Listening and Learning
Student Support and
Learning Center
Hearing is not the same as listening. Listening, as defined by the International Listening Association (ILA), is
“the active process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal
messages. It involves the ability to retain information, as well as to react empathically and/or appreciatively
to spoken and/or nonverbal messages.”
Listening involves more than simply hearing. Listening is an active process involving the construction,
retention and reaction to how we assign meaning to new information.
Notables Regarding Listening and Education
 Even though most of us spend the majority of our day listening, it is the communication activity that
receives the least instruction in school (Coakley & Wolvin, 1997).
 Listening training is not required at most universities (Wacker & Hawkins, 1995).
 Students who are required to take a basic communication course spend less than 7% of class and text
time on listening (Janusik, 2002; Janusik & Wolvin, 2002).
 Listening is critical to academic success. An entire freshman class of over 400 students was given a
listening test at the beginning of their first semester. After their first year of studies, 49% of students
scoring low on the listening test were on academic probation, while only 4.42% of those scoring high on
the listening test were on academic probation. Conversely, 68.5% of those scoring high on the listening
test were considered Honors Students after the first year, while only 4.17% of those scoring low attained
the same success (Conaway, 1982).
 Students do not have a clear concept of listening as an active process that they can control. Students find it
easier to criticize the speaker as opposed to the speaker’s message (Imhof, 1998).
 Effective listening is associated with school success, but not with any major personality dimensions
(Bommelje, Houston, & Smither, 2003).1
Recommendations
 The Environment: If you can't hear, move so that you can. Move away from sources of noise-human or
mechanical. Sit where you can see the speaker easily, and where other distractions are at a minimum.
Including hiding the use of your phone and/or electronic devise.
 Determine that it is important to listen to the speaker: Do not tune the speaker out because you don't
like something about him/her, the class or the specific lecture. Be sure you understand something before
you reject it.
 The Lecture: Why is what the speaker saying important to you? Create an immediate and vivid reason for
listening to the lecturer. Actively seek a way to connect with the content of the lecture.
 Listening is your responsibility: The responsibility for interest and understanding lies with you, not
with the speaker. Learning is up to the learner. Do not sit passively in the classroom and blame the
speaker. If you are unmotivated as a listener, it is on you to actively seek motivation.
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http://listen.org/page-845118
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Listening and Learning
Student Support and
Learning Center
 Critical listening and critical thinking go hand in hand: One cannot listen critically without also
thinking critically. Critical listening and critical thinking are forms of active listening in which one
carefully analyzes the content, meaningfulness and utility of the lecture.
 Identify the main idea, patterns and organizational themes: In a lecture, a speaker is generally
referring to notes, the required reading or some other source of information. You can understand much
better if you take notes, read the required reading and organize the information. Recognize ideas, patterns
and themes and ultimately connect them.
 Don't let your mind wander: Take notes while you listen. Even if you recognize everything topic in the
lecture, jot it down. Your notes will increase your retention and recall of information when your review in
preparation for a test and/or writing your papers.
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