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Listening is different to hearing

Listening is different to hearing - it suggests you are paying attention and trying to interpret messages.

Being able to listen and absorb information is a core skill in a range of interpersonal and educational situations - it underpins a communication system which assumes that you are trying to understand messages from the person who is speaking. It also assumes that you have respect for the speaker and are interested in what they have to say. Making someone feel that they have a contribution to make and that their contribution is valued is very important in interpersonal relations.
Within this web page there are a number of resources identified to help you consider your listening skills style and think about how you can demonstrate that you are ‘actively’ listening to people and absorbing the information you receive. Because of the closely interrelated nature of many interpersonal skills, active listening can best be demonstrated when the listener both gives and receives nonverbal messages and uses questioning techniques to show empathy. These aspects are explored further within the 'develop your listening skills' area of these pages.