ABSTRACT
In our daily life, people spend more time listening than they do reading, writing, or speaking. Conversations, classroom lectures, group meetings, and electronic media expose people to an amazing amount of information every day. Critical thinking is key to listening well. Critical thinking is the process of consciously examining the content and logic of messages to determine their credibility and rationality. Critical thinkers challenge ideas before they accept them. They assess the quality of ideas, judging their merits and faults. Critical thinking is an important feature of the communication process and is vital to good listening. This chapter focuses on practical listening techniques that people can use in almost any situation. Hearing is the first step in the listening process. Hearing is the physiological process of receiving sound waves. Listening is the thinking process that creates meaning from sound.
