Hearing is the act of perceiving sound and receiving sound waves or vibrations through your ear.

Listening is the act of hearing a sound and understanding what you hear. Hearing is one of the
five senses and it just happens all the time – whether you like it or not – unless you have a
hearing problem. But if you listen, you are consciously choosing what you want to hear. You
concentrate on what you hear in order to understand the message. For example, If I hear a baby
crying out loud, I am using my sense of hearing, but when I hear a baby cry because he is
hungry, it is a form of listening because I have attached a meaning to what I have heard.

Hearing is a skill where you use your ears only. It one of the five senses. Listening uses different
senses, like the sense of hearing, seeing, or sense of touch. Listening is a skill that lets the sound
you hear go through your brain to process the meaning of it. Listening means also observing
what you hear, like the speaker’s behavior and body language, in order to better understand
what the speaker is talking about. Hearing is an involuntary act where you simply receive
vibrations through your ears.

Listening is a form of a communication technique that lets you understand, interpret and put
meaning to what you hear. Listening can build a better relationship with others, while hearing is
just merely receiving sounds through your ears.

Summary:

1.Hearing and Listening uses both your ears.

2.Hearing is receiving sound waves through your ears, while listening means hearing and
understanding what you’ve heard.
3.Hearing is part of the five senses, while listening is a choice to hear and analyze what you hear.
4.Hearing is using your ears only, while listening is using your body’s other senses.
5.Listening is observing other’s behavior that can add meaning to the message, while hearing is
simply receiving sound vibrations.
6.Listening can build better relationships with others, while hearing cannot.
7.Take good care of your ears; you cannot listen when you cannot hear.
Listening: Misconceptions and Truth
In the communication process, the sender has an idea and converts this idea into words and
gestures. After encoding the idea, the message travels through a channel of communication from the
sender to the receiver. The act performed by the receiver to hear and to get the message is listening.
As you may have realized, listening is part of every daily activities: whether you are young or old, or
you study or work, or you have to listen in order to communicate. However, this activity seems to
be misunderstood.
Misconceptions On Listening

Here are the top 10 myths about listening.

Myth 1: "Listening is a matter of intelligence."

Fact: "Careful listening is a learned behaviour."
Myth 2: "Speaking is more important than listening in the communication process."
Fact: "Speaking and listening are equally important."
Myth 3: "Listening is easy and requires little energy."
Fact: "Active listeners undergo the same physiological changes as a person jogging."
Myth 4: "Listening and hearing are the same process."
Fact: "Listening is a conscious, selective process while hearing is an involuntary act."
Myth 5: "Speakers are able to command listening."
Fact: "Speakers cannot make a person really listen."
Myth 6: "Hearing ability determines listening ability."
Fact: "Listening happens mentally—between the ears."
Myth 7: "Speakers are totally responsible for the communication success."
Fact: "Communication is a two-way street."
Myth 8: "Listening means only understanding a speaker’s words."
Fact: "Nonverbal signals also help listeners gain understanding."
Myth 9: "Daily practice eliminates the need for listening training."
Fact: "Without effective listening training, most practice merely reinforces negative behaviors."
Myth 10: "Competence in listening develops naturally."
Fact: "Untrained people listen at only 25 percent efficiency."

What Is Listening?

Defining listening is like defining love. It is an interrelated concept that cannot only be defined by
one word.
Listening can be defined in various ways but can be summarized by the following descriptions:

1- Listening is understanding what we hear the natural response of a human being when hearing a
sound

According to Floyd, "Hearing is a passive process that occurs when sound waves cause the bones in
your inner ear to vibrate and send signals to your brain, but listening requires much more than just
perceiving the sound around you" (Floyd, 2009, p. 262). Listening actually completes the hearing
process by understanding the meaning of the information.

2- Listening is a necessary skill for day-to-day communication

In various areas of our life, we need to listen. Family members and friends will not only love us
because we have beautiful eyes, but because when they talk, we care about what they say by listening
to them; our classmates and colleagues will be more than willing to work with people who
show interest through understanding what they say.

3- Listening is an habit

Even though we are born with the ability to listen, it should be remembered that good listening
requires practice and effort. As Cuban said, "Listening looks easy, but it's not simple. Every head is a
world." . Listening is not reflex, it is an habit. If a person puts food into his or her mouth, he or she
will be more likely to make his or her teeth move instead of swallowing the aliment right away.
When listening, in the other hand, having the info inside the head is not enough, there is a need to
analyze it in order to fully understand its meaning.

