In:Understanding L2 Proficiency: Theoretical and meta-analytic investigations
Edited by Eun Hee Jeon and Yo In'nami
[Bilingual Processing and Acquisition 13] 2022
► pp. 235–283
Get fulltext
Chapter 8L2 listening and its correlates
A meta-analysis
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.
Published online: 4 August 2022
https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.13.08inn
https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.13.08inn
Abstract
Second-language (L2) listening ability is considered to consist of a diverse range of components that collectively help one to understand aural messages (e.g., Vandergrift & Goh, 2012). By building on and expanding previous meta-analyses, this chapter reports on a meta-analysis of L2 listening and its components. Two research questions were addressed: (1) what is the overall relationship between L2 listening and all its components collectively? and (2) what is the relationship between L2 listening and each of its components? Regarding (1), results from 118 studies (533 correlations) showed a significant, moderate relationship between L2 listening and its components overall (r = .446). Regarding (2), L2 listening was more strongly related to linguistic knowledge (grammar and vocabulary) than cognitive ability and affective features (aptitude, metacognitive awareness, working memory, attitude, and motivation), with anxiety (another affective feature) located in between. These results suggest how various components relate to L2 listening. The results also support the prediction that generally core components (i.e., linguistic knowledge) were expected to be more strongly correlated with L2 listening than were peripheral components (i.e., cognitive ability).
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Literature review
- 2.1Linguistic knowledge
- 2.1.1Grammar
- 2.1.2Vocabulary
- 2.1.3Phonological awareness
- 2.1.4Morphological knowledge
- 2.2Cognitive ability
- 2.2.1Aptitude
- 2.2.2Metacognitive awareness
- 2.2.3Working memory
- 2.3Affective features
- 2.3.1Attitude and motivation
- 2.3.2Anxiety
- 2.4Core and peripheral components of proficiency
- 2.1Linguistic knowledge
- 3.Research questions
- 4.Method
- 4.1Literature search
- 4.2Study inclusion criteria
- 4.3Coding
- Linguistic knowledge
- Cognitive ability
- Affective features
- Other issues
- 4.4Analyses
- 5.Results
- 5.1L2 listening and its overall components
- 5.2L2 listening and each of its components
- 6.Discussion
- 6.1Linguistic knowledge
- 6.1.1Grammar
- 6.1.2Vocabulary
- 6.1.3Phonological awareness
- 6.1.4Morphological knowledge
- 6.2Cognitive Ability
- 6.2.1Aptitude
- 6.2.2Metacognitive awareness
- 6.2.3Working memory
- 6.3Affective features
- 6.3.1Attitude and motivation
- 6.3.2Anxiety
- 6.4Relationship between core and peripheral components of proficiency
- 6.5Reliability issues
- 6.1Linguistic knowledge
- 7.Conclusion
References Appendix
References (89)
Andersson, U. (2010). The contribution of working memory capacity to foreign language comprehension in children. Memory,
18
(4), 458–472.
Andringa, S., Olsthoorn, N., van Beuningen, C., Schoonen, R., & Hulstijn, J. (2012). Determinants of success in native and nonnative listening comprehension: An individual differences approach. Language Learning,
62
(Suppl. 2), 49–78.
Bachman, L. F., Davidson, F., Ryan, K., & Choi, I.-C. (1995). An investigation into the comparability of two tests of English as a foreign language: The Cambridge-TOEFL comparability study. University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate.
Baddeley, A. D., & Logie, R. H. (1999). Working memory: The multiple-component model. In A. Miyake & P. Shah (Eds.), Models of working memory: Mechanisms of active maintenance and executive control (pp. 28–61). Cambridge University Press.
Brown, S. (2011). Listening myths: Applying second language research to classroom teaching. University of Michigan Press.
Brunfaut, T., & Révész, A. (2015). The role of task and listener characteristics in second language listening. TESOL Quarterly,
49
(1), 141–168.
Carr, N. T. (2006). The factor structure of test task characteristics and examinee performance. Language Testing,
23
(3), 269–289.
Cheung, H., Chen, H. C., Lai, C. Y., Wong, O. C., & Hills, M. (2001). The development of phonological awareness: effects of spoken language experience and orthography. Cognition,
81
(3), 227–241.
Clenton, J., & Booth, P. (Eds.). (2021). Vocabulary and the four skills: Pedagogy, practice, and implications for teaching vocabulary. Routledge.
Daller, H., Milton, J., & Treffers-Daller, J. (2007). Editors’ introduction: Conventions, terminology and an overview of the book. In H. Daller, J. Milton, & J. Treffers-Daller (Eds.), Modelling and assessing vocabulary knowledge (pp. 1–32). Cambridge University Press.
