Influence of age on Listening Competencies in English of Teacher Trainees in Teacher Training Colleges in Kenya

English language in Kenya is important as it is the medium of instruction, among other things, from class four to higher institutions of learning (Revised Teacher Education Syllabus, 2006) Listening on the other hand is a key factor in facilitating language learning because it is the foundation of the other language skills. It is also the skill that facilitates the interaction of the instructor and the learner in any learning situation. Lack of listening competence in English therefore means poor language skills and poor performance in all the subjects taught in English. This paper presents the findings of a comparative study conducted in Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) in Kenya. The study sought to establish the influence of age on the levels of listening competencies in English of primary school teacher trainees in Teacher Training Colleges in Kenya. A sample of 30 male and 30 female trainees was used. Data were collected using three subtests namely dictation, cloze test and listening comprehension. Research findings showed that the younger trainees performed better than the older trainees in most of the tasks. However, generally the trainees lacked the desired competence levels in listening in English.