Phonological Decoding Difficulties in EFL Listening: A Mixed Methods Study of Vietnamese University Students

ABSTRACT: This study investigated phonological decoding difficulties experienced by Vietnamese EFL learners during listening comprehension, employing an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. A 28-item questionnaire measuring four subscales, namely Phoneme Perception, Word Segmentation, Prosodic Processing, and Comprehension Breakdown, was administered to 72 second-year English-major students at a Vietnamese university, followed by qualitative open-ended responses. Quantitative findings indicated that all four dimensions of phonological decoding difficulty were experienced at moderate-to-high levels (overall M = 3.21, SD = 0.59), with Comprehension Breakdown emerging as the most prominent difficulty (M = 3.45, SD = 0.76). The instrument demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .937). Inter-subscale correlations revealed significant positive relationships among all dimensions, with the strongest association between Word Segmentation and Prosodic Processing (r = .745, p < .001). No significant differences were found by gender, self-rated proficiency, or years of English study. Qualitative analysis identified three primary themes, which included cascade breakdown, cognitive overload, and compensatory coping strategies. These findings contribute to the understanding of bottom-up processing challenges in EFL listening and offer pedagogical implications for phonological instruction in Vietnamese higher education contexts. Keywords: phonological decoding, EFL listening, mixed methods, Vietnamese learners, comprehension breakdown