Many studies in language learning have indicated that listening comprehension plays an important role in the learning process. For example, Renukadevi (2014) reported that listening has an important place in learning as it is one of the four major skills in language acquisition. He adds that listening plays a vital role, as it helps the language learner to acquire pronunciation, word stress, and the comprehension of messages conveyed can be based solely on tone of voice, pitch and accent; and it is only possible when we listen. Without understanding input appropriately, learning simply cannot get any improvement. In addition, without listening skill, no communication can be achieved.
In spite of the important role played by listening comprehension in the learning process, many ESL and EFL learners often have considerable difficulty in comprehending the real language used by native speakers or the authentic one they hear during watching movies or listening to radio. One of the main reasons for this difficulty is connected speech. Connected speech can be defined as ‘spoken language when analyzed as a continuous sequence, as in normal utterances and conversations’ (Matsuzawa, 2006). In a real language use, connected speech undergoes considerable phonological modifications (alterations) such as reduction, intrusion, elision, assimilation, and contraction which may cause comprehension difficulty when non-native speakers listen to it (Carreira, 2008; Wickins, 2016). In line with