Chapter - 03 - (Topic - 1) Listening Ability

Meaning of Listening

Listening skills are critically important to effective communication. Most days we spend a lot of our time in listening. The prime aim of listening is to gather important information and knowledge from surrounding people. Good listening skills will improve person‘s ability to develop relationships and make them more creative and effective in the process of communication.

Person‘s ability to listen and clearly understand allows the person to:

ü  Develop relationship to a deeper level.

ü  Be a better team player.

ü  Be a better leader in organization.

ü  Be an effective problem solver.

ü  Support people who need help. 

Difference between Hearing and Listening

Hearing

Though the words ‘listening’ and ‘hearing’ seem similar word, they are different. Hearing is the physical aspect of human body that receives sounds. Hearing mainly depends on ears. We can hear sounds without deliberate effort because hearing is an instinctive process. In this manner, in hearing, we do not require concentration or attention. For example: when too friends passing through a crowded street talking with each other, they hear different sounds and noise from the street. These sounds simply hit to their eardrum and a person hears them physically. But this does not mean that person has understood those sounds. The ability of understanding and comprehension requires concentration and attention which lacks in hearing.

Listening

Contrary to hearing, Listening is an active process where we pay proper attention toward the sounds. In listening, we require to comprehend the sound that we hear. In this way, listening is a deliberate process. For example: in the class room students become active in listening because they pay attention to the teacher‘s message to comprehend it. Mainly listening involves three parts: Hearing, Understanding and response. Hearing is the first step in the listening process in which person simply hear the words then after understand those words in the context of the entire conversation. Once we understand what we are hearing we respond in the context of the conversation and the whole process becomes listening.

Hearing	Listening
·         Hearing depends on ears ·   It is a physical process of receiving sound ·         We hear without deliberate effort. ·  Hearing does not require proper attention. ·  In hearing sounds hit to person‘s eardrum	·        Listening depends on mental ability ·       It is a mental aspect of comprehending the message ·         We listen with deliberate effort. ·    Listening requires proper attention and concentration ·         In listening sounds goes to the depth of the mind to derive their meaning