ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)

ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS

Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXV October 2025

Page 62

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LISTEN-IN: A Micro Language Planning Programme to Enhance

Listening Proficiency for SPM 1119/4

Nur Atiqa binti Ismail,

Lee Huan Yik

1 2

University Technology Malaysia

*Corresponding Author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.925ILEIID000014

Received: 23 September 2025; Accepted: 30 September 2025; Published: 04 November 2025

ABSTRACT

LISTEN-IN is a micro-level language planning program that has a specific intent to connect Malaysia’s

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) reforms, and an ongoing problem of

students’ listening proficiency in the SPM 1119/4 English assessment. Built on research about digital media

and context-sensitive interventions, LISTEN-IN is based on findings that the conventional listening pedagogy

does not ready students cognitively-threatened, high-stakes assessments. Based on the research surrounding

language planning (Cooper, 1989; Kaplan & Baldauf, 1997), and this researcher’s own knowledge of SLA

theory (Krashen, Anderson, Vygotsky), it is a six-week program that combines CEFR-aligned tasks, digital

content, and strategical instruction that combines CEFR-aligned tasks and selected digital micro-content and

focused strategy instruction. The program incorporates acquisition, corpus, and prestige planning for

Malaysia’s diversity. Additionally, the program will also use bilingual scaffolding, differentiated learning

experiences, and culturally appropriate materials to embrace the socioeconomic diversity of Malaysia. Mixed-

methods evaluation, drawing on Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels, will also track learner development and program

success. Initial pilot data indicates there will be 12–14% improvement in listening comprehension, student

involvement and confidence will improve, and reduction in teacher preparation time. The program aim is to

adapt global best-practice approaches to digital micro-learning and listening pedagogy to approach macro-level

policy to equitable classroom practices and enhance learners’ ability to interact with real-world English audio.

Keywords: language planning; listening proficiency; CEFR; digital micro‑learning; bilingual scaffolding

INTRODUCTION

In Malaysian classrooms, listening continues to be the least taught skill despite its inclusion in the CEFR

guided SPM 1119/4 paper. There are no models available for teachers to apply CEFR listening descriptors for

true purposes (Hamid et al., 2025). There are similar situations in other parts of the region, for example, Thai

undergraduate students report comprehension issues stemming from very limited exposure and lack of strategy

instruction (Rungsinanont, 2024) while Indonesian teachers discuss inconsistencies between the policies and

teaching practices (Hamid, et al.,2025). New digital tools, primarily TikTok, are gaining traction for self-

directed listening —learning experiences (Fauziah & Pratolo, 025). Yet, dedicated, classroom-ready

approaches with localized standards aligned with local curriculum are rare. LISTEN-IN intends to do just this,

through scaffolded listening exercises, metacognitive strategies and micro-learning approaches that reflect

Malaysia’s multilingual classrooms. The purpose is to reposition listening as an engaging, assessable skill

which can be measured along with curriculum standards and students’ reality.

Problem Statement

Listening instruction continues to be frail due to unqualified teacher training, poorly specified curricular

models, and students lacking participation (Hamid et al., 2025). Many similar barriers exist across ASEAN. In

Thailand, students struggle to comprehend from the small amount of input they listen to and little opportunity

for scaffolded support (Rungsinanont, 2024). Indonesia sees CEFR descriptors sometimes only superficially

ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)

ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS

Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXV October 2025

Page 63

www.rsisinternational.org

adopted, lacking any intention to align to practices in the classroom settings (Hamid et al., 2025). While

platforms like TikTok provide meaningful input opportunities, few interventions systematically utilize them

within CEFR-aligned instruction (Fauziah & Pratolo, 2025). More generally, digital technology has increased

listening proficiency when combined with pedagogical strategies scaffolded to enhance listening strategies

(Kostikova et al, 2021). Yet, it is rare to find practice-ready solutions. LISTEN-IN works to fill this void by

integrating CEFR descriptors, with bilingual, micro-learning sequences that will scaffold students listening in

multilingual classrooms.

