Hearing vs.
Listening
Hearing- sense that allows you to
perceive sound; physical act- only
requires reception of sound waves
Listening- mental process that
requires concentrating on
sound, deriving meaning
from it, and reacting to it
Listening Process
1. Sensing (hearing) what was said (pick up
sound waves through ears)
2. Interpreting what was meant
(make decisions…Example: scream
- fun, fear, or anger?)
3. Examining the statement (how message
relates to you)
4. Responding to it appropriately (decide how to
respond- feedback)
Purposes of
Listening



Listening for enjoymenteasiest of all (music, TV,
radio); requires little
mental involvement
Listening for
information- requires
more concentration;
expected to retain info.
Critical listeninglistening for information
as well as analyzing and
evaluating it
Precision listeninglistening with attention to
details that give you clues
to the speaker’s emotion
or state of mind

Empathic listeninghighest level; requires
concentration, retention,
and judgment as well as
empathy

Barriers to
Listening
Barriers keep you from
understanding the
speaker’s message
They create interference
There are external
distractions-outside
of yourself (sirens, spider on
wall, loud truck, construction,
etc.)
There are internal
distractions- inside
your mind (thinking about
other things, planning your
weekend, daydreaming, etc.)
Your desire to talk- most
people would rather talk than
listen; planning our response
Personal biases- being for or
against an idea and letting
that opinion form the basis of
your thinking (adults about
teenagers; culture- accents)
Conflicting demands- doing too
many things at one time; can’t
give all your attention on one
thing if it’s focused on two or
three (eating and watching TV
while talking on phone)
Improving Listening
Work on concentration
Practice good listening
Prepare yourself to listen
Listen for key words
Take notes
Work on concentration
Practice good listening
Prepare yourself to listen
Listen for key words
Take notes