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Listening comprehension of academic and everyday language in first language and second language students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2016

ALEXANDRA MARX ,
BIRGIT HEPPT  and
SOFIE HENSCHEL
ALEXANDRA MARX*
Affiliation:
Humboldt University of Berlin and University of Potsdam
BIRGIT HEPPT
Affiliation:
Humboldt University of Berlin
SOFIE HENSCHEL
Affiliation:
Humboldt University of Berlin
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE Alexandra Marx, Department of Education, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24–25, Potsdam 14476, Germany. E-mail: alexandra.marx@uni-potsdam.de
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Abstract

Listening comprehension in academic contexts is an important prerequisite for the acquisition of school-related skills. However, the concept of academic language is generally the subject of much debate, and there is no consensus yet on what constitutes academic listening comprehension. To date, it remains unclear whether listening comprehension of academic language may be regarded as a distinct construct. The present study investigates the distinction of academic and everyday listening comprehension in 459 ninth-grade students speaking German as a first language or as a second language. Empirical results provide preliminary evidence that academic listening forms a separate facet of listening comprehension. Contrary to theoretical assumptions, second language students were not particularly disadvantaged in terms of academic listening comprehension.

Type
Articles
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 38 , Issue 3 , May 2017 , pp. 571 - 600
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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