This study aims to discover the main factors hindering learners' English listening comprehension and explores how the factors affect learners' English listening comprehension. This small-scale study aims to contribute to the existing literature on EFL students' difficulties with English language listening comprehension.

1. 1. What are the main factors that hinder EFL students' comprehension of listening skills?
2. 2. Why do these factors affect students' listening comprehension?

This study applies a mixed method approach to discover the factors that hinder EFL students' listening comprehension from the basic English course of the language department at the UV. In addition, the study intends to explore why the factors affect learners' performance when trying to understand what they hear. The factors hindering listening comprehension are presented in the literature review, but participants could offer more information or elements that, in their experience, hinder their understanding of the spoken language.

Creswell (2014) defines the mixed method approach as combining qualitative and quantitative research and data, where the expected outcomes are a more in-depth understanding of the quantitative results. Similarly, Harrison et al. (2020) state that this approach "combines statistical trends (quantitative data) with lived experiences (qualitative data)" (p. 474). The advantage of using this method in the research is that it allows the collection of two different types of data; it includes both open-ended and close-ended data to obtain information regarding the factors affecting listening comprehension.

As Hernandez et al. (2014) explained, mixed research uses quantitative and qualitative research strengths. Not just replacing them but combining them with that, trying to minimize their potential weaknesses. Similarly, Creswell (2014) says that its use for research minimizes the limitations of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Hence, integrating both types of research into one, such as the mixed method case, gives the researcher a more panoramic view of their research problem and, thus, a more complete understanding of it.

The research uses an explanatory sequential mixed method study. Creswell (2014) defines it as "a two-phase project in which the researcher collects quantitative data in the first phase, analyzes the results, and then uses the results to plan (or build onto) the second, qualitative phase" (p.224).

This type of design is presented in the method and the data collection instruments used in the present research. First, to collect statistical information about the factors that affect students' listening skills, survey (quantitative) data was employed. It was administered to the English language students participating in this study in the basic English III course. After the data was obtained, the results were analyzed to select only a specific part of the initial quantitative sample to plan the second qualitative phase. This was also the basis for designing the questions asked to these participants. The second phase consisted of an interview with the selected population that enabled the researcher to obtain more in-depth information on the topic, specifically data about why the factors affect learners' listening skill development. In the end, with this type of design, the qualitative data obtained from the interview helped explain the initial quantitative responses from the survey in more detail. The qualitative results helped explain the initial survey results and better understand why the factors presented affect listening comprehension.

This research was carried out with students of the language department Campus Xalapa at the Universidad Veracruzana. In this institution, dedicated to teaching languages, a total of 7 languages are offered: French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and English, with levels from basic to advanced in some of these. Regarding the English language, three courses are offered: English 4 skills (9 levels), English area básica I and II (2 levels), and English text comprehension (1 level). Of all these, and due to the focus of the present study, this study was carried out with students of the basic English 4 skills course to find the factors hindering EFL learners' listening comprehension, especially a course that focuses on developing the four skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. The course is IBAS 300 (Inglés Básico 3).

The present study included a mixed-gender group of 13 students of the basic English course of the language department. Regarding their mother tongue, all the respondents had Spanish as their native language. It was a mixed group in terms of the area where they were enrolled as they were enrolled in different undergraduate programs. This group was selected as they were enrolled in a course where they received training on the four English language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The participants of the quantitative study were 13 students from different undergraduate programs.

For the qualitative phase, the sample for this part consisted of 8 participants, purposefully selected from the total group population to participate in the study's second phase. The sample used was non-probabilistic. This, as Hernández et al. (2014) stated, " [they] involve a selection procedure oriented by the characteristics of the research, rather than by a statistical criterion of generalization" (p.189). It must be noted that for the findings section, a code was assigned to each one of these students in order to protect their identities for confidentiality. The codes were conformed by the letter S and a number assigned to each participant.

The research instruments employed to collect data for this study were two different instruments: a survey and an interview. Based on the mixed method used for this research, it was intended to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Therefore, to obtain such data, the instruments selected were a survey and semi-structured interviews designed for this research.

