Determinants of Success in Native and Non-Native Listening Comprehension: An Individual Differences Approach

• Published in: Language learning 2012-09, Vol.62 (s2), p.49-78
• Main Authors: Andringa, Sible, Olsthoorn, Nomi, van Beuningen, Catherine, Schoonen, Rob, Hulstijn, Jan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults. Performance, acquisition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive Ability; Efficiency; Foreign language learning; Individual Differences; Indo European Languages; Language Processing; Linguistics; Listening Comprehension; Native Speakers; Predictor Variables; Production and comprehension processes; Psycholinguistics; Psychology of language; Short Term Memory; Structural Equation Models; Testing
• ISSN: 0023-8333; 1467-9922
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9922.2012.00706.x

The goal of this study was to explain individual differences in both native and non‐native listening comprehension; 121 native and 113 non‐native speakers of Dutch were tested on various linguistic and nonlinguistic cognitive skills thought to underlie listening comprehension. Structural equation modeling was used to identify the predictors of individual differences in listening comprehension and to test for differences between the native and non‐native participants. Listening comprehension for native speakers was found to be a function of knowledge of the language and the efficiency with which one can process linguistic information, while listening comprehension for non‐native speakers was a function of knowledge and reasoning ability. Working Memory did not explain unique variance in listening comprehension in either group. Differences in experience with the Dutch language are likely to explain the observed pattern of results for both groups.