STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF LISTENING DIFFICULTIES IN ENGLISH FOR ISLAMIC STUDENTS

Abstract

Listening comprehension is widely recognized as one of the most challenging skills for learners of English as a foreign language, particularly among Islamic students who often study English in limited exposure contexts. This study investigates students’ perceptions of listening difficulties in English learning at an Islamic educational institution. Using a quantitative descriptive approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to Islamic secondary and tertiary-level students. The findings reveal that the main listening difficulties perceived by students include limited vocabulary knowledge, unfamiliar pronunciation and accents, fast speech rate, and lack of exposure to authentic listening materials. Additionally, cultural distance and anxiety during listening tasks were reported as factors that negatively influence comprehension. The study highlights that students tend to rely heavily on word-by-word understanding rather than global meaning, which further complicates listening performance. These results suggest the need for more contextualized, culturally relevant, and strategy-based listening instruction in Islamic education settings. The study provides pedagogical implications for English teachers to design more effective listening activities that align with students’ linguistic and educational backgrounds.For Islamic students, learning English occurs within a unique educational environment where religious studies such as the Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, and Arabic language studies dominate the curriculum. While these students often demonstrate strong reading and memorization skills, their exposure to spoken English is frequently limited. As a result, many Islamic students perceive English listening as difficult, stressful, and less achievable than other language skills.Students’ perceptions are a critical factor in successful language learning. Perceptions influence motivation, learning strategies, classroom participation, and long-term achievement. When students perceive listening as too difficult, they may develop anxiety, avoid listening activities, and lose confidence in their ability to understand spoken English. This situation can negatively affect overall English proficiency. Although many studies have investigated listening difficulties among EFL learners, limited research has focused specifically on Islamic students and their perceptions of listening challenges. Therefore, this study aims to explore Islamic students’ perceptions of listening difficulties in English and to propose a simple and practical teaching method that can be applied in Islamic EFL classrooms.