Aural lexical knowledge (ALK) is crucial for second language (L2) listening. Despite its importance, there is scant research that has validly explored the relationship between ALK and L2 listening across different English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. In an effort to broaden this research base, the current study closely replicates a previous study, Cheng et al. (2022), which measured single-word ALK, phrasal verb ALK and L2 listening comprehension among participants with Chinese as a first language (L1). The current study administered the same instruments but did so among 147 Japanese and 131 Arabic-speaking English language learners. Results indicated that the capacity of ALK to predict variance in L2 listening for the Japanese group (R² = .38) was similar to that observed in the original study (R² = .42). However, the results for the Arabic-speaking group were very different to that of the original study and showed an unexpectedly strong relationship between ALK and L2 listening (R² = .92). Future research directions and pedagogical implications are discussed.

This study quantifies second language (L2) knowledge of aural single words and aural phrasal verbs (PVs) and investigates their relationship with L2 listening comprehension. An aural first language (L1) meaning recall test format was used to measure knowledge of 81 single-word and 81 PV target items (with equivalent frequencies of occurrence) among 224 Chinese tertiary-level learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Participants' L2 listening was measured with a version of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). Participants' aural single-word and aural PV knowledge were compared, and their relationship with L2 listening were examined using correlation and multiple regression analysis. These analyses also included comparison between participants of relatively high (Independent Users) and relatively low (Basic Users) L2 listening proficiency. Although regression modelling showed that single-word test scores were most predictive of L2 listening comprehension, it also showed that PV test scores made a substantial contribution to the model's predictive capacity. In combination, single-word and PV test scores could predict 42.7% of the variance observed in the listening scores. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Language teachers need to be aware of the factors that influence their students' comprehension of second language words. This study explores: (a) whether learner knowledge about base words and knowledge about their corresponding derivational forms (DF) is significantly different: and (b) if the presence or absence of context influences the relative difficulty of related DF. A meaning-recall test format was used to measure the knowledge about various forms of five high frequency base words (accept, help, move, operate and read) among a cohort of 150 tertiary-level Japanese English as a foreign language learners. Two hypotheses are tested: (a) that there would be a strong interdependence between learner knowledge about base words and DF (with single and multiple affixes) from the same word family" and (b) that DF presented in context would be easier for learners than those presented without context. Results suggest that for these target words among this cohort, each hypothesis should be rejected. Specific pedagogical recommendations for the development of knowledge about DF among L2 learners are provided. The discussion addresses the importance of classroom teachers refining the heuristics used to guide pedagogy and that the strategic collection of learner data via formative assessment is crucial to this process.

The capacity to rapidly and accurately recognize a word's phonological form and connect it to knowledge of the word's meaning is essential for listening comprehension. Without adequate levels of lexical knowledge, the listener must depend on compensatory strategies such as guessing from the context, which is significantly more difficult than when reading, and may result in comprehension breakdown. It is therefore important for teachers and researchers to more fully understand the relationship between lexical knowledge and L2 listening development. Critical to this understanding is an appreciation of the modality-specific nature of the lexical knowledge that most strongly underpins successful listening comprehension, the so-called aural lexical knowledge. Developing a better understanding of the relationship between aural lexical knowledge and L2 listening will be important in future efforts to promote second language acquisition among language learners. This chapter begins by defining relevant key concepts related to aural lexical knowledge. It then goes on to elaborate upon the relationship between aural lexical knowledge and L2 listening, including an overview of the empirical research demonstrating the centrality of aural lexical knowledge to L2 listening comprehension. Next, alternative approaches to the development of aural lexical knowledge are presented. Finally, recommendations are made for future research that may contribute to a more refined understanding of the relationship between listening and lexical knowledge.