John Field Universities of Reading and Cambridge, uk

A process approach assumes:

• Language instruction is not the solution:
• knowledge  recognition

A process approach distinguishes …

• Decoding: matching groups of sounds in the speech stream to words in the listener's vocabulary
• Meaning building: constructing a larger-scale meaning on the basis of the words that have been decoded.
• Both are critical to successful listening

A process approach: 3 strands

• 1. Expose …
• Teachers need greater understanding of the nature of the input, and its problems for learners;
• 2. Model…
• Teachers need a methodology that trains better listeners instead of just providing practice;
• 3. Enable…
• Learners must be helped to crack the code of speech at an early stage, despite their lack of a) language knowledge b) experience of L2 listening.