Listening is different from hearing.
Listening is of two types – Active Listening and Passive Listening
Active Listening involves concentration and the ability to understand, identify and assimilate the main idea presented by the speaker.
Very often the ideas appear to be familiar but tend to be forgotten as soon as the speaker completes his speech.
In some cases, it requires a certain amount of correlation between the sentences and the main idea which is important.
It is therefore essential to focus on the topic and eliminate any kind of distraction that the mind may be subjected to.
Active Listening facilitates coordination between listening and identifying the main points to be noted.
While listening in the classroom or to a presentation presented by a speaker, it is helpful to take down notes in the form of main ideas. These notes can later be used to reconstruct the entire lecture. This in turn facilitates both the Writing and the Speaking skills.
In Active Listening, it is important to be seen to be attentive.
An active listener can also use the transliteration method to enhance the linking between the vocabulary presented by the speaker with native vocabulary, which makes it easier to understand and to retain the main concept. In the process, it also enables one to learn the nuances of the language like Pronunciation and Presentation Skills that involve body language.