The Implementation of Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches to Improve Beginner Students^ Arabic Listening Skills (A Classroom Action Research in the Arabic Language Education Study Program of UNJ)
Gina Rahmani, Vaiza Azzahra, Raden Ahmad Barnabas

Universitas Negeri Jakarta

Abstract

Listening comprehension is a fundamental skill in Arabic language learning that plays a crucial role in developing students^ communicative competence. However, many beginner students face difficulties in understanding Arabic speech due to limited recognition of sounds, vocabulary, and contextual meaning. This study aims to improve students^ Arabic listening skills through the integrated application of bottom-up and top-down approaches. This research employed a Classroom Action Research (CAR) design based on Kemmis and McTaggart^s model, conducted in two cycles. The participants were 25 first-semester students of the Arabic Education Study Program. Data were collected through listening comprehension tests, classroom observations, and interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to compare the results of pre- and post-intervention tests. The findings reveal that the implementation of bottom-up and top-down approaches significantly improved students^ listening comprehension skills. Students became more attentive in recognizing sounds and sentence structures, as well as better at interpreting meaning from context. The classroom atmosphere became more interactive and inclusive, accommodating diverse learning styles. Therefore, the integration of both approaches proved effective in enhancing listening skills and promoting creative and meaningful Arabic language learning.

Keywords: listening comprehension, bottom-up approach, top-down approach, Arabic language learning

Topic: Inclusive Learning through Creative Media and Methods