Speaking and Listening

From a very young age, whilst I was learning to speak I had to really learn to listen to what was said to interpret the word.


My brother, who was older than me by 18 months, struggled with pronouncing some words. He regularly attended speech therapy and whilst I had no problems learning to speak properly, I learnt to understand his way of speaking.

I find it much easier to interpret what people are saying, whether that involves accents or a slight lisp or even a speech impediment because of my younger days of having to really listen to different ways of speaking.



How do I interpret what I hear to what is said?

When I listen I do not just listen to the words. I take into account the tone, the body language, the expressions on the speakers face and the body actions.

Who taught me that listening isn’t just about hearing the words spoken? Did I take these experiences from my surroundings, my family, or my friends?

My family would have been the most influential on me. The daily conversations full of sarcasm and hand gestures are how my parents communicated; my brothers and I then developed this habit.



If I shut my eyes and just listened, would I hear the same if my eyes were open?

Simple answer, no. It would be completely different. I find it amazing that even though we hear, there is so much more to hearing then just the word that is being spoken.