Exploring The Challenges Faced by EFL Students in Listening Comprehension

This study aimed to explore the challenges faced by EFL students in listening comprehension and the strategies they used to overcome them. This qualitative descriptive study six students from the fifth and seventh semesters of the English Education Study Program at UIN Ar-Raniry. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed four major listening challenges: linguistic, speaker-related, listener-related, and environmental challenges. Unfamiliar vocabulary, pronunciation, and fast speech were identified as the most significant difficulties. To overcome these challenges, students employed various strategies, including note-taking, repeated listening, focusing on keywords, asking for clarification, and using digital tools such as subtitles and translation applications. The study concludes that listening comprehension is influenced by both internal and external factors and requires appropriate strategies and continuous practice to improve students’ listening abilities.