In overall, listening is a mountain that is worth climbing. Even though it is challenging to listen,
excelling in listening can be compared to succeeding in life.

In order to reach the peak, it is very important to first understand how listening works and what
could prevent the process and the types of listening.

Moreover, it is also helpful to explore how listening differs from cultures and genders.

Furthermore, knowing the benefits of listening will be the cherries on the cake: you will be
encouraged via the comparison of the impact of bad vs good listening. To finish, a list of
techniques will be provided in order to improve your listening aptitude.

However, let’s first start by taking one of the various tests through those links in order to evaluate
your listening capabilities.

Listening is a psychological phenomenon, which takes place on a cognitive level inside people’s heads,
and a social phenomenon, which develops interactively between people and the environment
surrounding them. It considers listening as a complex process, which needs to be understood in order to
teach it, and subsequently, evaluate it before integrating it with phonological aspects and with the skill
of speaking. (Bueno, Madrid and McLaren, 2006:282).

BENEfits

No matter how intelligent a student is, he will reap the benefits of his education only if
he has developed adequate listening skills in the classroom. Teachers typically give
direct instruction and then provide clarification as necessary. Students who listen keenly
to directions and lectures -- rather than simply hearing them -- have distinct advantages.
Efficient listening in the classroom saves time and results in improved academic and
social skills.
Improved Communication Skills

Classroom dialogue is an integral part of the educational setting. Students interact with the
teacher and one another when they offer thoughts, questions and ideas. Students who are in tune
with class conversations are equipped to partake in the discussions. When students speak in front
of a group in this type of informal setting, it prepares them for future endeavors in public
speaking.

More Time on Task

Pupils who listen carefully in class can readily begin assignments. They do not waste time asking
a lot of questions prior to starting their work. When a student is not effectively listening, he
could make unnecessary mistakes that require him to redo parts of the assignment. The exercises
often carry over as homework, causing the student to devote even more time. Students realize the
effect that listening has on time management.

Increased Academic Understanding

Students who listen in class gain a better understanding of the content the teacher presents and
can identify the fundamental concepts. Their concentration ultimately results in storage of
information in memory. This helps the student when he needs to recall and build upon prior
knowledge, especially in a subject such as math, which is based upon previous skill attainment.
Good listeners are better equipped to connect to new ideas and content.

Enhanced Interpersonal Connections

Whether a student is part of a teacher's or a guest speaker's audience, he needs to earn that
person's respect and confidence. When the student is attentive, the speaker feels valued and is
subsequently more open to the student's suggestions and input. Teachers react favorably when
their pupils make an effort to actively listen in class. Students also have a high regard for peers
who listen intently to their comments and questions.

Sharpened Listening Skills

Teachers typically incorporate listening prompts and activities throughout the day. They use
rhythm games with young students to teach them aggressive listening skills. They might repeat a
phrase such as "All eyes on me" in order to gain students' attention. Boys and girls learn that eye
contact is an integral part of the listening process. When students follow the teacher's prompts
and suggestions, they develop strong listening skills that carry over to all facets of life.

Having active listening skills has many benefits; besides better

comprehension in the classroom, active listeners tend to be better
communicators and problem solvers. Being an active listener also shows
good character, commitment, and is an essential component of being a
leader.

Parents and teachers can teach students how to become an active listener by

becoming active listeners themselves. Through modelling active listening to

your child, he or she is able to see the value and importance of being an

active listener. It also gives your child a reference to develop his or her own

listening habits.

Improve the active listening skills of both you and your child by following these

5 tips:
1. MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT

People who maintain eye contact are seen as reliable, warm, sociable, honest,

confident, and active. Focusing your eyes also helps improve concentration.

This helps you fully understand what the speaker is saying.

2. DON’T INTERRUPT

Let the speaker complete his or her thought before you try to respond. Do not

interrupt, finish sentences, or rush him or her. Avoid guessing or assuming

where his or her thoughts are going— this can create a negative impact on

effective communication.

3. ASK QUESTIONS

One way to show you are listening (and make sure you hear correctly) is to ask

specific questions about what is being said. This provides clarification, ensures

understanding, and shows that you are listening.

Try asking these four types of questions:

Open-ended: expand the discussion further

Example: “How was your day at school today?”

Close-ended: prompt for specifics

Example: “Are you finished your homework?”

