What is listening?

Listening and hearing are not the same.

We hear all sorts of noises in the world around us, but we do not listen to them all.

People who live near busy roads get used to the sound of traffic and don't hear it anymore. These are not things we want to listen to so we 'tune out' and don't usually notice them.

We listen for different reasons:

Just for pleasure
music, birds singing, the crackling of a log fire.

To take part in conversation
exchange news with family and friends, make arrangements.

For information
the news or weather forecast on the television or radio, or announcements at a station or airport.

For instructions
so that we know how to carry out a task or operate equipment at work

To understand
when someone is explaining what is happening, what we have to do, what someone feels - for example, why someone is upset.

To get the gist of what is being said
We don't always need to hear and understand every word to get the sense of what is being said. We might do this if we are listening to a story or narrative.

Note: Often, you may hear what you expect to hear, not what is actually said. Everyone brings past experience to a communication situation, even without intending to. Pressure of time and work increases the risk of doing so.