Introduction
The status of listening in language programs has undergone substantial
change in recent years. From being a neglected skill relegate to passing
treatment as a minor strand within a speaking course it now appears as a
core course in many language programs. The development of good listening
skills is seen not only as something valuable for its own sake but as
something that supports the growth of other aspects of language use, such
as speaking and reading. One reason for the increased attention to the
teaching of listening is a pragmatic one. Many learners need good listening
skills to support the demands made on them in school, work, travel or
other settings and language institutes and publishers have responded to
these needs by providing a range of courses and materials to support the
teaching of listening. At the same time, the status of listening within
language learning theory has also been strengthened and a body of
research now exists which provides a deeper understanding of the processes
involved in understanding communication in a second language.
Some SLA theorists (e.g. Krashen 1985) have also stressed the role of
listening in facilitating second language acquisition. In a sense then the
teaching of listening has never been in a better state, with few questioning
its usefulness and with a wide variety of interesting course materials on
the market for teachers to choose from.
Yet there are still lingering questions concerning the goals of L2
listening instruction. The present paper seeks to explore some of these
questions and in so doing, raise some basic questions concerning a pedagogy
of teaching second language listening. To do this I will examine
listening from two perspectives—listening as comprehension and listening
as acquisition.