The article discusses the features of the development of listening comprehensive skills among students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages from the standpoint of different methodological paradigms (Soviet-Russian and Western, especially Anglo-American). Approaches and models formed within the framework of activity and cognitive-communicative theories are subjected to
historical and comparative analysis. From the standpoint of the same theories, the main difficulties of listening comprehension are identified, taking into account the language level of students, sociocultural competence, operational memory, manifestations of phonetic interference, cognitive motivation of students, in general, the pedagogical conditions of listening.