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Listening Skills and Critical Evaluation

Illustration of Epictetus.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we may listen twice as much as we speak.” —Epictetus Source: Theodoor Galle creator QS:P170,Q178329, Epictetus from L. Annaei Senecae philosophi Opera, 1605, title page detail, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

Listening effectively provides a challenging task. It acts as essentially one-half of the communication process, yet it remains the more neglected half that fails to get taught or put into practice. This chapter examines the practice of listening as a learned skill and demonstrates how critical listening in the context of public speaking involves complex processes that people can perfect through practice.