Oral communication is at the center of human interaction, and when the auditory scene becomes challenging, listening effort, defined as the ”deliberate allocation of mental resources to overcome obstacles in goal pursuit when carrying out a task” (Pichora-Fuller et al., 2016), varies across individuals. In this project, we investigated listening in effortful auditory environments using both behavioral and electrophysiological approaches. Three experimental phases were conducted: (1) behavioral assessment of speech intelligibility and listening effort in native and non-native speech-in-noise and speech-in-speech conditions (N=51); (2) exploration of the relationship between executive functions and speech listening in challenging conditions, along with investigation of EEG alpha dynamics during effortful listening (N=30); and (3) cognitive training targeting inhibition to improve intelligibility and reduce listening effort, and valuation of its effects on alpha dynamics (N=60). Behavioral results showed that using a native language enhances intelligibility and reduces listening effort, inhibitory control correlates with performance in the most adverse condition, and cognitive training improves speech perception while decreasing effort. EEG analyses confirmed the involvement of alpha oscillations with diverse neural generators during effortful listening. These findings emphasize the multidimensional nature of listening effort and its critical role in communication. Furthermore, they support the potential of cognitive interventions to mitigate listening challenges, with implications for clinical populations such as individuals with hidden hearing loss.