Traditionally, second language (L2) instruction has emphasised auditory-based instruction methods. However, this approach is restrictive in the sense that speech perception by humans is not just an auditory phenomenon but a multimodal one, and specifically, a visual one as well. In the past decade, experimental studies have shown that the audio-visual aspects of speech perception have facilitative effects in L2 acquisition. This article has four theoretical and practical aims: (1) to synthesise the existing evidence from audio-visual speech perception (AVSP) in the context of L2 acquisition; (2) to demonstrate how L1-L2 orthographic matching can be used in L2 instruction; (3) to present ideas on how AVSP research can profitably be used in L2 teaching settings; and (4) to argue for the need for further applied and interdisciplinary research into the issues highlighted here.