University of Sistan and Baluchestan Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies 2008-5494 18 1 2026 07 01 L1-Mediated Metacognitive Instruction and Listening Anxiety in Iranian EFL Learners: The Role of Gender 181 194 10063 10.22111/ijals.2026.55275.2599 EN Ali Soltani Department of English Language, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Mobin Hassanzadeh Taleshi Department of English Language and Literature, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran Abdurrashid Khazaei Feizabad Department of English, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran Journal Article 2026 05 06 This study investigated the effects of L1-mediated metacognitive intervention on the listening anxiety and listening comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the study involved 70 elementary-level Iranian EFL learners who were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group received L1-mediated metacognitive instruction. Findings revealed a significant reduction in listening anxiety among learners who received L1-mediated metacognitive instruction. However, no statistically significant gender differences were observed in the effectiveness of the intervention on listening comprehension. These findings indicate that incorporating metacognitive instruction in learners’ L1 can be an effective pedagogical approach for alleviating listening anxiety in EFL contexts. The study underscores the pedagogical value of integrating L1-based metacognitive support into listening instruction and highlights the potential of such interventions to foster a more supportive learning environment. Further research is recommended to examine the long-term effects of metacognitive interventions and to explore gender-related variables in diverse instructional contexts. https://ijals.usb.ac.ir/article_10063_730d005661e5aef091696fa26de54bd6.pdf