Putting the Listening Brain in Context

Speech provides a fleeting signal to the human brain. However, we rarely encounter speech without being provided some form of context. This article is conceived as a primer on forms and levels of context that can benefit the listener in comprehending speech. In an attempt to integrate psychological, audiological, and neuroscientific knowledge with more linguistic views, the neural functional organisation of facilitated speech comprehension particularly from semantic context is reviewed. The limits of contextual benefit as well as its (mal-)adaptive implications for ageing or hearing-impaired listeners are discussed.