L2 listening instruction: More bottom-up or more top-down?

Abstract

Based on evidence from past research, this article examines and compares two broad instructional approaches to developing L2 learners’ listening abilities, abilities which characteristically lag mainly because of the listeners’ difficulties with their bottom-up skills. One of these forms of instruction is a bottom-up approach, which directly aims to bolster the learners’ bottom-up skills. The second form of instruction is a more top-down, strategy-based approach, which aims largely to provide learners with abilities to compensate for their bottom-up difficulties. Based on the research, the article indicates that a focus more on developing learners’ strategies appears the better approach.