World Hearing Day 2025: Promoting clear hearing and active listening for effective communication

Coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Hearing Day 2025 (March 3) is being organized globally with the theme "Changing mindsets: Empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!" to ensure good hearing health throughout life. with 'focus on changing mindsets towards ear and hearing care'.

According to the WHO, by encouraging individuals to recognize the importance of ear and hearing health, the theme aims to inspire them to change behaviour to the following:

• protecting hearing from loud sounds

• preventing hearing loss with aging

• ,check hearing regularly and using hearing devices if needed,

• supporting those living with hearing loss.

  
  

However, speaking and listening go together to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process., We need to recognize that the development of listening is key to effective communication. IExperts feel that without the deliberately developed skill, listening effectively, the messages gets easily misunderstood.

In the modern world, listening skill is an important part of communication skills. Acquiring adequate listening skill are being seen as an essential component of both personal life and work life. Besides this many successful students, teachers, managers, business leaders and entrepreneurs give credit to their success to their effective listening skills.

It needs to be understood that listening is Not the Same as Hearing since the former is physical and passive process - if one does not any hearing problem - while the later is an active process which require non-reactive mental and physical focus by being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages.

Here is the equation for active listening:

Active listening = Non-evaluative and non-interpretive listening environment + Appreciative informal listening to increase empathy + Reflective listening as communication strategy