In Taiwan, like everywhere else, EFL learners experience difficulty comprehending spoken English (Chang,
2010; Shang; 2008). This is due in part to the fact that their first language dominates most of their
communication. Another reason Taiwanese EFL learners have trouble listening is because they learn how to
listen largely through formal instruction in the classroom, exposed very little to English beyond the context of
formal study, so they often face many challenges including limited vocabulary, fast speech, unfamiliar accents,
unfamiliar topical knowledge, and an inability to match spoken and written forms (Chen, 2007). EFL learners
should therefore not be expected to immediately engage in listening tasks (Chang & Read, 2006) but should
instead be “tuned in” so that “they know what to expect, both in general and for specific tasks” (Underwood,
1989, p.30).