Listening culture

Photo: David Trent

I was recently inspired by a talk I heard from Kiyomi Akita from Gakushuin University in Japan. She spoke of a ‘pedagogy of listening’ where listening is placed at the heart of learning.

I especially liked the idea that instead of us asking students to talk to each other, the teacher is more likely to say phrases such as:

• Listen to your friend’s ideas.

• Listen to each other.

• Learn from your friends.

This is a small shift in language with a potentially huge impact.