Students' English Song Listening Habits and Their Listening Comprehension Achievement: A Correlational Study at a Vocational High School

Listening comprehension is a critical yet challenging skill for vocational students preparing for the specialized global workforce. This study aims to investigate the correlation between students’ English song listening habits and their listening comprehension achievement at a vocational high school. To achieve this objective, the researcher employed a quantitative correlational research design. The data were gathered from a sample of 74 eleventh-grade students at SMK Pembina 2 Palembang, who were selected utilizing a purposive sampling technique. The research data were collected through two main instruments: a 20-item listening habits questionnaire and a standardized 100-item TOEIC listening comprehension practice test. The gathered data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson Product Moment Correlation via IBM SPSS software. The statistical results revealed a strong and significant positive correlation between students’ song listening habits and their test scores (r = .768, p = .000). However, descriptive findings showed that 59.5% of students still clustered at the CEFR A2 proficiency level. This implies that while informal auditory exposure provides a vital motivational and phonological foundation, it must be combined with explicit strategic classroom instruction to
effectively elevate vocational students' academic and workplace-oriented listening performance.