When dealing with messages in our own language,this is the form of comprehension we use most often. In unusual situations, such as poor acoustic conditions, or dealing with an unfamiliar accent or difficult terminology, we may be obliged to pay greater attention to bottom-level information.
One way of thinking about comprehension is to use the analogy of a 'do-it-youself' furniture construction kit-an idea suggested by Christine Nuttall. A novice at furniture building has to follow the written instructions step by step, and may need to re-read certain parts of the text in order to sort out what it means. A more experienced person may be able to dispense with the instructions altogether, or read carefully only at particular points. This analogy is useful because it emphasizes that, in a way, we have to 'assemble' meaning from what the speaker or auther offers us. The implication of interactive processing for the foreign language classroom is that teachers can take active steps to make a message accessible by providing assistance at any or all of the three levels-language, context, or background knowledge. In Chapter 3 and 4 i will be looking at various language-linguistic input and conversational interaction-in order to make the message understood. But before considering the language modifications that teachers make, I turn in the next section to the non-linguistic factors that can be exploited in making meanings accessible in more general terms.