The first instrument employed in this study was a survey. A survey is a quantitative research method aiming to collect individual self-report data. The most common instruments for this purpose are the questionnaire or the structured interview. This kind of study can show data about many different problems. Participants can share opinions, experiences, feelings, or awareness about a particular topic (Hernandez et al., 2014). It allows researchers to explore the situation being investigated and make inferences about larger populations. Surveys are the most common way of obtaining large amounts of data in a relatively short period. Creswell (2014) states that it "provides a quantitative or numeric description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population" (p.249). In this case, the present study used a quantitative phase to generalize the results of the population. It was administered since it could provide relevant and important data about the factors hindering EFL learners' listening comprehension and some reasons why they cause them difficulties.

The semi-structured interviews are based on a guide of questions, and the interviewer is free to introduce additional questions to clarify some concepts or obtain more information about them (Hernandez et al., 2014). The main characteristic of this type of interview is that they are open-ended and neutral. This is to obtain the respondents' perspectives, opinions, and experiences in their own words (Hernández et al., 2014).

The survey was the first instrument administered to the participants in this study. It consisted of 25 close-ended (multiple choice) and open-ended questions and 2 questions to gather information about the participants. It was used to collect data for a large initial group of participants, and it helped to get a general perspective of the factors affecting their listening skills. The survey was administered to students through Google Forms, and the link was shared online through WhatsApp. The questionnaire was divided into four domains: English language learning, listening comprehension, importance of listening, and factors affecting listening comprehension.

Then, in the second phase, this study focused on obtaining qualitative data. For this part, semi-structured interviews were used to collect detailed views from the participants to help explain the first survey in detail. This type of interview is a mix of structured and unstructured interviews. While a few questions are predetermined, the others were not previously defined. The questions are open-ended, and, in this way, they allow for flexibility. The interviewer can add questions or ask for clarifications (Canals, L, 2017). In this case, the sample used for this research phase was a non-probability sample where 8 students were selected from the initial population. The interview consisted of 6 open-ended questions.

The data for this study were analyzed separately because, as stated by Creswell (2014), "the quantitative and the qualitative databases are analyzed separately in this approach (mixed-method approach)" (p.224). First, the answers obtained from the survey were analyzed so that they could be considered for the design of the second qualitative phase.

For the analysis, the survey questions were divided into three sections. The categories were importance and motivation for learning the English language, listening comprehension in English language learning, and factors affecting listening comprehension. Subsequently, the information was plotted to obtain the corresponding percentages and thus find out the factors that most affect listening comprehension. For the analysis of the results, some of the items were placed into tables that allowed visualization of the percentages obtained for each item. The items corresponding to the categories and themes were presented in these tables, depending on the Likert scale type used. Those using a frequency scale were placed in one table, and those using an agreement scale in another, always considering the category to which they belonged. In this way, it was possible to identify the items with which the students mostly agreed, those with which they disagreed, and those with frequency.

Analyzing the data collected with the two instruments led to four categories for the results section. These were English language learning and language skills, listening comprehension in the EFL classroom, exposure to the authentic language, and the main factors hindering EFL students listening comprehension. It should be noted that the results of the second phase provided additional factors to those considered in this paper. These were located within the category of factors affecting listening comprehension.

Before creating and applying the research instruments, the teacher in charge of the group used for this research was contacted. She was informed of the research's purpose and asked permission to conduct the two data collection activities. She agreed to use her group for research.

The collection of quantitative data characterized the first phase. The quantitative phase aimed to identify the main factors hindering learners' listening comprehension, and for that purpose, the quantitative data were collected through a Google Forms survey. First, the questionnaire was designed to consider the research objectives and questions of the study as well as the aspects mentioned in the literature review. Then, it was translated into Spanish, the native language of the participants, so that the participants could easily understand the questions and avoid misunderstandings. Afterward, it was transferred to the Google Forms platform to be easily shared with the participants through a link.

The survey consisted of a total of 27 questions: 2 questions focused on personal information about the learner and 25 questions focused on obtaining data about the importance, practice, and factors that, in their experience, hinder their listening comprehension. The five factors that were handled in the survey were identified through the analysis of literature and studies by various authors who conducted research in the field. The survey was revised and piloted before it was administered to the students. This was done to identify errors or problems before implementation.

