Evaluating Listening Tasks in IELTS Coursebooks

Baleghizadeh, Sasan; Mousavi, Mehran

doi:10.22049/jalda.2026.31055.1890

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Sasan Baleghizadeh ¹
Mehran Mousavi ²

¹ Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

² PhD Candidate in TEFL, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

10.22049/jalda.2026.31055.1890

Abstract

Although IELTS preparation materials often claim to promote communicative competence, there is growing concern that they prioritize test-taking strategies over the development of authentic listening skills. This study examines the communicative orientation of listening tasks in six widely used IELTS preparation coursebooks in Iran (selected based on consultations with 15 institute directors across four major cities). In this context, learners heavily rely on instructional materials due to limited access to authentic English input. Utilizing an integrated framework that synthesizes Goh’s (2001) task typology with Bachman and Palmer’s (1996) model of communicative language ability, the study analyzed 565 listening tasks, a large sample, drawn from these internationally published IELTS coursebooks. Tasks were classified into four categories, one-way transactional, one-way interactional, two-way transactional, and two-way interactional, based on their participatory structure and communicative purpose. The findings show a clear imbalance; tasks are predominantly one-way transactional, emphasizing passive information extraction with limited opportunities for interactive engagement or pragmatic interpretation. While some coursebooks exhibit a gradual progression toward communicative authenticity across proficiency levels, others remain heavily exam-oriented. This variation reflects inconsistent support for developing real-world listening skills. In the Iranian EFL context, such a focus on non-interactive tasks may hinder learners’ pragmatic and strategic competence, leaving them underprepared for academic and professional communication. The study highlights the need for more communicatively oriented materials and pedagogical strategies aligned with national curriculum goals.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Article Title [Persian]

ارزیابی فعالیت‌های شنیداری در کتاب‌های آمادگی آزمون آیلتس

Authors [Persian]

دکتر ساسان بالغی زاده ¹
مهران موسوی ²

¹ استاد زبانشناسی کاربردی، گروه زبان و ادبیات انگلیسی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه شهید بهشتی، تهران، ایران

² دانشجوی دوره دکترای آموزش زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه شهید بهشتی، تهران، ایران

Abstract [Persian]

اگرچه منابع آمادگی آزمون آیلتس غالباً مدعی ارتقای مهارت‌های ارتباطی زبان‌آموزان هستند، اما نگرانی فزاینده‌ای وجود دارد که این منابع بیش از آنکه به پرورش مهارت‌های شنیداری واقعی و کاربردی بپردازند، بر راهبردهای آزمون‌محور تمرکز دارند. پژوهش حاضر با هدف بررسی جهت‌ گیری ارتباطی فعالیت‌های شنیداری در کتاب‌های آمادگی آزمون آیلتس که به طور گسترده در ایران مورد استفاده قرار می‌گیرند انجام شده است؛ بافتی که در آن، زبان‌آموزان به دلیل محدودیت دسترسی و مواجهه با زبان انگلیسی در محیط های طبیعی، به شدت متکی بر منابع آموزشی هستند. در این مطالعه، با بهره‌گیری از گونه‌شناسی فعالیت‌های شنیداری گوه (2001)، مجموعه‌ای گسترده از فعالیت‌های شنیداری در شش کتاب بین‌المللی آمادگی آیلتس مورد تحلیل قرار گرفت. فعالیت‌ها بر اساس ساختار مشارکتی و هدف ارتباطی در چهار گروه طبقه‌بندی شدند: تراکنشی یک ‌طرفه، تعاملی یک‌ طرفه، تراکنشی دوطرفه و تعاملی دوطرفه. یافته‌ها حاکی از وجود عدم توازن آشکار در طراحی این فعالیت‌ها بود؛ به‌گونه‌ای که بخش عمده‌ای از آن‌ها در دسته‌ی تراکنشی یک‌ طرفه قرار داشته و بیشتر بر درک منفعلانه اطلاعات متمرکز بودند و فرصت‌های محدودی برای تعامل یا تفسیرپراگماتیک فراهم می‌کردند. هرچند برخی کتاب‌های مورد بررسی در سطوح زبانی بالاتر نشانه‌هایی از حرکت تدریجی به سوی فعالیت‌های ارتباطی‌تر را نشان می‌دهند، برخی دیگر همچنان بر رویکردی صرفاً آزمون‌ محور استوارند. . این ناهمگونی نشان‌دهنده حمایت ناکافی از رشد مهارت‌های شنیداری کاربردی در موقعیت‌های واقعی است. در بافت آموزش زبان انگلیسی به‌عنوان زبان خارجی در ایران، چنین تمرکز یک‌ جانبه‌ای بر فعالیت‌های غیرتعاملی می‌تواند به تضعیف توانایی‌های کاربردی و راهبردی زبان‌آموزان منجر شده و آن‌ها را به اندازه کافی برای ارتباطات آکادمیک و حرفه‌ای آماده نسازد. این پژوهش بر نیاز مبرم به طراحی منابع آموزشی و راهبردهای تدریس ارتباط ‌محورتر تأکید دارد که با اهداف برنامه درسی ملی هم ‌راستا بوده و مهارت‌های شنیداری زبان‌آموزان را برای کاربردهای واقعی تقویت کند.

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Evaluating Listening Tasks in IELTS Coursebooks

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Volume 14, Issue 1April 2026Pages 123-146

Volume 14, Issue 1
April 2026
Pages 123-146