ISSN : 1226-9654
The value of the language laboratory as a foreign language teaching tool has long been controversial, due at least partly to the paucity of empirical studies. The present study suggests the possibility of an integrated use of the laboratory in teaching all language skills, and proposes a methodology (at odds with the traditional approach) which requires students to take a more active role in the learning process. Specifically, the usual method of presenting materials for listening practice with the aid of written scripts is compared with a format in which students listen to new materials without the help of a text. It is concluded that the students who are required to rely solely on an auditory mode in fact improve listeing comprehension skills more rapidly than students who have the aid of scripts during laboratory sessions.