Exploring Students' Difficulties in TOEFL Listening

The aim of this research was to identify the challenges encountered by students while
engaging with TOEFL Preparation Tests within the English Study Program at FKIP UKI TORAJA.
The participants in this study consisted of 12 students from the 8th semester of the English
Department at FKIP UKI Toraja. The research employed a descriptive qualitative method and
collected data through interviews. The data was then analyzed using three main stages: the data
reduction, data display, and drawing conclusions. After analyzing and discussing the findings, it
can be concluded that 8th semester English Department students at UKI Toraja encounter various
difficulties when listening to TOEFL Preparation tests, which can be categorized into three main
areas. Each category presents different challenges. Regarding the comprehension of listening
materials, students face difficulties with complex grammatical structures, understanding every
word in spoken discourse, interpreting the meaning of lengthy spoken texts, and encountering
unfamiliar vocabulary. Additionally, students encounter difficulties related to listening itself,
including anxiety, deducing the meaning of unknown words, lack of concentration, unclear
pronunciation, difficulty with retention, losing focus, and listening without transcripts. Furthermore,
students also face obstacles related to the physical setting, such as poor-quality cassettes or
discs, inadequate equipment, and background noise.