The Effect of Metacognition and Digital Literacy on Listening Skills in the Context of Foreign Language Learning

This study aims to examine the development of listening skills in a foreign-language context through the variables of metacognitive awareness and digital literacy. Listening is not a passive process limited to perceiving auditory input; rather, it is an active learning domain involving multi-layered cognitive operations such as lower-level linguistic decoding and higher-level meaning construction, inferencing, and maintaining discourse coherence. In this regard, how learners plan, monitor, and evaluate their listening processes constitutes a central determinant of listening success. The study was designed as a qualitative inquiry based on a descriptive review model and conducted using document analysis. National and international academic studies were systematically examined, and themes related to metacognitive strategies in listening, components of digital literacy, and the effects of digital listening environments on learning processes were analyzed through thematic analysis. The review results indicate that metacognitive awareness significantly supports listening skill development through planning, monitoring, and evaluation strategies that regulate the listening process. Findings further demonstrate that digital literacy plays a decisive role in the effective use of digital listening materials and strengthens the applicability of metacognitive strategies. Podcasts, online videos, and multimedia-supported listening content provide learners with process control; however, the efficient use of these opportunities appears closely related to learners’ levels of digital literacy and metacognitive awareness. Overall, the study highlights the pedagogical importance of integrating metacognitive strategy instruction and digital literacy-based approaches holistically in developing listening skills and provides a theoretical foundation for future empirical research.