What it means to listen

Listening means hearing what someone says and thinking about it so you can understand. You might listen with your ears, but sometimes we get information in other ways - for example, by reading subtitles or sign language. 

Listening matters because:

• It helps keep you safe by learning important information.
• It helps you understand how someone else feels.
• It helps you learn how to do things better.
• It helps you understand new ideas.

Why listening without interrupting matters

Interrupting happens when you stop someone from speaking. This can be by talking over them, looking away, or doing something that shows you’ve stopped listening.

Sometimes there are good reasons why people interrupt:

• You’re excited to share an idea.
• You want to say something quickly before you forget.
• You agree with the speaker and want to tell them.
• You’re short on time.

But often, the reasons aren’t good:

• You disagree and want to say your opinion.
• You’re not interested in what they’re saying.
• You’re bored.

Interrupting can lead to problems:

• It can make the speaker feel like you don’t care or find them boring.
• It shows you think your opinion is more important than theirs.
• You might miss something important they were going to say.
• Letting them finish might surprise you with something new or interesting.

How to listen without interrupting

With practice, you can get better at not interrupting. At first, you’ll need to think about it on purpose, but over time it will become a habit.

• Try to stay quiet, especially if you like to talk a lot.
• Focus on understanding what they’re saying.
• Say sorry if you interrupt and let them keep talking.
• Check they’ve finished before you start speaking.
• Don’t assume you know what they’re going to say.
• Don’t use every pause as a chance to talk - they might just be thinking.

If you must interrupt – like if time is running out or there’s an emergency – do it politely and say sorry.