Maryam Azarian - PhD student,Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics , Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Ayatollah Razmjoo - Professor in TEFL,Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics , Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

The aim of this study was to find out the comparative effect of self-esteem and self-regulation on Iranian EFL learners' listening comprehension. It also aimed to investigate the probable differences between the listening comprehension of the two genders in terms of their self-esteem and self-regulation. Hence, the listening comprehension performances of ۸۴ available sophomores in two intact classrooms in Shiraz Applied Science University were examined to investigate the question under study. First, two paired samples t-tests based on listening comprehension tests were conducted at the beginning and end of the course to reveal the effect of self-esteem and self-regulation strategies on the improvement of learners' listening comprehension. Two Pearson product moment correlation tests were also conducted to examine the relationship between participants' self-esteem and self-regulation scores and their listening comprehension scores. In addition, two independent samples t-tests were conducted to detect possible differences between the overall self-esteem and self-regulation scores of males and females based on their responses to the questionnaires. Then two two-way tests (ANOVA) were performed, at the beginning and at the end of the treatment in order to understand the possible differences between the listening performances of the two sexes in the two groups. The findings of the study revealed that the use of self-esteem and self-regulation strategies significantly improved the participants' listening comprehension, with similar effects on males and females. However, those who focused on the employment of self-regulation strategies outperformed the other group in their listening performance.

self-esteem, self-regulation, listening comprehension, EFL learners