What is active listening?

Active listening is defined as fully concentrating on what is being said during a conversation. This involves not just hearing the words, but also understanding the message being conveyed, interpreting non-verbal cues, and engaging with the speaker. When practicing active listening, an individual makes a conscious effort to stay focused on the speaker, often through techniques such as nodding, maintaining eye contact, and providing verbal affirmations like "I see" or "Go on." This level of engagement fosters better communication, enhances understanding, and can lead to more meaningful discussions.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately capture the essence of active listening. Ignoring distractions pertains to managing the environment rather than focusing on the conversation itself, while memorizing information relates to recall rather than comprehension and engagement with the speaker. Lastly, note-taking is a valuable skill for capturing information but does not encompass the interactive and attentive nature of active listening, which prioritizes real-time engagement with the speaker's message over simply recording it.