This paper presents a study on the metacognitive strategies employed by English listeners in an EFL setting. The results of the study reveal that the subjects used directed attention most frequently and they used monitoring least frequently. Besides, there are differences in the use of metacognitive strategies between successful and unsuccessful listeners. The differences exist in the use of directed attention, functional planning and self-management strategies. The study proposes that listeners' metacognitive awareness should be cultivated and strategy instruction should be integrated into the teaching of listening.