To be effective second or additional language (L2) listeners, learners should be aware of typical processes in connected L2 speech (e.g. linking). This longitudinal study explored how learners' developing ability to perceive connected L2 speech was related to the quality of their language awareness. Thirty-two learners of L2 French at a university in Quebec, Canada, took a course focusing on improving learners' abilities to understand and decode standard and familiar connected speech processes in French. Learners engaged in numerous activities to raise their awareness of and to practise perception of connected speech processes. They also completed weekly journal entries about their learning experiences and language use. Results showed that learners with the most improved perception did not focus on rehearsing knowledge about connected speech processes, but focused on how to use that knowledge to extract meaning from speech. Results are discussed in relation to the relationship between L2 listening and different types of awareness.