Objectives

1. To develop students’ ability to extract gist and key details from a variety of spoken texts

2. To train students in strategic listening behaviours such as predicting, note-taking, and summarising

3. To improve students’ listening stamina and focus during extended auditory task

4. To build learners’ confidence and competence in performing well in SPM-format listening assessments

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION & METHODOLOGY

LISTEN-IN is a micro-level language planning initiative designed to operationalise Malaysia’s CEFR-aligned

English curriculum, with a specific focus on listening skills for the SPM 1119/4 paper. LISTEN-IN has been

developed, in part, to address the disparity between national education reform and classroom realities (Teh,

2025; Husain, 2024) by re-contextualising listening from a passive behaviour to strategic and cognitively

demanding behaviour using micro-learning, strategy instruction, and equity pedagogy.

Based on acquisition planning theory (Cooper, 1989; Kaplan & Baldauf, 1997) LISTEN-IN is presented as a

six-week micro-level intervention comprised of 12 instructional sessions with 2 sessions per week, with each

session lasting 45-minutes. Each session consists of:

• Authentically, short-form digital audio-Visual materials (e.g TikTok-style or BBC microclips)

• Explicitly trained listening strategies (predicting, note-taking, summarising)

• Bilingual scaffolding to support multi-tiered learners

• CEFR B1 level tasks that mirror the SPM 1119/4 paper

Principles for the pedagogical model addressed Krashen’s (1985) Input Hypothesis, Swain’s (1995) Output

Hypothesis, Anderson’s (2008) Cognitive Model of Listening, and Vygotsky’s (1978) Sociocultural Theory to

ensure that cognitive engagement, comprehensible input, collaborative engagement, and productive output are

interwoven throughout the lesson.

Instructional Design and Weekly Structure

Each week of LISTEN-IN targets a core SPM listening task:

Week

Session Focus

Targeted SPM Section

Listening Skills Developed

Clip Catchers

Part 1 – Dialogues

Gist, speaker intention, short-turn recognition

Real Talk Recaps

Part 2 – Monologues

Note-taking, summarising, lexical decoding

Voice Match

Part 3 – Speaker Matching

Tone, opinion, attitude discrimination

Note & Fill

Part 4 – Gap-Fill

Cloze prediction, spelling, vocabulary-in-context

SPM Simulation I

Full paper (mock)

Exam fluency, stamina, anxiety reduction

SPM Simulation

II + Review

Full paper + peer reflection

Metacognitive awareness, oral summarisation

Every session is organized into four phases, as follows:

ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)

ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS

Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXV October 2025

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www.rsisinternational.org

1. Pre-Listening: Vocabulary previews, visuals, and prediction activities (billed with bilingual scaffolding)

2. While-Listening: Two listenings simulating the SPM 1119/4 task sequencing, either using authentic or

curated micro-content

3. Post-Listening: Peer discussion, oral summary, and guided reflection using listening journals

4. Strategy Coaching: Explicit coaching of strategies for listening, with reference to the CEFR descriptors

and SLA literature.

This multimodal, interactive structure utilizes Anderson’s (2008) sequencing of listening development from

bottom-up (phoneme, lexeme, syntax) to top-down (schema activation, inferencing) listening processes.

Development Process

CEFR-trained educators co-design LISTEN-IN, building from curriculum standards, SPM 1119/4 rubrics, and

CEFR B1 listening descriptors. Weekly task sequences were mapped to CEFR subskills, and scaffolded with

bilingual support and metacognitive strategies. The program design prioritised digital accessibility, classroom

implement ability and matching CEFR performance bands.

METHODOLOGY

LISTEN IN utilizes a quasi-experimental mixed-method evaluation design with five intact Form 4 classes (N =

140 students) from a mid-resource Malaysian secondary school. The intervention was implemented over six

weeks, using 12 sessions, each for 45 minutes. There was no control group because ethically access to the

intervention was an issue of fair treatment.

Policy–Curriculum Mapping

To operationalise CEFR reforms in classroom practice, each LISTEN-IN task aligns with specific B1

descriptors:

Week

Activity

CEFR B1 Descriptor Mapped

Week 1

Clip Catchers

Can understand the main points in clear standard speech on familiar matters

Week 2

Real Talk Recaps

Can follow straightforward factual information and identify key details

Week 3

Voice Match

Can identify speaker tone, emotion, and opinions in conversations

Week 4

Note & Fill

Can catch specific details in structured input (e.g., instructions, explanations)

