The aim of the present study was to examine whether Metacognitive Intervention (MI) in their first language (L1) had any significant effect on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ Working Memory (WM) in listening comprehension when they received it. In addition, it measured whether gender had any effect on EFL learners’ listening comprehension when they receive MI through L1. To this end, 60 Iranian EFL learners were selected through a Quick Placement Test and were assigned into two male and female experimental groups. These experimental groups received an eight-week intervention program, designed by the pedagogical cycle proposed by Goh and Vandergrift (2022). After the metacognitive intervention in L1, two posttests including a working memory capacity test and a listening comprehension test were administered. The findings indicated that there was a significant effect on EFL learners’ working memory in listening comprehension after they received MI in L1. It was also found that gender had a significant effect on the EFL learners’ working memory and listening comprehension when they receive MI in L1. The findings might contribute to assisting language instructors to adopt strategy-based approaches to teaching listening. Furthermore, curriculum designers and ELT policymakers might consider metacognitive intervention as an effective teaching approach and add it to EFL learners’ curriculum.

Keywords: gender differences, listening comprehension, metacognitive intervention, L1, working memory

     

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