This study examined relation between English listening, working memory capacity and serial information processing skill. English passages were presented word by word to Japanese university students ( N =22) to measure serial information processing skill, and to examine its role in English listening comprehension in relation to working memory capacity. The result of this study showed that even learners with high capacity of working memory perform poorly on listening comprehension test, if they have low serial information processing skill. Working memory capacity measured by the reading span test is not a good predictor of L2 listening comprehension, and found that the participants' serial information processing skill is a possible variable that influences L2 listening comprehension. This study showed the need for continued investigation on L2 listening comprehension from the perspective of serial information processing.