Droop, M., & Verhoeven, L. (2003). Language proficiency and reading ability in first- and second-language learners. Reading Research Quarterly, 38(1), 78–103.
Elkhafaifi, H. (2005). Listening comprehension and anxiety in the Arabic language classroom. The Modern Language Journal,
89
(2), 206–220.
Fisher, Z., & Tipton, E. (2015). Robust variance meta-regression (Version 2.0) [Software]. Retrieved from [URL]
Freedle, R., & Kostin, I. (1999). Does the text matter in a multiple-choice test of comprehension? The case for the construct validity of TOEFL’s minitalks. Language Testing,
16
(1), 2–32.
Gardner, R. C. (2000). Correlation, causation, motivation, and second language acquisition. Canadian Psychology,
41
(1), 10–24.
Geva, E., & Farnia, F. (2012). Developmental changes in the nature of language proficiency and reading fluency paint a more complex view of reading comprehension in ELL and EL1. Reading & Writing,
25
(8), 1819–1845.
Goh, C. (1997). Metacognitive awareness and second language listeners. ELT Journal,
51
(4), 361–369.
Goh, C. C. M., & Hu, G. W. (2014). Exploring the relationship between metacognitive awareness and listening performance with questionnaire data. Language Awareness,
23
(3), 255–274.
Goodwin, A. P., August, D., & Calderon, M. (2015). Reading in multiple orthographies: Differences and similarities in reading in Spanish and English for English learners. Language Learning,
65
(3), 596–630.
Harley, B., & Hart, D. (1997). Language aptitude and second language proficiency in classroom learners of different starting ages. Studies in Second Language Acquisition,
19
(3), 379–400.
Harrington, M., & Carey, M. (2009). The on-line Yes/No test as a placement tool. System,
37
(4), 614–626.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal,
70
(2), 125–132.
Hulstjin, J. H. (2015). Language proficiency in native and non-native speakers: Theory and research. John Benjamins.
Hulstijn, J. H. (2019). An individual-differences framework for comparing nonnative with native speakers: Perspectives from BLC theory. Language Learning,
69
(s1), 157–183.
In’nami, Y. (2006). The effects of test anxiety on listening test performance. System,
34
(3), 317–340.
In’nami, Y., & Koizumi, R. (2009). A meta-analysis of test format effects on reading and listening test performance: Focus on multiple-choice and open-ended formats. Language Testing,
26
(2), 219–244.
Jeon, E.-H., & Yamashita, Y. (2014). L2 reading comprehension and its correlates: A meta-analysis. Language Learning,
64
(1), 160–212.
Karalık, T., & Merç, A. (2019). Correlates of listening comprehension in L1 and L2: A meta-analysis. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics,
5
(3), 353–383.
Koizumi, R., & In’nami, Y. (2020). Structural equation modeling of vocabulary size and depth using conventional and Bayesian methods. Frontiers in Psychology: Language Sciences,
11
, 618.
Li, S. (2016). The construct validity of language aptitude: A meta-analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition,
38
(4), 801–842.
Linck, J. A., Osthus, P., Koeth, J. T., & Bunting, M. F. (2014). Working memory and second language comprehension and production: A meta-analysis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review,
21
(4), 861–883.
Masgoret, A. M., & Gardner, R. C. (2003). Attitudes, motivation, and second language learning: A meta–analysis of studies conducted by Gardner and Associates. Language Learning,
53
(1), 123–163.
McLean, S., Stewart, J., & Batty, A. O. (2020). Predicting L2 reading proficiency with modalities of vocabulary knowledge: A bootstrapping approach. Language Testing,
37
(3), 389–411.
Milton, J., & Masrai, A. (2021). Vocabulary and listening. In J. Clenton & P. Booth (Eds.), Vocabulary and the four skills: Pedagogy, practice, and implications for teaching vocabulary (pp. 45–59). Routledge.
Milton, J., Wade, J., & Hopkins, N. (2010). Aural word recognition and oral competence in a foreign language. In R. Chacón-Beltrán, C. Abello-Contesse, & M. Torreblanca-López (Eds.), Further insights into non-native vocabulary teaching and learning (pp. 83–98). Multilingual Matters.
Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Emerson, M. J., Witzki, A. H., Howerter, A., & Wager, T. D. (2000). The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex “frontal lobe” tasks: A latent variable analysis. Cognitive Psychology,
41
(1), 49–100.
Montero Perez, M., van den Noortgate, W., & Desmet, P. (2013). Captioned video for L2 listening and vocabulary learning: A meta-analysis. System,
41
(3), 720–739.
