Here are suggested answers to the Think About It items in this chapter of the Online Learning Center website.

1. Explain in your own words the three main psycholinguistic processes involved in listening: perceiving, attending, and assigning meaning. Make sure to include an example or two in order to make your explanation more clear.

Teacher’s Note: Response should include the following:


• Perceiving is simply the physical aspect of listening that occurs as sound enters the ear and is eventually converted into a brain signal. The eardrum plays a crucial role in distinguishing sounds that are similar (for example, t vs. d). Attending refers to the concentration and decision-making involved in paying attention to aural stimuli. For example, listeners must “filter out” background noise and irrelevant sounds and pay close attention to sounds voiced by a speaker. Finally, assigning meaning is interpreting the intended message delivered by the speaker. For example, the word watch might mean “wristwatch” or “look at.”

2. How is the “big C” notion of culture different from the “little c” notion? Provide examples of each to make the distinction transparent.

Teacher’s Note: Response should include the following:


• Culture with a big C means things like the art and architecture of a region. A people’s music, sports, etc., would also fall under the big C umbrella. Little c culture has more to do with habits and customs related to people’s everyday lives. How people greet and speak to each other on a daily basis, what people eat and drink, and the typical work schedule all form part of little c-type culture.

3. Explain the difference between collaborative and noncollaborative listening. Be sure to illustrate the difference by way of example during your explanation.

Teacher’s Note: Response should include the following:


• In collaborative listening the listener and the speaker work together to construct the discourse, while in non-collaborative listening the listener co-construct with the speaker and negotiate meaning. Body language, making inquiries, and commenting on content may all be part of the listener’s participation during collaborative listening. Watching your favorite TV sitcom and listening to the dialogue would be a good example of non-collaborative listening. In the latter situation, the listener does not contribute in any way to the construction of the discourse.