LISTENING IN L2 ROMANIAN: WHY FUNCTION WORDS GO UNNOTICED
LISTENING IN L2 ROMANIAN: WHY FUNCTION WORDS GO UNNOTICED

Summary/Abstract: Listening in L2 Romanian: Why Function Words Go Unnoticed. Listening is a crucial but often overlooked component of second language (L2) acquisition. Despite its importance in developing linguistic competence, listening is frequently underemphasized in classroom instruction. This article examines L2 listening through the framework of cognitive linguistics, particularly cognitive grammar, which views language as an extension of general cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and categorization. By integrating insights from John Field’s research on input processing and Baddeley’s working memory model, we explore how L2 learners prioritize content words over function words in real-time listening. A small-scale empirical study was conducted with 37 students enrolled in a preparatory Romanian language course, using a paused transcription method to assess word recognition accuracy in speech. The findings confirm that L2 learners rely more on content words over function words, which is consistent with previous research in other languages. Notably, within function words, clitic pronouns and certain conjunctions were particularly difficult to recognize, suggesting that semantic schematicity and phonetic reduction play a key role in perceptual challenges. The study also highlights the continued reliance on top-down processing, even among B1-level learners, and the persistent difficulty in automatic segmentation of spoken input. Finally, the article argues for a reassessment of listening instruction, emphasizing explicit training in speech perception, function word recognition, and phonological processing. A balanced approach, combining comprehensible input, explicit instruction, and structured practice, is proposed to enhance L2 learners’ ability to process spoken language more effectively.

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