Muchinsky, P. M. (1996). The correction for attenuation. Educational and Psychological Measurement,
56
(1), 63–75.
Nation, P. (2020). The different aspects of vocabulary knowledge. In S. Webb (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of vocabulary studies (pp. 15–29). Routledge.
Nation, I. S. P., & Beglar, D. (2007). A vocabulary size test. Language Teacher,
31
, 9–13. Retrieved on 11 January 2022 from [URL]
Nissan, S., DeVincenzi, F., & Tang, K. L. (1996). An analysis of factors affecting the difficulty of dialogue Items in TOEFL listening comprehension (Report Number: RR-95-37, TOEFL-RR-51).
Norris, J. M., & Ortega, L. (2000). Effectiveness of L2 Instruction: A research synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis. Language Learning,
50
(3), 417–528.
Ockey, G. J., & Wagner, E. (2018). Assessing L2 listening: Moving towards authenticity. John Benjamins.
Orwin, R. (1983). A fail-safe N for effect size in meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Statistics,
8
(2), 157–159.
Pae, T.-I. (2013). Skill-based L2 anxieties revisited: Their intra-relations and the inter-relations with general foreign language anxiety. Applied Linguistics,
34
(2), 232–252.
Papi, M., & Hiver, P. (2020). Language learning motivation as a complex dynamic system: A global perspective of truth, control, and value. The Modern Language Journal,
104
(1), 209–232.
Plonsky, L., & Derrick, D. J. (2016). A meta-analysis of reliability coefficients in second language research. The Modern Language Journal,
100
(2), 538–553.
Plonsky, L., & Oswald, F. L. (2014). How big is “big”? Interpreting effect sizes in L2 research. Language Learning,
64
(4), 878–912.
(2015). Meta-analyzing second language research. In L. Plonsky (Ed.), Advancing quantitative methods in second language research (pp. 106–128). Routledge.
Qian, D. D., & Lin, L. H. (2020). The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and language proficiency. In S. Webb (ed), The Routledge handbook of vocabulary studies (pp. 66–80). Routledge.
Read, J. (1993). The development of a new measure of L2 vocabulary knowledge. Language Testing,
10
(3), 355–371.
(2004). Plumbing the depths: How should the construct of vocabulary be defined? In P. Bogaards & B. Laufer (Eds.), Vocabulary in a second language: Selection, acquisition, and testing (pp. 209–227). John Benjamins.
Römer, U. (2017). Language assessment and the inseparability of lexis and grammar: Focus on the construct of speaking. Language Testing,
34
(4), 477–492.
Rosenthal, R. (1979). The “file drawer problem” and tolerance for null results. Psychological Bulletin,
86
(3), 638–641.
Ross, S. (1998). Self-assessment in second language testing: A meta-analysis and analysis of experiential factors. Language Testing,
15
(1), 1–20.
Sáfár, A., & Kormos, J. (2008). Revising problems with foreign language aptitude. International Review of Applied Linguistics,
46
(2), 113–136.
(2014). Size and depth of vocabulary knowledge: What the research shows. Language Learning,
64
(4), 913–951.
Shintani, N., & Wallace, P. M. (2014). Effects of listening support in second language classroom: A meta-analysis. English Teaching and Learning,
38
(3), 71–101.
Stansfield, C. W., & Reed, D. J. (2019). The MLAT at 60 years. In Z. Wen, P. Skehan, A. Biedron, S. Li., & R. L. Sparks (Eds.), Language aptitude: Advancing theory, testing, research, research and practice (pp. 15–32). Routledge.
Speciale, G., Ellis, N. C., & Bywater, T. (2004). Phonological sequence learning and short-term store capacity determine second language vocabulary acquisition. Applied Psycholinguistics, 25(2), 293–321.
Stæhr, L. S. (2008). Vocabulary size and the skills of listening, reading and writing, The Language Learning Journal,
36
(2), 139–152.
(2009). Vocabulary knowledge and advanced listening comprehension in English as a foreign language. Studies in Second Language Acquisition,
31
(4), 577–607.
Tafaghodtari, M. H., & Vandergrift, L. (2008). Second and foreign language listening: Unraveling the construct. Perceptual and Motor Skills,
107
(1), 99–113.
Taguchi, N. (2008). The effect of working memory, semantic access, and listening abilities on the comprehension of conversational implicatures in L2 English. Pragmatics & Cognition,
16
(3), 517–539.
Tanner-Smith, E. E., Tipton, E., & Polanin, J. R. (2016). Handling complex meta-analytic data structures using robust variance estimates: A tutorial in R. Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology,
2
(1), 85–112.
