Investigating the Development of KFL Listening Subskills in Higher Education

This study investigated the development of Korean as a foreign language (KFL) listening subskills among learners at a university on the United States–Mexico border. Using a mock Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), 10 KFL listening subskills were identified based on L2 listening research. KFL students’ progress was examined across three groups: Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3, corresponding to 90, 135, and 180 instructional hours, respectively. A total of 148 students took a mock test at the end of the semester (Class 1: n = 77, Class 2: n = 48, Class 3: n = 23). MANOVA analysis found a significant main effect of class (Wilks’ Lambda = 0.657, p < 0.001). Between-group comparisons showed significant improvements in two subskills (V2 and V7) from Class 1 to Class 2 and four subskills (V4, V5, V8, and V10) from Class 2 to Class 3. However, V3 and V9 did not show a statistically significant difference. This study discussed the impact of text length, cognitive complexity, and instructional hours on KFL listening development. Demonstrating that higher-level listening improves after 180 hours of instruction at the university level, this study highlights the need for structured, long-term instruction to promote KFL proficiency development.