EFL Students’ Perceptions of Using Podcasts to Enhance Listening Skills at the Undergraduate Level

Résumé

The integration of podcasts has attracted growing scholarly attention as a pedagogical tool for enhancing listening skills in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. This study examined undergraduate EFL students’ perceptions of using podcasts to enhance listening skills at the College of Janzour in Tripoli, Libya. A quantitative research design was employed, utilising a structured questionnaire comprising 15 Likert-scale items grounded in cognitive, metacognitive, and socio-affective listening strategy frameworks. The study involved 45 undergraduate students from various academic years enrolled in the English department. Data were collected electronically via Google Forms and analysed using descriptive statistical measures, including frequencies and percentages. The results indicated that participants held generally positive perceptions regarding the effectiveness of podcasts in developing listening skills. In particular, podcasts were perceived as facilitating the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, enhancing learner motivation and confidence, and providing authentic listening input. However, the findings suggested a comparatively moderate effect on reducing listening anxiety. The study concludes that podcasts constitute an effective supplementary resource for EFL listening instruction and recommends their systematic and guided integration into undergraduate EFL curricula to enhance learning outcomes.