This study examined the use of visual-syntactic text formatting for strategic listening
instruction and investigated its effects on middle school students' listening abilities. The
ClipRead program is a computer-based parsing engine which uses algorithms to analyze each
sentence using both visual and syntactic criteria to decide upon optimal positions for segment
breaks and indentation patterns. The program changes linear text into multidimensional images
that emphasize the structure and meaning of language in order to help readers understand the
text dynamically. To verify these effects, 54 advanced level, second-grade, middle school
students from Pusan were selected as participants. The main findings of this study were as
follows. First, the students who used visual-syntactic text formatting to a greater extent in their
listening classes scored higher on listening tests than the control group. Second, using
visual-syntactic text formatting for a short time did not affect the students' affective attitude
toward listening in itself. Third, the students who used the program to a greater extent in their
listening classes reported a more positive attitude toward the use of visual-syntactic text
formatting. These results indicate that listening can be improved through visual-syntactic text
formatting. Listening to a text with meaningful units helped students comprehend the meaning
of the English listening materials better. In conclusion, visual-syntactic text formatting can
influence students' learning processes in a positive way; therefore, by teaching listening using
meaningful units with visual-syntactic text formatting, teachers can develop more effective class
models for the English classroom.