Listening requires a person to be attentive, patient, non-judgmental and yet have the capacity to analyse and respond. It is a process that involves reception, attention, assignment of meaning, and listener’s response to the message presented.
Role of Culture in Listening -Asian cultures, such as India, emphasise on listening by being a silent communicator when receiving messages from seniors or elders. Buddhism, for instance, has a notion called ‘mindfulness’ which helps to develop longer attention spans and therefore, lead not only to better listening but also to sympathetic listening. However, in many cultures, such listening enhancing concepts are not present.
