listen vs. hear?

[Torsten]

Listen and hear are two verbs that many learners of English like muddling up. That's why you should read Alan's piece listen vs. hear.

Let me know what you think.
Regards,
Torsten

TOEFL listening lectures: A university lecture on the history of the English language

[Molly]

I'm still left thinking about the difference between examples such as:

Have you heard that new CD by...?
Have you listened to that new CD by...?

Can you enlighten me, T?

[Alan]

Hi Molly,

That is a very interesting question! I am going to suggest that there is a suggestion in: Have you heard that new CD by...? of 'heard about' whereas 'listened to' is precise. What do you think?

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Molly]

Not sure. I'd use them interchangeably in this case.

A: Have you heard/listened to that new CD by...?

B: No, I haven't heard/listened it yet.

...........

I think one has to look at words in context when describing their use. In some expression words can be wholly synonymous and in other expressions they can be part-synonymous, etc. I think "hear" and "listen" have such possibilities.

For example:

A: Have you heard that new CD by...?

B: No, I haven't heard/listened it yet.

[Torsten]

"Have you heard that new CD...?" means "Did you happen to hear it somewhere?" For example you could have heard it at a party where a friend of yours put it on.
"Have you listened to that new CD...?" means "Did you buy or get that new CD and did you listen to all the songs that are on it?"

TOEFL listening lectures: Which event or development did not strongly influence the history of bread?

[Molly]

Not always so, I think, T.

How about:

"Did you buy or get that new CD and did you hear all the songs that are on it?"

What do you think?

[Jamie (K)]

You can hear something without listening to it. A mother of young children hears that they are talking, but if they're not fighting, she often doesn't listen.

Muzak is made just to be heard, but not listened to.

Dvorak's Stabat Mater was made to be listened to.

[Molly]

Yes, I think we know that, Jamie, but how does it relate to Alan's article?

[Jamie (K)]

I don't read Alan's articles.

[Molly]

Why?

[Jamie (K)]

I think you mean to ask why not.

[Cortez]

Coincidentally, this is one of my arguments in some talking, I say: You can hear the rain, and at the same time you can listen to the thunders.

[Sahid59]

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Dear All,

Happy Eid(Ramadan) greetings to you.

Hearing is something that happens without your consent or conscience. Means (1) you can not avoid taking those sounds by your ear unless you cover yours. Also hearing means (2) to get a knowledge of something. So it is not mandatory to hear (1) something and keep it in your memory. Rather you will have little chance to remember all what you heard (2) of.

But on the contrary, listening means you are taking interest to hear something with more concentration in order to enjoy yourselves or to take notice of some important things. Listening sometimes need all your senses coupled up to make the absolute concentration. Listening needs patience too as it will take some considerable time to hear, understand and register it in the memory.

Finally, in my opinion, listening makes you more concentrated and concerned because you need to make sure what you are hearing. Hope I have made somewhat clear to you, dear Molly, even though I am not a professional language master like Allan, Jamie(K) or Torsten. Got it..?

Sahid59
2010.09.11
_________________
Sahid59

Better tomorrow with better English

[Maryeb]

I wanna to tell a memoire!
according to my major and job, the first time that I went to a hospital, in a clinics I saw a child with his mother that the personels say : he is deaf!
it was so sad accident for me, when a mother listen such this news!
after it, days of my life get bad, more and more! I listen to musics a lot! to stay myself alive!!!
now I sense I'm losing my auditory sense!!
I belive these people altough can't hear, but they can listen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I want to wish, God, please ruin this sense of me because of very reseans!
but give me Listen endowment!!!!!!!!

[Aneeqa]

Hi, Alan
Thanks for the explanation of the words 'hear' and 'listen'. This is what I had long been requesting for - lesson followed by a test.
The result of a test immediately confirms how much we have learnt of a lesson. I hope this practice will continue.
Regards
Aneeqa