Metacognitive Awareness of Listening Strategies in Second and Third Language: The Role of Language Proficiency Across and Within Languages

Abstract

ABSTRACT Metacognitive awareness of listening strategies has a supporting role in explaining L2 listening comprehension. Although metacognitive awareness is language-independent, language proficiency may determine whether learners can utilize such a cognitive resource during multiple language development. The current study explores the listening strategy awareness in the L2 and L3 through a 21-item questionnaire (i.e., Metacognitive Awareness of Listening Strategies Questionnaire, the MALQ), and its relationship with L3 listening comprehension. Data from 48 high L2 English proficiency students learning L3 Italian in Turkey indicate an overall higher awareness in L2 English. The reported awareness in the L2 and L3 strategies significantly differ in person knowledge and mental translation, but not in problem-solving, planning and evaluation, and directed attention. Beginner and intermediate L3 Italian learners do not differ in their metacognitive awareness in the L3 while only the L3 (but not L2) overall MALQ score significantly predicts L3 listening comprehension beyond L3 proficiency. These differing L2-L3 relationships across the MALQ subcomponents are discussed for language dependency in metacognitive awareness of listening strategies for multilingual language learners.