The role of top-down and buttom-up processed in L2 listening comprehension

  The present article provides a detailed description of the bottom-up and top-down processes involved in listening. It explains how they are related to speech decoding and meaning building in listening comprehension as well as how they interact at different levels. Further, the role of low level and high level listening processes is discussed in relation to different teaching approaches and their effects on L2 learners’ listening skills. The results of recent studies are taken into consideration to provide a model of listening instruction that accounts for both bottom-up and top-down listening skills, the latter of which has been traditionally emphasized