Models of Listening:

In Brooks’ Listening Model breaks listening into three stages: hearing, identifying and recognizing, and
auding.

S Hearing Identifying and Recognizing Auding

p
e H
Noting
e Auditory Acuity Auditory Analysis sequence E
c A
Mental
h Forming
Masking
Reorganiza R
tion
Identification Sensory
s I
of words Impressions
o
u Auditory Associa N
n Fatigue -tion Appreciating G
d
s
Indexing

Hearing:

a. Auditory acuity: the ability of the ear to respond to various frequencies at various
intensities is one of the first factors to affect the hearing of sounds.

b. Masking: is another factor that influences hearing. When background noise especially
competing conversation enters the ear in the same frequency range as the speech one is
intending to receive, the extraneous noise is said to mast the intended oral message.

c. Auditory fatigue: another factor that can affect hearing. Continuous or prolonged
exposure to sounds of certain frequencies can cause a hearing loss. A monotonous tone
or a droning voice can have the effects of creating auditory fatigue.

Identifying and Recognizing:

a. Auditory analysis: refers to the process of comparing the incoming sounds with sounds
that are already familiar to the individual. Sounds are recognized in terms of their
likenesses and differences.

b. Mental reorganization: is the second part of the process where the listener applies
some system that will aid retention and structuring of the incoming sounds.

c. Association: is the 3rd stage where the listener associates the sounds heard with other
sounds- the sounds may be entirely strange to the listener (e.g. a foreign language)- and
the words formed may have subjective meanings. At any rate, the listener uses his/her
schema to make associations regarding the incoming sounds.
Auding:

a. Indexing: This refers to outlining or ranking of information according to importance. It is

the search for main and supporting ideas and the structuring of bits and pieces into
more meaningful wholes.

Another aid to the assignment of meaning is arranging the material according to time, space, position or
some other relationship-noting sequence. Materials are easier to remember when the order of events,
placements of parts, and so on, are noted.

Sometimes, the listener reacts with his senses to incoming information. This is forming sensory
impression. Some are highly skilled in translating words into sensory images, thus adding to the
meaningfulness of the verbal message.

b. Appreciating: means responding to the aesthetic nature of the message. Appreciation

can play an important role in listening to public speeches that are ceremonial in nature
and speeches intended to activate the feelings and emotions of the listener.

Goss’s Listening Model:

This model is based on an “information processing” approach to listening. There are three stages:

1. Signal Processing: is the act of transmitting the message to the listener. This stage encounters a
problem only if the speech is unclear or poorly spoken or the language being used is unfamiliar
to the listener.

2. Literal Processing: is taking the words in the message at face value in assessing their probably
meanings. It is the first stage of meaning assessment and it focuses on the denotative meaning
of words used.
3.

SP LP RP
SIGNAL LITERAL REFLECTIVE
PROCESSING PROCESSING PROCESSING
Segments Meaning Simple Critical Anlysis
Structures Implication Appreciation

Re
flective Processing: is listening to evaluate. It goes beyond the literal stage to determine what
else may be contained in the message- for instance inferences, motives, and speaker credibility.