for Enhancing
EFL Listening Comprehension: A Quasi-Experimental Study among Third –
year English – Major Students at Vietnam Trade Union University

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu; Nguyen Thu Hang

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.007

Title: Comparing AI-Assisted Listening, Podcasts, and Shadowing for Enhancing EFL Listening Comprehension: A Quasi-Experimental Study among Third – year English – Major Students at Vietnam Trade Union University
Authors: Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu and Nguyen Thu Hang
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 11 Issue: 7 Publication Date: July 2026 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.007
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Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu and Nguyen Thu Hang Trade Union University, Vietnam
MLA 8 Thu, Dr. Nguyen Thi, and Nguyen Thu Hang. "Comparing AI-Assisted Listening, Podcasts, and Shadowing for Enhancing EFL Listening Comprehension: A Quasi-Experimental Study among Third – year English – Major Students at Vietnam Trade Union University." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 11, no. 7, July 2026, pp. 2956-2983, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.007. Accessed July 2026. APA 6 Thu, D., & Hang, N. (2026, July). Comparing AI-Assisted Listening, Podcasts, and Shadowing for Enhancing EFL Listening Comprehension: A Quasi-Experimental Study among Third – year English – Major Students at Vietnam Trade Union University. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 11(7), 2956-2983. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.007 Chicago Thu, Dr. Nguyen Thi, and Nguyen Thu Hang. "Comparing AI-Assisted Listening, Podcasts, and Shadowing for Enhancing EFL Listening Comprehension: A Quasi-Experimental Study among Third – year English – Major Students at Vietnam Trade Union University." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 11, no. 7 (July 2026), 2956-2983. Accessed July, 2026. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.007.
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ABSTRACT: Listening comprehension is a fundamental component of second language acquisition and plays a vital role in learners' communicative competence. Recent advances in educational technology have introduced innovative approaches to listening instruction, including artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted learning, podcast-based extensive listening, and the shadowing technique. Although each approach has been widely investigated, comparative evidence examining their relative effectiveness within the same instructional context remains limited, particularly in Vietnamese higher education. This study compared the effectiveness of three technology-enhanced listening approaches in improving English listening comprehension among English-major undergraduates at Trade Union University, Vietnam. A quantitative quasi-experimental design with a pre-test– post-test format was employed. Fifty-eight third-year English-major students participated in the study and were assigned to three experimental groups receiving podcast-based listening (n = 19), AI-assisted listening (n = 20), and shadowing practice (n = 19), respectively, over a fourmonth intervention period. Data were collected through standardized listening pre-tests and post-tests together with a post-intervention questionnaire measuring students' perceptions of the learning methods. Statistical analyses included paired-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, independent-samples t-tests, and descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that all three instructional approaches significantly improved students' listening comprehension. Among them, the AI-assisted learning group achieved the greatest improvement, with mean listening scores increasing from 7.71 to 8.98, significantly outperforming both the podcast and shadowing groups (p < .05). Although podcast-based listening and shadowing also produced statistically significant gains, no significant difference was found between these two approaches. Questionnaire results further indicated that students held highly positive attitudes toward modern listening methods, particularly regarding learning flexibility, learner autonomy, vocabulary development, pronunciation improvement, and engagement. The study contributes empirical evidence to the growing body of research on technologyenhanced language learning by providing a direct comparison of three contemporary listening approaches within a unified instructional setting. The findings suggest that integrating AIassisted listening activities into university EFL curricula may substantially enhance listening instruction while promoting autonomous and personalized learning.

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