Journal: Bulletin suisse de linguistique appliquée
Issue: Second language listening comprehension: challenges and didactic considerations
Call Deadline: 15-Sep-2025

Speech comprehension is one of the most fundamental domains of human cognition, and its importance in language acquisition is well-established (Feyten, 1991; Freedle & Carroll, 1972). Extensive research in cognitive science – particularly in psycholinguistics – has shed light on the complex processes involved in listening comprehension, highlighting their diversity (phonological, lexical, syntactic, semantic, and discourse-level processing), and their dynamic interactivity (Christiansen & Chater, 2016; Cutler & Clifton, 1999; Cutler, 2012; Zwaan & Radvansky, 1998). In one’s native language (L1), these processes are immediate and largely effortless – given that speech perception and comprehension abilities emerge before birth (Gervain, 2018) and develop “naturally” through the constant exposure and use of the language.

In contrast, and although it draws on the same cognitive architecture as L1 listening (Newell, 1990), listening in a second/foreign language (L2) is far more challenging even for advanced learners. In educational settings, the development of L2 listening comprehension processes represents a major pedagogical challenge. L2 listening is often ranked as the most difficult of all language skills by both learners and teachers (Graham, 2006; Zoghlami, 2015), and L2 listening situations have been shown to induce anxiety (Elkhafaifi, 2005; Bekleyen, 2009). For example, in France, several studies highlight persistent difficulties and indicate that, while the level in listening comprehension performance among students of L2 English has improved, it is still insufficient (e.g., Eteve et al., 2024). Compared to the other language skills, the didactics of L2 listening comprehension within communicative and action-oriented approaches remains "approximate" (Zoghlami & Hilton, 2021, p.146). Since the 1980s, the prevailing methodological model has focused on evaluating learners' performance (i.e. listen and answer comprehension questions model) and has prioritized semantic and discourse-level processing through explicit instruction of listening strategies as a cure-all for any listening difficulty.

The limitations of this comprehension approach seem to be recognized (Field, 2019). However, pedagogical alternatives grounded in solid theoretical frameworks are lacking, and this despite the large number of studies in L2 acquisition that explore key aspects of L2 listening comprehension. These include predictive factors for successful comprehension, the event-based nature of constructed meaning, as well as links between various types of knowledge, metacognitive skills, and articulatory and body gestures (e.g., Dobrego et al., 2022; Dyche, 2020; Jouannaud, 2021; Leonard, 2019; Matthews et al., 2023; Tsui & Fullilove, 1998; Zoghlami, 2023; Zwaan, 2014). Other studies shed light on teachers' practices and beliefs (Graham et al., 2014) and the effects of different types of training (e.g., Henderson & Cauldwell, 2020; Roussel et al., 2019).

Thus, this special issue calls for papers that can be situated within an acquisitionist (e.g. grounded in psycholinguistics) and didactic perspective. We particularly invite contributions addressing questions such as:
• What problems do learners encounter during L2 listening comprehension tasks? For example, we can consider if the difficulties vary depending on learners' L1 or the target L2.
• What role do different types of knowledge (linguistic, pragmatic, cultural, etc.) and cues (physical, contextual) play in L2 listening comprehension? Contributions on phonological and phraseological knowledge are particularly welcome, as these aspects remain underexplored.
• How can error analysis inform our understanding of the challenges at different levels of L2 speech processing? What methods should be used to diagnose these difficulties, and what activities or tests should be recommended?
• How is L2 listening comprehension taught today? How have pedagogical practices evolved over the past three decades? How do teachers and learners perceive the factors that contribute to listening success or difficulty?
• Taking into consideration the different types of processes, how can L2 listening skills be developed concretely? What types of awareness-raising activities, training methods and materials should be recommended? What are the training effects on L2 listening comprehension processes at different proficiency levels (skilled vs. less skilled listeners)? For example, while metacognition-based training is well-documented, the impact of perceptual training focused on L2 phonology remains largely unexplored.

We welcome submissions that significantly contribute to our understanding of L2 listening comprehension processes and challenges, and which provide evidence-based teaching approaches to anticipate and address learners’ difficulties.
Contributions may focus on diverse learner populations (primary, secondary, university, adult education) and different L2s (English, French as a Foreign/Second Language, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, etc.).

Submission Format:
To participate in the volume, please send a 300-word abstract, plus references, in French, English, German, or Italian, by September 15, 2025, via email to: [email protected]
Articles may be written in French, English, German, or Italian and should not exceed 45,000 characters, including spaces, references, and footnotes. All articles published in the Bulletin undergo a double-blind peer review process. The guidelines for authors can be found at the following address: https://www.vals-asla.ch/en/journal/information-about-the-bulletin

For more information on the call see: https://www.vals-asla.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/Journal__from_2025_/La_comprehension_de_l_oral_en_langue_etrangere-Second_language_listening_comprehension-Hoerverstehen_in_der_Fremdsprachee_Call__FR-EN-DE.pdf

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
Language Acquisition

Subject Language(s): English (eng)
French (fra)
German (deu)
Italian (ita)
Spanish (spa)