LISTENING:
·
Listening refers to the process of hearing a
person with attention being paid to his words, tone, and body language.
·
Listening is a process of receiving and
interpreting the spoken word.
·
Listening is a skill which can be cultivated;
and developed, just like speaking, reading and writing.
Listening and hearing
·
Hearing is a physical activity that happens when
one responds to auditory stimuli and it begins and ends with the response.
·
Listening, on the other hand, involves thought,
emotion and interpersonal relational relationship.
·
A clear distinction should be made between
listening and hearing.
·
Hearing happens automatically as it; is an involuntary
physical act. It does not involve the conscious involvement of the listener.
When you move on a railway platform, you hear several voices. You do not listen
to them. Suddenly there is an
announcement on the public speaker and we listen to it.
·
When we listen, we pay conscious attention to
what is being said.
Active listening:
Active listening is listening
carefully, with added effort of trying
to understand the speaker’s thoughts
and feelings and then, showing to him that you understand him. Active listening
is quite difficult. This requires
concentration and discipline.
Difference between listening and hearing:
Listening
|
Hearing
|
1.
voluntary
|
involuntary
|
2.
requires conscious efforts
|
Happens automatically
|
3.
active process
|
Passive process
|
4.
A two way interactive process engaging the
speaker and the listener
|
A one way process
|
5.
you listen to your girl friend ( just for fun)
|
You hear the noise.
|
Types of listening
Types of listening
|
Quality of listening
|
Examples
|
1.
superficial listening
|
Marginal listening
|
You hear uninterestingly on the road side about the opening of a
new shop
|
2.
appreciative listening
|
Listening for pleasure
|
Listening to your favorite song at a programme
|
3.
focused listening
|
Listening for some specific information
|
You strain to listen to the announcement of the arrival of your
train at Coimbatore junction
|
4.
evaluative listening
|
You try to evaluate a speech
|
You listen to a business proposal and try to decide whether it is
worthwhile enough
|
5.
attentive listening
|
Your entire attention is devoted to listening
|
You are listening to your interviewer’s questions during a
telephonic interview.
|
6.
empathetic listening
|
You listen not only to what the speaker is saying , but also
identify yourself with the emotional state of the speaker
|
You listen to your friend’s sorrowful state and tears start
rolling down your cheeks.
|
Review questions:
1.
define listening
2.
define hearing
3.
differentiate listening from hearing
4.
Enumerate the different kinds of listening with
examples.
.