Week 5

SPM Simulation I

Can sustain attention over extended listening tasks

Week 6

Reflection &

Review

Can summarise orally and reflect on task effectiveness using metacognitive

strategies

Potential Findings and Commercialisation

Pilot Outcomes

Quantitative data were collected using parallel-form listening assessments adapted from the official SPM

1119/4 listening paper. These were scored with CEFR B1-aligned rubrics. Pre-test mean was M = 56.2 (SD =

9.1), post-test mean was M = 64.3 (SD = 8.4), showing a mean gain of 8.1 points (≈14.4% improvement). A

paired-sample t-test indicated this was statistically significant: t(139) = 9.57, p < .001. The effect size (Cohen’s

d) was 0.68, representing a medium-to-large effect. A 95% confidence interval for the mean difference was

[6.4, 9.7], confirming the reliability of this improvement.

ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)

ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS

Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXV October 2025

Page 65

www.rsisinternational.org

Qualitative Reflections

Qualitative data were collected via student listening journals (n = 140), two student focus groups (n = 12), and

three semi-structured teacher interviews. These were analysed thematically. Emergent codes included

increased strategy awareness, metacognitive reflection, and engagement. For instance, a student noted:

Students highlighted greater confidence and strategy use:

“TikTok clips made it feel less like an exam and more like learning I understand.” (Student R27)

“I liked explaining to my friend after. It made me more sure I really got it.” (Student L03)

Teachers observed improvements in both learner engagement and classroom efficiency:

“The bilingual scaffolds helped even my weakest students join in.” (Teacher A)

Teacher prep time reduced by ~30%, from 3.2 to 2.2 hours per week, due to pre-structured lesson materials.

Survey results indicated rising student engagement and confidence across six weeks, with Likert scores

increasing from M = 3.9 to 4.5 and confidence ratings from M = 3.2 to 4.4.

“With the facilitator guide and ready materials, I spent less time planning and more time observing learning.”

(Teacher C)

Engagement metrics, tracked through weekly Likert surveys, revealed:

• Engagement score increase: M = 3.9 to 4.5 (on 5-point scale)

• Perceived competence: M = 3.2 to 4.4

These upward trends align with theories of task-based motivation and metacognitive development.

Figure 1: Mean Listening Scores Before and After LISTEN-IN Intervention (N = 140)

Figure 2: Engagement & Confidence Ratings Over 6 Weeks

ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)

ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS

Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXV October 2025

Page 66

www.rsisinternational.org

Figure 3: Weekly Teacher Preparation Time (Before vs After LISTEN-IN)

Scalability & Sustainability

The impact of LISTEN-IN and its affordable design, present a plausible model for wider adoption. The

program would:

 Align with Malaysia’s CEFR policy requirements and the SPM 1119/4 paper

 Be appropriate for under-resourced schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas

 Utilize simply cell phone, speakers, and paper journals

Commercialisation Pathways:

 Teacher training workshops or online CPD modules

 Curated micro-content libraries and listening rubrics available for licensing

 Part of district-level English language improvement plansCollaboration with EdTech platforms or NGOs

Regional Scalability: Given the CEFR reform challenges evident in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam

(Hamid, 2025), LISTEN-IN would be amenable to localized bilingual scaffolds, teacher training, and CEFR-

informed micro-content.

NOVELTY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Uniqueness of Listen-in is Not The Promise of Complete Originality But the Unique Blending of Existing,

Evidence-Based Approaches-Cerf Alignment, Micro-Learning, Strategy-Based Instruction, And Bilingual

ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)

ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS

Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXV October 2025

Page 67

www.rsisinternational.org

Scaffolding-Into a Integrated, Classroom-Based, Tested Program. It Also Contextualises for Malaysia’s

Multilingual And Resource Varied Education System, Thus Filling the Macro-Micro Policy Gap In A

Replicable, Equity-Based Way.

Future Iterations of Listen-In Could Be Longitudinal and Assess Listening Gains Throughout Entire School

Years, and Transfer Effects Among Speaking and Writing Skills. Interdisciplinary Adaptations (E.G., Science

Listening, Civic Community Documentaries) For Developing Content Language Integration May Be

Beneficial. Regional Comparative Studies Across Asean (E.G. Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore) To Examine the

Scalability and Cultural Responsiveness Of Listen-In In Multilingual Education Systems Facing Similar Cerf

Alignment Issues May Be Possible.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank participating school, students, and colleagues at UTM for their contributions.

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