Listening is essential to effective communication.  In the words of author Robert Louis Stevenson, “All speech, written or spoken, is dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared listener.” Listening is hearing and trying to understand a message using the sounds you hear.  Listening is the communication skill that many people use the most.  Being an effective listener can help you be more productive and improve your relationships with others.  A first step toward becoming an effective listener understands the type of listening that is appropriate for situations.   Listening can be categorised at casual listening or active listening.