What You Don't Know Can't Help You

A number of recent studies in L1 listening comprehension have shown that background knowledge plays a crucial role in the comprehension process. The purpose of the present article is threefold: (a) to review the literature on background knowledge, (b) to present the findings of pertinent L1 and L2 research, and (c) to report the results of a preliminary study of L2 listening comprehension and background knowledge.