The criterion for selecting the participants for the quantitative phase was that they should be undergraduate students. A total of 13 students in the group met this criterion, all of whom responded to the survey. The participants were first told about the research objectives on the survey day. The purpose of the survey was also explained: to determine the factors affecting the listening comprehension of learners of English as a foreign language. After that, the link to the Google Forms survey was shared via a WhatsApp group. Before they started answering the survey, the researcher gave them clear instructions on how to avoid misunderstandings. Then, the students answered the questionnaire, and the answers were generated as they submitted their answers.

Once the responses of all participants were obtained, the results were analyzed. This was done to consider this information so that the second research instrument (interview) could be designed and further explored. Before proceeding to design the interview, the survey data was first analyzed. Firstly, all the responses were downloaded into an Excel sheet. After these factors had been identified, the interview was designed. This consisted of 6 questions: one focused on the role of listening comprehension, one focused on the difficulties students have in understanding what they hear, and four others focused on the factors that, according to the survey, most affect their listening comprehension.

The population chosen for this second phase was selected based on their answers to the questionnaire. Firstly, it was considered that the participant had selected the factors that, according to the survey results, had the most significant impact. The second selection criterion consisted of choosing answers congruent with the individual questions on these factors. Following this criterion, four students were selected. Moreover, four other students who did not meet this criterion were also selected.

Once selected, they were asked to participate by answering the interviews, to which all the selected participants agreed. Their purpose was explained to the participants when conducting each of the interviews. Additionally, permission to record the interview was requested, and all participants agreed to it. Once all the interview recordings were gathered, they were transcribed for analysis. After that, the most relevant parts of each interview were identified. Specifically, these are important aspects that reaffirm or contrast the results of the first research instrument used. Once the information had been classified, the most important and noteworthy inferences were drawn up.

Ethical considerations are an essential part of the research. As stated by Creswell (2014) "Researchers need to protect their research participants; develop a trust with them; promote the integrity of research" (p. 92). Before collecting data, participants were informed of the research purposes to obtain consent from all the participants (students and teachers). In addition, to clearly state this, the survey contained the following legend: This survey is intended to collect data for research purposes and specifically for a research project focused on the factors that affect English listening comprehension in learners of English as a foreign language. Your participation is therefore of great importance. Please note that the information provided is strictly confidential and will be used only for research purposes. Moreover, for the interview, the participants were asked if the interviews could be recorded, and consent was obtained from all the participants interviewed.

The first part of the research focuses on analyzing the importance of the English language, perceiving English learning as developing the four skills. Firstly, the participants were asked about their motivation for learning the language.

As seen from the graphic, most of the population (54%) was learning English to use it as a tool for their academic field. On the other hand, 30 % of the population was taking English classes for work purposes. That is, 15 % were learning the language to find a better job, and 15 % used it as a tool in their job.

Then, to discover the students' perceptions on this subject, the questionnaire asked them about the importance of the English language. Table 1 highlights the items about this criterion, where "T e d" is used for "Totally agree," "E d" for "Disagree," "N" for "Neutral," "D a" for "Agree," and "T d a" for "Totally agree.”

The results showed that most respondents accepted that English is one of the most important languages to learn nowadays. In this respect, one of the participants stated:

“From my point of view, I believe it is quite important for any job or to participate in any school application process” (S3).

In terms of learning the English language based on the language skills, i.e., receptive and productive skills, there was an equality in the percentages. All the participants were taking English classes to understand what they heard, read, and produce it orally and in writing. That is to say, as it can be observed from Table 1, items 3 and 4, 69.2 % of the population totally agreed, and 31.8 % agreed with learning the English language to understand and produce it in its different forms.

The information provided in interviews and questionnaires demonstrated that listening is an important skill in the language learning process. This situation is reflected in the results obtained in the statement about the importance of listening. In that item, the 13 students agreed to that; while 76.9% totally agreed, the remaining 23.1% agreed.

