What is the first stage of the listening process?

The first stage of the listening process is sensing, which refers to the initial act of perceiving sound. This stage involves the physical reception of auditory stimuli, where your ears detect sounds and communicate them to your brain. It is an automatic process that occurs when sounds are present in your environment, allowing you to become aware of spoken language and other auditory signals.

Sensing serves as the foundation for the subsequent stages of listening, such as attending, understanding, and remembering, which build on the initial perception. By effectively detecting sounds in this initial stage, you pave the way for deeper engagement with the material and a more comprehensive comprehension of the messages being communicated.