Tuning in With Technology: AI-Enhanced Listening Instruction in the Jordanian EFL Classroom
To evaluate whether a coordinated, multi-tool AI instructional design, chatbots, LingQ gamification, Google Speech-to-Text, and AI-driven virtual reality improve listening comprehension for Jordanian ninth-grade learners.
Listening is underdeveloped across many EFL primary and lower-secondary classrooms in the MENA region, where classrooms rarely sustain theory-informed, technology-rich scaffolding; this study responds by pairing Vandergrift’s metacognitive model and Vygotsky’s sociocultural lens with practicable AI tools.
A quasi-experimental comparison of two intact ninth-grade sections (experimental n = 24; control n = 24) contrasted AI-enhanced lessons with textbook activities; analyses used ANCOVA to control for pre-test differences while lesson logs and platform analytics monitored fidelity.
The study provides experimental evidence that an integrated, multi-tool AI design can produce meaningful listening gains and models how affective, cognitive, motivational, and situational scaffolds function together in classroom practice.
The AI-enhanced group demonstrated higher adjusted post-test listening scores than the control group after controlling for pre-test performance, F(1, 45) = 42.39, p < .001, partial η² = .49. Adjusted means favored the experimental group (M = 16.56, SE = .29) over the control group (M = 13.94, SE = .29), indicating a substantial advantage for learners receiving coordinated, multi-tool AI instruction. These gains were observed within the B1 range of the assessment.
Sequence and blend multiple affordable AI tools (e.g., chatbots, LingQ, automated transcription, short VR scenarios) in short in-class rotations, and use platform analytics to tailor difficulty and feedback rather than relying on a single app or textbook.
Replicate and scale the design across multiple schools and larger samples; use mixed methods to isolate which tool components drive gains; examine moderators (proficiency, digital literacy, teacher training); and, when possible, apply formal standard-setting to link outcomes to CEFR levels.
Effective, cost-sensitive AI scaffolding can broaden access to international media, higher education, and employment for secondary learners in under-resourced MENA settings, thereby supporting educational inclusion and social mobility.
Pursue longitudinal, multi-site trials to test durability and transfer to spontaneous spoken interaction, compare single-tool versus multi-tool architectures, evaluate teacher professional development needs, and assess cost-effectiveness across diverse Jordanian and regional contexts.
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