The impact of NoteBookLM generated podcasts on EFL news listening comprehension, flow experience, and anxiety: a quasi-experimental study

This study investigates the effects of NoteBookLM created genre transformation on EFL learners' news listening comprehension, listening anxiety and flow experience. The study implemented a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design for six weeks with 79 Chinese undergraduates. The control group participants listened to standard CET-4 news recordings while the experimental group received news podcast generated by NoteBookLM based on the same script. The Foreign Language Listening Anxiety Scale (FLLAS), the Flow State Questionnaire (FSQ) along with listening comprehension tests were given to participants before and after the intervention. Results showed that the experimental group achieved higher comprehension scores and reported a greater reduction in listening anxiety. However, no significant difference was found in flow experience between groups. The findings suggest that podcast-style input generated via NoteBookLM can foster comprehension and reduce anxiety, yet may not support flow states. This study highlights the potential of using NoteBookLM to restructure listening input and the necessity of genre-aware design in language education.