Bottom-up processing
Bottom-up processing refers to deriving the meaning of the message based on the incoming language data, from sounds, to words, to grammatical relationships, to meaning. Stress, rhythm, and intonation also play a role in bottom-up processing. Bottom-up processing would be activated as the learner is signaled to verify comprehension by the trainer/teacher asking a question using the declarative form with rising intonation (“You see that switch there?”). Practice in recognizing statements and questions that differ only in intonation help the learner develop bottom-up processing skills.
Learners need to be aware that both of these processes affect their listening comprehension, and they need to be given opportunities to practice employing each of them.