Listening Process =)

       The first step in listening effectively is to recognize certain fallacies.The next step is to understand the process.Listening is a complex process because it is an integral part of the total communication process.

      Firstly,speaking and writing (the sending parts of the communication process) are highly visible,and are more easily assessed than listening and reading (the receiving parts). And reading behavior is assessed much more frequently than listening behavior.For instance,we are more often tested on what we read than on what we hear.And when we are tested on material presented in a lecture,generally the lecture has been supplemented by readings.

    Secondly,many of us are not willing to improve our listening skills.Much of this unwillingness results from our incomplete understanding of the process that could help show us how to improve.To understand the listening process,we must first define it.Through the years,alot definitions of listening have been proposed.Perhaps the most useful one defines listening as the process of receiving,attending,and understanding auditory messages;that is, messages transmitted through the medium of sound. Often, the steps of responding and remembering are also included.The process might be diagrammed as shown in figure 1.

   The process moves through the first three steps;receiving,attending,understanding in sequence.Responding and/or remembering may or may not follow.For example,it may be desirable for the listener to respond immediately or to remember the message in order to respond at a later time.At most of the times,of course,no response (at least no verbal response) is required. And the act of remembering may or may not be necessary.For example,if someone tells you to “watch your step,” you have no need to remember the message after you have completed that step.

By: Sujatha Sahadevan