Teimouri, Y., Goetze, J., & Plonsky, L. (2019). Second language anxiety and achievement: A meta-analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition,
41
(2), 363–387.
Vafaee, P. (2016). The relative significance of syntactic knowledge and vocabulary knowledge in second language listening comprehension (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Maryland.
Vandergrift, L. (2005). Relationships among motivation orientations, metacognitive awareness and proficiency in L2 listening. Applied Linguistics,
26
(1), 70–89.
Vandergrift, L., & Goh, C. C. M. (2012). Teaching and learning second language listening: Metacognition in action. Routledge.
Vandergrift, L., Goh, C. C. M., Mareschal, C., & Tafaghodtari, M. H. (2006). The metacognitive awareness listening questionnaire (MALQ): Development and validation. Language Learning,
56
(3), 431–462.
Viechtbauer, W. (2010). Conducting meta-analyses in R with the metafor package. Journal of Statistical Software,
36
(3), 1–48.
Vogely, A. (1995). Perceived strategy use during performance on three authentic listening comprehension tasks. The Modern Language Journal,
79
(1), 41–56.
Wagner, R. K., Torgesen, J. K., & Rashotte, C. A. (1994). Development of reading-related phonological processing abilities: New evidence of bidirectional causality from a latent variable longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology,
30
(1), 73–87.
Wallace, M. P. (2018). Second language listening comprehension: Relationships among vocabulary knowledge, topical knowledge, metacognition, and working memory (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
(2022). Individual differences in second language listening: Examining the role of knowledge, metacognitive awareness, memory, and attention. Language Learning, 72(1), 5–44.
Wallace, M. P., & Lee, K. (2020). Examining second language listening, vocabulary, and executive functioning. Frontiers in Psychology,
11
(1122), 1–14.
Webb, S. (2005). Receptive and productive vocabulary learning: the effects of reading and writing on word knowledge. Studies in Second Language Acquisition,
27
(1), 33–52.
Wen, Z. (2016). Working memory and second language learning: Towards an integrated approach. Multilingual Matters.
(2018). Working memory in first and second language: A comprehensive bibliography. Expanded and updated (9 Sept 2018) from: Wen, Zhisheng (2016). Working memory in second language learning: An integrated approach (References). Multilingual Matters. Retrieved from [URL].
Winke, P., & Lim, H. (2017). The effects of test preparation on second-language listening test performance. Language Assessment Quarterly,
14
(4), 380–397.
Cited by (12)
Cited by 12 other publications
Dalman, Mohammadreza
Hamada, Yo
Pastorino-Campos, Carla, Amy Devine & Louise Gilbert
Uchihara, Takumi
Uchihara, Takumi, Kazuya Saito, Satsuki Kurokawa, Kotaro Takizawa & Yui Suzukida
Zhao, Yufan & Vahid Aryadoust
Dudley, Amber, Emma Marsden & Giulia Bovolenta
Finlayson, Natalie, Emma Marsden & Rachel Hawkes
Kormos, Judit, Kathrin Eberharter, Elisa Guggenbichler, Simone Baumgartinger, Viktoria Ebner & Benjamin Kremmel
Nishizawa, Hitoshi
Siegelman, Noam, Irina Elgort, Marc Brysbaert, Niket Agrawal, Simona Amenta, Jasmina Arsenijević Mijalković, Christine S. Chang, Daria Chernova, Fabienne Chetail, A. J. Benjamin Clarke, Alain Content, Davide Crepaldi, Nastag Davaabold, Shurentsetseg Delgersuren, Avital Deutsch, Veronika Dibrova, Denis Drieghe, Dušica Filipović Đurđević, Brittany Finch, Ram Frost, Carolina A. Gattei, Esther Geva, Aline Godfroid, Lindsay Griener, Esteban Hernández‐Rivera, Anastasia Ivanenko, Juhani Järvikivi, Lea Kawaletz, Anurag Khare, Jun Ren Lee, Charlotte E. Lee, Christina Manouilidou, Marco Marelli, Timur Mashanlo, Ksenija Mišić, Koji Miwa, Pauline Palma, Ingo Plag, Zoya Rezanova, Enkhzaya Riimed, Jay Rueckl, Sascha Schroeder, Irina A. Sekerina, Diego E. Shalom, Natalia Slioussar, Neža Marija Slosar, Vanessa Taler, Kim Thériault, Debra Titone, Odonchimeg Tumee, Ross van de Wetering, Ark Verma, Anna Fiona Weiss, Denise Hsien Wu & Victor Kuperman
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 3 december 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.
