The daytime is still hot with rising temperatures, but at night, the autumn sounds of insects come out of nowhere. We sometimes use earphones to immerse ourselves in our favourite sounds when we go outside, but sometimes it is important to pay attention to the sounds around us. Since ancient times, people from all over the world have valued sound as a way of perceiving the changes in nature. In particular, the Japanese seem to be particularly adept at using various words to describe sounds. Even the sound of rainfall is expressed in words such as “shitoshito-it’s drizzling” or “zaazaa-it’s showering”, and just by hearing these words we can easily imagine what the weather outside is like even when we are indoors. And by not missing out on the sounds of nature, we could also use them to grow more crops, nurture animals, and prepare for the new season. The ability to listen is exactly what we needed to survive in the harshness of nature.
We also need to have the ability to listen carefully to what others are saying in our daily lives. Sometimes people rely too much on convenient language and tend to talk more about themselves than listen. However, by listening carefully to what each other is saying, it is possible to understand each other’s feelings behind the words. Furthermore, listening carefully to the other person’s opinion allows you to further develop your own ideas, and even if the opinion is sometimes different from your own, you can find good points and discover new things in it. You can then construct your own opinion and present it convincingly.
Listening skills are also very important when learning a second language. This is because when you are actually speaking to a native speaker, you may not be able to continue the conversation because you don’t understand what they are saying. If you can improve your listening skills while learning various words and reading and writing various sentences on a regular basis, you will be able to understand what many native speakers are saying and your world will expand from Japan to the rest of the world.
Focusing on listening with a little attention on a daily basis may be one of the tips to expand your promising life and make it brighter and more prosperous.