 Leading: prompts the respondent to answer in a particular way

Example: “Do you have too much homework?”

Reflective: expand and extend thinking

Example: “You mentioned math is your favourite subject in school, tell me

more about that.”

4. REPEAT BACK WHAT THE SPEAKER SAYS

Repeat what has been said back to the speaker in your own words. This helps

make sure you have understood what he or she is saying. Summarize by

repeating the main points of the message. This gives the speaker a chance to

correct you, if necessary.

5. LISTEN FOR TOTAL MEANING

Any message has two components: the content of the message and the

underlying feeling or attitude. Both parts are important and give the message

meaning. Listen for both for content and the underlying emotions. Sometimes

the real message is in the emotion rather than the content.

By following these tips, you and your child are developing the skills you both

need to be better active listeners. Practicing these steps with your child will

continue to help him or her improve his or her listening habits.

ACTIVE LISTENING ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS

Showing your child how to be an active listener by example is only the first

step. It is also important to practice these skills.

Try these activities to help develop and sharpen your child’s listening skills.

 Read stories to your child. Ask him or her to predict what will happen next.

The prediction requires your child to listen to the details to make a

logical guess.

 Cook with your child. Read the recipe to him or her, having your child

listen to and follow each step to complete the recipe correctly.

 Have conversations about things your child is interested in. This gives your

child a chance to engage in a real conversation, practicing both

speaking and listening.

 Play the telephone game. Get together with a group and have one person

whisper a sentence to the next person. Each person repeats it to the

next until the final person. Have this person say the sentence aloud and

see how much the two sentences have changed.

 Create a list of questions with your child for him or her to ask you or a

sibling. After one person has answered, see how many the other can

remember. Switch roles and see how well the other person does.
  Play the “spot the change” game. Read your child a short story. Then read it

again, making some changes. Each time your child hears a change

have him or her clap or raise his or her hand.

 Get creative with “follow the directions.” Give short, simple instructions and

have your child draw according to the directions they hear.

It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be a better listener.

Practicing active listening techniques will help students become better

communicators and build listening skills they will use for life.

Looking for some extra help? Find out more about Oxford

Learning’s programs and how we can help students reach their full potential.

WAYS TO BOOST LISTENING

It’s easy to say listening is important in the classroom — but actually listening
well can be a different story. During any class, teachers need to keep the
whole class engaged, cover a long list of topics and assess how well students
are learning. Pausing to really listen to one student’s question or idea can be
a challenge.
Gillian Parrish, a research and communications specialist at the Teaching
Center at Washington University in St. Louis, offers these tips on how to
create a classroom atmosphere where students feel heard:

1. Learn to embrace silence

It’s important to make room in the conversation for students’ questions or
ideas — and that means not simply answering them immediately. Parrish
suggests “pausing to let their questions reverberate in the air for a moment,
not just answering in that quick reflexive circuit between our head and mouth.”
This brief pause can help you assess not just the student’s words but the
emotions underlying their question. It’s important to “take in what’s under the
words, too, which may be the student’s worry or excitement,” Parrish said.

2. Incorporate student responses into

your lesson plans
“Students’ voices are more than a question-and-answer session tacked onto
the end of presenting material,” Parrish said. “Their voices need to be
integrated throughout the lesson so that their insights and questions help to
shape the presentation.”

She suggests weaving interactive components throughout the class plans,

allowing students to speak in pairs, small groups and larger groups in addition
to in front of the whole class.

3. Look for ways to engage introverts

Not every student is interested in asking a question in front of everybody.

“In our extroverted culture, facilitators tend to be voluble, which means we

must ensure that we make space for students’ voices when we are designing
our lesson plans and presentations,” Parrish said.

One innovative way to do this is through reflective writing, which helps

learners who prefer to process their thoughts silently before speaking aloud.

4. Pause to think before responding

“A common obstacle to listening is being caught up in our thoughts, even if
what we are doing is rifling through our mental files” to compose our
response, Parrish said. This is especially common when teachers are trying to
answer quickly to keep the class on track.

“When we are preoccupied in these ways, we are not fully present for the
student talking, and we may miss an important opportunity for the whole class
to learn from this student’s question,” she said.
5. Practice balancing between speaking
and listening
Classes have to keep moving to cover the material, and teachers may not
always be able to answer every question.

“We can get more skilled in moving fluidly between being present with the
student who is speaking and noting the time,” Parrish said. “The key to striking
the right balance between listening and speaking is practice.”