Reframing the teaching of listening through an understanding of internal factors in bilingual language learners’ comprehension

Listening proficiency is critical to language development in children and adults learning a second language. Many bilingual language learners, however, find listening to be challenging because they do not have good control over cognitive processes during listening. Many language teachers also remain unsure of how best to teach listening. This article proposes an approach that begins with an understanding of learners’ internal factors which research has shown to influence listening processes. After explaining listening processes in listening, it focuses on how three factors – linguistic knowledge, metacognition, and first language (L1) listening – may influence second language (L2) comprehension. We invite language educators to consider how these theoretical and research insights can assist them in reviewing their current methods for teaching listening. We address three questions that teachers ask by drawing on implications from the theory and research findings presented. The article concludes with some thoughts on listening research that are valuable for teaching practice.