Additionally, to get a general idea of students' views about the difficulty of this skill, they were asked about their experience with the difficulty of this skill. With a percentage of 61.5%, it was shown that most respondents agreed with this fact. 5 students, corresponding to 38.5%, agreed, and 3, corresponding to 23%, said they agreed. Meanwhile, 38.5 % remained neutral to this statement. Moreover, they were also asked in item 16 about their listening comprehension skill in English according to their level. Because of this, most of the respondents, corresponding to 69.2%, considered to have an acceptable level.

In order to investigate the emphasis that teachers place on the different skills, the participants were asked about their experience in this regard. Regarding whether they emphasize one or some skills more than others, most of the participants, corresponding to 9 students (69.2 %) said that the emphasis is placed on all four skills equally. However, 3 students, corresponding to 23.1 %, said writing, and the remaining 7.7 % said speaking is the skill that is more emphasized in their English classes. Moreover, to get more specific information about the listening comprehension practice, the statements are shown in Table 2, where N is used for "Never," "R v" is for "Rarely," "A v" is for "Sometimes," "A m" is for "Often," and "S" is for "Always."

As Table 2 shows, the results showed that writing, with 69.2 % for 'always', is the skill students had more practice with inside the classroom. It was followed by listening, with 46.2 %, and reading, with 53.8 % for 'frequently'. Meanwhile, speaking, with 23% in sometimes, was the skill students had the least practice, according to the results.

Regarding the frequency of access to listening practice outside the classroom, most respondents, representing 38.5 %, said they sometimes have practice outside the classroom. That was followed by rarely, with 23 %. One of the participants commented on this regard:

“From my perspective, I only use it to read and rarely to speak. I have not had the opportunity to use it since most of my classmates are Spanish speakers, so I do not practice it” (S12).

In addition to that, the aim of item 13 was to discover whether students had auditory exposure to the English language in the classroom, especially from the teacher. For this, 61. 5 % of them argued that the teacher always uses the English language in the class.

Firstly, to learn about the importance of listening practice, they were asked, in item 5, if listening is an important part of learning English. The results showed that all the participants agreed with this statement. Following this line, they were asked which skills are improved by listening practice. The results demonstrated that speaking, the skill most improved through listening, according to 84.6% of students, was speaking, followed by reading and writing (61.6%).

Moreover, related to these aspects, they were also asked which language elements can be developed through the learning of listening comprehension. The results revealed that vocabulary and pronunciation, with 92.3% respectively, are the elements that benefit the most from listening comprehension practice. In addition, grammar, the other element presented in this item, represented 76.9 %. Additionally, in item 14, which sought to determine whether lack of practice affected comprehension, most participants agreed. That is, 58.3% agreed, and 30.8% totally agreed. In this regard, one of the respondents interviewed commented:

“I think it is essential to relate it to listening to and speaking it. Practicing it, just like we do it in Spanish, because that is how we learn another language. It is like when we learn Spanish, how do we do it? Because our parents started talking to us when we were little kids” (S7).

As previously mentioned, English language practice is of paramount importance. However, the results suggest a practice that goes beyond those materials created for in-class language teaching. The responses of some of the participants demonstrate that exposure to elements of authentic language is indispensable. When asked about the importance of listening in language learning, one of the students commented:

“It is important because we must adapt correctly to the speech of native speakers” (S12).

In this case, the student mentioned the importance of listening to native language speakers. This would surely enable them to become familiar with their production and articulation. It must be noted that although the participants did not mention the importance of using authentic materials for the language classroom, they mentioned some characteristics of that language. For example, one of the respondents mentioned one of those characteristics. That is, the fact that in spoken English, some words are reduced or grouped may cause problems in understanding for learners:

“The issue is that natives use a lot of words—words that I can see in some English-speaking series—and I don't understand them, especially when they use abbreviations of those words” (S13).

Another respondent commented:

“I try to adapt to everyday conversation, watching movies, listening to music in English, and watching anything in English to try to get used to everyday conversations” (S7).

The information provided in the survey and the interviews suggests that all the factors presented in the questionnaire affected the students' listening comprehension. However, these same factors had different levels of influence on students' comprehension.