A Comparative Study of Inference Strategies and Their Training Effects in College English Listening

Abstract

In the study of foreign language listening, learning strategies play an important role in enhancing learners' listening competence. As an indispensable element in listening strategies, inference strategy has seldom been exploited and practiced. This paper suggests that strategy training and active learning should be encouraged in the college listening classes and, for the students of the novice and intermediate English levels, grammar training should be the foundation of other strategy training. Finally, considering the similarities between the processes of listening and reading, inference strategies could also be practiced to improve learners' reading competence in foreign language learning.