In 'real-life' listening, our students will have to use a
combination of the two processes, with more emphasis on 'top-
down' or 'bottom-up' listening depending on their reasons for
listening. - Top-down vs. bottom-up listening - In the classroom
- Top-down listening activities - Bottom-up listening activities
Top-down vs. bottom-up listening Imagine the following
situations: Over lunch, your friend tells you a story about a
recent holiday, which was a disaster. You listen with interest
and interject at appropriate moments, maybe to express surprise
or sympathy. That evening, another friend calls to invite you to
a party at her house the following Saturday. As you’ve never
been to her house before, she gives you directions. You listen
carefully and make notes. How do you listen in each case? Are
there any differences? With the holiday anecdote, your main
concern was probably understanding the general idea and knowing
when some response was expected. In contrast, when listening to
the directions to a party, und